Kick the Knee Pain

You may be trying to solve the weight problem. You may be an endorphin junkie. You may not have another way to stay in shape. Either way, you lace up your kicks and hit the road to make your life
better.

You're a runner and it's time to face the facts: It is not a glamorous sport. There are no Hail Marys, no dunks, no face-offs, no shootouts, no crashes, no cheerleaders, no tailgating. It's repetitive, it can be lonely, and it can be dangerous (we've all seen that weirdo running on the interstate). When you're not dodging cars on the road or avoiding ankle-twisting objects on the sidewalk, you also have to worry about running too far and too fast. A problem I've had that is common among runners (especially new ones) is knee pain.

What can we do about it?
Check out Cool Running's article. I added some of their factors to my own. The site lists some remedial actions. Here they are by my priorities:

Tips du jour:
1) Run softly:
The very best thing you can do to prevent knee pain is to run quietly. The less noise you make hitting the pavement, the softer you're landing, the more your muscles are absorbing the impact and not your body. As your muscles get tired further into the race or after a big uphill, your running will get sloppy and your muscles unable to absorb the impact without a sacrifice in speed.

2) Take it easy:
When you start running, you'll notice that your cardio and muscles quickly build up and are able to take you farther and faster than when you were couch-bound. Not true for bones and ligaments. Each time your foot strikes the ground ligaments scrape bones, hopefully you've got enough cartilage to soften the blow. This takes time to build up. Give it ~4 weeks before you add serious mileage to your weekly regimen. Hit the eliptical or a bike if you still want the cardio and calorie burn but need to hold back on running.

3) Stretch:
Active.com's answer. Static stretching works after your run but don't forget the self-myofascial roller (foam core roller). It's an awesome device even if you do look awkward using, you'll instantly notice how much better you feel before runs and will improve your times. More on this later.

4) Warm up:
Keep it slow for the first 5-10 minutes of the run. More on this later.

5) Shoe support:
Get rid of those worn out sneakers and ensure you've got enough support. Be smart about the shoes you buy. If you read through the other article, you've probably already seen Cool Running's shoe shopping article. More on this later.

6) Ice:
Ice it for 15 minutes after your run. I bought the CVS Peas Cold pack. But you can just wet a cloth and put it in the freezer before your run.

7) Anti-inflamatories:
Consume Aspirin or Ibuprofen AFTER the run. A friend of mine suggested using it before your race to increase performance but it will extend the recovery time, ie make you run like the Flash when you should be running like a normal human being. If you're already worried about injury, go easy and build up the muscle, bones and ligaments.

8) Lose that gut:
Less weight means less pressure on your joints.

9) Build up your thigh muscles:
Exercises here. If you have gym access I recommend squats, jump rope, or leg extension machines with high repetitions, low weight. You'll compound the problem if you push too hard. Make it difficult but don't strain. This is low on the list because you should do this before you start your long distance training. If you're stressing the knee by running too much and further stressing it with these exercises, it will make the pain worse.

10) Heat it:
Before bed, 30 min, same day as the run. I double referenced this because it sounded weird to me. About.com's section on Orthopedics says to ice for 48 hours. So take Cool Running's advice with a grain of salt.

Keep training,
LSF

Warning: I am not a licensed personal trainer or have any certification of sports medicine. These are opinions, not dogmatic rules. When pain talks, listen, and see a doctor if problems persist or are greater than mild discomfort.

If the tips work (or not) there's a comments section. Do what you gotta do.