Oh dear! I‘m really sorry to read all this, but can fully relate to the frustration. But I can assure you that you can lead a very healthy life for at least a few months without engaging what we commonly define as sports. I‘ve been observing myself over the past years the impact of aging on my physical state although I‘m not that old actually with just a bit above 50. It is a inconvenient truth that our body’s ability to heal itself decreases constantly from the age of 30 onwards. Initially it‘s hard to notice and shows rather in there being no more quick physical wins. Performance progress is only gained by tough training work. At same time recovery takes longer and longer. Our bodies are dealing with tons of microinflammations which are increasingly harder to deal with. At least dealing with it takes longer. Cell growth isn’t what it used to be and balance between new „healthy“ and used „trash“ cells starts to lean towards the latter. This is just the natural way of things and cannot be changed, but we can help to decrease the load on our bodies to deal with all these challenges. The steps are easy and all well known. We need to eat and drink well and right. Even going vegan is not a solution if you don’t know where the food actually came from and how it’s been produced. So eating well is a bit of a theoretical concept if you don’t just rely on your own produce. Sugar doesn’t need to be cut out because it’s everywhere and we need it - at the right dose though, which is a fraction of what we typically consume even if we are on zero candy. I‘d go slightly paranoid about what I feed my body with. In the medieval ages people would have been afraid of being poisoned when that ate something they didn’t know the origin of. We however developed a strange attitude of stuffing things in our body without really thinking about what it actually is and what it does. At the same much more important than sports is actual moving ourselves. I walk whenever I can and that means not just leaving the car parked but also not using the bike if I can walk. Even while sitting I move. Moving makes me feel so much better and it doesn’t have to be running. I’m sure if you take it easy things will get back to normal sooner than you may think right now. Just my 5 cents (actually turned out to be a couple of cents more…)!
Thanks for your words. Totally agree with you on aging and also on food / nutrition. In our experiment we do not cut out sugar entirely (which is basically impossible and not healthy), but avoid refined / white sugar and get our sugar from fruit (but also not excessively). But as I pointed out in my article, this is not a medical measure, it's more like a fun experiement and we adjust the rules along the way. We'll see where this takes us and what we learn from it.
Thanks for phrasing my thoughts and observations in the scientifically appropriate manner! 😁 In terms of my own running “at age” I actually just evolved much longer distances at slower paces. Of course that may still be overly demanding for the system, but it gives the sense to be still competitive although rather in mostly hiking races.
Ah man Chris this is so frustrating. I have been dealing with nerve tingling in my hamstring and leg since July. I can’t really predict when it would flare (during a 50k but not during a 100M????) so finally got an MRI hoping to get some answers. Nope. Clean MRI. Still unsure what’s going on, especially how it comes and goes. Full rest is really hard, especially being in the running space and writing a popular newsletter about it. But rest is part of life. When things like this happen to me, though it’s super hard, one thing I tell myself is that by letting this go (for now) I am making space for something that could be even better. That helped me get over my last break up ironically. I hope you are able to find something else that you enjoy that also allows healing for your body. You deserve it.
I also loved your first point. In my field (biomedical) we often say “biology gonna do what it do. it don’t care what you want”
Thanks for this, Ellie! Some very smart thoughts, and yes, I have a couple of ideas that could possibly fill up the space a full running (training) break would possibly bring. My workout routines are already super reduced compared to "normal running" but maybe a full break is what's needed. Still negotiating with my self if I can justify to keep the stairmaster and strength training haha ;-) We'll see. The rest will be fixed by biology <3
I also just went through a 4 year knee injury where I couldn’t run and have finally come out other side. For me it ended up being truly about load management while avoiding going into true rest. Just wrote about my experience and path out - check it out if you’re interested. Would love to compare notes
Thanks for your comment, Cortland. I read your two articles, loved the honest and detailed approach of your writing. I am sure a lot of people can relate. Despite having a different injury (Tendinopathy / bone marrow edema / hoffa fat pad), I see a lot of similarities, including preceded surgery (plica & meniscus partly removed). Mostly the struggle of load balancing. Fortunately I am never in pain (rather a feeling of pressure and swelling after a workout). I always post this as a disclaimer because I sometimes wish I was. In that way I would get clear signals from my body what it tolerates and what not. That would make it easier to find the right sweet spot for healing (and not just managing). I love Jason Won’s three concepts and totally agree with his approach. I am currently starting from scratch, slowly but steadily building up week by week. I am still positive that I can fix this but as you said, you gotta be honest with yourself and that includes a lot of patience.
