I used to be quite an avid jogger. Now, I’m a lazy bum whose weight has shot up ten pounds and I can’t run a mile without getting winded. Normally, willpower alone would motivate me to jog my butt off until I got this weight off, but Houston, I have a problem.
When I jog, I have severe knee pain - that wasn’t present back then. I have to stop-and-go it the entire route, and that just doesn’t cut it for me. I’m not a wuss - I want to run the entire course. This pain is only present when I’m running, and only shows up after a few minutes of continued exertion - it’s not immediate, but it forces me to walk most of my path.
As far as I can tell, my shoes are fine. I do run on rather uneven terrain - alongside the road in the drainage ditch (it’s along an interstate, and there’s no other place I can run where I live), but I try to stick to the flattest bits.
How do I handle this knee pain? Will it go away with persistance, like the ankle pain I experienced when I first began jogging, or is it something I should just throw my hands up on and take up bicycling?
I’ll go with the ever popular answer “it depends”.
Something is causing your pain, and it could be something that will go away, or it could be a sign you need to find a new form of exercise. I’d suggestion you cosult a doctor as soon as possible, preferably one that specializes in sports injuries.
Personally I’ve always found that I get a whole new collection of pains ever time I start picking up my running again. Sometimes they go away after a few weeks, sometimes it takes months.
There are a few things you can try though.
Insoles for your shoes. These have really worked for me in the past. You might also want to change your shoes. They could be more worn than you think.
Change your running surface. Get off the concrete and onto the greass.
Find a level place to run. Running on an surface that is inclined to the side is just asking for pain.
Since your pain seems to start early and stay with you, I’d go with the doctor before I try any of the other things.
I can also give you the answer from when I was much younger: “Run though it. It will go away.”
You might be getting the problem my cousin has which is basically carpal tunnel for the foot … try some heel cups and padded soles in the running shoes
But check with a doc if it contiunes before doing anything drastic
Forgetting something? How old of a person are you?
Knee pain - different in a 25 year old as opposed to a 55 year old.
And don’t forget, you’ve gained weight. There’s that much pressure on your knees. It’s a catch-22, you need to lose weight to run pain free, but you need to run to lose the weight. Welcome back to Runner’s World!!!
Omnipresent - I’m sixteen, and while I’ve gained weight, I’m still considered quite skinny (five feet, ten inches and one-hundred fifty pounds hungry and dry). I’m doing this for selfish ego reasons and because I miss running badly.
Violet - I walk just fine, even at a fast pace. I can even run at full sprint for short distances if I’m careful not to do anything stupid with my knees, but after a time, the pain kicks in.
I do have a bicycle, but as I said, the only available place I can conveniently bike is the bike lane of a major interstate. Not safe, and not good if I want to maintain my notion that not all drivers like to shout obscenities for no real reason at people just obeying traffic laws. The only place I can run is along the side of this interstate, with a few inclines to one side, but I try to stick to the flat areas while not venturing into people’s yards.
But anyways, I’ve pretty much decided to wait until I’ve moved and have found a safe enough set of routes until I start again, expanding waistline be damned. I think I might see a doctor, too, being that this knee pain either started or was brought to my notice by tripping onto someone’s gravel driveway.
Thank you for your answers, guys. Well-appreciated from someone who wants back in.
