Runners, Listen to Your Knees

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Caught up to me

I am 34 and have chrondromalacia patella. I have been a runner for about 12 years, under 10 miles per week, and my weight is normal. Running was usually my primary form of exercise so maybe I'm at fault for not working other muscles. I'm trying biking now but can't even seem to do that without knee discomfort, although my doctor had told me I could keep on running. Foot problems are not the cause. My mom is also a runner with no problems, but for me, starting to think it's all downhill from here. I've never had problems before now.

told to stop

I'm one of those with a slight bow in my left leg, and miles of running on pavement -- usually on the left-hand slope of the street -- finally left me chronically gimpy at 47 years of age. The sports medicine facility that I was hoping would get me back on my feet, so to speak, simply told me to stop running, that it's a terrible strain on knees -- as I was quickly discovering.

I still sneak in a run every week or so, partly because I'm one of those type A competitors who has something to prove, yet I stick to jogging on flat and grassy fields now. The workout is far more strenuous and time-efficient than biking, which has become my new outlet. I'm not in pain when I ride, and I get to see far more of my county this way. Plus, my wife can accompany me.

Still, I'd like to think I have one more 5K in me, just to say that I could. But mechanics probably have been the primary culprit, and I can't straighten my leg now. All in all, I've had a good run.

Running & Injuries

I have been both a runner and marathoner (50 yrs old) for 16 yrs; while I am in favor of running as a sport to those who both enjoy it and are able to start without injury, I also have read a lot of studies on running and injuries. The general conclusion is consistent with your comments from Dr. Gerbino – if you are prone to knee issues anyway, running will probably escalate the timeline; if you are not prone to knee issues, running will not generally create problems. Most of the issues with injury I have seen (and experienced) come from things like bad fitting shoes and ramping up mileage or intensity too quickly – issues that could occur with any sport. I have also met folks who have tried desperately to run regularly, but just run into issues even with a very novice schedule.

Moderation!

I ran for many years every other day varying between 3-6 miles with no injuries at all. In January of 2007, I fell skiing and completely tore my ACL. After surgery and 5 months of therapy, I was able to run again on a treadmill only to now have to stop again because of a suspected hip fracture on the other side of my body. I eat well and thought I was exercising in moderation (I also lift weights) but at the age of 47, I'm beginning to realize that I need to incorporate more stretching such as Pilates and yoga and really listen to my body to decide what moderate running is for me.I've also realized that running through the pain is never a good idea!

Wear good shoes

I have been a moderate runner for some 20 years, logging on average 20 to 25 miles a week. Every once in a while I’ll challenge a marathon. I have had my share of running injuries along the way. My doctor continually advises me to keep my running shoes fresh. By rotating shoes often and not logging any more then 500 miles on a pair of shoes I have been successful with avoiding serious knee injury. Moral of this story wear good running shoes and change them often

overweight runners

my concern is the extra weight we carry when we are trying to lose weight. the walking idea is good. but how much should i wiegh to prevent pounding weight damage. robert

Katherine Hobson: I think this is all very individual. Lots of "big" runners have no problems at all, while even tiny ones develop injuries. On the advice of John Bingham, the expert I interviewed in my previous story on how to start running, you might want to start out walking, then add in a little running during your walks, and keep adding a bit at a time. If things hurt, back off.

Thanks

I saw the unnecessary abuse you took for your last column, thanks for writing this follow up. If rheumatoid arthritis runs in my family, it sounds like from your article I should probably not run.

Katherine Hobson: I know much less about rheumatoid arthritis. I'd consult a rheumatologist before swearing it off completely -- it may not be a problem.