Thanks for giving it a read. You’re in a tough spot not having pain to guide you.
To your point , the mental game was alway the hardest part for me when I made no progress for a couple of years. Best of luck - I think becoming a student of your body is the way forward and it looks like you’re on the path.
Yesterday I listened to the related Sprachnachricht. Hadn't yet opened your podcast, as I somehow stopped listening podcasts more or less since injured.
Although your diagnosis is different from mine (I don't write "injury" anymore .. after a few months it's something else in my opinion) I can perfectly relate to many of your thoughts, doubts and steps on this winding road.
I think reducing volume even more will benefit your oedema. I know that it might feel like a loss or so, but if you get progress on the knee "front" (you like that term, right?) that's worth it.
Unsure if you're still in Innsbruck, that sounded like a "no-run" trip anyway so that's an opportunity already.
Do you apply anything to your knee? Something to reduce inflammation, etc? I have a recommendation, although I am very cautious with that. Everyone is so unique.
Thanks for checking in the Sprachnachricht! Topic is highly dynamic and super tricky because we are actually speaking of three problems in the knee: tendonitis, hoffaitis and bone oedema. That's why it is so hard to find the right sweet spot in therapy. Total rest was not the right way though. At first it got better, then the knee got hyper sensitive aka worse. I am restarting at least (heavy) strength training this week and probably the stairmaster as well since it is even more low impact than my walk to even get to the gym haha. Both cause zero to none irritation. Running on the treadmill (even uphill) caused more trouble. Either way, it's a lot of trial and error but through all this I am trying to find the right "corridor for healing". Not too much, not too little. Yes, I have a full anti-inflammation program going on but I'm always open for suggestions. If you don't want to be grilled for your recommendation on substack, send a DM haha ;-)
Hey Chris! Komischerweise habe ich mit dem genau gleichen Knie Problem wie du seit einer ähnlich langen Zeit zu tun: Bei mir hat es allerdings schon im Juni begonnen und wurde durch Radfahren ausgelöst.
In den letzten Monaten war ich bei unzähligen Ärzten und habe so gut wie jede Art von Therapie ausprobiert. Eine komplette Pause von Training jeglicher Art für fast drei Monate, in denen ich nur (meistens flach) Spazieren war, hat tatsächlich Schmerzlinderung gebracht.
Seitdem kann ich wieder einigermaßen schmerzfrei laufen und die Knie tun nur bei bestimmten Bewegungen weh - Radfahren und Kniebeugen mit Gewicht oder ähnliche Kraftübungen sind weiterhin ein Ding der Unmöglichkeit.
An manchen Tagen bin ich schmerzfreier und an anderen muss ich mein Laufen auf bestimmte Strecken beschränken. Es ist nicht 'perfekt', aber es zeigt sich trotz (oder vielleicht sogar gerade wegen) der Belastung eine minimale Besserung, auch wenn sie nur sehr klein und oft schwierig zu sehen ist. Außerdem muss man hier von wirklich langen Zeiträumen mit ganz langsamer Progression sprechen: Von 100% flachen Spaziergängen am Inn, zu Wanderungen in ganz mäßiger Steigung, zu Wanderungen mit steilen Up, aber flachen Downhills, bishin zu komplett steilen Wanderungen und schließlich, nach einigen Wochen, zu Läufen im Gelände und zuletzt zu ganz langsamen Läufen im Flachen.
Ob ich je wieder schmerzfrei bin, weiß ich nicht, aber solange ich mich dadurch beim Laufen nicht allzu sehr eingeschränkt bin, ist es mir mittlerweile fast egal - wie du richtig schreibst, 'stumpft' man im Laufe der Zeit mental etwas ab und 'detached' sich selbst von seinen äußeren Leiden.
Meine gesamte Lauf Geschichte ist von zahlreichen Verletzungen geprägt und da sind die Knie bislang noch verhältnismäßig harmlos im Vergleich zu was ich bereits hinter mir hab...
Sehr empfehlen kann ich die Ärzte von Gelenkpunkt in Innsbruck, sowie von den zahlreichen Olympiastützpunkten in Österreich. Hätte ich ewig darauf gewartet, dass der Schmerz ganz verschwindet, bis ich wieder starte, würde ich wohl noch heute flach am Inn Spazieren gehen - stattdessen habe ich jetzt bereits einige Wochen Laufen in den Beinen mit 80-100km und auch wenn die Schmerzen noch da sind, so doch auf eine andere Art und Weise.
