Early stage Runners knee injury can be easily treated if runners and triathletes know what signs to look for.

Knee injuries among runners and triathletes are quite common and in most cases are quite preventable.

Runner’s knee is one such injury that could be avoided if regular rest days were part of the training equation.

WHAT EXACTLY IS RUNNERS KNEE?

I was a serious runner for about five years before I was first introduced to the world of triathlon.

By serious runner I mean that I often ran 100 mile weeks and would race as many 10k races and marathons as I could fit into a race season.

After a few years of heavy-duty running I would often feel a pain at the front of my knee. Thinking back I believe that it was warning signs of runners knee.

Basically, runners knee is an over-use injury.

There is a smooth cartilage under the knee cap(called the Patella) that allows the kneecap to slide smoothly over the thighbone when the knee is in the bent position.

Of course when you run the knee is bending with every stride.

When that cartridge starts to wear away it does not allow the knee to slide smoothly over the thighbone and often the first indications of a problem will be intermittent pain developing in the front of the knee.

The pain might even travel toward the back of the knee.

There may also be a bit of a grinding sensation when the knee is extended.

TRIATHLON AND RUNNERS KNEE INJURY

When I look back, I have no doubt that I was flirting with runners knee when I was running very high mileage with few days of rest in between.

As it was I did have my knee scoped for an unrelated injury that ended up being caused by wear on the meniscus cartilage at the back of my knee.

Most likely it was my foray into triathlon that prevented runners knee injury from becoming a serious problem.

Once I began cross-training and incorporated swimming and biking into the mix, I naturally began to run much less.

This meant much less stress on the knee as with less running I was not impacting the knee nearly as much.

WHAT TRIATHLETES CAN TO PREVENT RUNNERS KNEE INJURY

Even with less running mileage, there is always a chance that runners knee can develop.

Alarm bells should begin to ring as soon as you begin to notice a pain in the front of the knee. I realize that as runners we feel all sorts of twinges, aches, and pains and when we run through them, they often to away.

However if this persists or worsens it’s time to take action while it’s easily treatable.

The secret is to do something about it before the problem gets too advanced.

Often taking a break from running will catch the problem before it becomes too serious. At that point resting the knee is important.

For a triathlete it means they can maintain their fitness without missing a day. They can swim all they want while allowing the knee-joint time to heal.

TREATMENTS FOR MORE ADVANCED RUNNERS KNEE

In serious cases all the pressure may have to be taken off the knee and that usually means using crutches.

An anti-inflammatory might also be used for a week or so to relieve the swelling.

Ice followed by heat might also be used to lessen the inflammation.

There should be no sports activity at this point until time has been allowed for healing to take place.

Once sports activity is allowed again a doctor might have and athlete wear a knee brace to help stabilize the knee.

Most likely you have seen others wear these. Normally they will have a hole over the knee-cap/

Part of the healing/strengthening process for runners knee injury might involve physical therapy. The best part about therapy is that you can be taught the proper exercises to strengthen the knee and speed recovery.

STRENGTHEN LARGE MUSCLE GROUPS

Over my 30+ years as a marathoner and Ironman triathlete I learned that one of the best ways to prevent knee injuries is to strengthen the major muscles that support the knee.

I became a stronger, healthier triathlete once I began to spend time in the weight room 3 times a week through-out the training season.

I concentrated on half-squats(not full as they stress the knee)quad extensions and hamstring curls.

Not only did I race better and have more endurance out on the bike course, I also avoided having knee issues for the duration of my Ironman career.

The key for any endurance athlete who has hopes of enjoying a long, injury free career is to pay attention to your body when it is trying to send you warning signals.

Far too often we endurance athletes are too hesitant to give up a few days training. Yet we risk losing an entire season because of our stubbornness.

I know because I did it myself and payed the price because I didn’t know any better.

If you read this far than now you do know better and I hope you take it to heart and have a long, healthy, and successful athletic career.