Running thread

The Sandbox Fitness
1085

guys, i really fucked up.

For a while now counselor and I have been saying that I need more community, some kind of club that’s more than just “alone together” like volunteering to clean up the parks or whatever. Also, for a couple of years now I’ve been toying with the idea of joining a rugby team again. I played in college, I think the game is awesome, I need some community, get some alternative fitness, maybe get in a game during garbage time at the end of the season, all of that. So we came up with the idea that I’d join the rugby club. Why not? I’m in shape enough to run several miles at a time with sprint intervals in between, I lift once a week, I do burpees and other calisthenics, I should be OK, right?

So last Wednesday I went to a practice. Already my knees were a bit sore from the weekend before which was 8 miles on the trail. I was having stiffness and what felt like swollen joints on the back of my knees; I’ve never had that before. Despite that I was able to run on Tuesday, sure I was sore but I finished it. Wednesday I pushed through, did a fair job keeping up with exercises, the hitting wasn’t a lot, but there was a fair amount of “get down on your knees on the ground and then push off to semi-tackle this dude coming at you at 50% speed” and such.

Thursday I woke up and really didn’t want to walk. Friday and Saturday I did some slow walk followed by light jog, to try and get blood flowing to heal. After I would do that it wasn’t so bad, but then an hour later when things stiffened up again I just felt like shit.

Sunday and today I really don’t want to walk, much less run. And forget a rugby practice on Wednesday. I’m pretty sure I won’t feel recovered by Friday of this week, maybe not even Saturday or Sunday, which is over a week for just about an hour’s worth of exertion.

The thing is, this is different than typical post-race exhaustion. It feels like a different kind of trauma. It’s not really lessening with time, as usual recovery which happens over a couple of days. And it’s not in the typical place I get soreness, like in my feet and ankles and thigh muscles. It’s really at the back of my knees, even when I’m kneeling down and the back of my knees are compressing, that hurts like a bitch. Both flexing and extending my knee result in pain on the back, not really on the front.

I’m not sure if it’s a full-on injury, where I need to go to a doctor or physio, or if it’s something that will resolve itself with enough time and some intentionality like treadmill walking that gets blood flowing but doesn’t re-stress the muscles or tendons or bones or whatever it is that’s hurt.

Halp? Advice?

1086

As I get older (now late 50s), my recovery time gets longer. I tend to have a day off from any one activity to rest. For example, I might run every second day and on the other days do weights or swimming. If I’m still sore from a particular activity even after a rest day I might wait an extra day.

In your case, perhaps you didn’t give your body enough rest between sessions. Was the knee pain in the tendons - tendonitis? I’ve also read that as we get older it takes the ligaments and tendons a lot longer to build up strength than muscles. The exercise where you are rising up from your knees to make a tackle sounds like it would be a lot of work on the joints.

It may not be an injury - sometimes when I’ve really overworked something (like a big mountain climb) it might take a week before I can comfortably walk up and down steps again. Personally, I’d wait a couple of weeks to see a physio, unless the pain is starting to get worse and you’re aggravating it with regular walking.

Let us know how it goes and if you get it diagnosed.

1087

Get some ice on those knees and lay off for a couple days and see if it gets better. I did a couple of decent bike rides this weekend and definitely welcomed a day off on Monday. Getting old sucks, and recovery just takes longer than it used to.

1088

Stretch and warm-down after the next grueling activity.
Google that and find one result you can trust.

Advil/pain med before AND after next grueling activity.

Right now? Move. If that causes an exact pain, stop.

Disclaimer: not a Dr.

1089

I really messed up my knees on a hiking trip a few years ago. I had regularly walked 5 miles, but the knees were not at all prepared to handle the strain of long mountain hiking paths. I pushed through for the week, but I could barely walk when I came home.

There was nothing obviously swollen, but the most tender parts were all around the main tendons. I could tell I was recovering a bit each day, initially from going up and down the stairs and how much support I needed holding on to the handrail.

It was probably two weeks before I went for a neighborhood walk and 6 weeks before I attempted anything longer or resembling a run.

1090

Yep, my recovery time is weeks to months now for minor crap. No more heal in days.