Der Körper ist ein Wunder und kann sich von allem erholen, sofern man ihm genügend Zeit lässt. Keine Therapie kann Zeit und die eigene Heilungsfähigkeit des Körpers ersetzen - so zumindest meine Erfahrungen, nachdem ich bereits tausende Euros in den letzten fünf Jahren für Ärzte ausgegeben habe. Das meiste hätte ich mir durch Geduld sparen können. Davon bin ich fest überzeugt.
Hey super cool danke für deine ausführliche Antwort und den Einblick in deine Therapie. Ich erkenne mich da in vielen Punkten wieder (meine stärksten Trigger sind: Dehnen, Bergablaufen und Bein oft/lange voll durch strecken), konnte aber auch noch mal einiges mitnehmen. Was bei mir vielleicht speziell ist – oder ich habe ein gestörtes Körpergefühl – ich bewege mich 98% der Zeit komplett ausserhalb der Schmerzskala. Nicht mal eine 1 von 10. Ich spüre fast immer nur ein Druckgefühl, eine leichte bis mittelstarke Irritation. Definitiv kein Schmerz. Eigentlich eine good position in der ich da bin, aber ich kriegs halt trotzdem nicht weg haha ;-) Und wenn ich wieder anfangen würde normal zu trainieren, dann würde es sich ziemlich sicher wieder hochschaukeln zu einem echten Schmerz. Zweites Z-Special: Bei der Belastung habe ich überhaupt keine Probleme, auch nicht wenn ich zügig flach laufe. Die Reizung tritt immer nachgelagert auf. Ich bin den ganzen sommer über viel gelaufen, fast normal trainiert, halt nur bergauf, das macht am wenigsten bzw. in den meisten Fällen gar keine Probleme. Auch jetzt im Gym ist der Stairmaster absolut verträglich, nur das Laufband verstärkt die Reizung ein wenig, auch bei 15% Steigung und 10:00er pace. Für mich stellt sich halt die Frage: Wenn ich das Training noch mal weiter reduziere (ist schon ordentlich runter gefahren), was nehme ich raus? Nur das Laufband? Laufband und Stairmaster? Oder gleich komplett Tabula Rasa und das (intensive) Krafttraining gleich mit dazu? Kann mir niemand beantworten, ich weiss, aber irgendeine Form der weiteren Reduzierung erscheint mir gerade am plausibelsten. Der wichtigste Absatz ist aber dein letzter. Danke dafür!
Die Zeit heilt alle Wunden! Das darf man nur nie vergessen und muss die Geduld behalten, auch wenn es sich manchmal endlos und aussichtslos anfühlt...
Klingt, als wären unsere Symptome wirklich nicht zu 100% ident: Schmerzen in Ruhe bzw nach Belastungen habe ich zum Glück keine; dafür bin ich ebenso wie du fast gänzlich beschwerdefrei und habe "nur noch" Schmerzen bei bestimmten Bewegungen - diese dann aber weiterhin ziemlich heftig und stark einschränkend.
Ich kann es nur allzu gut nachempfinden, Verletzungen quasi durch- oder um diese herum zu trainieren, weiß aber aus Erfahrung, dass dies meistens nicht gut endet und die Heilung entweder nur verlängert, oder gar andere Probleme mit sich bringt, die die Gesamt-Verletzungszeit erheblich verlängern können... So unmöglich es sich auch anhören mag, eine komplette Pause geht viel schneller vorbei, als man es sich vorstellen mag, und danach ist es zu 99% der Fälle garantiert besser und man fühlt sich auch allgemein wieder deutlich gesünder (auch mental, was nicht zu vernachlässigen ist!).
Eine gewisse Abhängigkeit vom Laufen und Training können wir uns sicher nicht abstreiten und gerade deshalb kann so eine Pause ein enormer Gamechanger sein - und die Performance und Leistung gewinnen dadurch sogar, auch wenn es auf den ersten Blick kontraintuitiv erscheint.
Du kannst also sicher erraten, was ich an deiner Stelle tun würde und dir empfehle. Letzten Endes musst es aber natürlich du wissen. Ich wünsche dir auf jeden Fall alles Gute und erfolgreiche Heilung und bin gespannt, über deinen Blog weiter davon zu erfahren!!
