Knee pain.....the less I do the worse it is...anyone else?

Triathlon Forum
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Some 7 years ago I was diagnosed with runners knee. After a 16 year layoff I came back hard, pronated badly ran to many miles to soon and now my knees grind and ache.

The good news is with proper strenghtening, stretching and patiently building a base I have been able to compete successfully in Du’s and Half Marathons. My training however is not always disiplined and can go from weeks of consistent quality to times when one run makes the week. I just finished one of these weeks and like always the stiffness and aches in my knees is far worse than when I’m pounding out a good week. Why is this?

Also anyone else found success in strenthening or stretching for this problem? I have always been told to work on quad imbalances but have recently read that hamstring strengthening is just as important.

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Hey Jimmy Jazz,

I think I have had the same thing- NOT training makes my legs sore, especially when I have been on a good several week long stretch of consistent training.

My completely wild-ass guess may be that as the muscles stabilizing the connective tissue loose tonus from a lack of exercise over a week or so the joint becomes less stable. That causes some laxity that, it turn, may create soreness or inflammation- only a guess mind you.

When my leg and back musculature is strong I don’t have joint pain. When it is weak I am sore. I wonder if my guess may be somehow valid…?

Where’s taku? He would know.