Beginning to run and need some help!

princedeac
princedeac Posts: 6 Member
edited November 18 in Motivation and Support
Today I started running week 3 couch 2 5k. I did really well! I impressed myself with how my endurance level is already starting to increase. I was able to withstand 3 minutes of running without much effort. Feeling pretty good about what I accomplished, however I'm suffering from knee pain for the first time exercising, any thoughts from people on how to handle knee pain after/before running?

Replies

  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
    It's probably your shoes honestly.

    I'd head over to a specialty shop and get fit, especially if you plan to keep running.
    It'll hurt the wallet up front but save you lots of money in the long run by keeping you out of the doctor's office.

    There's Heartbreak Hill Running Company in Newton, Marathon Sports in Boston, Greater Boston Running Company (Newton is the closest to you).

    If you feel like some tax free shopping, there's Runner's Alley in Portsmouth NH.
    I've been to that way, they're really nice
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    It's funny I am on week 4 (last day) and my knee pain started on week 3 as well...

    Everyone said...it's your shoes, it's your shoes...so I went to the running room and got my stride and gait analysis done...spent almost 200$ on a pair of running shoes...went for my run Tuesday...guess what same pain.

    But that being said in my old shoes on a path (not a sidewalk or concrete running track) not so much.

    If I run on the old railway bed...pain is cut into 1/4 with my old shoes...track with new shoes...just as bad as my new old runners on a sidewalk...

    It wasn't my shoes it's where I was running. I am gonna give the new new expensive shoes one more go tonight at the track and see but I suspect I will be returning them...

    OH and for the pain advil...works great.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    It's funny I am on week 4 (last day) and my knee pain started on week 3 as well...

    Everyone said...it's your shoes, it's your shoes...so I went to the running room and got my stride and gait analysis done...spent almost 200$ on a pair of running shoes...went for my run Tuesday...guess what same pain.

    But that being said in my old shoes on a path (not a sidewalk or concrete running track) not so much.

    If I run on the old railway bed...pain is cut into 1/4 with my old shoes...track with new shoes...just as bad as my new old runners on a sidewalk...

    It wasn't my shoes it's where I was running. I am gonna give the new new expensive shoes one more go tonight at the track and see but I suspect I will be returning them...

    OH and for the pain advil...works great.

    With the right shoes, the surface won't really matter. Fitting running shoes is an art not a science, and sometimes shoes just don't work for people. It may be your shoes and you just haven't found the right replacements yet.

    For me, the only time I get knee pain while running is when my shoes wear out. It literally happens overnight LOL. One day, running is fine. Next day, knee pain. Replace shoes, no pain.

    Another suggestion I'll give is calf sleeves. On my longer runs (5+ miles) I'll usually wear compression socks or calf sleeves and it really helps with general aching.

  • orribby1
    orribby1 Posts: 10 Member
    Deep heat !!! When I play football or boxing I always apply a bit before and after!! To help u could also wear a support. Remember to have a rest period as well. After a run try having a warm shower or bath to relax your muscles. Stretch before and after your run as well.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    omma_to_3 wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    It's funny I am on week 4 (last day) and my knee pain started on week 3 as well...

    Everyone said...it's your shoes, it's your shoes...so I went to the running room and got my stride and gait analysis done...spent almost 200$ on a pair of running shoes...went for my run Tuesday...guess what same pain.

    But that being said in my old shoes on a path (not a sidewalk or concrete running track) not so much.

    If I run on the old railway bed...pain is cut into 1/4 with my old shoes...track with new shoes...just as bad as my new old runners on a sidewalk...

    It wasn't my shoes it's where I was running. I am gonna give the new new expensive shoes one more go tonight at the track and see but I suspect I will be returning them...

    OH and for the pain advil...works great.

    With the right shoes, the surface won't really matter. Fitting running shoes is an art not a science, and sometimes shoes just don't work for people. It may be your shoes and you just haven't found the right replacements yet.

    For me, the only time I get knee pain while running is when my shoes wear out. It literally happens overnight LOL. One day, running is fine. Next day, knee pain. Replace shoes, no pain.

    Another suggestion I'll give is calf sleeves. On my longer runs (5+ miles) I'll usually wear compression socks or calf sleeves and it really helps with general aching.

    This confuses me as the guy from the running room said the opposite...he said where I run does have a big impact on it.

    Which confirmed that when I run on a dirt path (with some give) my knees (side of my knees on the inside) don't hurt..

    I am not saying the right shoes aren't a good idea...they are a great idea but having the right shoes doesn't negate other factors with pain....
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    orribby1 wrote: »
    Deep heat !!! When I play football or boxing I always apply a bit before and after!! To help u could also wear a support. Remember to have a rest period as well. After a run try having a warm shower or bath to relax your muscles. Stretch before and after your run as well.

    from my experience knee pain<>muscle aches...totally different.
  • carleecarew
    carleecarew Posts: 3 Member
    Ice! I have been a runner my whole life, ice, elevate, Advil (or whatever you prefer). All your leg muscles connect under your knee, so make sure you are stretching as well. Don't stretch cold muscles, do some sort of warmup, maybe brisk walk for a bit, until you start to feel warm, then stretch. Or you can stretch afterward as well. Whatever you're more comfortable with. Keep up the good work!
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    omma_to_3 wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    It's funny I am on week 4 (last day) and my knee pain started on week 3 as well...

