Running/Jogging Form Issues

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FallingAerowe
FallingAerowe Posts: 3
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey All,

First, thanks for looking at this.

I've been being active for about 5 weeks now. I've made some good progression in my cardio going from 3.5 to 6.0 mph for 30 mins. The issue is; last week I noticed that my knee was getting tight and pretty sore after my runs. Yesterday, I was only able to run for 20 min because of the pain my knee was in. The pain is coming from the inside of my knee. I've been told that there are tons of factors that could be causing this from shoes to stretching. I know that stretching is a big part, and I've made a good effort to stretch before and after my run. I'm beginning to wonder if its how I am running. I know when I walk, I walk duck-footed, but I felt like my strides were pretty much straight while I was running.

Any input or links to material to read would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

"I don't always try to stay in shape, but when I do I prefer My Fitness Pal. Stay fit my friends."

Replies

  • wbgolden
    wbgolden Posts: 2,071 Member
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    Chirunning and Evolution Running. Basically the same form, just delivered a little differently.

    I prefer the delivery of Evolution Running. The drills are awesome. The video is a bit cheesy.
  • pittsblue99
    pittsblue99 Posts: 277 Member
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    I am not an expert by any means but I am pretty sure that you are not supposed to streatch before running - it can actually cause more harm than good because your muscles are not loose and warm. I think you are supposed to warm up a little (walk, jog slowly) and then streatch. Congratulations on making progress :)
  • hayescarmen364
    hayescarmen364 Posts: 43
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    There are a lot of factors that play into knee pain. Perhaps it is your shoes? Perhaps you have weak knees? I use to have that problem and I use to get shin splints from running as well but after learning as much as I can about how to prevent it I also learned how to prevent knee pains as well. For shoes I use to have real old running shoes that was the main problem of causing my problems and when I got brand new Nike running shoes from JC Penny My running got better and i was able to run faster with not as much pain. I also learned that how I run was a factor as well. You should always hit the ball of your feet when you take steps. Dont swing your arms wild just keep them close to your body will help. Your knees could be weak and For that the best way to strengthen your knee's are getting a backpack and placing some books or weights in them. just something light but some challenging. Sit down in a chair and put a strap on your ankle and lift your leg up. That will help a lot. Do that for both of your knees and in a few weeks your pain should go away. After factor that could also play is your weight. Your knee's may not be able to handle the stress.
  • austepants
    austepants Posts: 356 Member
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    I would suggest going to a running store that can evaluate the way you run as well as the wear on your shoes. They can also help you find a shoe that supports your feet the proper way and is tailored to how you move. They should be able to help you with any pain you might be experiencing.
  • krowy3g
    krowy3g Posts: 4
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    There are two schools of thought about how to start your daily run. First is to stretch and loosen you muscle. This is what most of us were taught in school. The other is to actually do little stretches and then walk a short distance, then gradually pick up the pace and then get yourself into a run. When your are done with your run you again need to either stretch your muscles or walk it off. This is something you should research and determine what is right for you.

    I personally just started in April. I began walking for 20 minutes around a track (1mile). I then started to walk, then jogged, then walk in my routine. eventually I began running more then walking. I am now running 3.11 miles (5 km) in about 33 minutes. I begin each workout with some minor stretching, and I do about .1 mile warmup walk. When I am done I walk about .2 miles to cool down. I also run every other day to give my muscles time to repair. If you are running every day you are not giving time for the muscle to heal. Also if you just started from a period of not exercising start off slow and gradually add on.

    You may have pulled a muscle, tendon, or ligament and it needs time to heal. If it hurts every time you run you really should seek medical attention to make sure it isn't serious.
  • FallingAerowe
    FallingAerowe Posts: 3
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    Thanks for the quick response.

    I see some similar themes from a friend I was just talking to on Facebook.

    wbgolden - I'll take a look into those. Thanks. ^.^

    pittsblue99 - I did not know you weren't supposed to stretch before. I have been walking 3.5 for the first 2-3 min to warm up. Generally I lift before I run as well. So if I'm doing legs, I like to stretch out before I run. Note, this didn't occur during a leg lift day. Thanks for the support. ^.^

    hayescarmen364 - I will be putting in some work on strengthening my knee. From when I was last really active, my weight is about 30 lb more, so that could be a factor. I know I don't swing my arms wildly; they're in pretty close. Not familiar with the saying, ball of my feet. I know I usually land heel first. Thanks for the advice.

    austepants - My friend just suggested getting fitted as well. I didn't know that running stores were able to evaluate your running form.

    krowy3g - Congrats on your progress. I was up to 30 min 3 mi. as well before this injury. My friend thinks it might be a Medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprain. So I'm going to back off, the workload, ice regurarly, and deep stretch after running.

    Thanks all for the input.

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