The Official Thread for Runners

[SteelBlue]

ARRGGGHHH.....

I finally went out running again this morning for the first time since the half a week and a half ago and after half a mile (lots of "half" in this sentence, huh?), I started to get a stinging pain behind my kneecap. I would then walk a bit and go back to running and it was fine for a little while. Walk, then run. But each time I went back to running, when the pain did come back, it seemed to be a sharper pain.

I had some pain during the half, but this was worse today, though I haven't felt it too much since ending my run. I forgot to stretch afterwards because I was thrown off by the change of plans, but I usually do a pretty good job of stretching and foam rolling post-run.

Any suggestions for how to overcome this or any other advice related to this would be appreciated. My previous long was one run of 10 miles before the half, so I know I jumped up a bit in distance -- maybe too much, too soon?

Apart from the pain, it was frickin' freezing out there, but it felt so good to get out again. That also makes the pain even more disappointing. I had been checking out tights and was ready to take the plunge, but now I feel like I have bigger worries.

You likely did jump up in distance too fast. Sounds like patellar tendonitis. The cure, as it is with nearly all running injuries, is rest. The fact that it's hurting in the first half mile means you're probably looking at a week or two off with icing and ibuprofen.

[bluegoose]

ARRGGGHHH.....

I finally went out running again this morning for the first time since the half a week and a half ago and after half a mile (lots of "half" in this sentence, huh?), I started to get a stinging pain behind my kneecap. I would then walk a bit and go back to running and it was fine for a little while. Walk, then run. But each time I went back to running, when the pain did come back, it seemed to be a sharper pain.

I had some pain during the half, but this was worse today, though I haven't felt it too much since ending my run. I forgot to stretch afterwards because I was thrown off by the change of plans, but I usually do a pretty good job of stretching and foam rolling post-run.

Any suggestions for how to overcome this or any other advice related to this would be appreciated. My previous long was one run of 10 miles before the half, so I know I jumped up a bit in distance -- maybe too much, too soon?

Apart from the pain, it was frickin' freezing out there, but it felt so good to get out again. That also makes the pain even more disappointing. I had been checking out tights and was ready to take the plunge, but now I feel like I have bigger worries.

From what you have said, it seems like it was a slight training error which caused either some patellar tendonitis or more generally patellofemoral pain syndrome. It is likely due to some irritation of the underside of the patella and is due to a patellar tracking problem.

First thing to do is to rest it and try to avoid painful activities. Yes, that means that you will likely benefit from taking a week or more off running. Many people, include myself, have been able to run through the problem, but it will prolong the symptoms a bit. If you've got the time, then a brief break from running would be helpful.

Cross training is important. What you can tolerate is highly individualized. Some people can tolerate cycling, which it can worsen symptoms in other people. Swimming is often ok, although I have seen a number of athletes recently that are really bothered by a standard flutter kick. Try each out to see what you can do without pain.

The most important thing for you to do is strengthening exercises. Quads and hams are important, and the glutes and are also crucial in helping with patellar tracking. Gluteus maximus and medius primarily.

Once the resting pain is gone, cut your normal mileage in half for a week as you transition back into it and then gradually ramp it up from there.

[Parrot Head]

Thanks, NorCal (the region not the poster), for the feedback. I was hoping for something like, "Lots of chocolate chip cookies, watching football and no yard work will do the trick!" would be the answer, but the responses above sound more reasonable and I will take that approach. I haven't been in a pool for real swimming in so long, but maybe it's time to use the free trial membership for the gym near us.

[Joe Public]

Christopher McDougall, who wrote the Born to Run book (I haven't read it yet), had an article in the NYT the other day. Included in the article is the description of a drill called the 100-Up. Has anyone incorporated this into workouts before? If so, was it beneficial? It sounds similar to something I used to do to warm up before playing sports - a kind of form-conscious running in place.

[Moliere]

You have got to be kidding me. That is seriously sucky, Moliere. I'm feeling frustrated for you right now. It's weird for a SF that you babied as carefully as you have to keep coming back. If running is something you want to keep doing, seems like at this point it might be time to seek out an expert and really get to the bottom of this. Good luck.

