The Wheel of Running Misfortune: runner's knee
Here we go again.
Last Thursday, while riding my ancient and trusty stationary bike, I began to sense a dull ache and tightness at my right kneecap. Though nothing painful, it was something I had never felt before. I made a mental note about it and continued riding. It did not bother me the rest of the day but did make me a little anxious. The next morning I felt the tightness again during the first few minutes of my run. It disappeared after a while, but something was amiss. I sought the wisdom of Google, searching for my symptoms, and found a possible match: runner’s knee.
Granted, I only Google-diagnosed myself. I suppose it would be best to consult a doctor, but I am not feeling pain and can still walk normally. It does not hurt when ascending or descending stairs, but I have noticed a clicking noise from the joint when I bend it. Needless to say, it has given me another turn at the WHEEL… OF… RUNNING MISFORTUNE!
Frankly, I think and hope it is just an overuse injury, something that will resolve itself with a little rest. I have, perhaps too confidently, increased my distance over the past month — which, in Iowa City, also means more hills — and have not taken a break. I also started running Monday-Wednesday-Friday instead of every third day, as I started doing after recovering from my mysterious hamstring thing.
So I am icing, resting (I took the week off from running, which sucks), and compressing with a wrap. Is it improving? I have no clue. The whole thing could end up being another pinched nerve, but I highly doubt it. Thankfully, there are a lot of online resources regarding runner’s knee — especially a very informative page and video on the Runner’s World website. Having read and watch some videos, it seems one of the factors involved in runner’s knee is weak quads. I’ll admit it: I have weak quads. Do you know what that means? I am in need of a lot of squats, including a crazy variation called “plyometric jumping squats.” But those will have to wait until my knee returns to normal, which I hope is soon.
Ugh!
Last Thursday, while riding my ancient and trusty stationary bike, I began to sense a dull ache and tightness at my right kneecap. Though nothing painful, it was something I had never felt before. I made a mental note about it and continued riding. It did not bother me the rest of the day but did make me a little anxious. The next morning I felt the tightness again during the first few minutes of my run. It disappeared after a while, but something was amiss. I sought the wisdom of Google, searching for my symptoms, and found a possible match: runner’s knee.
Granted, I only Google-diagnosed myself. I suppose it would be best to consult a doctor, but I am not feeling pain and can still walk normally. It does not hurt when ascending or descending stairs, but I have noticed a clicking noise from the joint when I bend it. Needless to say, it has given me another turn at the WHEEL… OF… RUNNING MISFORTUNE!
Frankly, I think and hope it is just an overuse injury, something that will resolve itself with a little rest. I have, perhaps too confidently, increased my distance over the past month — which, in Iowa City, also means more hills — and have not taken a break. I also started running Monday-Wednesday-Friday instead of every third day, as I started doing after recovering from my mysterious hamstring thing.
So I am icing, resting (I took the week off from running, which sucks), and compressing with a wrap. Is it improving? I have no clue. The whole thing could end up being another pinched nerve, but I highly doubt it. Thankfully, there are a lot of online resources regarding runner’s knee — especially a very informative page and video on the Runner’s World website. Having read and watch some videos, it seems one of the factors involved in runner’s knee is weak quads. I’ll admit it: I have weak quads. Do you know what that means? I am in need of a lot of squats, including a crazy variation called “plyometric jumping squats.” But those will have to wait until my knee returns to normal, which I hope is soon.
Ugh!
