Knee pain

Ok so here goes....I was pushing myself to run a little faster and the back of my knee started to really hurt...like I was straining it?  Not sure how to describe it.  I rested for a few days and went back to my normal workout.  I did a 4 mile run yesterday and now my left knee is doing the same thing but seems to be worse than the right one.  It hurts when I start to walk after sitting for awhile and when climbing the steps.  I do stretch everyday before and after my workouts.  Any thoughts on what it could be or what other stretches or exercises I can do to fix this.  I don't want to miss anymore runs...I am doing good....

Thanks,
Erin 

 Are your hamstrings tight?  Sounds like it could be pulling a little where one of the tendons inserts.

One thing that can trigger that for me is speeding up OR slowing down too quickly.

I agree that your hamstrings might also be a little tight.  In that case, it's really important to make sure you don't stop suddenly or try to go too fast for too long.  Use 2 minute intervals to begin with and then try increasing your average speed a little bit the next week or two.  If you really want to improve your speed, interval training is the best way to do it.

Slow progression is safest.

Linn 

 Thanks Linn, I think you might be right....I guess I need to stretch my hamstrings a little more, I will do some research tonight.  

A couple shots of vodka b4 you run and you'll feel no pain! Or you may want to rest,stretch,and ice for a few more days. As bad as that sounds to you , you may need a short break to heal them a little.

 I like that Nate!!!!  If only.....sigh.....I think I will take tomorrow off...as much as I hate to, I will.

One thing that I am sure of is that if you try to push through it without fixing the problem, you are bound to be out for a while. If you have the means to see a Dr or physical therapist they can really put you on the right track. When I trained for my first marathon, I was on the shelf for about 3 weeks doing therapy to strengthen my hips and knees because they were weak and tight. It was hard to take it down but without figuring out the issue, I never would have finished.

I did the same thing recently -- tried to go faster and messed up my knee. I took 1 1/2 weeks off exercise and iced it every day. Then, when I went back to working out, started out running only 2 miles at a time and iced it after. I have slowly increased my running back up to 3.5 miles. I barely feel it now. I think rest and ice is the best cure. It was for me at least. Good luck with it!

I did get one piece of advice that really rang true with me. It's so much better to rest for a week or two than to end up with a permanent injury. We have plenty of years ahead of us to run and missing two weeks in the big picture isn't so much.

I would do 1 of 2 things. Either go into a Physical Therapy joint and get looked at to ensure you didn't micro tear anything (hopefully you are just tight and strained your hammies) or make massage therapy a regular part of your exercise regiment. I am going through this now preparing for my 100 mile ultra in Oct.

My calves were so tight that on a 25 mile training run I strained the posterier tibial tendon. The tendon strained because the calves were so tight. So you can really do some damage that takes you out for weeks if you aren't careful. Listen to your body and it's always better to be safe than sorry in my book. I think someone looking at you is far better than any advice we can give you over the E/F forum.

Be safe and great progress. It's awesome watching you ramp up your miles and training.

Jeff

 Dude I did a half on Sunday, and I can not believe how tight my calves are still, I still can' get down stairs.  I wasn't this bad on my first half.  I am hoping I didn't strain them somehow.