I have a 100 KM Stadium Run(250 laps) on 24th January in Delhi. I am hoping to run it under 7:30 in order to get a qualifier for Team India for 100 KM World Championships 2026.
But does my body really care about all these numbers? Not at all. It doesn't care even if am the fittest I have ever been since I have started running. Leave these umbers aside, it doesn't know about what the heck all this is.
The training was going pretty well but on 23rd December I felt a pain in the side of my knee during the run and what was the decision I don't know. But I took a couple of days off(2 to be exact), got back to running 12 KM for 2 days, then 15 KM for a day and then 21 KM for a couple of days. The pain felt better but still seemed to persist and I went to visit an Orthopedic, came back home & left knee was alright within 2 days(NO PAIN). I increased the daily mileage as I run on singles. I started running 28 KM and then 31 & 34 on single runs but easy effort and not heavy pounding on legs just to keep my Aerobic Base intact. Now on 4th January I wrote a blog on Substack about my goals and all things related to this race. And on 5th I felt a pain in my right knee, did same took rest & went to run on 7th, came back home after 3.5 KM as the pain didn't allow me to run father than this and it would have been a pretty bad decision to worsen the situation. Right now I had decided to go to run just to see if the pain still persists & if it persists I have to go & consult again.
Right now t is 5:30 AM on 10th January in India while writing this comment, didn't went for a run. Reason- feels what if the pain persists while running? How will I deal with it mentally & emotionally that I the pain is sill there, not getting better while I have thrown a blog into this world announcing this is the biggest race of my life and it is. What about the smack at my face with all the expectations I have made in my mind from 5 weeks that heck this will be the race which will over shadow all the chronically under performing years since I have started running.
I have delayed it to tomorrow(going for a run) to have a check on my knee and then go consult on Monday. But considering it is the biggest race of my life I am quite at peace because in the grand scheme of things, this isn't much I know. It has all been just made up in mind. I need to view everything from a broaden lens that this is basically an expectation that is getting shattered or can reframe it as it is not what I want. Life doesn't give us what we want. The reality is my knee has pain and expectations are I need to be at my peak fitness to run this race, I need to take the reality as it is because this is the only thing that I have, everything else is just in my mind that is made which is not reality. It is a narration that is going on in my internal monologue.
Taking the things as it is and not what I expect because then there will be a lot of conflict b/w the reality & expectations, it also spills to different facets of life as well leading to mediocre inputs and outputs. Not letting bleeding to spill is the foremost thing for me.
I am repeating to myself- Just having a healthy body w/o any kind of disease in itself the biggest gift & privilege of life. My knee will be okay in a couple of days, if not then in weeks and if not then in a couple of months. I can't let it prevent me from enjoying the present even though this is the singular thing that is going on in my life right now which has been keeping me afloat. I have pretty big decisions to make this year to change my life, so have to maintain the uptempo with full zest. The rug of running has been pulled beneath me for the moment, micro pivot is what needs to be done right now by me. That's why I am writing to you.
It sucks brother to have no kind of progression gets seen even after 5 months as I can understand the pain an athlete has to go through when they running seems a millions miles away and because of that mental & emotional meter goes haywire as well. When an athlete generally thrives on physical movement as motion is lotion for them. When the rug of running gets pulled, we feel some sort of left take naked in desert w/o water visually visible to us.
You got this Chris brother.! :) I know in the very moment light doesn't seem in the the tunnel but you very well know nothing lasts forever. Hope within a couple of months you will be healthy and back to running. If you feel like the lowest while going through a mental spiral where you are questioning every bit of life's decisions.
Yes, that's also what I read and matches with the guidance of my physio and doc. Fortunately I am not a professional runner and don't struggle with deload (I rather struggle with uncertainty.) For 6 months I have now drastically reduced my training volume and intensity. Also didn't run or hike one single meter of downhill (biggest impact on the oedema), no jumping, no stairs down when there is an elevator. I even quit stretching after I found out it triggers the oedema. Next on the strike list is uphill running on a treadmill at 15% once a week. After that only stairmaster sessions and strength training is left. I doubt that the these two cause micro-trauma. The benefits from bloodflow and tendon tension (the other injury) are worth keeping it.
