Never give up.

Welcome to the blog! I'm can't say that I have any knee pain advice, but I'm sure you are going to love all the help and encouragement that you recieve from the blog and I'm sure there is someone here that can give you some great advice. Happy running!

Barry, welcome to the blog!

For knee pain - one of the most common, if not the most common causes of running injuries is inconsistent training. One day you do nothing, your body gets ready for nothing, then the next day you do what you think you ought to, but your body was getting ready for nothing, so even though you do not think it is much, because your body was ready for nothing, it ends up being too much. Try to spread the stress of your training over 6 days. Let's start with 2 miles a day 6 days a week of slow, very easy and relaxed running, and add another form of aerobic exercise on top of it that does not bother your knee - try elliptical, bike, or swimming.

Make sure when you put in your entries not to check the This Entry is the Race Report checkbox. Otherwise your training days come up as race reports. Let me know if that does not make sense, or you need further help.

Thank you for the help, i will try this and see if this will help with my knee.

Hi Barry,

Welcome to the blog, could you be more specific as to where the knee hurts and where the swelling is taking place. Is it under the knee cap, to the side. Is there muscular pain or is square in the joint?

Thank you for asking about my knee. The pain is coming from the left leg, on the outside where all the muscles tie together.

Thank you for asking about my knee. The pain is coming from the left leg, on the outside where all the muscles tie together.

IT Band possibly? Have you received a diagnosis yet? What does your Dr. say it is? Sounds like some kind of tendonitis to me, but I'm really not that qualified about stuff like this.

The doctor did give me a diagnosis, but the words are so long i do not remember, sorry. I will ask him again when i see him. The problem is he does not know what to do to fix the problem. I will ask about a IT Band, Thanks.

I concur with Lybi that it sounds like, based on what you have said, that IT band may be at least part of the problem. Knees are a bit tricky to diagnose (especially for us non-Doctor types). You might want to really stretch the IT band, use a knee band (tight band around the leg just above the kneee). If your Doc did not give you satisfaction, I suggest you go to a specialist.

Good luck at City of Trees this weekend, but be careful and watch the knee. I ran the full a couple of years ago...good smaller race now in much better weather!

Hi Barry,

Great site and wonderful people I'm glad you finally joined. If your running Boise I wouldn't try to PR with a sore knee. If your knee feels up to it use it as a training run and wait for the next half-marathon to PR.

Have you tried foam rolling your IT Band?

Kory,

Where do i get a IT Band from, and do you know how much it will cost? Also, how do i use one?

Barry

Tank's for the help i will try a IT band and see if that helps..

is a IT band part of your knee?

The IT band (iliotibial band) is the tissue that runs from your hip down the outside of your leg to you knee. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iliotibial_band_syndrome

Thank you that helps a lot!!!

Thank you that helps a lot!!!

Sounds like IT band to me. I've had that problem. It's not really a knee problem. That's just where the pain is. It's more of a hip problem really. What happens is that the hip has insufficient stability and so the IT band gets over stressed. Friction occurs between the band and the bones of the knee and the band gets inflamed which leads to more friction. The pain starts a few minutes after you start running and stops as soon as you stop.

Someone mentioned foam rolling and that might help. I had the best luck with practitioner who does Active Release technique. What they do is massage your leg while moving the leg through a full range of motion. It hurts because they are breaking up the scar tissue. It relieves some of the tightness immediately. It may take a while for the inflamation to go down unfortunately. It's not uncommon for an IT problem to put you out of action for 6 weeks.

To strengthen your hip consider some "hip hitches" and other exercises that target the gluteus medius.

Good luck. IT problems are a bummer.

I do want to be encouraging though. I was about your age when I started running. In the beginning I couldn't go a whole mile. Within two years I was running a half marathon in 1:40. Getting under 2 hours is easy if you stick to your training.

Wow, that helps a lot, thank you very much. I will talk to my doctor about it right away.

