I have just done wk2 R2 and my knees were really sore especially going down hill (unavoidable where I live!!! as are the uphills lol) now being new to running and over weight I expect aches and pains, but how MUCH ache is normal! they seem okay now am home and stretched out, but advice would be good?
cheers you lot!
Hi Sofa Sloth. I always get aching knees, but then I am 74, so perhaps to be expected, so I wear knee supports and find they help. I get them from the pound shop. Good luck with the rest of the programme and keep blogging. Pat. 
I agree with Pat. I have knees that cause me grief. I wear a light support on my worse knee when I run. Muscle rub and ice may also help. Its kinda expected to have some discomfort starting out and if one is a little overweight. Just watch it though and if you have persistent or sharp pain, stop running. You don't want to risk injury. Congratulations in starting and wishing you well! Gayle
A very simple exercise to strengthen your muscle above the knees:-
Stand on the first step of stairs facing sideways, stand on right leg, bend the left leg slightly and dip slowly down then up, keeping your back straight at all times. Repeat this simple dip 10 times. Turn around and now repeat the same standing on the left leg, 10 repeats of down and up. If you are not good at balancing on one leg use the handrail/wall. If you can repeat these 10 dips three times each leg. My physio gave me this simple exercise to do many years ago when I tore the cartilage in my knee while skiing. It helps strengthen the muscle above the knees which will help prevent pain and injury when running. I've used this again more recently when I experienced pain when I first started running.
I hope this helps but if you still have pain in your knees it will do more good to take an extra rest day than to push on and run. All the best with the programme, we oldies are made of tough stuff and in the early days of running the saying "No pain no gain" could be pretty true but don't let it put you off.
Great tip I think I will try this also. I too have reached W6R3 twice and now having to rest again due to me knee giving up! The pain seems to be just under the knee cap which was where I hit it a few years ago when I crashed my car. To say I'm a little disappointed is an under statement!
It's also worth making sure your running gait isn't making things worse for your knees - avoid landing on your heels, as this jars the knees. Take smaller steps and land on the midfoot. Sometimes that can make a lot of difference.
Hi, I too am in week 2 and have just done my second run. Tonight after running I had sore knees (especially above the knee) although my poor knees do have to carry an additional 4 stone which I am working on losing!!!!. I don't want it to hinder my progress so far as I am really proud of myself!! It's good to read these threads as it does not feel I am suffering alone!
Hi Nessja & Sofa-sloth, when you shower after your run turn the water to cold onto your painfull area, knees/shins etc for a good 5 minutes, longer if you can cope with it. This will help reduce any inflamation.
I've had sore knees too - just about to start W4 .... They are getting better though. I had been running alternate days but gave myself an extra rest day at your stage as was suffering. The advice on podcast week 2 misleading - Laura says to land on your heels and I have since learnt this is incorrect. I have started making smaller steps and as I say they have improved somewhat. Keep going. Well done!
first HI ... (been reading these blogs for a while now and first post )
I have exact same problem , i finished W2R2 yesterday and today my left knee is very painful , think i will look into the knee supports see if they help .
Hi, thankyou all for your replies, you won't know how much the support means!!! gives me a big smile !! i will def try the exercise and shower tips and with regard to the running style I do run mid foot rather than heel first but think was striding out little bit too much, will pull in my stride. Will also try the knee supports if things don't improve.
I iced my knees (that bag of peas is worth its weight in gold!) and also put ibuprophen gel on which seemed to helpl
Was stiff as a board all over this morning, not just my knees, how can running so little hurt so much!!!!
It gets easier sofa-sloth, as your body adjusts to the demands you are putting on it. Your doing all the right things, ice is always good, where would we be without our bag of peas!!!!! I always wrap them in a tea towel which prevents freezer burn on your skin. Keep up the good work and keep posting your queries and your successes too.
Hi, thought I would be really sore this morning as knees really ached yesterday after my run, but fine today. I've got w2r3 tomorrow so will use shower tip tomorrow.
Nessja, did you do your w2r3 ? I'm doing mine either tonight or tomorrow, the weather is awful at the moment so may procrastinate til tomorrow!!!
i did pilates beginners class last night and it's streched out some knots but my knees still reminding me that they aren't used to this torture!
When I started doing c25k last July I always wore knee supports to protect my somewhat dodgy knees. I got all the way though the programme without upsetting my knees, only to do some damage on a long, hilly walk (without knee supports) a couple of weeks after graduating. 
I had to rest up for a long time (which coincided with starting a new job and the onset of winter) and only really got going again earlier this year. I decided that this time around I would try not using knee supports as I wondered whether the supports were actually stopping me from naturally building up the supporting muscles. So far, my knees have coped, although they do feel tired on occasion. I only plan to wear the supports now if my knees are actually painful, so the running can help my knees get stronger.
I'm about 4 stone overweight at present so I make sure I run very slowly (not hard for me to achieve!) and smoothly, so as to lessen the impact on my poor weight-bearing joints. I'm hoping to eventually lose the excess weight and then maybe I can try building up my speed, but for now I'm happy just to be able to run at all.
Best of luck with your c25k journey.
Hi thanks for your input. I haven't gone with the supports as yet.. I have finished week three without too much problems, finding that downhill doesn't make my knees happy, so avoided if at all possible. but I have found that plenty stretching, ice and cold showers (lower leg only = not THAT brave lol) seems to be working touch wood. Just hope it does as enter week four!!
good luck on restarting, at least the weather should be improving ! (she said with bated breath! )
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