    Everyone said...it's your shoes, it's your shoes...so I went to the running room and got my stride and gait analysis done...spent almost 200$ on a pair of running shoes...went for my run Tuesday...guess what same pain.

    But that being said in my old shoes on a path (not a sidewalk or concrete running track) not so much.

    If I run on the old railway bed...pain is cut into 1/4 with my old shoes...track with new shoes...just as bad as my new old runners on a sidewalk...

    It wasn't my shoes it's where I was running. I am gonna give the new new expensive shoes one more go tonight at the track and see but I suspect I will be returning them...

    OH and for the pain advil...works great.

    With the right shoes, the surface won't really matter. Fitting running shoes is an art not a science, and sometimes shoes just don't work for people. It may be your shoes and you just haven't found the right replacements yet.

    For me, the only time I get knee pain while running is when my shoes wear out. It literally happens overnight LOL. One day, running is fine. Next day, knee pain. Replace shoes, no pain.

    Another suggestion I'll give is calf sleeves. On my longer runs (5+ miles) I'll usually wear compression socks or calf sleeves and it really helps with general aching.

    This confuses me as the guy from the running room said the opposite...he said where I run does have a big impact on it.

    Which confirmed that when I run on a dirt path (with some give) my knees (side of my knees on the inside) don't hurt..

    I am not saying the right shoes aren't a good idea...they are a great idea but having the right shoes doesn't negate other factors with pain....

    Barring other physical issues, running shouldn't be painful (I don't mean general muscle soreness, but actual pain). While harder surfaces may be harder on your body, they still should not be painful with the right shoes. I've actually only noticed a difference when running on concrete (asphalt is soft enough it's never bothered me). When I run on concrete, I can get a little bit achy - but definitely not pain.
  • MsNeumann
    MsNeumann Posts: 75 Member
    There is a couch to 5k group on here that has a lot of excellent information for you to choose to read. I highly recommend joining it
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
    Shoes, form, terrain, muscle imbalances -these can all affect your performance and possibly contribute to pain. In general, certain terrains are harder on your joints than others. But running on pavement won't cause pain unless you have some other issue to begin with. Try a different route, get some better shoes, cross train.
  • dawnna76
    dawnna76 Posts: 987 Member
    if its not shoes, it could be form or IT band issues causing the knee pain. I had really bad knees when i started running and discovered that my it band was the problem. i started streching with a focus on it, foam rolling and strenghtening and i literally have no knee pain any more.

    this all took lots of time of course so in the meantime i sport taped the problem areas till i fixed the problem, this worked well for me.
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
    dawnna76 wrote: »
    if its not shoes, it could be form or IT band issues causing the knee pain. I had really bad knees when i started running and discovered that my it band was the problem. i started streching with a focus on it, foam rolling and strenghtening and i literally have no knee pain any more.

    this all took lots of time of course so in the meantime i sport taped the problem areas till i fixed the problem, this worked well for me.

    Good call. IT band issues are super common in runners. I had the same issue
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    slaite1 wrote: »
    dawnna76 wrote: »
    if its not shoes, it could be form or IT band issues causing the knee pain. I had really bad knees when i started running and discovered that my it band was the problem. i started streching with a focus on it, foam rolling and strenghtening and i literally have no knee pain any more.

    this all took lots of time of course so in the meantime i sport taped the problem areas till i fixed the problem, this worked well for me.

    Good call. IT band issues are super common in runners. I had the same issue

    something to check out...thx ladies.
  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    slaite1 wrote: »
    dawnna76 wrote: »
    if its not shoes, it could be form or IT band issues causing the knee pain. I had really bad knees when i started running and discovered that my it band was the problem. i started streching with a focus on it, foam rolling and strenghtening and i literally have no knee pain any more.

    this all took lots of time of course so in the meantime i sport taped the problem areas till i fixed the problem, this worked well for me.

    Good call. IT band issues are super common in runners. I had the same issue

    something to check out...thx ladies.

    PFS is another common thing with runners.
    But you lift Stef so ITB is probably a safer bet
  • hypotrochoid
    hypotrochoid Posts: 842 Member
    I'm going to jump on the shoe bandwagon. I was fitted for a fancy pair of shoes with padding, supports, etc., and running in them was hell. Knee and shin pain. I tried stretching, ice, heat, you name it and still pain. Then I got a pair of vibram toe shoes ( mostly to mess with a coworker) and noticed they were comfy to walk in. I looked into chi running and started running very short distances in my vibrams. No pain. Fast forward a few years and they're still the only shoes I can comfortably run in.

    Now, I'm not saying that you need to go for the toe shoes, but remember when you get fitted that the salesperson wants to sell you something. Try finding a running store with a treadmill so you can actually try them out. If there's any discomfort at all, move on. It's a Cinderella story in reverse- and there are a lot of shoes to try!
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