Running....why do I love you and why do you hurt me back!! Every. Single. Time.

sureitstime
sureitstime Posts: 67 Member
edited November 30 in Fitness and Exercise
Just wanted to get it out of my system!
To begin, lemme start by saying I love running. It makes me feel alive, fit and on top of the world.
But every time I end up getting injured, in all different places. Foot~check, knee~check, ankle~check. I lay off running till I am better and I find that I have to start all over again. It sucks!
Well, now my knee pain has flared up again and its time to hang up my shoes again! So bummed!

Replies

  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    Are you building too much speed and mileage too soon?
  • sureitstime
    sureitstime Posts: 67 Member
    I just don't know anymore. I have tried to increase very, very slowly this time. And I have also incorporated strength training so that I can build my lower body strength..
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
    Lets go down the list:

    What does your weekly mileage look like? Your workouts?
    What shoes are your running in?
    What surfaces are you running on?
  • yesimpson
    yesimpson Posts: 1,372 Member
    Foam rolling regularly makes a hell of a difference for me, as well as trying to find softer surfaces than tarmac to run on from time to time. A weekly swim seems to stretch everything out and give my joints a break from the impact.

    I can also tell I'm due a new pair of shoes as my feet are feeling uncomfortable towards the end of a run, which is unusual for me and I would suspect would turn into something more if I kept going without buying a replacement.
  • sureitstime
    sureitstime Posts: 67 Member
    Lets go down the list:

    What does your weekly mileage look like? Your workouts?
    What shoes are your running in?
    What surfaces are you running on?



    Well.. I restarted running again in mid~ Jan after a break of 20 days during Christmas.

    . I run thrice a week on alternate days. I run for 30 mins~ 40 mins at 5.5 speed on the treadmill.
    . I wear Asics Gel Hayano 20. I got them after trying other shoes and I found them the best fit for me.
    . I weight lift on the other 3 days.
  • sureitstime
    sureitstime Posts: 67 Member
    yesimpson wrote: »
    Foam rolling regularly makes a hell of a difference for me, as well as trying to find softer surfaces than tarmac to run on from time to time. A weekly swim seems to stretch everything out and give my joints a break from the impact.

    I can also tell I'm due a new pair of shoes as my feet are feeling uncomfortable towards the end of a run, which is unusual for me and I would suspect would turn into something more if I kept going without buying a replacement.

    Yes.. I have heard good things about foam rolling, I should start that.
    I make sure I stretch after my run. I am very particular about it.
    I think I should look into getting a new pair of shoes. Mine look pretty beat up!
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
    Lets go down the list:

    What does your weekly mileage look like? Your workouts?
    What shoes are your running in?
    What surfaces are you running on?



    Well.. I restarted running again in mid~ Jan after a break of 20 days during Christmas.

    . I run thrice a week on alternate days. I run for 30 mins~ 40 mins at 5.5 speed on the treadmill.
    . I wear Asics Gel Hayano 20. I got them after trying other shoes and I found them the best fit for me.
    . I weight lift on the other 3 days.

    From that info, I would say the first things to look into are your shoes. Then, maybe the treadmill surface (running on the wrong treadmill always seems to hurt my joints). When my shoes hit their limits, my knees are usually the first to feel it. How long have you had them, and how did you choose them?
  • sureitstime
    sureitstime Posts: 67 Member
    [quote

    From that info, I would say the first things to look into are your shoes. Then, maybe the treadmill surface (running on the wrong treadmill always seems to hurt my joints). When my shoes hit their limits, my knees are usually the first to feel it. How long have you had them, and how did you choose them?[/quote]

    My shoes are nearly 2 years old. I had Nike's earlier and I had very achy feet with those even when they were in good condition. My friend recommended Asics and I loved them as they cushioned my feet really well.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member


    My shoes are nearly 2 years old. I had Nike's earlier and I had very achy feet with those even when they were in good condition. My friend recommended Asics and I loved them as they cushioned my feet really well.

    That may be part of your problem, the mid-sole cushioning breaks down over time and running shoes should be replaced on a regular basis (I get 400 or 500 miles out of a pair - I go through 3 or so pairs a year)
  • sureitstime
    sureitstime Posts: 67 Member


    My shoes are nearly 2 years old. I had Nike's earlier and I had very achy feet with those even when they were in good condition. My friend recommended Asics and I loved them as they cushioned my feet really well.