Oh dear! I‘m really sorry to read all this, but can fully relate to the frustration. But I can assure you that you can lead a very healthy life for at least a few months without engaging what we commonly define as sports. I‘ve been observing myself over the past years the impact of aging on my physical state although I‘m not that old actually with just a bit above 50. It is a inconvenient truth that our body’s ability to heal itself decreases constantly from the age of 30 onwards. Initially it‘s hard to notice and shows rather in there being no more quick physical wins. Performance progress is only gained by tough training work. At same time recovery takes longer and longer. Our bodies are dealing with tons of microinflammations which are increasingly harder to deal with. At least dealing with it takes longer. Cell growth isn’t what it used to be and balance between new „healthy“ and used „trash“ cells starts to lean towards the latter. This is just the natural way of things and cannot be changed, but we can help to decrease the load on our bodies to deal with all these challenges. The steps are easy and all well known. We need to eat and drink well and right. Even going vegan is not a solution if you don’t know where the food actually came from and how it’s been produced. So eating well is a bit of a theoretical concept if you don’t just rely on your own produce. Sugar doesn’t need to be cut out because it’s everywhere and we need it - at the right dose though, which is a fraction of what we typically consume even if we are on zero candy. I‘d go slightly paranoid about what I feed my body with. In the medieval ages people would have been afraid of being poisoned when that ate something they didn’t know the origin of. We however developed a strange attitude of stuffing things in our body without really thinking about what it actually is and what it does. At the same much more important than sports is actual moving ourselves. I walk whenever I can and that means not just leaving the car parked but also not using the bike if I can walk. Even while sitting I move. Moving makes me feel so much better and it doesn’t have to be running. I’m sure if you take it easy things will get back to normal sooner than you may think right now. Just my 5 cents (actually turned out to be a couple of cents more…)!
Thanks for your words. Totally agree with you on aging and also on food / nutrition. In our experiment we do not cut out sugar entirely (which is basically impossible and not healthy), but avoid refined / white sugar and get our sugar from fruit (but also not excessively). But as I pointed out in my article, this is not a medical measure, it's more like a fun experiement and we adjust the rules along the way. We'll see where this takes us and what we learn from it.
Thanks for phrasing my thoughts and observations in the scientifically appropriate manner! 😁 In terms of my own running “at age” I actually just evolved much longer distances at slower paces. Of course that may still be overly demanding for the system, but it gives the sense to be still competitive although rather in mostly hiking races.
To avoid sugar is really a huge task. There you see it’s the number 1 drug in the world. We doing it for more than 9 weeks now
Awesome! Keep it going. Yes, sugar is everywhere. You buy a can of organic beans and there's beans in there... and sugar. Wild.
Ah man Chris this is so frustrating. I have been dealing with nerve tingling in my hamstring and leg since July. I can’t really predict when it would flare (during a 50k but not during a 100M????) so finally got an MRI hoping to get some answers. Nope. Clean MRI. Still unsure what’s going on, especially how it comes and goes. Full rest is really hard, especially being in the running space and writing a popular newsletter about it. But rest is part of life. When things like this happen to me, though it’s super hard, one thing I tell myself is that by letting this go (for now) I am making space for something that could be even better. That helped me get over my last break up ironically. I hope you are able to find something else that you enjoy that also allows healing for your body. You deserve it.
I also loved your first point. In my field (biomedical) we often say “biology gonna do what it do. it don’t care what you want”
Thanks for this, Ellie! Some very smart thoughts, and yes, I have a couple of ideas that could possibly fill up the space a full running (training) break would possibly bring. My workout routines are already super reduced compared to "normal running" but maybe a full break is what's needed. Still negotiating with my self if I can justify to keep the stairmaster and strength training haha ;-) We'll see. The rest will be fixed by biology <3
I also just went through a 4 year knee injury where I couldn’t run and have finally come out other side. For me it ended up being truly about load management while avoiding going into true rest. Just wrote about my experience and path out - check it out if you’re interested. Would love to compare notes
Thanks for your comment, Cortland. I read your two articles, loved the honest and detailed approach of your writing. I am sure a lot of people can relate. Despite having a different injury (Tendinopathy / bone marrow edema / hoffa fat pad), I see a lot of similarities, including preceded surgery (plica & meniscus partly removed). Mostly the struggle of load balancing. Fortunately I am never in pain (rather a feeling of pressure and swelling after a workout). I always post this as a disclaimer because I sometimes wish I was. In that way I would get clear signals from my body what it tolerates and what not. That would make it easier to find the right sweet spot for healing (and not just managing). I love Jason Won’s three concepts and totally agree with his approach. I am currently starting from scratch, slowly but steadily building up week by week. I am still positive that I can fix this but as you said, you gotta be honest with yourself and that includes a lot of patience.