Barry

If it is your IT band, you can essentially run as hard and fast as you want, you will not be doing any harm to the joint itself. The IT band snaps across a boney prominence near its insertion which is generally what is considered to cause the pain. If I remember correctly, it is when the knee crosses 45 degrees in the stance phase of running. I would recommend stretching the Tensor Fascia Latae (TFL), the Glutes, and the Piriformis. Google the stretches for those muscle groups. Generally if the TFL or piriformis is tight it can pull on the IT band making it tight too. IT band problems either show up in the knee, or in the hip, but I since the origin of the IT band is acted on by the TFL I would at stretching the muscles all around the pelvic girdle. Good luck this weekend, I look forward to reading your race report.

Thank you for the help. i will look into the stretching of the IT band.

I know a few folks who are running the half on Sunday. Good luck and have fun, take care of your knee/IT band.

Barry I don't see you posting your miles in the field boxes.

Good job of the half! Looks like it's time to look to the long term goals that have suddenly become the new ones.

Thank you, but my IT is sure hurting.

Way to go Barry I knew you could do it, and I was praying that you would get under 2 hours. Do some foam rolling the next few days, and take an ice bath.

Thank you for all your prayers, i could feel them when i was running. Also, GREAT job on your marathon. The winner for City of trees marathon was 2:39:32. Also, do you think i should run or take some time off?

Great race result Barry. I would rest the leg a bit and really stretch and massage it out.

There is always the PF Chang Half Marathon on Jan. 13 in Phoenix.

I have not ran it and was thinking about it as well since my brother just moved down there. I checked it out on marathonguide.com and it did not get glowing reviews. So, I am considering PF Chang's in Phoenix instead.

Thanks for the help i think i will look into another half-marathon some where else.

Barry - note that you shattered your 10 K PR in this race. You were also headed for a 1:40 half. How hard was this run?

Very hard!! I was running on a treadmill. I am starting to use to running an eight minute mile. So that will meet my half-marathon in 1:45..

You do not need to go your half marathon race pace for that long to get good conditioning. In fact, pushing that hard too often leads to overtraining. I would recommend keeping your easy runs at no faster than 8:45 pace. A couple of times a week run 7:30 pace for 3 miles after a 3 mile warm-up, and follow it with a 2-3 mile cool down.

I have a question for you? Why do I need to slow down on my runs to speed them up? The way I was raised on running is I needed to try to run as fast as I can to help become a better runner! This summer I tried doing something like what you told me to do? But I did not do very well; it was after I changed back to my old way of running I did a lot better.

Barry - the experience of many runners, including the ones on this blog who have made major improvements, shows that the bulk of running endurance is developed through a high volume of aerobic runs. If you slow down, you are less likely to get injured, and are able to run more miles without tearing yourself down. There is a time to push, but pushing is icing on the cake. You must have a cake first to put icing on it.

Some more suggestions for your training - I noticed this week you essentially took 3 days off. That is way too many. Go for only 1 day off, and spread your training over 6 days evenly enough to be able to handle it. I would recommend daily runs of 6-7 miles at 8:40 pace with one long run of 10-12 miles at the same pace for the next 3 weeks. See how you handle that, and after that you can increase if everything goes well.

Thank You for the help i will try this and let you know the results of this "new" training experience. I am going to be running a half-marathon in January. Should i do anything different as the time comes closer to the race, like more speed work?

You have already demonstrated that you are able to run two miles at 6:40 pace. If you were to continue that for a half-marathon, you would run 1:27. Why can't you? It is definitely not the lack of speed. Your weakness is the lack of aerobic base. I would not worry about your speed at all until you break 1:30 in the half marathon.

Thanks for all your help!!

Good job Barry way to pump out those miles even though your tired. Sometimes you can do your best runs when your tired.

Kory,

Good luck on your marathon run this Sunday, i will be praying for you....

Rest, and maybe try an ice bath. I took an ice bath yesterday here in San Jose at the hotel and it felt so good.

I could use your help.. At work yesterday I was walking down a ramp and I hit a slippery spot and fell. It was a steel railing and when I fell I bruised my bone in my waist and in my ankle the bone behind the ankle. I had my wife look at it and she is the one who told me that it was a bruised bone and she is a RN. Now when I run my ankle or should I say the thin bone behind my ankle hurts. My question is what do I do for keeping in shape for running?

