Any Runners Out There? - Seattle,WA

Yes, first get your knees checked! You'll know what you can do safely after that. I have a left knee that gives me a lot of trouble -or it used to. At some point there is probably a knee replacement in my future. However, learning proper running technique REALLY has saved both that knee and my right heel. I always ran heel to toe, and you should really land/strike on the pad closer to the front of your foot, roll to the toes and propel yourself that way. I can't tell you how much that added to my runs! I just did my first half on Sunday.

Another thing I've done over the past year that has been instrumental in no more knee pain or injury has been intense weight training. I use kettle bells and go to a certified kettle bell gym. You can do a variety of different types of weight training, but building the muscles in your core and legs will really help you. Building the muscle strength around the knee and in your legs really helps end shin splints, knee pain and ankle problems.

Good luck!

Ditto what Julie B. said. I have also been a runner since I was 13 years old (note I am using the present tense here) and I had the same situation. Your running days are not over! In my case I pushed myself too hard following the birth of my daughter. I tore some cartilage, had arthroscopic surgery to repair it ( which in hindsight I should probably have avoided) and was off running for almost two years.

The weight training to strengthen the surrounding muscles was key, as was adjusting the frequency of my runs as well as the location. I hated treadmills in the past but now I will do it to balance my outside runs. I love the feeling of my feet pounding the asphalt but my knees do not. Go ahead and get your knees checked but realize that there is a lot that doctors still do NOT know about your knees. Mine told me I had significant damage behind my kneecap and pretty much I could hang up my running shoes. That was ten years ago :)

I'm not a runner but my husband and son are. My son runs long distances in particular - he races 5K and 10K, and his workouts range from 10 to 20 miles. My husband runs around 6 or 8 miles 4-6 days a week. (I'm more of a treadmill & weight class at the gym kind of person.)

I'd say you need two things. The first is really, really good shoes, and that means going to a store operated by real runners. They will watch you run, either outside or on a treadmill in the store, and check you for things like pronation, heel strike, length of stride, and other factors. Then they will recommend the right shoe for you. Do not go to a chain store with a bunch of inexperienced sales clerks. Even very good shoes aren't right for every runner - this needs to be personalized for you.

The second thing is that you need something for joint support and reduction of inflammation. We've found the best supplement out there, developed with clinical trials and designed for maximum absorption. It's available through trained nutritional counselors who work with you the first few months to make sure you get results. Sure beats something bought at the health food store and sold by a clerk who doesn't know too much. That's what got rid of our knee injuries - my son's tendinitis, my husband's knee issues, and my arthritis pain in one knee. I think it makes at least as much sense as tons of rehab. My son went that route (orthopedist, X-rays, physical therapy, exercises) but nothing worked as well as this. He's gone from 35 miles a week to around 100, pain free. I also work with someone who has bone-on-bone arthritis in both knees. She was in pain (every step hurt), she took 16 Advil a day (not at all good for her stomach and liver), and was facing double knee replacement. Six years later, she still hasn't had the surgery and is pain-free. The arthritis is still there of course, but she can ski and hike and do things she couldn't do before. So there are answers out there if you're interested.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

I am a runner and really messed up my back in October. I am doing physical therapy and taking postural strengthening classes (the Egoscue method) as well as yoga. I had an MRI and the doctor told me she advises me to stop running in life. The PT and my chiropractor both say once I re-train my soft tissue to not be out of alignment and get all those muscles totally strong that I can definitely run again. You might be interested in checking out the book Pain Free by Egoscue to see the exercises they say to do for knees. I also advise starting physical therapy and seeing a really good chiropractor.

I ran a half marathon in 2007 and then had two kids and breastfed - I know people say they do it - but it is HARD to run with big nursing boobs, little sleep, and children that wake up for the day at 5 am.

I have NOT been able to get back to running. I work full time and its hard to take extra time away from the kids. I'll carve out a little time in my schedule, get a couple of weeks of running in, and then get sick, or hubby gets sick, or me or hubby has to work late and, by the time I can get back on track again, its been a couple of months.

