Painful Knees

[LazyRunningBirder]

MorningI completed week four yesterday despite my knees hurting (my final 5 was, in fact, 25). My knees really hurt today and I don't think that I should go for my planned walk today

[AKatieD]

I don't know how old you are or if you take HRT but that has been a life saver for my knees!

[LazyRunningBirder in reply to AKatieD]

I am of that age but I really don't want to go down that route - but interesting to hear if things get a lot worse - thank you

[ChannelRunner2 Graduate]

Ouch! That's not good, LazyRunningBirder ! Is this something you've struggled with before or is it something new? Especially if it's new, you might need to get it checked out, though it might "just" be your body getting used to running and some extra rest will resolve it.

Either way, it's probably worth to add strengthening your legs to your workouts. Here on HU, you can check out the Strength & Flex area ( healthunlocked.com/strength... ). There are also resources on YouTube, like James Dunne or Liz from Pilates for Runners. I've also recently discovered the Running Physio, which also seems to be pretty reputable and science-based (there's a lot of shady stuff on YouTube...).

[LazyRunningBirder in reply to ChannelRunner2]

My knees have been a bit dodgy on and off for years - it's age - I've stopped running in the past because of them. I spoke to a neighbour earlier and he showed me some stretching exercises which I tried and they seemed to make a difference - I'll look at your suggestions too. Thank you

[MissUnderstanding Administrator On a break Graduate in reply to LazyRunningBirder]

Did you seek any professional help with your knee issues before? If not, this could be a good time to get to the bottom of what’s going on and perhaps a programme of targeted strength and flexibility exercises to help you continue running. Seeing a supportive physio was the best thing I ever did for my running!

[LazyRunningBirder in reply to MissUnderstanding]

No. Age is the problem! Lol!

[Cmoi Graduate]

LazyRunningBirder , apologies if I've misunderstood your post, but I'm really confused by "My final 5 was in fact 25." Is there a typo? Or do you mean you ran for 25 minutes instead of 5 minutes, which is how I understood it?

If that's the case, your knee pain is almost certainly the result of overdoing things. It's really not advisable to add on so much extra, nor to run in pain. I'd suggest you take a break to recover, and when you restart, stick to the C25K programme structure. A few extra seconds here and there isn't likely to harm you, but running for five times the indicated duration isn't the best approach.

[LazyRunningBirder in reply to Cmoi]

Hi

You didn't misunderstand me. I've been adding time on each time. I've done C25K several times before in the past and thought that I was up to doing this amount as my energy allowed it. It is a bit annoying to have to just do the five at the end (or whatever the amount is for the week) but if you think that that will save my knees! So beyond c25k how do I build up to running a lot further?

[Cmoi Graduate in reply to LazyRunningBirder]

I totally understand the temptation to add on more. I occasionally did it myself during C25K, but a minute or less, or an extra-long cooldown walk.

The thing is, while your enthusiasm and energy might be fine with doing significantly more, your body is still adapting. The C25K FAQ and linked posts explain more about this.

As for running further, once you've completed C25K it's recommended to consolidate for a couple of weeks or more before trying to go further. I found that challenging, as I was desperate to run further, and assumed that more, more, more was the way to go.

I was wrong. I started the Magic Plan over on Bridge to 10k and realised that shorter runs and rest days, as well as stretching and good hydration, were crucial, at least in my case.

While following the rules still isn't my strongest point, I found that by increasing running time gradually, keeping my pace comfortable and taking rest days, often two between run days, I was able to run significantly further without injury.

In under 17 months I went from a 59 year old non-runner to completing a 46.45km, 1835m elevation gain trail event three days before my 61st birthday. I don't say that to boast - I certainly couldn't manage that event right now, I'd need to train seriously again - simply to indicate what's possible. Oh, and I'm post-menopausal and have never taken HRT because of family medical reasons.

[LazyRunningBirder in reply to Cmoi]

Wow! Impressive! I got as far as 13km once a couple of years ago (about your age) and would like to be able to do that again . My main goal is to be fit for a three day jungle trek in Sumatra in August (leaving in July, so running stops there). I certainly don't want to go down the HRT route (if I can help it) - and you've made me feel less guilty about deciding to go birdwatching tomorrow morning instead of running - will do that on Monday instead.

[MissUnderstanding Administrator On a break Graduate in reply to LazyRunningBirder]

Absolutely agree with Cmoi here so I won’t repeat everything she’s said! Trusting the programme is so hard, especially when you’ve been in the position of running further or faster before and you just want to be back where you were. It takes time and patience.

Aerobic fitness can come back quickly so you feel full of energy. Strength in muscles and tendons and ligaments is slower to develop which is why it’s safest to stop sooner than your lungs might be telling you to. That’s something I find really hard as well.

When you’re ready, Bridge to 10k is a great place for support building up beyond the C25k programme. We’ve got many runners who have been through grumbles and injuries. It sometimes takes a bit of trial and error to find what you need to support your body to run in the way you want to. For me, that meant seeing a physio when I had knee pain. The good news is many of us can empathise with the frustration and maybe help you to find the patience to do the slow build that will ultimately get you where you want to be.

[LazyRunningBirder in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Thank you

[Rabbit561 Graduate]

I’ve also been frustrated by knee problems in the past. Trust the programme as others have said. The temptation to rush it is always there, especially if you’ve done it before, but slow and steady definitely gets you there! Sounds like you’re experienced enough to have good running shoes but always worth revisiting and getting advice.

For me, a physio was a great help with some specific knee strengthening exercises which really helped. Good luck!

[Fauvemarin]

Listen to your body ...