Been on this forum so many times for one stupid niggle or another. Never anything major - just enough to make running uncomfortable. Last 5 years have been a cycle of 'fix the niggle'; back to running; pick up another niggle; rest; back to running; and repeat.
I am so sick of it. I took a month off exercise at the end of last year to try to rest everything and then used the 025K programme to get myself back very very gradually. Now picked up a sore knee [nothing specific - just enough that running is painful and I don't enjoy it].
Resting this week, by not running and using an elliptical indoors to do some sort of activity. I also do 15 mins stretching at the start and end of each working day, on advice from my physio.
I'm wfh so spend all day M-F in the kitchen. Up until this week, I used my running to get rid of the frustrations of work and just to get out of the house. It was something to look forward to, even if my knee was sore.
Trouble is that now, I spend a lot of time crying with the frustration of being cooped up and not able to get out for a run to relieve the tension. I am so envious of my fellow runners who are enjoying themselves - running for miles, running for the hell of it, running without any pain. When will it be my turn? I have been a runner since I was 18 [I'm 56 now] and have no patience with this situation. I almost wish I'd break a leg and then I'd have something 'serious' to prevent me running instead of 'a sore knee'.
Need a 'hand-hold' really?
Comments
I can completely understand where you are coming from. And even as I write that I realise that it's not much help. I 'suffer' from depression, my GP is brilliant, have you seen yours? I also, through a running friend found a fab counsellor who really understands when I can't run because of injury and the impact on my mental health.
It's tough, I am not going to deny that, but life can become easier, and there is life away from running, I know because I have had to find it.
I wish you well,
I totally understand running being your anti depressant. Also, being menopausal, have you seen your GP for help? One of my GP friends highly recommends HRT (and she uses it herself!) We have a nurse who specialises in the menopause and can sort out prescriptions, again saves seeing the GP.
Hugs!
It never seems to be anything major, just a low level ache that just won't go, even if I rest / cycle / use elliptical / walk. What is WRONG with me? I feel old and over the hill, when aerobically I'm as fit as you like.My body is just such a pain right now. This has been going on for years now - constant cycle of hurt / rest / return gradually [using 025K]; hurt / rest and repeat. How long do you have to wait until you just say forget it, when all I can see is other runners who are heavier than me / have really strange gaits / are much much older and i just wonder how they are running when I can't get back to running pain-free.
Maybe I just need to strap up and take pain killers from now on?
Sorry - bit ranty, but that's how I feel! Just looked at my stats for this year - avg weekly 18km. FFS (11 miles!)
Here I go again. Back and hips went into spasm this morning. Spent the day dosed up on anti-inflammatories. Done some stats on my running to see if I can spot any trends, but it just makes very demoralising reading.
Last 6 months average 12.5 miles a week; 4 runs a week, so hardly running at all. Average speed 9.7kph so not fast either.
My last run was Friday night - 10K 'virtual trail run' which felt fine, apart from a misjudged jump off a gate, when I landed heavily and jarred my f'g knee [again] [by coincidence, my medal's just dropped through the door, so a bit happier now]. It felt fine after some RICE treatment, but decided not to do any exercise Sat/Sun, to rest up.
I'm hardly running at all, so I get a bit fed up when people keep telling me to rest more. I run every other day and have done for months now, so I really can't see what more rest I should be taking? I'm resting all the f'g time! I even tried taking a month off at the end of last year and worked myself back 'up' [to 12 miles a week, big deal] using the C25K programme.
I am doing elliptical [cross-trainer] for full-body low-impact workouts, pilates, physio exercises or stretching every single day [not doing all of those by the way - the elliptical 2/3 times a week, between running, but stretches daily]. Taking vitamins / glucosamine etc daily.
I will just blame it on the menopause and start taking anti-inflammatories all the time. Otherwise, I feel like I'll just disappear. I can hardy run less, as I'm hardly running at all. Sorry - very down today.
Recovered from back issues. Did session on elliptical yesterday before breakfast which was fine. Then went out this morning for a pre-breakfast 5K. At 4.5 k I got cramp. Stopped and eased it out with some gentle stretching and thought I'd be OK to walk/jog the last 400m home. WRONG!
I felt a twang and now my calf has 'gone'. Never had that happen to me before.
One thing after another. Running and I are just not getting along any more.
Good luck xx
- menopause - which I assume is not your issue!
- taking up a f-t desk job, which I have always thought might be a cause of my recurring issues, but I have always blamed the M-word
I've looked up the website and will have a trawl through. Like you, I have felt like [and have actually] cried loads in frustration as these issues seem so minor, but persistently stop me from doing what I love.I will also mention the website to my physio, as I've messaged her today to ask for a zoom / facebook consultation to discuss things. She knows my history and often fixes me up, only for something else to twang. She is also a member of the same running club so has always been keen to get me back running, whenever she can.
I bought a 'active cushion' week or so ago, which is supposed to help your core, but I don't really have any core issues to speak of so it doesn't have much effect.
I have considered one of these? https://sit-stand.com/ - in fact, scrub that - they do a free trial offer, so I've ordered one! If it works while I'm wfh, I can try putting in a request at work, but being a local council, they'll be a bit short of cash this year for stuff like this! Still, as it goes the chances are I will be wfh more than in the office from now on anyway, so might help in the long term.
Still felt rubbish after, so decided to walk the dog. I've been walking a bit [limping] and planned to not run or do anything more than the odd walk until this Friday. I've been into town and back with a sholley full of groceries during the week, so seemed to be easing off fine.
Got 50 yards and my calf popped again! No idea why it decided to just go again. Wrote to my physio and am back using a walking stick, partly as my right hip is seizing up again, as I'm taking weight on my right, in order to keep it off my left leg.
One thing after another for me. I feel frustrated and tired and old.
