So I was properly fitted for running shoes, all fine; I have shoes with a lot of support for over-pronation. However I've now changed my running style quite a bit, significantly favouring the toes instead of the heel, and I see to be experiencing a fair bit of pain in a specific area.
I think it's the lateral collateral ligament on the outside of my left knee (only the left) and it comes on after about two or three miles. Could this be related to a change of foot strike style, and might I need different shoes again?
The shoes feel comfy still, btw.
sounds like an IT band injury.. I have exactly the same !
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/3260195/it_band_stretches_for_iliotibial_band_syndrome/
Might be worth a quick google to see if thats what it is...
I've just had an MRI an i have a tiny tear in my medial lemiscus ..
Hmm.. seems like it could be related to the camber in the footpath I was running on. Only happened in one leg.
Molgrips I agree with Spoon. It sounds typical of ITB.
I was running about 60 miles a week when I had similar symptons. At 10 minutes into every run the pain was excruciating. I stopped running for 11 months (5 yrs ago) and eventually it went away (as did the remnants of my competitive running career sadly!)
Thats not to say yours is particulalrly serious just that mine was!
I have running friends who suffer on and off and with stretching they can keep it at bay. Dont run through the pain as it is due to inflamation of the ITB and only by reducing that will the problem disapear. If you continue to run it remains inflamed and enlarged and continues the cycle.
Rest and stretch and hopefully it will subside quickly. Lots of stretches online.
It's not a chronic thing, it happens sometimes and then goes away in a day. I ran through it, or rather eased through it in order to get home Monday night, but it's ok now.
And yes running through pain is stupid when it's an actual physical problem. You'll only knacker yourself. The 'Pain Barrier' is about general tiredness feeling not ligament problems 🙂
ITB can really stop you in your tracks, rather than being run-throughable. Here's a thought: if you're running forefoot in conventional shoes, that's an awful lot of shoeheel to keep out of the way and stop hitting the ground before your forefoot. And dead weight and medial posts, etc., doing nothing. And making a sudden big change to your gait is quite possibly going to have some knock on effects. Are you DIY-ing?
It's not a chronic thing, it happens sometimes and then goes away in a day. I ran through it, or rather eased through it in order to get home Monday night, but it's ok now.
OK I may be wrong. If it comes and goes, for example 10 days running and it comes on for one day then disapears for the next 10 then it is likely to be something else.
However when I suffered with ITB the pain disapeared the moment I stopped running, no lingering aches, stiffness etc. When I started running again it immediately came back it was easily repeatable.
It is a lot of heel.. I started running right on my toes, now I just land toe first and then let the heel take some or most of the strain depending on how tired I am.
Changing my gait has had a lot of effects yes - namely at least a 15% speed increase and about a million percent comfort and enjoyment increase. Running used to be sheer tortuous pathetic shuffling, now it's quite fun and I actually want to do it.
I managed to make it home last night minimising the pain by keeping my left leg very relaxed, sort of plonking it down instead of using the muscles, which minimised the pain.
And if by DIY you mean I am not being coached, then yes 🙂
I should add I run infrequently, but I am trying to build up. And only for short distances - only got two 5 mile runs to my name as an adult 🙂
molgrips, I changed my running style to just that, toe first back in November. I ended up straining the Soleus muscle in my calf. I was up to nine-ten miles as a heel striker in a good time too, but was getting impact pains on my heels. I suffered from a heel spur and plantis last year so wanted to avoid it again at all costs. I started just two or three miles, all good, went up to three four, all good, got to five and the calf gave in. It's only now, four-five months later including a month off running because of physio that I'm back up to five+ miles as a mid foot striker. I found that landing toe first was just slightly too much so I kind of went halfway and now it's been alright. I still heel strike occassionly on steep downhill bits but thats about it. What I'm getting at is break yourself into a new style of running very very gently, your body isn't used to using the new muscles /tendons that are introduced by the different style. I'm also now just at the point where I'm thinking of ditching my support trainers for some lighter neuteral ones.
Kev
break yourself into a new style of running very very gently
Obviously!
I went easy on my calves at first, I found it was okay after a few goes. But yeah, I listen to my body a lot. I'm definitely going to investigate new shoes when I go on holiday tho.
Have you tried running barefoot? It's meant to be good for midfoot striking. It sounds ridiculous, or at least it did to me when I first heard about it, but there's an active community behind it who claim it's great for avoiding injury. I think you can wear extremely thin and flexible shoes and get the same effect.
I don't do enough running to really merit giving it a go, but it's an interesting idea.
Barefoot would be tough on my feet 🙂 I think I'd try those 5 fingers ones instead of barefoot...
Ran 3.5 miles tonight - no pain. Went a bit more gnetly from the off this time.
Less mileage. rather than 5 miles, do 3 miles for a few weeks