I ran on my leg this weekend and it didn't hurt but I could feel the pressure in the area where I had my fracture. I didn't run far and I'm sure that if I went 3-4 miles it would likely flare up. I'm still going to take some time off. I'm thinking I need to change something. I'm a big time heel striker. I ran with my headphones off and I can tell that I'm just not smooth. Distance running is just not something I've done a lot of as I was a sprinter/400M runner in high school so I'm used to running on my toes in spikes.

In any case, I started reading "Born to Run" and I've convinced myself that I need to change something. That something being my form/gait/etc. which sounds a bit like Nikuman did a while back. I'd like to become more of a mid foot striker and I'm hoping that that, along with some more lower leg exercises (to strenghten my calves) will help prevent further injuries, or at lesat further stress fractures. I've got some time to read up on this stuff before I get back out and try to build up again.

So, anyone have some good resources on mid-foot striking and how to change from a heel striker? I'm open to doing some minimalist running to help change, but likely won't go totally nude like Slim

[Pheidippides]

I ran on my leg this weekend and it didn't hurt but I could feel the pressure in the area where I had my fracture. I didn't run far and I'm sure that if I went 3-4 miles it would likely flare up. I'm still going to take some time off. I'm thinking I need to change something. I'm a big time heel striker. I ran with my headphones off and I can tell that I'm just not smooth. Distance running is just not something I've done a lot of as I was a sprinter/400M runner in high school so I'm used to running on my toes in spikes.

In any case, I started reading "Born to Run" and I've convinced myself that I need to change something. That something being my form/gait/etc. which sounds a bit like Nikuman did a while back. I'd like to become more of a mid foot striker and I'm hoping that that, along with some more lower leg exercises (to strenghten my calves) will help prevent further injuries, or at lesat further stress fractures. I've got some time to read up on this stuff before I get back out and try to build up again.

So, anyone have some good resources on mid-foot striking and how to change from a heel striker? I'm open to doing some minimalist running to help change, but likely won't go totally nude like Slim

Runblogger.com was invaluable to me. Be careful not to overdo it and end up running on your toes, thus putting a lot of pressure on your calf muscles resulting in a tear prior to a race. Not that I would know anything about that.

I have a few mental cues I use. I mostly focus on leg turnover these days - I try to keep myself at 180 steps per minute - and short stride. When I am looking at the ground 30-40 feet in front of me while running, if I catch a glimpse of my shoes I am overstriding.

[Moliere]

Runblogger.com was invaluable to me. Be careful not to overdo it and end up running on your toes, thus putting a lot of pressure on your calf muscles resulting in a tear prior to a race. Not that I would know anything about that.

I have a few mental cues I use. I mostly focus on leg turnover these days - I try to keep myself at 180 steps per minute - and short stride. When I am looking at the ground 30-40 feet in front of me while running, if I catch a glimpse of my shoes I am overstriding.

I think you've linked there before so thanks for linking it again. Looks like some very good tips/analysis. Maybe I'll even video myself as I have an HD camcorder that takes good slow mo video.

I found this video very interesting. My son is on the running club in his elementary school. He's fast, in fact he scored two touchdowns in flag football yesterday on only three runs. But when he runs distance in the running club he runs exactly like the kid in this video, on his mid-foot. It's very natural to him and it makes me wonder at what point we go to heel striking. Maybe this is covered in Born to Run (I'm only 50 pages in).

[YOUTUBE]xnOEuFYEt6I[/YOUTUBE]

[Joe Public]

Incredible sale at Runningwarehouse.com on Kinvara 2s. You can get them for $71.95 per, free second day shipping. Use code rwjuly11 to get an extra 10% off for a total price of $63 and change. I haven't seen them for less than $89 anywhere else. Just got a second pair for me and a first pair for the missus.

I ordered a pair yesterday at runningwarehouse.com for $64. After using the Runner's World code (rwnov2011), the total came to $58 (plus sales tax for those who live in California). The shipping is still free. I didn't look too hard, but a couple of sites like Zappo's still had them for $90.