I've tried running with the double baby jogger which is also hard when you are just starting out. Mine is pretty light weight, but when you have 50+ pounds of kids in there its hard to push. Also, you have to alter your running style which also makes it really hard. Plus - one or both of my kids will start screaming or crying about something, which makes it not a very peaceful running experience.

I did start going to a gym to strengthen my muscles a little, and get back into a little bit of shape which helped to not get injured when I did get a chance to run.

I've just resigned myself to waiting another year or two before I can start back - when the kids are a little more independent and I can find a little more time to do things by myself. Instead of thinking my running days are over, I think, lots of people just start as runners in their 40s.

Good luck!

Was it a muscle or joint injury? With joint you can easily do weight training therapy, antiinflamatory and strengthen the muscles around the joint back into shape. 5 yr old injury - not sure how long that could but - maybe a year? Find a good sports injury rehab clinic not just a rehab clinic or get a reference from your local gym. Sports rehab therapists will pinpoint a specific way to condition your injury, instead of a regular rehab that will just strengthen whatever muscle or joint you injured. But I know you CAN heal and strengthen from it. I never ran a marathon but I do run. I've never injured my knee (knock on wood) but I've broken and sprained and pulled many a body part (not that I'm a klutz or anything).

Way to go mama! I hope you will be up and running in no time. Let us know when you plan to do another marathon! I wish I were brave enough to do one.

Julie, I'm interested in knowing how you use the kettle bells to strengthen your legs?

Oh no Carrie! The doctors said you can't run ever again? Surely not!

I hate the treadmill too Susan...I'd rather be outside even in this Houston heat. But I can't give up the option of running on elevations...that's the only reason why I keep mine.

I recommend reading the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall... or check out a video of him talking about it here: http://www.ted.com/talks/christopher_mcdougall_are_we_bor...

It's a *really* interesting read and a great true story, but if you don't have time to read it, the bottom line is that the less structured your running shoe, the fewer injuries you'll get. He talks about the rise of running injuries and how they became an epidemic the more complicated running shoes got. This is because your body can't feel the damage being done when the shoes are "correcting" your gait -- while if you run with cheap, flat-soled shoes your body *will* feel pain if it isn't positioned properly, so you will naturally adjust your stride for pain-free (and injury-free) running. He talks about studies that showed that the cheaper the running shoe, the less injuries to the runner. The more expensive the shoe (esp. over $90), the more injuries the runner had.

I totally believe it -- Nike even just came out with a new "barefoot" running shoe which seems to address the claims made in Born to Run (of course it is $100 and totally unnecessary!). Check it out, get a pair of bottom-of-the-line running shoes, and get out there!

congrats on the full! i've only done a half so far, but hope to work up to full marathons.
i've got crappy knees too. what helps is to wear the ace support bandages, and really good shoes. i disagree with the advice to get cheap ones because you can feel the injury. feet are very individual, and for me it was well worth it to get fitted by an expert who used a treadmill and a camera to fit me with shoes that immediately and hugely impacted my running experience. my husband got the barefoot ones and loves them, i'm going to try them next.
but my main strategy for becoming one of the 80 year old + runners i see and admire at every race is to slow down. probably hard to hear, or maybe not even an option for a competitive runner, but for me it's not about building speed or winning races, it's being able to get out there and run 3-4 times a week, every week. and i won't do it if it hurts, and i won't be ABLE to do it if i injure myself permanently. so i run slowly. and if my knees hurt, i slow down even more.
i also take glucosamine. i know the ever-evolving and contradictory world of medical research now says it does nothing, but it doesn't hurt and i think it helps a little. (placebo effect? maybe.)
love the advice to really focus on strengthening the muscles around the knees. i need to do more of that too.
and on days where everything feels good, i can run faster!
happy running!
:) khairete
S.