First run back after surgery. Third minute in and horrible knee pain :(

[Gazter]

I've had great ups and downs with my running. Before Christmas I was set for surgery (unrelated to running). I hadn't ran for a short while because of the issue that was necessitating the surgery.

I tried a small amount of running but before I hit eight minutes I got a terrible pain on the outside of my left knee, I did the rookie mistake of feeling cocky and running two days in a row. I think it is an it band injury.

Anyway, simple solution. I was planning on resting with the surgery coming up.

Yesterday, after three weeks of complete rest, I tried a very slow run, keeping my speed at a very slow 8kph, running to a week 1 c25k podcast.

After the second run segment I could feel a nagging pain in my knee, ten seconds into the third it was really sore and I had to stop.

Very very frustrating. I am trying to think of what else could be the cause. I was thinking it might be my trainers.

When I first started running, by week three I was getting knee pain. Got my gait analysed and it showed me as a big over pronator. Got myself some stability asics, never looked back.

Now what I did notice was I lost my old trainers, so I got into the habit of wearing my stability running shoes almost all the time.

When I first got my giant analysed I was 304 lbs (21st9), now ten months later I am 188 pounds (13st6), I wonder if actually I am no longer pronating and actually these shoes are creating the problem.

I plan to leave it for two weeks, put my asics stability shoes away and try out my regular trainers.

Anyone else got any suggestions ?

( pain outside of left knee, it feels like a strip of bruised tissue which runs from the outer side of the top of my left knee cap and down into the fleshy soft area just underneath.

[Fingalo Graduate]

Get another gait analysis done.

[Gazter Graduate in reply to Fingalo]

It might not be to accurate with me limping

[swanscot Graduate]

Unfortunately if it is your IT band the rest alone may not be enough to remove the problem. I too injured my IT band and I'd recomend getting an appointment with a sports physiotherapist. S/he could confirm or deny the suspected IT band problem and may suggest other treatment.

[Anniemurph Graduate]

Sorry, Gazter, I don't have a sensible suggestion but I just wanted to compliment you on your amazing weight loss and your determination to get back to c25k - fantastic

Annie

[Gazter Graduate in reply to Anniemurph]

Very kind of you. I feel like I have been in the wars the last few months and I was hoping to start the new year well. I absolutely hate running with a passion but I love the sense of satisfaction in completion and the feeling of exhilaration I get for at least four to five hours after a good run. I can breath the air in and out and it feels as if I am twice as alive.

[waterspr1ng]

Hi Gazter, as another excessive over pronator who was about 18 stone when I started running I can tell you that if you wear your trainers all the time they will wear out very quickly and you will lose the support that they give you leading to pain again. My trainers lasted about 6 months running twice a week when I was heavier, they now last about 10 months but I only use them exclusively for running.

Well done on the weight loss

[Gazter Graduate in reply to waterspr1ng]

It was just the pain kicked in so quickly. From nothing to throbbing in minutes, and inflammation even now (got an ice pack on it now).

[Pearsey]

Well done on your achievement weight loss-you should be extremely proud of yourself Gatzer. if i were you i would get a professional opinion on your knee-then the hard part stick to the advice you are given.

Definitely a Sports Physio job.

Good luck

[greenlegs Graduate]

I don't know much about knee pain (and hope I don't need to find out!), so I'm afraid I can't help there, but I couldn't help noticing your comment "keeping my speed at a very slow 8kph"

Ha ha ha! I was delighted in my run yesterday (week 5) to manage to run at 7kph for a few minutes - that was my fast bit! My average pace is about 6kph, or even less!

Maybe you're young and male (can't see pic properly), and 8kph really is very slow for you. (But a lot of people do seem to start out much faster than they need to at the beginning - it just seemed worth mentioning in case it helped you, or anyone else.)

Impressive weight loss by the way! That can't have been easy.

[greenlegs Graduate in reply to greenlegs]

Sorry - didn't notice the graduate badge, just the reference to week 1!

[Gazter Graduate in reply to greenlegs]

Yeah, I managed to get my 5ks down to 30 mins and 6 seconds. I was really looking forward to getting back in the game and dropped down to week one at 7.5/8 deliberately to ease myself in. That knee was not having any of it though. It's really sad, I loved doing the speed interval on c25k+. Got myself at 9.5kph slow 12kph fast.

[greenlegs Graduate in reply to Gazter]

Impressive! I bet that 6 seconds is annoying! Still, you know you've done it now, so once the knee is sorted you've really got something to aim for. At least you have the advantage of knowing you've got willpower of steel!

[Norni Graduate]

Hope you sort the knee out. Can I ask how you lost the weight? Did you join weight watchers or was it the running? Absolutely amazing. Well done!

[Gazter Graduate in reply to Norni]

I joined slimming world and started c25k in the same week, march gone. It took me until October to get my 5ks to 30 minutes. But what a sense of achievement!

[tantrumbean Graduate]

Not sure about the knee pain, but suspect your shoes are probably well past their sell-by date, so another gait analysis and a new pair of shoes sound like a plan!

[shelleymcb Graduate]

yes, new shoes sounds like a good idea.

as for knee pain, just take it easy. I had knee pain after overdoing it & had to take a whole month off. I was hobbling around for a couple of weeks & found stairs really difficult. for me, climbing over boulders when I went rockpooling/fossil hunting with the kids was the start of it getting better. I dont know if it was because I had to force my leg to move in different positions & use it rather than pussy footing around. & icing up the knee & then putting a hot water bottle on it helps. the ice takes away any swelling & the hot water bottle helps the blood flow return quickly. a few times a day if possible. & of course keep it rested & elevated if you can. I also wore a stretchy bandage from calf to thigh during the day to help support it.

unfortunately injuries take time to heal & you really shouldnt run on them until they are 100% or you may find they come back.

& fantastic achievement with the weight loss. brilliant