Knee pain after running

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KSPR1
KSPR1 Posts: 4 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi guys. I’m 42, 11 1/2 stone, 5’9 (173cm). I am aiming for 11 stone around about. I’ve lost 2 1/2 stone and weight train 3 times a week with a PT and over last 2 months done couch to 5k with a treadmill and have been fine. Play badminton 1 a week. Started off religious with using app for food and calorie etc. Probably let that slide a little and want to get back to being strict as probably starting to gain. A bit bored with food and work pattern makes life a bit trickier. Anyway my main question is - on holiday this week and took to do outdoor runs. Did 5/6 miles which was great road and field run but after had painful right knee- lateral so assumed ileotibial band pain. Left it a day and then pain gone so tried again today. Only managed 1/3 rd of the way and walked the rest as was to painful. Disappointed as would really like to do it more. I know there are lots of things it could be. To be fair going from a treadmill to hard rod and fields with uphill and downhill for all of it probably wasn’t wise but worried that this means no outdoor running? Is this true? Have had gait looked at and have running shoes (although didn’t use the ones the guy recommended for these runs), have been told I don’t pronate but feel I do. Confused and wanted advice on what to do next. Do I need another gait analysis? Physio assessment, strengthening excersises? Not sure where to start? Any help please? Thanks

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Rest till your knee feels better then try 2 miles outside... slowly, and build from there.

  • Silent_Soliloquy
    Silent_Soliloquy Posts: 237 Member
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    To understand ... you did c25k, so got up to 3.1 miles and all on treadmill ?

    Then you did 5 miles and 6 miles back to back ?

    My knee would hurt too.

    People on here taught me to increase mileage slowly, 10% a week. It seemed silly at first but it also seems to have worked as I have increased my distance I can run significantly and with no injuries (other than a wound from nail I stepped on while not running)
  • blobby10
    blobby10 Posts: 357 Member
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    Check your trainers - treadmills have more cushioning than roads and fields so you may find that you need better quality trainers for outdoor runs.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Rest till your knee feels better then try 2 miles outside... slowly, and build from there.

    Alternative would be to redo weeks 4-9 of the C25K, but outside (after your knee is better).

    Why didn't you use the recommended shoes for these runs?
  • keithwp99
    keithwp99 Posts: 83 Member
    edited February 2019
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    I fell in to the same trap. Too much too soon.

    RICE. Rest Ice Compression Elevation.

    I'll just add one suggestion that I know has helped me.

    Consider adding one deload week every 4th week. You would reduce your overall mileage by 20% for that week.
    The following week you can add your 10% increase back in. You will make progress and have less chance of injury.

    I'm not sure I agree with the 10% every week either but that will depend on your fitness level too, IMO.

    Good luck!

  • KSPR1
    KSPR1 Posts: 4 Member
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    Thank you. I appreciate it sounds ridiculous but I clearly underestimated 1. Distance and 2. Terrain. I am away on holiday and out in the countryside and planned the shortest route possible allowing a circular route. I brought old running shoes with me by mistake. I will give it some rest and then restart doing less miles on the flat and build up. Was just worried that I needed to do something more after reading all sorts of stuff about hip and knee instability etc. So wasn’t sure if this was just a result of being stupid (I know but hard to admit) or something that would need sorting. I didn’t find the first run too challenging and really enjoyed it as well as being outdoors so thought ‘hey I can do this’ then 2 hours later was in some discomfort which settled faulty quickly. Thanks for the advice. I’ll rest for a week or so and then pick it back up at a slower pace.
  • Laura48593
    Laura48593 Posts: 31 Member
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    I had the same problem when I was running before an unrelated ankle injury. Come to find out I had naturally weak inner knee muscles. Go to a PT. They may be able to ID what your issues are. I was able to strengthen mine enough through some exercise she gave me enough to do moderate runs, and hopefully prevent my body from putting so much strain on my bones. Almost everyone in my family has had knee replacements, and she said that may be why. Yours could be that or something completely different. I saw doctors for it and they always dismissed it. Again, go see a PT or two. They are brilliant.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 1,980 Member
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    In addition to taking your time to build up to the runs, I'd also suggest working with a PT. I have bad knees (have had since I was a teenager) and there are exercises I can do (fairly simple ones) that keep them strong enough to do what I want to do. When I let those exercises slide for too long, I can tell!

    For me, my knees are bad enough I'd never be a runner (can't even if I wanted to now after a fubared ankle a couple years ago), but I can keep them up enough to do my sports, and handle some lighter jogs and a fair bit of walking without giving me issues.
  • eleanorhawkins
    eleanorhawkins Posts: 1,655 Member
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    Are you warming up before runs and stretching afterwards? I had horrific knee pain which turned out to be down to over-tight and extremely contractured muscles. Took a month of rest, barely walking even, and quite a few physiotherapy sessions to sort it out and I'm still have to go very easy on them.
    In your situation I would rest it until it no longer hurts, then as others have said run in your good shoes and build up outdoor running slowly. If it starts hurting again when you run it's definitely worth seeing a physio.
  • corriepelc
    corriepelc Posts: 2,088 Member
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    I agree with everyone -- going from only treadmill to the outside is tough. I've been running for a little over 3 years mainly all outside (only used the treadmill when it was raining). I hurt my knee on New Year's and couldn't run at all for a little over a week. I started up again on the treadmill only, and because it was less strain, I could handle it. I am now back to my normal long runs outside on Saturdays, but I now run three mornings a week on the treadmill as I think it's helping to keep my joints happier.

    You may want to redo C25K outside to get your body and joints used to the outdoor impact. And I also invested about $20 in a velcro-closing soft knee brace, and that's helped as well. It just helps keep everything in place. I also go to sports therapy once a month and she works on all the muscles and ligaments around the knee to make sure they're not too tight and causing me issues.

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