All runners I'm freaking out please help!

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Jessie__86
Jessie__86 Posts: 71
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm training for my first marathon on November 9. I have done something to my knee. About three weeks ago I ran 16 and got pain towards the end, but was able to finish. The following week I was scheduled to run 20 and had to stop at 16 due to very bad pain in my left knee. I took the following week off and did no running although I did my regular classes and videos. Sunday I attempted to run the 20 again and was in pain from the very start I tried to push through but by mile 11 I could barely walk. I'm so depressed I don't know what to do! I'm taking this week off and doing absolutely no exercising. Is that enough? Am I going to be okay to run my marathon? I'm also very upset as I have yet to get a full 20 miles in due to the knee pain. I feel good everywhere else. It's not an endurance issue. Any advice would be greatly appreciated I'm so upset!
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Replies

  • JoAnn73
    JoAnn73 Posts: 161 Member
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    Hello I will start marathon training on January after a full check up. Please go to the doctor I know how you are feeling after I pulled my hamstring last year I felt beyond depressed and scrared of not be able to run. Doctor please!!!!
  • mlogantra76
    mlogantra76 Posts: 334 Member
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    I really don't have any advice. But as a runner, I can understand your stress:( I think you might need to go to a dr as mentioned and then go from there.
  • Athena53
    Athena53 Posts: 717 Member
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    There are some things you can just tough out and some things that are going to be aggravated if you continue. You don't want to cause permanent damage. I don't do marathons because I hate running and I have a permanent injury form when I twisted my leg falling off a bike years ago, and after too much running it really bothers me. I do sprint triathlons and 35-mile bike rides instead. Marathons may not be your thing.

    But definitely see a doctor.
  • aelphabawest
    aelphabawest Posts: 173 Member
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    I would talk to your doctor about if you're okay to run a marathon - they're the only ones that can really answer that effectively.

    Is this your first encounter with knee pain? I feel like all runners seem to encounter it at some point. I'm currently tackling mine by cutting back on my weekly mileage a bit and then easing back in - I don't think 11 miles is easing back in, even with in the context of marathon training.

    I ice my knee after every time I exercise, avoid running on the sidewalk, and I got one of those knee bands that seemed to help on my hike yesterday but I haven't tried wearing to run yet.

    Good luck!
  • Absonthebrain
    Absonthebrain Posts: 587 Member
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    Are your shoes and issue? I know if my shoes are old or have too many miles on them they make my knees and legs hurt. You could check into that and also see a dr.
  • Jessie__86
    Jessie__86 Posts: 71
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    I know my shoes were worn out and I finally bought a new pair last week so that might have been part of the issue. I have been going back and forth with my family they insist I see a doctor but I just don't want to spend money on them doing an X-ray just to say its from "overuse" and I need to just rest. I did make an appointment for Friday but have been going back and forth about keeping it or not?
  • timeasterday
    timeasterday Posts: 1,368 Member
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    Against the grain here. What is a doctor going to do? Lol. Tell you to stop running for a while. So, that's what you will probably have to do. Similar thing happened to me. Now, I can't even run 6 miles.

    I agree for most doctors. They will look at you for 5 minutes and hand you a prescription for an anti-inflammatory. Look for someone who does Active Release Therapy. I've had hip issues and went through the typical family MD and sports medicine MD and they were useless. They just want to treat the symptoms and not get to the cause. A local chiro who treats athletes and does A.R.T. got to the root of my problem and now I am running again. But it's not a quick fix - it took a few weeks of therapy to see the improvement.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Get to a MD quick. Probably tore something. Running on it will just make it so much worse.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    I know my shoes were worn out and I finally bought a new pair last week so that might have been part of the issue. I have been going back and forth with my family they insist I see a doctor but I just don't want to spend money on them doing an X-ray just to say its from "overuse" and I need to just rest. I did make an appointment for Friday but have been going back and forth about keeping it or not?

    go to the dr...

