I’m sloooowly trying to get back into running after many years off. Cardio fitness is present and accounted for due to road racing, but my muscles ain’t using to bear weight.
The past few runs, something or other running along the outside of my left knee (IT band?) has been giving me pains. This, even with running 2mins, walking 1. And running at a very slow pace on grass.
The knee flares up again today, and i start to get annoyed and just pick the pace up because i’m tired of running slowly. Miraculously, the pain in the knee lessens significantly. Not disappears, mind you, but there’s way less pain.
Is there any reason this might ever happen? Should i just start running faster??
Make sure you have proper shoes – go to a reputable running shoe store in your area that can actually watch you run and walk. (GH Sports in my town has a treadmill and a video camera and they do an awesome job analyzing your feet.) The proper shoes are a must. Before I got the proper shoes, I had some of the same chronic problems you have.
Oddly enough, I also experience pain when I run slow. I ran a half-marathon with my mom a year ago and it was pure hell on my legs (but I didn’t care because, hey, running with mom is awesome!)
your stride is changing when you go faster so perhaps you are not straining the IT as bad.
no, don’t just run faster. There are going to be days that you need to run VERY slowly. Also you should be warming up very, very slowly.
second getting the right pair of shoes. In fact get 2 pair and rotate. At least get a pair of trainiers and a pair of marathon flats for fast days.
devote a good portion of your training time to form & technique. Your body is well adapted to going in circles with your butt on a seat. The movement and timing for running is different. Bobby Mcgee’s website is pretty good for drills etc. You will be a better runner in the long run if you suck it up and dial in the technique early on.
get yourself an IT roller and hit that bad boy 10-15 rolls/leg after every training session. running is straining your IT and you need to get it loose. the roller hurts, but works better than anything except massage, which is expensive and time consuming.
Let us know if that works & welcome back to the world of not being able to buy speed!
Ses a physio therapist that preferably has some sports background knowledge, running with pain (not to be confused with muscle fatigue) is never a good idea.
devote a good portion of your training time to form & technique. Your body is well adapted to going in circles with your butt on a seat. The movement and timing for running is different. Bobby Mcgee’s website is pretty good for drills etc. You will be a better runner in the long run if you suck it up and dial in the technique early on.
get yourself an IT roller and hit that bad boy 10-15 rolls/leg after every training session. running is straining your IT and you need to get it loose. the roller hurts, but works better than anything except massage, which is expensive and time consuming.
I support these two points. Yes, shoes are important, but I think proper form and proper looseing (stretching and roller work) is what will get you over the hump. Keep at it but build it up nice and gradually. Although I do not know much about you, my guess, is that doing nothing is worse than doing some running. Use the same form while running slow as you do while you run fast. Keep your strides short and quick (90 strikes per minute).
It may be because you haven’t developed the necessary run fitness to apply the force you can generate. I think a lot people jump into running longer workouts too soon. If you’re just getting back in to it run at your desired pace, but for less time. Increase the volume slowly.
Running doesn’t work quite the same as cycling whereby you can simply go further by going slower when “you’re getting back into it”.
Wow, thanks for all the input. Some more info, if it helps:
I spent an hour getting fitted for shoes by a good running store in town, so i feel the shoes are about as good as i’ll get.
I’m doing about 10 minutes of stretching prior to running, and about 30 seconds worth in between my two minute sets, so I think I’m still being pretty conservative and not going too crazy to start.
I have an in with an excellent physio in town who deals with sporty types, but I just figure he’ll be a last resort after i try a few more times.
thanks everyone for your input. Hopefully it gets better.
One other thing. I used to get a mysterious calf cramping in my right calf at about 5 miles on my 7 mile runs. I finally figured out it was because I was running on a bike path which crested in the middle and sloped to either side. So I was running on a slant the whole way and I guess my calf said enough was enough after about 5 miles. You have not complained about calf problems but keep an eye on the slope of your running surface.
Based on my experience as someone who went from two years of chronic ITB pain to someone who has gone three years without a major ITB problem, here’s what I would do.
Check your form. If it sucks, you will get hurt. When I notice a twinge of pain, I think about how I should be running, snap back to form and the pain is gone in a few minutes.
Stretch your hamstrings and roll your IT band frequently. Don’t underestimate the impact a good hamstring stretch has on your ITB.
Get a good massage therapist to work on you. My guy, Tim Monaco, is excellent. If you are in Bend, Oregon, or the SF Bay Area, he’s the guy to get in touch with. He worked on me frequently early in the process, now it’s down to once a month when I’m running frequently.
I’m doing about 10 minutes of stretching prior to running, and about 30 seconds worth in between my two minute sets, so I think I’m still being pretty conservative and not going too crazy to start.
Stretching prior to running has been shown to be ineffective at preventing injuries. The time to stretch is after you warm up, or after you finish. Run a mile, then stretch well, then finish your run. Stretch afterwards or whenever you have the time and access to the floor (or whatever).
After having ITB problems early in my running career, I have run ITB pain-free for many years using a roller, doing ITB-specific stretches, and seeing a PT (pain-free at least in the knees - the hips are another story) . Unfortunately, I recently had a heart-breaking setback when I crashed on my bike, and I THINK inflamed the bursa sack under the ITB. Now my knee hurts like hell when I run or go down stairs. I did a thirteen-mile run last weekend, and ran through the pain, but afterwards I could hardly walk.
I am training for the Columbus marathon to try to get into Boston next year.
I’ll see the Doc in the am, but I have a bad feeling my Boston dreams may get deferred for another year. <sigh!>
Maybe I’ll make a deal with the devil and see if he’ll give me a cortisone shot?