I have just completed my 1st run, I ran 2.45 miles in 27 mins, I play football so I should be quite fit ( well thats what I thought ) the problem is that suffer from painful knees, What I would like to know is should I just strap my knee up and continue to run?. It is my intention to give the football up and use running for my fitness.



Cheers.
Westies2803

Well done on your first run
I've not been running properly long myself but I found in the first couple of weeks I really felt it on the inner side of my knees. I had quite weak knees prior to running, they use to crack and felt like they were gonna pop out of place everytime I bent down but since the muscles have strengthened around the knees I have no problems at all.........but you've probably already developed those muscles with the football anyway so this post is probably of no use to you. Sorry I don't really know what to suggest

Hi Westies2803, all I would say to you is to take everything easy! Better to do too little than too much. Above all listen to your body, pain is its way of telling you to slow down!

I used to get pains in my knee, it was just that I'd tried it increase my mileage too much too soon. I went back to doing shorter runs and gradually building up.

Good luck!

Obi.

Yep, obigone's right. Listen to what your knees are telling you. I wish I had listened to my ankles. I had to stop running for 6 weeks while they recovered last summer.

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It's about getting out there and doing the distance, time doesn't matter apart from making it.

Hi mate

remember that running long distance at a steady pace and playing football are two very different things and you can be very fit and not be able to run long distances easily.

Football involves walking, jogging and sprinting. you dont constantly jog about the park during a game! This makes football a cross between aerobic and anaerobic fitness which in my opinion is much better than just steady pace jogging which is pure aerobic. Dont give up football for running just because.

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Acta Non Verba

Hi Westie

Welcome to RF.

Are you running in proper running shoes? if not get a gait anaylsis done at your local running shop not jjb or likewise and they will tell you what type of trainer you need, this could also be beneficial to your knee problem, plus what the others have also mentioned.

TT

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In spite of the cost of living, it's still popular.

Bird in Boots

When I first started running...many moons ago..I used to play park football too...Ihad knee problems then but after I stopped the footie my knees, aftera short while, stopped causing me pain when I ran.....any correlation?

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I need a break!

Probably due to the ligaments being stressed when twisting and changing direction quickly during footie. Little knee injurys that dont get treament will be exaggerated
by this kind of movement/stress

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Acta Non Verba

I thought as much..........taken me about 14 years though to get my pbs...still shows one can recover from knee problems and go on to run well, or wellish anyway!

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I need a break!

Cheers guys for your input, I'm thinking of giving the footie up due to more aches & pain than I would like now at prime old age of 45( TOO OLD TO PLAYING FOOTIE HA HA)

As for my foot wear I had my gait checked and purchased the right trainers to suit my running stylefrom a specialist stockist.


Cheers.
Westies2803