Beginning to Run Thread

[Scrappy]

I am just getting back into running (jogging really) after 2 ACL/Meniscus surgeries in the last 15 months. Like you Catrin, I'm finding that my body hurts more than my lungs which is actually sort-of a nice surprise. Patellar Tendon and TFL pain on the surgical side are the issue. A tendon strap was a HUGE help, as well as massaging the TFL while jogging. It appears that the medial quadracep muscle is very weak and causing my foot to rotate out to the right (duck foot) irritating the TFL and pulling the patella to the outside. Bottom line, long slow process and taking it easy with a break or a brisk walk other day is helping rather than hurting.

Cheers and Tally Ho!
Scrappy

[Wahine]

I am just getting back into running (jogging really) after 2 ACL/Meniscus surgeries in the last 15 months. Like you Catrin, I'm finding that my body hurts more than my lungs which is actually sort-of a nice surprise. Patellar Tendon and TFL pain on the surgical side are the issue. A tendon strap was a HUGE help, as well as massaging the TFL while jogging. It appears that the medial quadracep muscle is very weak and causing my foot to rotate out to the right (duck foot) irritating the TFL and pulling the patella to the outside. Bottom line, long slow process and taking it easy with a break or a brisk walk other day is helping rather than hurting.

Cheers and Tally Ho!
Scrappy

The muscle imbalances you are describing here are really common. Yes your inner quad is certainly weak, working on that will help. What also helps is getting your hips doing what they should be. This article is a bit long but is a really good explanation of what hips things you might need to work on. I really like the way he talks about recruiting your glutes at push-off by thinking about getting "goosed".

[BikeDutchess]

That article was really interesting, Wahine, thanks for posting.

[Scrappy]

Thank You Wahine. I have been practicing the pushoff this week as well as turning my right foot inwardly. The combo seems to be helping a bit, the discomfort has now shifted to the outside of the knee. Sigh..

[Catrin]

Very interesting article!

Wahine, if you see this, is it reasonable for me to assume that ankle inflexibility can cause hamstring issues upstream? I had MAJOR foot surgery in 2004 - ankle ligaments were either torn or so stretched that they were like noodles (my ankle could do tricks you only see in cartoons) and they did a calcaneal osteotomy to correct a congenital problem with how my foot hit the ground. While it took roughly 1.5 years to fully recover and to be able to walk without thinking about it, that ankle is and remains a bit inflexible. Considering everything that isn't a surprise. Frankly I had NO idea what I was getting into with that surgery as far as recovery - which is good as it was very much needed.

I am wondering if this is the case since running is the only thing that causes issues with that hamstring, and only if I run regularly - oddly enough trail running takes longer to cause the problem if it has had time to calm down. Considering all of the other crazy things I do without symptoms I just don't think there is an actual hamstring injury.

[Wahine]

Very interesting article!

Wahine, if you see this, is it reasonable for me to assume that ankle inflexibility can cause hamstring issues upstream?

Yes. People with poor ankle flexibility tend to have problems at push-off. This does 2 things, makes it harder to use your glutes properly and shifts your contact points forward. What I mean by this is the initial contact with the ground is too far out in front and the push-off occurs too soon and not far enough behind the body. In this type of stride, the hamstrings get over-used pulling the body forward over the forward foot at initial contact. There is a shift in where your overall forward movement comes from, making it come more from your hamstrings pulling you forward (kind of) instead of it coming from your glutes pushing you forward.

[Catrin]

Yes. People with poor ankle flexibility tend to have problems at push-off. This does 2 things, makes it harder to use your glutes properly and shifts your contact points forward. What I mean by this is the initial contact with the ground is too far out in front and the push-off occurs too soon and not far enough behind the body. In this type of stride, the hamstrings get over-used pulling the body forward over the forward foot at initial contact. There is a shift in where your overall forward movement comes from, making it come more from your hamstrings pulling you forward (kind of) instead of it coming from your glutes pushing you forward.

Thanks Wahine, I am going to have to think about this but I understand what you are saying. I am going to experiment again with trail running on Sunday and I will see how things go. I have noted that it takes much longer to bother me on dirt. Given the source of my ankle inflexibility, is there really anything I can do to help this? I do a ton of ankle mobility work that has, over time, helped both my ankle and calf out a lot. I will also also try to be mindful of just where that left foot is striking in relationship to my body.