Running for sport or fitness can be hard on your joints. In fact, it’s so common to have knee pain due to running that these injuries are broadly labeled as “runner’s knee.” These injuries can present pain on the outer (lateral) side of the knee, kneecap, or inner (medial) side of the knee.
Wifey and I have been running lately in the Merrell MTL Long Sky 2. We began a running routine as the school year ended and the track was empty at 8:30 in the morning. While I’ve been an athlete forever, my wife was not an athlete, and she absolutely hates running. Her biggest fear was leg pain. My biggest fear is everything… I’m an old athlete and ex-Navy guy who worked on F-14s on a flight deck wearing 2lb steel toe boots on a metal flight deck covered in non-skid. My legs and back are doo-doo. Seriously, I have tried a ton of sneakers during my fitness career and right now the Merrell Long Sky has been a go to helping us get started over the last two weeks. My wife has begun to sprint the straights and jog the curve with me. Our mile times have decreased and we’re moving on to two miles heading into week three.
Along with being a former collegiate athlete and veteran, I was also a certified head coach who had to assist athletes in overcoming bouts of tendonitis and ankle injuries during a long season. All sports will eventually contribute to knee pain. This is compounded when an athlete hasn’t had a fitness routine combined with weight training. Luckily for us our daughter runs track so we’ve been able to workout at her practices with kettle bells and jump ropes. We didn’t run though because the athletes were using the track. Here is something most people don’t realize, running is a full body exercise and propelling your body forward is difficult and can be a considerable shock to the body. While a mile a day doesn’t sound like much to someone who probably gets in 3-5 miles per day or more, the accomplishment of beginning a running routine is enough to celebrate. One of the best things in the world is to witness the birth of a runner. My wife is on the path to becoming stronger and faster. I’m on the road to regaining my form since my wife and daughter have challenged me to run in master’s Track and Field events.
Saucony is a brand I’ve been eyeing for a while for performance. I’ve been rocking them as a lifestyle brand, but I used them for PT and style during my time in the Navy. I won’t show the pics of me in my Saucony (but they are buried here on the site, lol) since they all have me with my shirt open trying to look like the tall guy in an R&B band. Hoka, Brooks and On have entered my “next on the list” process because I know I’ll have to move to a different sneaker as we become more conditioned to running. The MTL is a trail shoe and we’ve been walking in them for over a year now, but they feel good so they’re our shoes for right now. Which is important for my wife because one of the most difficult things for a new runner is getting started. I didn’t want to hinder her movement into the sport by having to choose the correct sneakers right away. I wanted her to be comfortable, so she’d get started. I’ve gone through a ton of sneakers as a runner. I even created my own brand of running shoes for a time. As a bigger runner always one day away from knee and back pain, I’ve started researching and ran across the blog post at the lead of this article. Obviously, it’s in Saucony’s best interest to promote their products, but the tips they’ve delivered in this post are priceless. There are shoe options and workouts for preventative maintenance. Here is the link again to read more about steps to take to help minimize knee pain.