Still - positive thoughts: when I'm mended [again], I plan to follow the Jeff-ing run/walk technique for a while, just to get fit again, or maybe forever. If my body is currently this fragile, there's no point in carrying on running the way I have [i.e. running the whole way] up to now. I HAVE to accept that my body just isn't ready for anything. I have tried supplements, physio, pilates, resting for weeks, cross-training, yadayada and NOTHING works.
Maybe I just have a set of genes that have allowed me to run for >35 years without too many issues and I'm just getting too old to do it any more.
VO2 max is plummeting according to my garmin [I know it will come back when I get going again and it doesn't seem to take elliptical sessions into account much]; weight is creeping up; mental health is deteriorating.
Nearly 3 weeks on from suspected calf tear and I just don't feel like an achiever any more. I wanted to be able to say that at the end of lockdown I'd be fitter [don't care about faster] and running pain free, but just going from one pain to the next one. I'm using an elliptical machine at home to keep me fit, but it just doesn't give me the same fitness level as running as I can't work out hard enough due to my stupid calf tear. I did do a run/walk session last Friday, while the dog was in the groomers, which felt fine, and was lovely to get out in the fresh air again, but I'm too scared to do it regularly.
I wake up exhausted [I don't sleep and am up several times a night for other reasons - menopause related?!], stiff and sore - despite pilates / physio stretches. I'm using the elliptical instead of going out to run and I've lost the will to walk the dog as my hips hurt. Physio has now advised no running until I can run upstairs pain free. Since the big 5-0, I have never been able to do that! It's as if as soon as I entered this decade everything started to drop off.
I'm so sick of reading all those posts from fellow club runners - "hey I did 13 miles before breakfast"; and I cry if someone runs past me while I'm walking the dog.
My parents are now in their 80s and all I can think of is that I have another 30 years of feeling sore and achy all the time. I am losing my patience with life right now. Work is boring - wfh and most of my strategic work is now on hold as there's no point in planning anything.
However - I have to try to focus on recovery and try to see that as being my 'positive'? I have a sports massage booked for the weekend, which I hope will help de-stress [although she'll have to avoid my calf obviously] and I hope to get some advice re further recovery.
Please reassure me that it will get better? Sorry I'm so down, but I don't feel I can post this kind of thing anywhere else.
I hope your massage makes some difference. I know it is tough to consider the positives, and that it might feel like there are none.
Hugs, we are here for you.
Have you tried to include strengthening exercises into your routine, squats, lunges bridging ect..?
Another niggle! This time occasional sharp pain below the knee, which feels a bit like a knitting needle being pushed upwards? Makes me wince a bit momentarily, then it's fine and I'm OK again and off and running normally. Seems to happen more when going uphill than down, but really not sure. It seems pretty indiscriminate.
I've struggled to stay hydrated during the hot summer, I still don't sleep well, though GP has prescribed tablets to help and anti-depressants [menopause is such a joy].
Sometimes I wake with stiff hips, sometimes I'm absolutely fine; sometimes my knees hurt a lot, sometimes just an ache. So unpredictable. I hate being menopausal - I'm pretty certain that's what it is now.
> Update - doing pilates almost every day and esp before/after runs; jeffing a bit to keep my knees feeling better; taking supplements; seen sports massuese; and - guess what?!
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> Another niggle! This time occasional sharp pain below the knee, which feels a bit like a knitting needle being pushed upwards? Makes me wince a bit momentarily, then it's fine and I'm OK again and off and running normally. Seems to happen more when going uphill than down, but really not sure. It seems pretty indiscriminate.
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> I've struggled to stay hydrated during the hot summer, I still don't sleep well, though GP has prescribed tablets to help and anti-depressants [menopause is such a joy].
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> Sometimes I wake with stiff hips, sometimes I'm absolutely fine; sometimes my knees hurt a lot, sometimes just an ache. So unpredictable. I hate being menopausal - I'm pretty certain that's what it is now.
Hey ftm, sorry to hear about your struggles! I'm a PT who's really passionate about trying to get to the bottom of common issues and I'd love to help where I can. In terms of knee pain, I find it best to think of it as a consequence of something else. Anatomically, the knee is stuck in between the ankle and the hip and governed by the low back. So any attempts to nail your knee complaint needs to be met with some exercises to address whatever the underlying issues are above and below the knee. Based on what you've said above, I wouldn't be surprised if your mid-low back is causing both your knee pain and the random hip stiffness. There's a spot in the spine at the base of your rib cage/top of your lower back that has neural connections to your hips, and also to the nerve that runs down the front of your leg towards the knee. Dysfunction here can create a whole range of random, peripheral issues that may also amplify those other things your dealing with.
Sorry, I know it's a lot of information to throw at you, and I can see that you're doing pilates, but I would also strongly suggest you look into freeing up the joints of your mid/low back with a roller/lacrosse ball (different to getting a massage for muscle tightness). Something like the couch stretch may also be highly valuable for you to do if you aren't already doing so. I'd love to be able to give you some more specific advice, but hopefully there's a few extra ideas to look into if you aren't already. I have a whole bunch of videos that would hopefully shed some more light on things, but I'll refrain from just posting them here without permission!
Genuinely hope that helps in some small way!
You said "I have tried supplements, physio, pilates, resting for weeks, cross-training, yadayada and NOTHING works." but no weight related exercises? After a year of my r leg giving way and then a feeling that my l foot was frozen a MRS scan revealed nothing. My daughter, a MSK Pt then suggested a lower back exercise regime using weights plus lots of squats with weights - worked well!
An up-to-date with modern techniques PT should be able to give you a diagnosis and exercise regime, perhaps with even just a phone consultation.
ps as a 70+ with years of running behind me and ahead of me I hope, I would just say don't give up, you can make yourself better.