Knees and hills (Read 610 times)

I've been running on flat-ish terrain since I started C25K before xmas. Now I've finished and registered for my first 5K (graduation) race. The run before last I decided to try some hills, knowing that the 5K race has some. I was doing great on the flat and had never experienced problems with my knees, but as soon as I started going down the first steep hill my knees started to hurt, I tried to go slowly but I'm afraid that I probably didn't have the best of forms. My knees have bee sore since. Last night I ran again, on my usual routes and had no pain, except that when I was half way my cool down walk, I started feeling a sharp pain on my left knee, it came and went with every couple of steps. It's a lot better now but there is a little bit of pain on both knees... Should I avoid hills until the pain goes away? can I do something to help it? has anyone tried Arnica (homeopathic remedy)? How should I approach hills? Thank you guys and gals

Where does it hurt?

Above my knees, but the sharp pain was more on the knee cap area

Quad strengthening...and lean forward going downhill.

I'll look into the quad strengthening. I was afraid of tripping and face planting....so I was leaning back who wouldda thunk?

Yes, you should avoid going downhill until your knees feel better, and then get into it slowly. I injured myself running downhill and have done lots of uphill since then (on the treadmill) and over the past 8 weeks have slowly decreased the incline. I only recently hit 0 percent, and then only for 10 minutes or so. There's lots of ways to run without going downhill (so to speak)

Try some knee strengthening exercises. Sit on floor with legs outstretched. Tighten knee (lower quad) on one leg and lift maybe 6-8 inches or so (whatever works) off the floor. I'll hold in position a bit, then repeat several times on one leg. Then do the other leg. Maybe repeat a couple times. You might want to add some general strengthening to your program as a means of injury prevention. Some folks can just run with no problems. But many, including me, do better with some strength training. Functional strength training (body weight, multiple directions) around the house works fine. You've already been given excellent advice for going downhill - lean forward so your body is perpendicular to the surface. Keep weight toward the balls of your feet to avoid heel striking.