How old are you?
Do you have good health insurance and high risk tolerance?

Getting into bike racing might bring on the love you had for running.

---

---

Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

I am 54 and until now have been in great health. First injury of my entire athletic life. I have insurance (Kaiser). Doc shared a new procedure that they are not doing here (Hawaii) yet, but are in N. California, where I am moving this summer.

Anyone know anything about Subchondroplasty. Dr. Vaughn at Stanford is starting to use it on knees.

1) sorry for the bad news.That sucks. I figure it's coming for me someday, too. But I like cycling, so I'll have that.
2) go get a 2nd opinion.
3) boring as it sounds, do you like walking/hiking? you're outdoors, in fresh air, etc. it's not as much exercise, and it takes more time. but it's got its perks.

First choice second opinion, not a medical expert but there are other smart people (as in other doctors/specialists) out there.

Second choice what Jack said.

Maurice

My knees aren't what they used to be, and I had surgery on my right for a meniscus repair in January of 2014. In addition to that, I had "runner's knee", which seems to be a loose diagnosis for pain around the kneecap area that x-rays and MRI's can't firmly identify - so yes, I've been through it.

I went 6 months without running at all, then started to try to reintroduce, always with the same result: 3.5 miles in, unbearable pain in the right knee. After a few events where I hobbled through the run (Olympic distance, 10K), I took another 3 months off. I am currently about 8 weeks in, having re-introduced it at 3 miles, 3x per week for 4 weeks, then 3.25 miles for 2 weeks (3x), then 3.5 miles for 2 weeks (3x), and now this week I just finished my second 4-miler. If I push too hard I can feel the knees starting to let me know they're about to give, and I stop. Past experiences of "pushing through the pain" got me to where I was in the first place.

My first bit of advice would be to buy Hokas...

For cardio substitutes - the bicycle is a good substitute and maintains some of the "step out the door" freedom that running does. Plus if you get into mountain biking, the bike can take you deeper into wilderness where you can just "be" a bit faster than a run. A tri bike is a pretty sharp tool, I wouldn't recommend that as a "daily driver" if you're going to get into it, and a dedicated road bike leaves you fairly limited too. With a good rigid 29" mountain bike, you can cover just about all the same terrain you could on a run. You'll give up some top-end speed on strict pavement road rides, but you'll be surprised at how fast you can go on pavement with the right tires and a bit of pressure. (something like the Michelin Wild Rac'r)

Good luck, and I hope this latest recovery session goes well.

I literally feel your bain brother. I am going through something similar at only age 38. I am going for option #2, a second opinion.

http://www.charmaustin.com

Aqua jogging at an outdoor pool. While not a perfect solution, it's somewhat similar...

---

#swimmingmatters
Laugh hard. Run fast. Be kind.
The Doctor (#12)

This guy has experience in working with runners in your situation and returning them to running when others thought it would not be possible:

http://www.reporegon.com/...charry-rep-director/

---

Simplify, Train, Live

Concept2 rowing machine. My specialist has advised me to stop running and cycling but he tells me rowing is OK. I don't really understand why he objects to cycling but it does make my knee hurt although not as much as running.

Roller blading, skate-skiing, snowshoeing, crosscountry skiing....

---

res, non verba

Some movie quote always sticks in my head "nobody tells me what I can and can't do." That is how I would (stubbornly) look at this. I think you should start taking Nature Valley glucosamine chondroitin (3 chews) on a daily basis, use the elliptical religiously for 6 months and circle July 4th on your calendar. I would then start trail, off-road running which is much slower and uses different muscles. Great exercise and I predict you will be road running in a year. Just my non-medical advice. Don't give up running...

---

John Snyder @URNotAsCoolAsMe

so much you can do. Road, MTB and cyclocross biking are all really fun, fat biking in the snow looks cool too. XC skiing either skate or classic might be OK on your knee, it's OK on mine if I'm careful. Sometimes I roller ski in the summer on the roads, that's not bad either. If you have water nearby, then canoe or kayak would clearly be a fun option. If you can hike in the woods or better yet do nordic walking with poles that can be a great workout if you really work yourself.

Inline skating could be good, though I guess it needs a fairly wide path to go fast.

If you're in a winter climate or have a rink nearby, maybe take up speed skating? I did some lessons a while a ago, and it's a lot of fun.

---

STAC Zero Trainer - Zero noise, zero tire contact, zero moving parts. Suffer in Silence starting fall 2016

Sorry to hear that you can't run right now. It sucks! I had to stop running for a back issue and now knee pain.

I found that riding my mountain bike on some single track was the next best thing to running. It really gave me some of the same sensations I used to feel while running.

My suggestion is give mountain biking a try.

Always talk to more doctors. It took 15 years for the technology to get there and have a doctor that would do it but I finally got my PCL fixed last year. Even my doctod said 5 years ago he wouldn't have done the surgery. I wouldn't give up running because one doctor said so.

Unloader brace? If your issues are medial only, it may help take some of the pressure off. Did your repair fail?

---

---

mmm-mmm-Momo Charms
Handmade beverage charms, jewelry, and miscellanea
http://momocharms.wordpress.com

Sorry to hear but this is why I spent so much energy on this forum to offer that all the running so many say should be done will for most, end like you have. Again, sorry.

You really need to realize you are now an ex runner! Running is so much easier to do than any other exercise. But, it is also the worst for most in long term health, again, as you have found out.

So what do I tell folks who come to me like you? I say STOP running like you were 20. Just do cross training. Get an elliptiGO and ride. Get powercranks on your trainer and ride.
Swim. Etc.

Yep, no more long running stuff, no more run training stuff, its done.

But if you are lucky, you could still race sprint triathlons. If you do the cross training, ONLY running a 5K in a sprint race you might be lucky for a while. But if you keep running, well,
your options quickly will end up being zero.

Sorry for being so honest. But I just talk to way too many folks your age. Some listen and keep having fun. Others do not and shortly they are done forever, even with cross fitness stuff.

.

---

Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

Citation required.

I will post some citations that show you are 100% wrong.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/...-get-knee-arthritis/
http://www.livestrong.com/...nning-on-the-joints/

You can trace both blogs back to the actual studies, but figured the short version may be easier for you to digest in your old age.

You are in Hawaii - why not open water swimming? Pool swimming is boring but open water is a whole different sport. (Although if I was in Hawaii I would be windsurfing - the most fun sport by far in the mecca for windsurfing).

Yep, you are right which is why I guess I see so few older runners at races, let alone so few older racers that have any speed left.

Sorry for being wrong.

.

---

Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anecdotal_evidence

add that to your reading list too

I am sure the age difference at events is not related to the fact that running as a sport has grown 5xin the last 30 years.. or that many people get lazy in old age.

http://www.runningusa.org/...urnTo=annual-reports

I will make sure when I see the old folks who are not running or cannot run fast they that are just lazy.

---

Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

You do that. You can start with my mom. Lazy, overweight, watches Fox news. 0/3