[havabrew]

I wanted to start runing to shed some of my 18 or so stone. Last week I walked 3 miles on Mon in around 44 mins, did the same on Wednesday but ran for probably a minute or two at most and came in with another 44 minutes.

On Friday I did the same run (Walk ) but probably got two seperate minutes of flat running in and did about half a mile on a decent downhill.

Sunday walked quickly to the of the first hill (About 5 mins) and started getting pains in my knee, ran for a few yards and pain got worse. Walked the rest of the route but regretted continuing ater around 1.5 miles as my knees really started to hurt

Three days on the pain is constantly there albeit bareable, knees go stiff after sitting and are tender to the touch on the inside and down slightly fronm the knee cap.

Have I overdone it, should I avoid downhill running due to the extra stress...

Help, a bad start to what becoming quite enjoyable, albeit wet...

 

[Steve]

Welcome to RF!!

You do need to take it easy to start with to allow your body to adjust to new pressures...don't get de-motivated though...we all had problems when we first started.

When I organise hill sessions for my club it is the downhill work that most complain about so perhaps you should look for level ground for now.

All the best..and welcome to the mad world of running...keep in touch!

 

[twinkle toes]

Welcome to the forum havabrew.

Don't lose heart and keep at it.

 

[havabrew]

Thanks, would you recommend that I rest until there is no pain, or could I go back to the walking with a small amount of pain?

Ive signed up for the Sport relief 3 miles and would prefer no to have to walk the full distance....

Cheers

 

[twinkle toes]

Ive signed up for the Sport relief 3 miles and would prefer no to have to walk the full distance....

Cheers[/QUOTE]


When is this event?

 

[havabrew]

March the 16th, I was hoping that 8 weeks would be sufficient to get up to a 3 mile run...but the start hasn't been too good

 

[twinkle toes]

Have you been fitted out with proper trainers?

If so getting up to 3 miles I think is doable in 8 weeks.

When you run are you running flat out?

 

[havabrew]

Flat out - not quite Although I hope it would be classed as jogging

New trainers that are comfortable, Nike for about £30 in the sale, seam to have plenty of bounce but they were bought without a fitting.

 

[twinkle toes]

Flat out - not quite Although I hope it would be classed as jogging

New trainers that are comfortable, Nike for about £30 in the sale, seam to have plenty of bounce but they were bought without a fitting.

when you start to run start off slowly and stay there until you get comfortable and able to maintain the pace, speed at the moment is not necessary.

Your trainers are essential I would find a local running shop and take your trainers there and ensure they are right for you, you can gain all sorts of injuries if they're not, if you can get to a sweatshop or a he runs she runs or other specialist running shop you can get a gait analysis and that will tell you what type of trainers are right for you.


Hope this helps

 

[twinkle toes]

this could also explain the problems with your knees apart from the fact that you are new to running and like steve said we all suffer initially.

 

[havabrew]

I think a proper fitting may be the way to go, Ill post back when i try my next walk / run.

Thanks for the support

 

[richardsimkiss]

If you have access to a gym I'd recommend giving the cross-trainer a go and using it instead of some of your runs, it'd save the pounding of the joints that your body isn't used to but still help to improve your fitness. Exercise bike would do similar but the cross trainer would better replicate the running motion.

 

[havabrew]

No joy with a gym hence the jogging, but Ive found a nice flat circuit and as the knees haven't improved a visit to the doc will be in order - maybe i can run back

 

[Dale the Snail]

I have arthritic knees and have had two op's but still run. Maybe your best bet would be to start in the gym on a treadmill or run on grass. But most of all, take it easy and do what your body tells you.
I'm really not the best to giving advise as I suffer a great deal with knee pain, but are still doing the London Marathon, two 20 milers and a couple of half marathons before the end of May, and I don't even want to think about the training.
Good luck with your training and let us know how you get on with the Sports Relief run.

 

[Jason]

Good man! Glad you're getting out there and doing it. The time of year doesn't help. The cold makes any injury feel worse and definately makes you sieze up a bit when you sit still. You should see me and the missus helping each other off the sofa of an evening. She goes first and I have to push her from behind and then once she's up she pulls me up.

 

[twinkle toes]

Good man! Glad you're getting out there and doing it. The time of year doesn't help. The cold makes any injury feel worse and definately makes you sieze up a bit when you sit still. You should see me and the missus helping each other off the sofa of an evening. She goes first and I have to push her from behind and then once she's up she pulls me up.

and exercise is supposed to be good for us

 

[havabrew]

Well seen the doctor today who after a diagnosis based purely on weight, was eventually persuaded to look at my knee X ray in 6 - 8 weeks with a follow up.

Called in to see my local physio who has worked on my back a few times and he has mentioned possible cartelidge damage that should rectify itself and has suggested rest with a possible flat walk and a final session with him in a week to 10 days. This is the route I will be following

All my walk / runs have been in the wind and rain which is why I'm so annoyed. If I can motivate myself for that then tonight's dry weather would have been enjoyable......

 

[Johnny T]

havabrew

Whatever you do don't give up!

Like you, I've just started running / walking. I've found my fitness level come on leaps and bounds recently but after the first week or so it would have been really easy to just knock it on the head.

There's a barrier after your start running/walking to get through that hits you after about a week or two of doing it (in my case). Whereby you don't see any benefits, you are demotivated and you just think that it's "not for you"... but trust me, get through that and you'll suddenly start seeing really encouraging results and you'll be away...

Obviously, as has already been mentioned, listen to your body and listen to your physio. But even if your orders are to rest I would still put my kit on as you would have done and, at the very least, just walk out of your door and then back in (maybe try and just walk around the block). This will keep you in the routine of getting your stuff on and at least going outdoors... this, for me, is always the hardest bit.

Good luck with it mate, hope to see you get over this hurdle and get back on track

 

[havabrew]

Cheers Johnny, mind is definitly willing just not the body - next outing will be with a bag of bread and the little one with some ducks. But hopefully a flat walk /run will be on the books sooner rather than later

 

[taureancloud]

another newbie to running..

Hiya I have just started running too and have been really enjoying it but am also experiencing knee pain as a result. Very annoyed as running seems to be the one type of exercise which I find easy to motivate myself to do. However having done a wee bit of research I realized I needed some proper trainers and that I probably needed to do some other forms of exercise or at least some strengthening exercises to get my knees more 'prepared' for running! Its frustrating because, like you, I just want to get out there and run but I guess for some people its going to take more time. I was ill for about 15 years so I guess I need more patience and to accept that it may take longer to get my body back into shape.

Good on you for getting out there - don't give up, just take it slow