Thanks for giving it a read. You’re in a tough spot not having pain to guide you.
To your point , the mental game was alway the hardest part for me when I made no progress for a couple of years. Best of luck - I think becoming a student of your body is the way forward and it looks like you’re on the path.
Yesterday I listened to the related Sprachnachricht. Hadn't yet opened your podcast, as I somehow stopped listening podcasts more or less since injured.
Although your diagnosis is different from mine (I don't write "injury" anymore .. after a few months it's something else in my opinion) I can perfectly relate to many of your thoughts, doubts and steps on this winding road.
I think reducing volume even more will benefit your oedema. I know that it might feel like a loss or so, but if you get progress on the knee "front" (you like that term, right?) that's worth it.
Unsure if you're still in Innsbruck, that sounded like a "no-run" trip anyway so that's an opportunity already.
Do you apply anything to your knee? Something to reduce inflammation, etc? I have a recommendation, although I am very cautious with that. Everyone is so unique.
Thanks for checking in the Sprachnachricht! Topic is highly dynamic and super tricky because we are actually speaking of three problems in the knee: tendonitis, hoffaitis and bone oedema. That's why it is so hard to find the right sweet spot in therapy. Total rest was not the right way though. At first it got better, then the knee got hyper sensitive aka worse. I am restarting at least (heavy) strength training this week and probably the stairmaster as well since it is even more low impact than my walk to even get to the gym haha. Both cause zero to none irritation. Running on the treadmill (even uphill) caused more trouble. Either way, it's a lot of trial and error but through all this I am trying to find the right "corridor for healing". Not too much, not too little. Yes, I have a full anti-inflammation program going on but I'm always open for suggestions. If you don't want to be grilled for your recommendation on substack, send a DM haha ;-)
Yes, it's never black or white. We have to "moderate our symptoms" ;-)
Hey Chris! Komischerweise habe ich mit dem genau gleichen Knie Problem wie du seit einer ähnlich langen Zeit zu tun: Bei mir hat es allerdings schon im Juni begonnen und wurde durch Radfahren ausgelöst.
In den letzten Monaten war ich bei unzähligen Ärzten und habe so gut wie jede Art von Therapie ausprobiert. Eine komplette Pause von Training jeglicher Art für fast drei Monate, in denen ich nur (meistens flach) Spazieren war, hat tatsächlich Schmerzlinderung gebracht.
Seitdem kann ich wieder einigermaßen schmerzfrei laufen und die Knie tun nur bei bestimmten Bewegungen weh - Radfahren und Kniebeugen mit Gewicht oder ähnliche Kraftübungen sind weiterhin ein Ding der Unmöglichkeit.
An manchen Tagen bin ich schmerzfreier und an anderen muss ich mein Laufen auf bestimmte Strecken beschränken. Es ist nicht 'perfekt', aber es zeigt sich trotz (oder vielleicht sogar gerade wegen) der Belastung eine minimale Besserung, auch wenn sie nur sehr klein und oft schwierig zu sehen ist. Außerdem muss man hier von wirklich langen Zeiträumen mit ganz langsamer Progression sprechen: Von 100% flachen Spaziergängen am Inn, zu Wanderungen in ganz mäßiger Steigung, zu Wanderungen mit steilen Up, aber flachen Downhills, bishin zu komplett steilen Wanderungen und schließlich, nach einigen Wochen, zu Läufen im Gelände und zuletzt zu ganz langsamen Läufen im Flachen.
Ob ich je wieder schmerzfrei bin, weiß ich nicht, aber solange ich mich dadurch beim Laufen nicht allzu sehr eingeschränkt bin, ist es mir mittlerweile fast egal - wie du richtig schreibst, 'stumpft' man im Laufe der Zeit mental etwas ab und 'detached' sich selbst von seinen äußeren Leiden.
Meine gesamte Lauf Geschichte ist von zahlreichen Verletzungen geprägt und da sind die Knie bislang noch verhältnismäßig harmlos im Vergleich zu was ich bereits hinter mir hab...
Sehr empfehlen kann ich die Ärzte von Gelenkpunkt in Innsbruck, sowie von den zahlreichen Olympiastützpunkten in Österreich. Hätte ich ewig darauf gewartet, dass der Schmerz ganz verschwindet, bis ich wieder starte, würde ich wohl noch heute flach am Inn Spazieren gehen - stattdessen habe ich jetzt bereits einige Wochen Laufen in den Beinen mit 80-100km und auch wenn die Schmerzen noch da sind, so doch auf eine andere Art und Weise.