[bluegoose]

I ordered a pair yesterday at runningwarehouse.com for $64. After using the Runner's World code (rwnov2011), the total came to $58 (plus sales tax for those who live in California). The shipping is still free. I didn't look too hard, but a couple of sites like Zappo's still had them for $90.

Do you have a link to the pair that you found for that price? I just looked and all I see is $90.

[Joe Public]

Do you have a link to the pair that you found for that price? I just looked and all I see is $90.

Check this link that lists Saucony shoes for men:
http://www.runningwarehouse.com/catpage-MRSSAUCONY.html

If you scroll down, you will see the different Kinvara 2 styles they carry. All of them will say $90 MSRP, but the real price shows after you add an item to the cart.

For example, this black pair is on closeout and shows in the cart as $64 and change:
http://www.runningwarehouse.com/desc...S-SKIN2M5.html

This white pair is listed as "New" and shows in the cart as $70 and change:
http://www.runningwarehouse.com/descpageMRS-SKN2M7.html

The RW discount code (rwnov2011) should knock the price down to $58 and $63, respectively. I hope that helps.

[bluegoose]

Check this link that lists Saucony shoes for men:
http://www.runningwarehouse.com/catpage-MRSSAUCONY.html

The RW discount code (rwnov2011) should knock the price down to $58 and $63, respectively. I hope that helps.

Excellent. Thanks. The listing price was throwing me off. I guess I just lacked the necessary faith to click "Add to cart" to see the savings.

[bluegoose]

Steelblue killed it at our turkey troy the other day, finishing the 6 mile course averaging just over 7:00 per mile. I was a modest 2 minutes behind him at 7:21 per mile. I was a bit disappointed in my performance, as he and I had gone about as fast as my time a couple of weeks before on a training run. But, my average HR for the race was 171 with a max of 183, so its not like I held back or anything.

Plus, he and I almost got to give CPR to another runner at the finish line. After we had finished, we were milling around the finish line waiting for everyone else to come through. My sister, who was up from Sacramento visiting for the weekend, had just come through the line when we saw a guy next to her struggling to stand up. He was walking like a drunken sailor, grabbing onto the ribbon flags lining the finishing chute. A friend and I climbed through the barriers to hold him up as Steel went over to get the paramedic that was 100 yards away.

This guy was zonked out, barely able to stay upright, let alone answer any questions I was asking him. We practically dragged him over to the ambulance and turned him over to the medic who didn't instill a whole lot of confidence in us.

The best part of the scene was the group of about 10 firefighters who sprinted past him to the finish as he was bobbing and weaving all over the road. Thanks guys! A dentist and a physical therapist are certainly far more qualified to handle the situation than trained firefighters and paramedics.

[SteelBlue]

The best part of the scene was the group of about 10 firefighters who sprinted past him to the finish as he was bobbing and weaving all over the road. Thanks guys! A dentist and a physical therapist are certainly far more qualified to handle the situation than trained firefighters and paramedics.

Those firemen pushing past him will be a lasting memory for sure. Did you ever hear anything more about him? Sure looked like a guy trying to have an MI.

[happyone]

One of the things I like about wallking/running in the evening this time of year is looking at the Christmas lights in the various neighborhoods. More and more of them are up and glowing!

[Eddie]

Running in winds gusting 60 to 90 mph is not awesome.

It is definitely more awesome than heading outside only to discover that your fence has blown over or half of your tree has come down - so I shouldn't complain...none of those happened to me.

I was actually enjoying it maybe a little more than I should, until I noticed the explosions of sparks up the street in front of me. Then I started realizing just how dumb I am to even be out in the street...tree limbs coming down all over, power lines swaying like crazy, shingles flying down the street, and a street light at a 45 degree angle. Far too many ways to potentially kill yourself. Made a mental note - I won't head out again when they are warning of high winds.

Later this morning I saw a police car parked on top of a large sign that had come off of a building and was whipping around beating the crap out of the car. There was a power line down across the street from the Jr. High and a semi trailer in the Lowe's parking lot was on it's side.

Crazy scary winds.