    That may be part of your problem, the mid-sole cushioning breaks down over time and running shoes should be replaced on a regular basis (I get 400 or 500 miles out of a pair - I go through 3 or so pairs a year)

    Thanks! A trip to the shoe store is on the cards for tomorrow then! Fervently hoping that changing my shoes will work! Will report back.
  • agzram
    agzram Posts: 199 Member


    My shoes are nearly 2 years old. I had Nike's earlier and I had very achy feet with those even when they were in good condition. My friend recommended Asics and I loved them as they cushioned my feet really well.

    That may be part of your problem, the mid-sole cushioning breaks down over time and running shoes should be replaced on a regular basis (I get 400 or 500 miles out of a pair - I go through 3 or so pairs a year)

    Thanks! A trip to the shoe store is on the cards for tomorrow then! Fervently hoping that changing my shoes will work! Will report back.

    I run in Asics Gel Kayano's too! When I went to replace my 20's with the new 22's they had changed something and they didn't fit right in the toe box....felt like anacondas squeezing my feet!! I was so bummed.

    The running store put me in Addias that killed my hip and knee on the left side. I couldn't gut out more than 20 miles in them it hurt so bad. I ended up finding some Asics Kayano 21 at the Asics outlet near my house and now have about 80 pain free miles on them.

    I hope Asics fix the tightness in the toe for the 23's which are out in September!!

    Never underestimate a great pair of running shoes.

    Good luck!
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,255 Member
    Are you running on cement or other hard surface? Try running on dirt, it is more forgiving.
  • CollieFit
    CollieFit Posts: 1,683 Member
    Lets go down the list:

    What does your weekly mileage look like? Your workouts?
    What shoes are your running in?
    What surfaces are you running on?



    Well.. I restarted running again in mid~ Jan after a break of 20 days during Christmas.

    . I run thrice a week on alternate days. I run for 30 mins~ 40 mins at 5.5 speed on the treadmill.
    . I wear Asics Gel Hayano 20. I got them after trying other shoes and I found them the best fit for me.
    . I weight lift on the other 3 days.

    I'm assuming that's meant to say Kayanos rather than Hayanos, so I assume that you pronate significantly to justify those shoes?

    Have you ever had gait analysis?
  • brightresolve
    brightresolve Posts: 1,024 Member
    I have had the same love it --> injury issues.
    • Running on dirt is a great idea, not only soft but the slightly uneven terrain will build lateral stability in a way treadmills can't.
    • Strength training is great, glad you are into that - have you had a trainer guide you into workouts that will alternate nicely with your running without over-training your knees? Just thinking that if you are doing squat/lunge/stepup/leg press 3 days and running the other three, knees could get a little stressy
    • New shoes, a MUST, and if you can get them fitted at a pro running store it will be greatly to your benefit (the gait analysis mentioned above) - tell them about your injury issues.
    • Personally I have benefited a lot from the thicker platform type shoes with no build-up in the heel - "zero-drop" - my Hoka's are ugly but they treat me well.

    There were some great suggestions from people above and I hope you get back to what you love soon.
  • KathyApplebaum
    KathyApplebaum Posts: 188 Member
    +1 for the foam roller. It's tough love, but it works wonders.
  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
    +1 for the shoe mileage suggestions. My running coach has me change my regular training shoes every 4-500 miles, and 250-300 for my racing flats. Hope the new shoes do the trick for you.

    If that doesn't solve your recurring injury issues, I'd suggest a visit to a good sports focused physical therapist. There may be another underlying issue, such as a neurological motor control problem. The result is one muscle group (e.g. gastroc/soleus/toe flexors) taking over to do the work for a muscle group that is not doing its job (e.g. glute) and a pattern of injuries ensues as the properly functioning muscles get overworked as your training volume builds. A good PT can help identify and address that issue.

  • sureitstime
    sureitstime Posts: 67 Member
    whmscll wrote: »
    Are you running on cement or other hard surface? Try running on dirt, it is more forgiving.

    I run on the treadmill as there are no running trails around in my area. The alternative to the treadmill are pavements.
  • sureitstime
    sureitstime Posts: 67 Member
    CollieFit wrote: »
    Lets go down the list:

    What does your weekly mileage look like? Your workouts?
    What shoes are your running in?
    What surfaces are you running on?



    Well.. I restarted running again in mid~ Jan after a break of 20 days during Christmas.

    . I run thrice a week on alternate days. I run for 30 mins~ 40 mins at 5.5 speed on the treadmill.
    . I wear Asics Gel Hayano 20. I got them after trying other shoes and I found them the best fit for me.
    . I weight lift on the other 3 days.