Der Körper ist ein Wunder und kann sich von allem erholen, sofern man ihm genügend Zeit lässt. Keine Therapie kann Zeit und die eigene Heilungsfähigkeit des Körpers ersetzen - so zumindest meine Erfahrungen, nachdem ich bereits tausende Euros in den letzten fünf Jahren für Ärzte ausgegeben habe. Das meiste hätte ich mir durch Geduld sparen können. Davon bin ich fest überzeugt.
Hey super cool danke für deine ausführliche Antwort und den Einblick in deine Therapie. Ich erkenne mich da in vielen Punkten wieder (meine stärksten Trigger sind: Dehnen, Bergablaufen und Bein oft/lange voll durch strecken), konnte aber auch noch mal einiges mitnehmen. Was bei mir vielleicht speziell ist – oder ich habe ein gestörtes Körpergefühl – ich bewege mich 98% der Zeit komplett ausserhalb der Schmerzskala. Nicht mal eine 1 von 10. Ich spüre fast immer nur ein Druckgefühl, eine leichte bis mittelstarke Irritation. Definitiv kein Schmerz. Eigentlich eine good position in der ich da bin, aber ich kriegs halt trotzdem nicht weg haha ;-) Und wenn ich wieder anfangen würde normal zu trainieren, dann würde es sich ziemlich sicher wieder hochschaukeln zu einem echten Schmerz. Zweites Z-Special: Bei der Belastung habe ich überhaupt keine Probleme, auch nicht wenn ich zügig flach laufe. Die Reizung tritt immer nachgelagert auf. Ich bin den ganzen sommer über viel gelaufen, fast normal trainiert, halt nur bergauf, das macht am wenigsten bzw. in den meisten Fällen gar keine Probleme. Auch jetzt im Gym ist der Stairmaster absolut verträglich, nur das Laufband verstärkt die Reizung ein wenig, auch bei 15% Steigung und 10:00er pace. Für mich stellt sich halt die Frage: Wenn ich das Training noch mal weiter reduziere (ist schon ordentlich runter gefahren), was nehme ich raus? Nur das Laufband? Laufband und Stairmaster? Oder gleich komplett Tabula Rasa und das (intensive) Krafttraining gleich mit dazu? Kann mir niemand beantworten, ich weiss, aber irgendeine Form der weiteren Reduzierung erscheint mir gerade am plausibelsten. Der wichtigste Absatz ist aber dein letzter. Danke dafür!
Die Zeit heilt alle Wunden! Das darf man nur nie vergessen und muss die Geduld behalten, auch wenn es sich manchmal endlos und aussichtslos anfühlt...
Klingt, als wären unsere Symptome wirklich nicht zu 100% ident: Schmerzen in Ruhe bzw nach Belastungen habe ich zum Glück keine; dafür bin ich ebenso wie du fast gänzlich beschwerdefrei und habe "nur noch" Schmerzen bei bestimmten Bewegungen - diese dann aber weiterhin ziemlich heftig und stark einschränkend.
Ich kann es nur allzu gut nachempfinden, Verletzungen quasi durch- oder um diese herum zu trainieren, weiß aber aus Erfahrung, dass dies meistens nicht gut endet und die Heilung entweder nur verlängert, oder gar andere Probleme mit sich bringt, die die Gesamt-Verletzungszeit erheblich verlängern können... So unmöglich es sich auch anhören mag, eine komplette Pause geht viel schneller vorbei, als man es sich vorstellen mag, und danach ist es zu 99% der Fälle garantiert besser und man fühlt sich auch allgemein wieder deutlich gesünder (auch mental, was nicht zu vernachlässigen ist!).
Eine gewisse Abhängigkeit vom Laufen und Training können wir uns sicher nicht abstreiten und gerade deshalb kann so eine Pause ein enormer Gamechanger sein - und die Performance und Leistung gewinnen dadurch sogar, auch wenn es auf den ersten Blick kontraintuitiv erscheint.
Du kannst also sicher erraten, was ich an deiner Stelle tun würde und dir empfehle. Letzten Endes musst es aber natürlich du wissen. Ich wünsche dir auf jeden Fall alles Gute und erfolgreiche Heilung und bin gespannt, über deinen Blog weiter davon zu erfahren!!
