I have been running on a serious basis now for about 5 years. I have had my share of running knee pain. It was much worse the first few years of running though than it is now. That, of course, was from simple over-use. The number one cause of running knee pain if from doing too much too soon. Remember, our minds are usually able to easily push our bodies beyond healthy limits. One has to be smart and work slowly up to expected levels. Have patience and take it slow!

Here I am running on one of our trails with Avie.

Humans are Born to Run!

That being said, some knee pain is more chronic and persistent than others. This article is not about all the types and causes of running knee pain. Rather is provides my personal insight into my own experiences of becoming a runner and how I have dealt with the many injuries which come with the territory of being a distance runner. The human body is a miraculous machine! It is made for running long distances better than almost any other animal. It may seem hard to believe, but there are some humans who can match a horse in a hundred mile race. But getting to that level takes special genes and a LOT of training.

Do Not Over Train

But even when prudent training practices are followed, running knee pain can still be a problem. Although genetics can play a role in chronic knee pain, there are things runners can do to give themselves the best chance of avoiding running knee pain. Besides making sure the training schedule is not too much for one’s body, a runner can do themselves the most by making sure the advice below is followed.

Sleep Good

Get plenty of sleep! Runners will have thousands of microscopic pulls and tears in their muscles and joints after each training session. During sleep is when these minor injuries are repaired so they don’t become major injuries. Secondly, surf the Internet for some good stretching exercises. But only do these in moderation at first. It can be very easy to actually do harm with over-stretching. So be careful! Do everything in moderation remember! 90% running knee pain will be cured with that sentence!

Eat the Right Food

And lastly, the runner’s diet is important! During the first year or two of running, the body constantly has to repair damaged tissue and rebuild even more than it had before. This takes a lot of raw materials! Fortunately, the act of getting in shape actually changes ones diet by default. No longer are donuts and fried foods thought about. Instead, the body seems to switch gears and demand your brain look for the healthy foods it needs. My body now craves plenty of breads, veggies, juices, and meats! Being in this good of shape actually stops my craving for bad foods I used to have. I would rather have a bagel with fruit than a fried burrito!

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Supplements Can Help

It can be difficult in today’s hectic society to eat right. There is no way around that fact most of the time. I am now a firm believer in helping Mother Nature along with supplements. Since I have started taking them, I feel so much better! And, knock on wood, I rarely have any injuries. I know some of this is because I have already made it through the “paying-my-dues” stage of running. But I also believe that helping my body get all the right nutrition it needs plays a vital part in my being injury free.

Liquid Glucosamine and a Multi-Vitamin

First off, I take Liquid Glucosamine each day. We sell both the Flexicose and the Synflex brands. Both are excellent products and I alternate between the two. If you are only going to take one supplement while running, liquid glucosamine should be near the top of the list in my opinion. I also take our multi-vitamin product each day, Vitaplen Complete. It is packed full of vitamins and other nutrients. Additionally I use our Triple Greens and Super Reds products daily. They are a powdered drink mix which contains the equivalent of many fruits and vegetables in each serving. And lastly I have three heaping table spoons of our organic flax seed meal each day. It is great for heart and brain health!
I mix all these together in my morning drink! I use orange juice to start with and then mix in the rest. It sounds a little strange, I know. But it actually tastes pretty good! It is a perfect way to start my day off and, best of all, I have the peace of mind knowing I am giving my body what it needs each day!

Oh, and also, for temporary pain relief I have used our PowerPlus roll-on glucosamine. I hurt my shoulder a while back and it developed into quite a nagging pain in the next few weeks after I hurt it. I started putting PowerPlus on it and it worked wonders for getting rid of the pain! It slowly left altogther, and may have anyway, but the PowerPlus really helped ease the pain for a while.

Running knee pain can be managed in 99 cases out of a hundred. Rarely does a runner have to stop running totally because of it. Be wise and prudent in your training, get plenty of sleep and eat right and you will enjoy many happy miles of running!

Good Luck!
Steve Weber