    I'm assuming that's meant to say Kayanos rather than Hayanos, so I assume that you pronate significantly to justify those shoes?

    Have you ever had gait analysis?

    Yessss... Kayanos! My bad!! Yes I do pronate. The shoe store offers free gait analysis and they suggested the Kayanos.
  • sureitstime
    sureitstime Posts: 67 Member
    I have had the same love it --> injury issues.
    • Running on dirt is a great idea, not only soft but the slightly uneven terrain will build lateral stability in a way treadmills can't.
    • Strength training is great, glad you are into that - have you had a trainer guide you into workouts that will alternate nicely with your running without over-training your knees? Just thinking that if you are doing squat/lunge/stepup/leg press 3 days and running the other three, knees could get a little stressy
    • New shoes, a MUST, and if you can get them fitted at a pro running store it will be greatly to your benefit (the gait analysis mentioned above) - tell them about your injury issues.
    • Personally I have benefited a lot from the thicker platform type shoes with no build-up in the heel - "zero-drop" - my Hoka's are ugly but they treat me well.

    There were some great suggestions from people above and I hope you get back to what you love soon.

    They are having some great offer on Hokas at store. I may try them out!
  • ncfitbit
    ncfitbit Posts: 1,058 Member
    +1 to new shoes and have someone else look at your running form to see if there are any mechanical issues that are causing you to injure yourself. My running store offered a free running form clinic (not just a gait analysis to fit you for shoes) it was more like a class, but he watched us run and made corrections. Common ones are overstriding and weak glutes.

    Here's a website the guy who led the clinic referred us to: http://www.goodformrunning.com/

    You can also ask a friend to check your form. It's hard to tell if you are slouching or doing other things by yourself, but someone can watch you and tell you. Good luck. It's worth it!
  • sureitstime
    sureitstime Posts: 67 Member
    OP here.Just wanted to update my situation. After reading the suggestions here, I bought a new pair of shoes(after doing gait analysis and trying different brands). They are really comfy and c'mon who doesn't like new, shiny shoes! But it did not resolve my knee/foot pain, so I went to an Orthopedic who suggested an MRI to rule out compressed nerve or bulging disc. Thankfully everything was ok. So I was refered to a physiotherapist who told me that the pain is due to muscle imbalance. I have a very weak core, which in turn causes a pelvic tilt which compresses/ irritates a nerve in the back and runs down to my foot. Working on strengthening the core and correcting my posture. A long road ahead, but bring it on!
    Hope this really long post will help someone out there looking for some kind of answers!
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    Good to know, thanks for posting that.
  • xbowhunter
    xbowhunter Posts: 1,309 Member
    I used to love running too. I had to give it up because of chronic injuries. I took up strength training & brisk walks for cardio. I feel I am in better shape now & no more injuries. The only time I miss it is when I see someone run & when the Detroit marathon is on. I do miss that run... :(
  • sureitstime
    sureitstime Posts: 67 Member
    Good to know, thanks for posting that.

    Sometimes, when the situation is pertinent to me I wonder what happened to the OP, did they ever resolve the problem and how did they go about it. So I came back to give an update. I know there are a lot of lurkers out there like me prowling the forums for infomation and answers! Thank you everyone, who have taken time to answer my question/listening to my rant!
  • sureitstime
    sureitstime Posts: 67 Member
    xbowhunter wrote: »
    I used to love running too. I had to give it up because of chronic injuries. I took up strength training & brisk walks for cardio. I feel I am in better shape now & no more injuries. The only time I miss it is when I see someone run & when the Detroit marathon is on. I do miss that run... :(

    I know how you feel! But, I have to lay off running for now and address my injuries before they turn chronic. I want to go into my old age with two good legs and a strong back! But I hear you.....
  • williammuney
    williammuney Posts: 2,895 Member
    I feel your pain
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,986 Member
    You say you run on 5.5 speed. What does that mean? Is that 5:30 minutes per mile, 5.5miles per hour, km? If this is miles per hour then that's still a fairly fast pace! Really try to slow down to a pace where you can still comfortably talk until your muscles, joints and tendons are used to running. It takes quite a while for the latter two. Plus why not try to run outside even if there are no trails? Then you determine the speed you are comfortable with and not a machine. Maybe that gives you a better feeling of what is comfortable for you. I don't know where you are but running around a neighbourhood should not be a problem in most places.
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