Okay folks. I need to come clean. I’ve been fighting a nagging – I don’t want to call it an injury, so let’s call it a – “condition” for a couple of weeks now. Yup. Runner’s knee (patellofemoral pain syndrome) is paying me a visit. I’ve been trying the best I can to ignore it. But, after Thursday’s run, not only did my right knee hurt, but my left quad did as well. Which is a sure sign that I’m compensating for the pain in my knee. Not good.
The good news is I can trace this all back to the trails. Before my recent journey off the pavement, I had none of these problems. Right now I’m almost exclusive (okay – that meant only two days last week) on the trails. And the one thing I’ve noticed with my current trail shoes (Asics GT2150 Trail Runners) is that my landing platform going downhill is not very stable at all. My feet slip inside the shoe, and my shoes are slipping on the surface. When you look at the most likely causes of runner’s knee:
“Your foot, meanwhile, may not be giving you the stability you need. It's likely that your feet are making a wrong movement every time they hit the ground, and you're feeling the constant pounding and repetition of this mistake in your knee. Maybe you're overpronating (rolling your foot in) or supinating (turning it out too much) when you run.” (http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_5/194.shtml)
The bottom line is I bought my trail shoes back in February in response to a last minute decision to do a trail race. They are not the most technical shoe – really made to run a mix of roads and dirt trails. More and more I find myself running on more technical surfaces – rutted single track, rocky down hills, etc. So yesterday I decided to upgrade my platform:
The only downside to the shoe? I failed my Man Test yesterday. It took almost two hours of trying on this shoe and that shoe, running through the aisles of REI and jumping on a ramp to make a decision. I was waffling between the La Sportiva Wildcat, the Salomon XT Wings 2, and the La Sportiva Raptor. In the end, the Raptors won out. The leather overlays should provide the upper stability I’m looking for, and the tread design should provide the traction I’m hoping for. Al Bundy – where were you when I needed you?
On the running front, even with my knee pain, I had every intention of running this weekend. But, summer appeared in Southern California. I was involved on a conference call Saturday morning. By the time I got off of that, the sun was high in the air and the temps were nearing 90. Then the heat really got turned up yesterday. 96 here at the beach at 5:45 PM. Supposed to get to 100 today. I have no goal race at this point, so there is no need to face the insanity, and frankly, face the dangers that go along with heat and dehydration. Besides – my knee will thank me….
I’ll report after my run Tuesday…..
Those look like great shoes. Hope they do the trick! Good luck with the knee!
ReplyDeleteI know nothing of trail running but those shoes look really cool. Like bumble bees! Hope they will make you "float like a butterfly and sting like a bee". Take care of that knee!
ReplyDeleteHope those shoes do the trick! Speedy recovery to you.
ReplyDeleteWow those shoes have one steep heel area. How many inches is that? Cool looking ones!
ReplyDelete96? that's perfect temps for me. :) Perfect with only 10% humidity or less.
Have fun Glenn. Enjoy those great looking kicks! I am into the darker colored ones these days as well.
Good luck with the runner's knee. I just got over the same thing - it took a couple of weeks. A.R.T., foam rolling, and rest worked for me.
ReplyDeleteNoooo to the runner's knee! Hope it's just a temporary kink that some rest/icing will fix.
ReplyDeleteFancy shoes Glenn! Hopefully they do the trick. Man - the heat here is no joke, I looked at the weather website and it doesn't look like it is going to end anytime soon - I guess that's what happens when you have a nice cool summer. We are attempting the 10 again tonight at 6:30 so hopefully it will be cooler, I hope, I hope, I hope!
ReplyDeleteI have La Sportiva climbing boots. To the extentthey still get used these days I love them
ReplyDeleteYou and me are totally in the same boat with the knee pain! I don't know how you can run with the pain...mine gets pretty intense. Is running with runner's knee bad?
ReplyDeleteOMG, it was SO hot today! Did you run? I am NOT going out tonight even though it's cooler. Too pooped but if I had those new shoes of yours, I'd want to get on out there.
ReplyDeleteThose are so cool, I hope they help you out!
Those shoes look really stiff.
ReplyDeleteI hope they help out!
LOL @ failing the "man test" but it too Walter about an hour to buy a pair of running shoes, then he returned them for another pair at RRS
ReplyDeleteAl Bundy!!! HAHAHAHA! Awesome!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your knee pains. My right knee has been crap for years, since I was a kid. I hope yours starts to get better soon. Let me know how those new kicks work out.
I hope the new shoes do the trick. Funny my IT band in my right leg hurt and the runner's knee has presented itself in my left. maybe we're both 100% fine and just having sympathy pains for each other. :p
ReplyDeleteThat is an awesome shoes there, I like the style and color, good choice.
ReplyDeleteFailed the Man test... :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your new shoes!!!
You're icing the knee throughout the day, right? Good luck with the new shoes. Hope they work out well.
ReplyDeleteHi Glenn,
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing like a nice pair of new shoes. Hopefully they are what you need and will fix your problem:) Take care of yourself and have a great day!