Barry - usually a non-running injury heals fairly fast on its own. You just ease off and be patient. Cross train (bike, elliptical) when you can if running through it is painful. Do not hurry or get too concerned. You will fall behind in your training, but then once you heal, you catch up very fast.

Barry, is it a possibility that your shoes might be the problem. Maybe your not wearing the right shoe for your arch. That can cause pain in the leg and knee.

How did the Dr. appointment go? Any more info on what is going on? Hope it starts feeling better. Kory could be right, but it could be many things...praying that you heal soon.

Kory, no the problem is from my fall at work last Thursday. I went to a chiropractor and he adjusted my lower back and that helped a lot. But I am going to go to him today and see if I need to be adjusted again.

My chiropractor appoint went good, but my lower back was out very bad. So he adjusted it and I feel better now. I will go back today and get it checked again.

Barry your looking good. Did you find a Half Marathon to run yet?

We are a little short on the cash flow, so i am not sure when i will be able to run another half marathon. But i am praying... Also, good job on the marathon...

Barry, you wanted to know the date of the Ogden marathon and half marathon, May 17th.

Thanks for letting me know..

Barry, looking at your daily runs and pace it sure looks to me like you are putting in a great effort and getting nice results. And of course I admire you guys in the Mountain states who run in the cold, bless you. Keep up the good work. Paul

Thanks for the complement and i am really working hard to try to meet my long term goal.. Also, i am sad to say i run on the treadmill i also don't like the cold. So if you have any advice for helping me meet my goals i would really appreciate the help....

Barry, great job on a very solid run! Lots of ways to be motivated for a run...including just wanting to get it done. Outstanding effort today.

Thanks.. I am getting over being sick and it sure is not fun running while you are sick.. How goes your training?

great running Barry. I'll see you on Thursday when all our family runs.

Kory, thanks for the awesome comment on your blog. One of these days when you feel like running really slow i would like to run with you.

Just intrigued by your running for Jesus site. Not sure if many people understand it, really. I'd agree with you about this, though. Did you know Ryan Hall, the Olympic marathon trials champ and recently Josh McDougal, who just won the Div 1 College Cross-country champs are both Christians? Kind of cool, I think there's truly glory in giving yourself over to Someone greater and nothing is really as sweet. Running really exemplifies this--I'm now going to go out on a run, soli deo gloria.

Thank you for your comment. I now know i need to explain my "Running for Jesus" comment. Did you know if you go to www.Godtube.com and look up Ryan Hall he has a video about his running?

Barry - good training this month so far. A few setbacks, but you've dealt with them very well.

I really like the God-centered focus. Running can be a great tool for helping us and our friend develop faith in Christ, which is what were are really here for.

Regarding treadmills. Running on a treadmill is the best form of cross-training. I say that tongue in cheek a bit. Yes, running on a treadmill is not as good as running outside, but it is the closest thing to running you can get without actually getting outside and doing it. 8 degrees is cold, but you can handle it if you dress up and slow down enough to not cause problems in your lungs and with your knees.

Good job Barry...

Barry it's important to keep the wife happy ha ha looks like your running great.

I have been watching your running blog and you are also doing great yourself. Keep up the great work so next year you can run a Half-marathon with me!!!! :)

hey Barry maybe you should go get it checked by the Dr.

Great job Barry. Your really putting in the miles. What shoes did you buy?

The shoes i bought are the Saucony grid propel Plus. I really like them a lot...

What caused you to have a rough day?

I was feeling dizzy and sick. Gina thinks my blood pressure dropped down, which caused me to be dizzy and sick. I kinda think i over did it yesterday.

I would do a couple days of slower runs and see how you feel. Also check your heart rate of these runs.

Thanks for the advice; I will slow it down on Wednesday run. The weird thing about my dizziness and sickness is it really only happens when I run in the afternoon then get up the next day to run in the morning!