Pain. If you have been running regularly and frequently, you will have experienced some sort of pain, and I mean real pain, not the aches or stitches or breathlessness or abrasions or blisters. I'm referring to is, and usually, most runners will at some point in time have pain in their knees or experience shin splints. Sometimes it is their hips or feet, or somewhere else. Myself, I've encountered knee and foot pain, and a minor case of shin splints.
Before I continue, I *must* remind you that I'm not a doctor and you should seek medical advice if unsure about your pain or condition. What I'm about to write assumes you are medically and physically fit, and have no whatsoever medical condition, known or yet known.
When any such pain is encountered, and especially if you have just picked up running, it is easy to succumb to "Let me skip a few runs; I need more rest; my body is just not made for this punishment." mindset. Alright, certain conditions or pain requires you to go easy with your training intensity and/or frequency, but it does not mean that you stop all activities. Here are just my personal way of tackling any pain which I may have.
First, I identify my pain and problem. And seek my doctor's opinion if necessary. I'm just glad that my family doctor also enjoys such endurance events; he can relate to my complaints and help me narrow down the possible root causes if not identify it. Having a good understanding of the pain and problem is essential and important to finding an appropriate remedy action for it.
I can also google it. I'm pretty sure I am not the only one in the world with the same condition. Find out more about it, even if the doctor has given his advice. If I cannot locate the relevant article or discussion (hardly), I have the option to bring my question/situation to discussion forums. There are many kind souls out there who can help to point me in the right direction. There are two forums which I frequent, trifam and sgrunner.
Implementing the remedy usually take a while, ranging from days to a few months, depending on its nature. And it typically requires a fair amount of trial-and-error. Here are some of my personal experiences.
Shin Splints. Don't take my word for it, but usual advice is to lay off running for a while. But this is "dangerous" because I risk losing the stamina which I have built up so far. I'll try some alternative cardio activities, like swimming or cycling. I have a gym membership, so I can also opt to go on the climber or stepper or rower. These are lower impact activities which are good alternatives to running. If like me, you are adventurous and like to push the envelope further, you can try the treadmill too. Why? Because the treadmill cushions your landing more than real running does. Regardless which activity I opt for, I try it out in smaller quantities at first. Closely monitor my body's, especially my shin's, reaction to them. The whole idea is to keep my body moving, but at the same time allow my body to heal.
Knee Pain. There are many causes of knee pain. This is about my most recent pain in the knees episode, back in 2010. I had upped the frequency of more long runs, and find that there's a nagging pain in my knees, usually occurring some time after the 10km mark. The pain usually go away after the run. I had no idea what might have caused it. I know I'm extremely flat footed, and prone to foot pain or ankle aches, but not my knees. Well, I had to still tackle it, and to tackle it, I got to start somewhere. So on a hunch, I started to consciously adjust my stride to not land on my heels, and towards more mid-foot and sometimes forefoot. The whole idea is to further cushion the landing impact of each foot from my knees. After a few weeks of adjustment, the knee pain went away.
Of course, if the pain you are experiencing doesn't go away no matter what you try, please go consult your doctor. They say that endurance athletes can bear more pain. Yes I don't deny that, but always be mindful that not feeling much of the pain does not mean nothing is wrong. Get a good fix for your pain, and you can enjoy your runs better. And, always keep in mind the goal, crossing the FINISH line of your race distance.
Before I continue, I *must* remind you that I'm not a doctor and you should seek medical advice if unsure about your pain or condition. What I'm about to write assumes you are medically and physically fit, and have no whatsoever medical condition, known or yet known.
When any such pain is encountered, and especially if you have just picked up running, it is easy to succumb to "Let me skip a few runs; I need more rest; my body is just not made for this punishment." mindset. Alright, certain conditions or pain requires you to go easy with your training intensity and/or frequency, but it does not mean that you stop all activities. Here are just my personal way of tackling any pain which I may have.
First, I identify my pain and problem. And seek my doctor's opinion if necessary. I'm just glad that my family doctor also enjoys such endurance events; he can relate to my complaints and help me narrow down the possible root causes if not identify it. Having a good understanding of the pain and problem is essential and important to finding an appropriate remedy action for it.
I can also google it. I'm pretty sure I am not the only one in the world with the same condition. Find out more about it, even if the doctor has given his advice. If I cannot locate the relevant article or discussion (hardly), I have the option to bring my question/situation to discussion forums. There are many kind souls out there who can help to point me in the right direction. There are two forums which I frequent, trifam and sgrunner.
Implementing the remedy usually take a while, ranging from days to a few months, depending on its nature. And it typically requires a fair amount of trial-and-error. Here are some of my personal experiences.
Shin Splints. Don't take my word for it, but usual advice is to lay off running for a while. But this is "dangerous" because I risk losing the stamina which I have built up so far. I'll try some alternative cardio activities, like swimming or cycling. I have a gym membership, so I can also opt to go on the climber or stepper or rower. These are lower impact activities which are good alternatives to running. If like me, you are adventurous and like to push the envelope further, you can try the treadmill too. Why? Because the treadmill cushions your landing more than real running does. Regardless which activity I opt for, I try it out in smaller quantities at first. Closely monitor my body's, especially my shin's, reaction to them. The whole idea is to keep my body moving, but at the same time allow my body to heal.
Knee Pain. There are many causes of knee pain. This is about my most recent pain in the knees episode, back in 2010. I had upped the frequency of more long runs, and find that there's a nagging pain in my knees, usually occurring some time after the 10km mark. The pain usually go away after the run. I had no idea what might have caused it. I know I'm extremely flat footed, and prone to foot pain or ankle aches, but not my knees. Well, I had to still tackle it, and to tackle it, I got to start somewhere. So on a hunch, I started to consciously adjust my stride to not land on my heels, and towards more mid-foot and sometimes forefoot. The whole idea is to further cushion the landing impact of each foot from my knees. After a few weeks of adjustment, the knee pain went away.
Of course, if the pain you are experiencing doesn't go away no matter what you try, please go consult your doctor. They say that endurance athletes can bear more pain. Yes I don't deny that, but always be mindful that not feeling much of the pain does not mean nothing is wrong. Get a good fix for your pain, and you can enjoy your runs better. And, always keep in mind the goal, crossing the FINISH line of your race distance.
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