    the 100.00 is worth avoiding long term damage to where you will either be out of commission for a long time or do permanent damage..
  • mitchyinge
    mitchyinge Posts: 196
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    couldn't you see a physical therapist instead of a dr?
  • EdTheGinge
    EdTheGinge Posts: 1,616 Member
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    I would tape/strap it up tight and give that a go for say a 5miler, if I was still having issues I'd go to the Dr/Physio. This is my personal view, probably not advisable but there you are.
  • samgolod
    samgolod Posts: 93 Member
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    Go to a physio, and if you can find one that specializes in sports injuries even better. They'll strap you up with tape to take pressure off your knee; work out why you are getting the injury (in my case it's because my glutes aren't strong enough and my quads are too strong) and give you exercises and a program to set you back on the road. Good luck
  • Shazza401
    Shazza401 Posts: 8 Member
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    I started running 10 months ago to complete a leg of a marathon, i went to the docs about an unrelated shoulder injury about a month into my running I was up to 1k at that stage ( ok I hadnt run before and Im 50) anyway I mentioned to him about a niggle in my knee that hurt when I ran,, he said and I quote " you could try running on the beach but then your achilles could get damaged, you know what Mrs Kennedy some peoples bodies are just not built for exercise" YEP he really said that, after ignoring his advise and 8 months later Im now running 5k 3 times a week and up to 12K on ocasion, and my knee if totally fine the pain has gone!! so much for that Doctor!!
    Im not saying you should ignore a doc but I thought Id just mention this
  • timeasterday
    timeasterday Posts: 1,368 Member
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    I know my shoes were worn out and I finally bought a new pair last week so that might have been part of the issue. I have been going back and forth with my family they insist I see a doctor but I just don't want to spend money on them doing an X-ray just to say its from "overuse" and I need to just rest. I did make an appointment for Friday but have been going back and forth about keeping it or not?

    I don't think an X-ray will do any good. If anything is broken you wouldn't be walking much, let alone running. You need a therapist. You might have an IT-band issue if the pain is more towards the outside of the knee. A foam roller will help in that case.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    I would tape/strap it up tight and give that a go for say a 5miler, if I was still having issues I'd go to the Dr/Physio. This is my personal view, probably not advisable but there you are. I have my 1st marathon sunday, few aches and pains but we'll see what happens

    sure tape it up and run ..then when OP blows her knee out and is out of commission for a year she will have this great advice to thank ....
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
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    Get to a MD quick. Probably tore something. Running on it will just make it so much worse.

    Seriously? Tore something? You can tell that from the information in the post? :grumble: :noway:

    Most running injuries are soft tissue related. In order to get a better idea what this injury could possibly be, we need more information. Where exactly does it hurt on the knee? Does it hurt when you walk too, or just when you run? Does it bother you when you did your other exercises?

    More than likely, it's one of two things. Either runner's knee or IT Band Syndrome. Runner's knee takes a bit longer to deal with because it require strengthening the quadriceps muscles. ITBS can be mitigated with foam rolling, ice, stretching and other physical therapy type of actions. Someone already suggested Active Release Technique and I'll second that ART is phenomenal for soft tissue, running related ailments. You will be encouraged to run through the treatment, and if your experience is anything like mine and many others that I know, you will feel the injury getting better with each round of treatment. If you can find an ART practitioner that does Graston as well, you'll be even better off.
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
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    I would tape/strap it up tight and give that a go for say a 5miler, if I was still having issues I'd go to the Dr/Physio. This is my personal view, probably not advisable but there you are. I have my 1st marathon sunday, few aches and pains but we'll see what happens

    sure tape it up and run ..then when OP blows her knee out and is out of commission for a year she will have this great advice to thank ....

    "Blowing a knee out" doing distance running is almost unheard of. Those types of catastrophic injuries occur because of torsion and lateral impact. See my post above.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    I know my shoes were worn out and I finally bought a new pair last week so that might have been part of the issue. I have been going back and forth with my family they insist I see a doctor but I just don't want to spend money on them doing an X-ray just to say its from "overuse" and I need to just rest. I did make an appointment for Friday but have been going back and forth about keeping it or not?

    I don't think an X-ray will do any good. If anything is broken you wouldn't be walking much, let alone running. You need a therapist. You might have an IT-band issue if the pain is more towards the outside of the knee. A foam roller will help in that case.
    you don't just see bones on x rays. You can see soft tissue damage and fluid levels which can ask indicate different problems
  • EdTheGinge
    EdTheGinge Posts: 1,616 Member
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    I would tape/strap it up tight and give that a go for say a 5miler, if I was still having issues I'd go to the Dr/Physio. This is my personal view, probably not advisable but there you are. I have my 1st marathon sunday, few aches and pains but we'll see what happens

    sure tape it up and run ..then when OP blows her knee out and is out of commission for a year she will have this great advice to thank ....

    'Blows her knee out' wow that's dramatic. I stated that this is what I'd do, didn't tell her to follow suit. Chill

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