Runner's Knee and hills

Cerlan

Hey people,

I have a question for anyone who has suffered from runner's knee before. Not looking for medical advice by the way, just traininng advice. My knee got very sore during the cork marathon to the point where i couldn't run on it anymore and had to drop out.

Since then I have been training mainly on the flat and at an easy pace. Last sunday I had planned to run 15 miles over a hilly route, (up to dinis cottage in Killarney if anyone knows it, lovely route), but my knee which had been fine bar a few twinges since the marathon started giving trouble again. I could still run but every so often it would seem like it was about to give. Went to the physio and am now doing all the regular strenghtening exercises and stretches.

My question is though, should I now leave hills out of my training or should I get straight back into the hills in order to strengthen the muscles that need it? I now know that it was the hills that caused the problem in the marathon so don't want this to happen again by not training on them....

RJC

I would guess (but you would be the best judge) that a little bit of everything is ok. A 15 mile set of hills might be a bit much.

A physio I used to go to gave me very sensible advice that I couldn't see for myself: try and run a half mile today. If that is ok then try and run a mile tomorrow and two miles the next day and so on. If you get any twinges or pain drop back to the previous lower mileage or hold the current mileage until you can do it pain free. This will allow you to increase your mileage injury free.

I used to go off on 20 mile runs with a bad knee and end up limping for 5 miles before phoning for a lift home - stupid in hindsight. As I have learned - common sense is very uncommon.

RoyMcC

Are you sure it's the hills causing the problem? You wouldn't call Cork an over-hilly course. Certainly no steep downhills which you might conceivably do yourself damage on.

Like RJC I'd say proceed with caution but don't avoid hill work totally.

buck65

I suffer from runners knee too. I am getting some deep tissue massage on the quads and lower leg. There isn't alot that can be done about it.
Some days it is bad others it never appears at all. Right now I have a sore knee as I sit and I have plans to run tonigt and may feel nothing tomorrow. Really bizarre injury.

dna_leri

Cerlan wrote: »

Hey people,

I have a question for anyone who has suffered from runner's knee before. Not looking for medical advice by the way, just traininng advice. My knee got very sore during the cork marathon to the point where i couldn't run on it anymore and had to drop out.

Since then I have been training mainly on the flat and at an easy pace. Last sunday I had planned to run 15 miles over a hilly route, (up to dinis cottage in Killarney if anyone knows it, lovely route), but my knee which had been fine bar a few twinges since the marathon started giving trouble again. I could still run but every so often it would seem like it was about to give. Went to the physio and am now doing all the regular strenghtening exercises and stretches.

My question is though, should I now leave hills out of my training or should I get straight back into the hills in order to strengthen the muscles that need it? I now know that it was the hills that caused the problem in the marathon so don't want this to happen again by not training on them....

I think you need to figure out what is really causing the problem.

Do you have the right runners with the right support and cushioning - maybe get a gait analysis?

Is your problem coming from running uphill or downhill or the combination of both - maybe try running up and walking down and the reverse to see if you still have the problem. If its from downhills, does shortening your stride help?

What does your physio say is the problem, are there particular muscles that need to be strengthened? If so then you should stay off the hills until you know there is an improvement - your physio should be able to tell you how many weeks of strengthening exercises and stretches you will need.

I'm afraid it may be a case of trial and error until you find the cause but don't push it until you do and keep going back to your physio until it gets better (or get another opinion).

Cerlan

cheers guys,

have had a gait analysis done dna_leri, and apparently am wearing the right runners. Not sure if it's uphill or downhills that are the problem as have never done one without the other. Think I might just have to do trial and error as you say. The physio was a bit vague as to what the problem was. She has set me to strengthening my quads but to be honest I don't think she knew exactly what the problem was and so gave me some generic strethches and strengthening exercises to do....

I agree with you buck65 that it is a very weird injury. Even after my knee gives out one day, I can some times run on it the day after...

The reason I think it's hills RoyMcC is because last Sunday was the first time since the marathon that I put some hills in my route. There were some niggles when I ran on the flat but nothing like when I was on the hills.

I know what you mean about the common sense RJC. Very hard to get the idea, "the more I run, the better it will get" out of your head. Rest is the last thing that you want to do. This is my fourth day without a run and starting to climb the walls! Gonna go for a short run tomorrow and see how it feels.