I’ve got a shoulder that’s painful that I stretched too hard 6-7 weeks ago. I still can’t exercise it and it pains if I move wr9ng.

1091

Cross posted to annoyed thoughts. Today’s the first day of training for my planned half marathon. Aaaaaaand….the treadmill takes a crap. And…….it’s been an awesome treadmill ,but they don’t make them anymore and unlikely to get parts. So now I’m torn between maybe paying $200 to get it fixed, if that’s possible, and paying $3K for a new one. And not knowing which one is going to be quicker to get into my basement so i can run.

This is the second of these treadmills we’ve buried. The last one we put at a motor or two and I think about three of the wooden running platforms on. IIRC we got it up to 15-20K kilometers. This one is the same model, we got from my daughter when she went to a bike.

I guess we’re going into the fitness store to get a new one. Damn. I really wanted to run today.

1092

I’d be going to an orthopedist in a heartbeat. I don’t mess around with my body. I remember a friend in college who never worked out (I know you do though) and couldn’t straighten his arms for a week because of the biceps workout he did. This could be similar in that you performed significant body movements in ways you have not done in years or ever.

I remember one day not being able to squat to full compression without feeling like my knees were going to explode. I went to the doctor and he ruled out a Baker’s cyst, which would also be unlikely for you given your condition’s onset. But the doctor did not have a clear answer for me. I view my issue as an possible gastrocnemius tear where I could still be active but could not fully squat down. In time, I have regained the ability to fully squat down for minutes as I used to when younger.

1093

Just dropped $3600 (about 500 of that is tax, thanks obama). No delivery til next Wednesday.

I’m pumped to get running, to start my training for a 1/2. And here the first day, no treadmill. Not sure what to do, just do weights for a week, see if I can get a gym membership for a week, or go to the local community center and use the track. None of them are close to just going downstairs.

1094

We also replaced our treadmill. Is supposed to arrive by freight today, but they keep pushing back the delivery window after outright canceling yesterday, so I’m not convinced it will actually arrive today.

1095

this x 100. running distances is one thing. running start/stops is another. doing that with direction changes is yet another. all of it stressed at once would leave me locked up

1 Like
1096

No running Monday night due to the snow. This afternoon 2.16 again, but at a slower 11:34 pace, then 1.86 run/walk at 12:53 pace.

1097

Wait, you have stairs? Just run up those a few hundred times. To make it easier on the knees I suggest sliding down.

1098

It sounds to me like you may have swelling in your knees. People I know who described their pain as being in the back of the knee were told by doctors that there was fluid/swelling on their knees. In my wife’s case the issue was arthritis in her knee… basically little to no cartilage left in there.

I would get it checked out. In the meantime ice and maybe anti-inflammatory drugs. Hope you figure it out and can get back to it soon.

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1099

Good news. Convinced I got 3 miles running continuously (within .05 either way) tonight. I know the course/distances well enough to be sure. Unfortunately the battery on my apple watch gave out so pace unknown. (Conceivably it will tell me tomorrow once charged, but I doubt it). Unfortunately slipped and fell during run/walk shortly after the 3 miles. Got up and continued. Felt ok then but knee is complaining now. Not seriously, but unhappily.

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1100

:semi-swear: It only gave me feedback until it stopped displaying. Was the battery completely dead then? Who knows. Anyway, my average pace for the 2.03 miles it recorded was 11:15 (11:26 in mile 1, 11:06 in mile 2)

On the slightly better side, my Apple Watch March fitness challenge is at least 14 days of 135 exercise minutes, and I got 150, which I wouldn’t have had I gotten no credit for the run.

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1101

Had a break december to feb 6. Ran everyday since except today.

Feb was 22 runs and 80 miles.

March i have run 5 and 6 and 0 so far. Feeling ok.

The scale diaagrees that i am ok

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1102

My lungs are still recovering from Covid. Going to try to get back to my 5k training on Friday.

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1103

I had to take a break due to shingles. I ran three miles easy yesterday and three miles easy today. Still not fully recovered, so don’t really want to tax the body, but felt good to get back out there and break a sweat.

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1104

Work has been busy and the weather has been crappy, so i’m behind schedule. Ready or not, St. Patrick’s 5K is in 8 days.

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