annoying-pain

Hello,

I have been running on and off for a wee while but just started to take it seriously. Running has always given me some pain so it is nothing new. But I would love some advice or links to help me get into my stride... As it were...

pains:

1. Knee

2. Ankles

3. Calf and Achilles

What I do do.

i went and go my shoes fitted, I have a smashing new pair of asics. The lovely lady in the store talked to me about my form and it seems I land on the outside of my toes, roll my foot in and my heel comes down only very briefly kissing the ground before I am stepping forward again. She told me that this style is fine but I do wonder if there is a way I could correct this or change it to make my life easier?

i bought a few knee socks (that's what I call them them because it is how they seem to be to me) I did this because my knees are bad, I have had a few silly falls hiking and rock climbing and have perhaps treated them badly over the years. This is think is mainly I psycological blanky for me but what is has done or prevented is how much my calfs hurt after running. They hurt very little when I have the knee support on where they can hurt a lot without the knee support. I find this hard to understand...

What I worry about: 

my joints are aching, they do right now. I am hoping that they are just protesting against this new regime. They enjoyed climbing where my muscles suffered while their only job was to position my muscles in the correct place. I think they feel betrayed by the this new world of punishment they have found themselves in. I am hoping that it will get better by itself but I am not sure so I was looking for advice from all you learned people out there be it the form of letters or miles after your names.

basic info to help you.

183cm, 73kg, 31years, smoker (faily heavy)

running 2 weeks. Week 1 3x3.5 miles. Week 2 3 x 3.5miles, 1x7miles

i tend to run at a pace of about 5.10 per km naturally and relaxed. I want to push this to 4ish over the next few months

one of the nice things about running is that in the last 2 weeks the amount I want to smoke ahead dropped significantly, I hopefully I will be able to quit soon naturally so I really don't want to have to stop.

thanks for reading.

Comments

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    Hydrate more.

    Stop running completely until the pains have gone. Then start again.

    The moment any pains re-occur, stop. Wait, recover and start again.

    That's the way it works. Progress is not linear.

    🙂

  • So maybe being able to run semi-respectable middle distances at a semi respectable pace is tricking me into thinking I am fitter than I am really, with respect to running fit. Is this what you're saying? 

    I will definitely try to hydrate more, being a teacher I am very bad at drinking enough. Something that stems from an unwillingness to leave the classroom for a toilet break. I may also try and get a heart rate monitor, I saw a dude running with a belt around his chest a week ago, I was wondering what that was for.

  • Build the muscle around your quads, this will help to protect your knees. Although you might already have decent muscle through climbing. Glucosamine helps strengthen joints too. Take the advice above and rest when your body tells you too.

     

    Regarding smoking....I'm a smoker too. I enjoy running longer distances (up to marathons so far) but my PB is 3.47, not too bad but hardly world-beating due to my relatively poor cv fitness. I've tried patches, inhalers, gum and always fallen off the wagon. I've just got myself one of those e-cig thingies and I haven't smoked in two weeks - including a couple of nights out.

     

    They're not yet tested by the BMA so i'm certainly NOT advocating their use by anyone, but personally it's the best form of NRT i've encountered, and i was a heavy smoker.

    Happy running dude!

  • If you are just starting, you have to accept it takes time, and injury and sore muscles are just part of your new regime.

    When I started running (aged 53) about 3 years ago, I went through months of on/off running. I ran until I got an injury and stopped to allow myself to recover and then restarted. I had periods of up to a month of recovery after injuring calf muscles.

    Of course, at the time I was frustrated, but somehow the urge to try again kept me at it.

    Good on you for getting started. 

  • Your style sounds ideal from what you say.  Must minimalist sites say that the ideal is to land on the outside then roll to the inside.  Landing on the forefoot followed by a light heel touch matches Professor Liebermann's minimimum impact.

    http://barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/

    Won't save you from shinsplints though of course.

     

  • That's good to know, I was worried that my style was the cause of my calf woes. My calfs are very (and have always been) muscular, I think because I have a fairly bouncy walk - it's the kind of walk children like to make fun of - and I can't help it at all. 

    Ive never had shin splints or any discomfort in my shins at all my current woe, is a tendon mid calf on the outside of my calf. I have taken the advice of RicF and have rested it for 4 days and spent the time doing calf and knee exercises in the morning and evening to strengthen those areas. I took and nasty drunk fall at uni that turned that whole calf purple and then fractured the ankle and tendons in a stupid climbing accident that felt like it was going to make my big toe touch my shin... I think I have identified my weak area. i'm adraid I 'manned' through it and turned down a cast at the time, stupid and arrogant as I am! 

    Neil, I am seriously impressed at your perseverance! One of the things that inspired me to take up running was my mums 68year aunt doing a marathon image 

  • Sorry, obviously I didn't fracture the tendons, just hurt them. Can't edit that post 

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