LG aus Innsbruck
Danke dir! Wies weiter geht erfährst du sicher aus dem Das Z Letter haha ;-)
I have a 100 KM Stadium Run(250 laps) on 24th January in Delhi. I am hoping to run it under 7:30 in order to get a qualifier for Team India for 100 KM World Championships 2026.
But does my body really care about all these numbers? Not at all. It doesn't care even if am the fittest I have ever been since I have started running. Leave these umbers aside, it doesn't know about what the heck all this is.
The training was going pretty well but on 23rd December I felt a pain in the side of my knee during the run and what was the decision I don't know. But I took a couple of days off(2 to be exact), got back to running 12 KM for 2 days, then 15 KM for a day and then 21 KM for a couple of days. The pain felt better but still seemed to persist and I went to visit an Orthopedic, came back home & left knee was alright within 2 days(NO PAIN). I increased the daily mileage as I run on singles. I started running 28 KM and then 31 & 34 on single runs but easy effort and not heavy pounding on legs just to keep my Aerobic Base intact. Now on 4th January I wrote a blog on Substack about my goals and all things related to this race. And on 5th I felt a pain in my right knee, did same took rest & went to run on 7th, came back home after 3.5 KM as the pain didn't allow me to run father than this and it would have been a pretty bad decision to worsen the situation. Right now I had decided to go to run just to see if the pain still persists & if it persists I have to go & consult again.
Right now t is 5:30 AM on 10th January in India while writing this comment, didn't went for a run. Reason- feels what if the pain persists while running? How will I deal with it mentally & emotionally that I the pain is sill there, not getting better while I have thrown a blog into this world announcing this is the biggest race of my life and it is. What about the smack at my face with all the expectations I have made in my mind from 5 weeks that heck this will be the race which will over shadow all the chronically under performing years since I have started running.
I have delayed it to tomorrow(going for a run) to have a check on my knee and then go consult on Monday. But considering it is the biggest race of my life I am quite at peace because in the grand scheme of things, this isn't much I know. It has all been just made up in mind. I need to view everything from a broaden lens that this is basically an expectation that is getting shattered or can reframe it as it is not what I want. Life doesn't give us what we want. The reality is my knee has pain and expectations are I need to be at my peak fitness to run this race, I need to take the reality as it is because this is the only thing that I have, everything else is just in my mind that is made which is not reality. It is a narration that is going on in my internal monologue.
Taking the things as it is and not what I expect because then there will be a lot of conflict b/w the reality & expectations, it also spills to different facets of life as well leading to mediocre inputs and outputs. Not letting bleeding to spill is the foremost thing for me.
I am repeating to myself- Just having a healthy body w/o any kind of disease in itself the biggest gift & privilege of life. My knee will be okay in a couple of days, if not then in weeks and if not then in a couple of months. I can't let it prevent me from enjoying the present even though this is the singular thing that is going on in my life right now which has been keeping me afloat. I have pretty big decisions to make this year to change my life, so have to maintain the uptempo with full zest. The rug of running has been pulled beneath me for the moment, micro pivot is what needs to be done right now by me. That's why I am writing to you.
It sucks brother to have no kind of progression gets seen even after 5 months as I can understand the pain an athlete has to go through when they running seems a millions miles away and because of that mental & emotional meter goes haywire as well. When an athlete generally thrives on physical movement as motion is lotion for them. When the rug of running gets pulled, we feel some sort of left take naked in desert w/o water visually visible to us.
You got this Chris brother.! :) I know in the very moment light doesn't seem in the the tunnel but you very well know nothing lasts forever. Hope within a couple of months you will be healthy and back to running. If you feel like the lowest while going through a mental spiral where you are questioning every bit of life's decisions.
Yes, that's also what I read and matches with the guidance of my physio and doc. Fortunately I am not a professional runner and don't struggle with deload (I rather struggle with uncertainty.) For 6 months I have now drastically reduced my training volume and intensity. Also didn't run or hike one single meter of downhill (biggest impact on the oedema), no jumping, no stairs down when there is an elevator. I even quit stretching after I found out it triggers the oedema. Next on the strike list is uphill running on a treadmill at 15% once a week. After that only stairmaster sessions and strength training is left. I doubt that the these two cause micro-trauma. The benefits from bloodflow and tendon tension (the other injury) are worth keeping it.
Thank you for your open and clear words. You've made your point.