That’s exactly where my pain is–under my left knee cap. This may have something to do with the severed cartilidge that occured about 12 years ago. That injury might not have ever totally healed properly. Even as I sit here and type this, it hurts so bad that I can’t even sit down properly. I have to keep my leg straighted out as much as possible when sitting or standing. I’m going to call the doc today and see when they can get me in to check it out.
As for the surface, I have been doing two or three speed workouts per week for the last couple of weeks on a nice, rubberized track. It’s not very cold where I live, temps have been in the low 60’s, and I generally wear XC flats instead of those big, thick soled running shoes. The pain started immediately and exactly when I began speed work. Stragely enough, when I lift heavy weights, there is very little to zero pain.
I know what you mean about the pain. A few days after my knee started hurting, I had to take a 4 hour flight in a cramped plane. The pain was sooooo bad, the only thing I could do was to sit on the aisle floor and stretch my leg out.
Are you feeling any pain elsewere (i.e. hips or other joints)?
Ok, since I know all of ya’ll are on the edge of ya’lls seats waiting to hear about my injury 
, I got a doctor appointment for next Wednesday morning for an initial visit. They may end up referring me to a sports medicine doctor. Mcrepsac, no other pain anywhere except for an occasional twinge in my right rotator cuff, which is nearly healed all the way. I can actually do full military presses now.
Today’s workout was:
Military overhead press–2 sets of 5-with 70kg
Deadlifts–2 sets of 3; 2 sets of 2–up to 140kgs (guarding against knee pain).
While I’m waiting for my doctor visit, I’ll probably just do the same as above weight workout and maybe some kettlebell conditioning along with some EASY hunnert meter tempo reps.
Peace…
2-1-06
Went to my doctor appointment to check out the knee.
It wasn’t too good. I have a condition called “chondromalacia Patella” in my left knee. Chondromalacia is a softening or wearing away and cracking of the articular cartilage under the patella, resulting in pain and inflammation.
Doctor said that (of course) I should stop doing things that aggravate this, which sprinting and heavy squatting do. I haven’t done any speed work in a week and my knee does feel much better.
He went on to say that continued, repetitive speed work and heavy squatting will result in additonal wearing down of the cartilage in the patella region. He said it was likely a cumulative effect, many years of constant running and lifting having worn on it, plus my severe injury back in 1994 took it’s toll as well. I have been running hard since I was 12 years old and lifting hard since I was 15; I’m 33 (I think?) now.
He recommended anti-inflammatory drugs, keeping heat on the knee region during training, and finding alternative exercise such as bicycling, elliptical machine (whatever that is?) and lowering the heavy poundages that I lift. So, that’s where I am now. I don’t know exactly what I’ll do at this point. I don’t want to make things worse. kettlebell conditioning is in my future.
LOL!! ha, ha, yeah, yeah, I’m doing alright, you know what I’m saying?
Ok, so many of ya’ll keep on flooding my inbox with mail asking “what’s the deal” with you, what’s up with your training? Well, I’ll tell all yall what’s going on–hard, heavy lifting and working out like a phreakk with my kettlebell conditioning drills. Those kettlebell workouts will make you throw up a lung but the good part is that it works me over without hurting my knee. I’ve also been hanging out and partying with my woman, working, yeah all that stuff.
I haven’t tested the knee yet with any speed sessions, which sucks, because we’ve had some very nice, warm, sunny days down here in my part of the world, which would have been perfect for heading out to the track. Soon, I’ll head back out and see what kind of 60m times I can throw down. This would be going against my doctor’s advice, who said that if I continue hard running, I’ll do further damage to the knee. According to him, I need to just do very easy to moderate activity, maybe even break out the golf clubs–and that’s OK, I’m cool with golf every now and then.
Alright, now, time for me to head out. Thanks for reading and thanks for the overwhelming outpouring of support.
later…
Hey, what are yall doing? I hope all yalls training is going the way you want it to.
I was just chilling out the other day, watching the game, eating my boiled peanuts and I got to thinking about my situation. I thought, “heatwave, it’s time to check out that knee problem of yours” so I went out, loosened up a bit and out I went.
It was sunny and 82 degrees yesterday, so the weather was perfect for some sprinting. Just started out jogging for little while, my dogg was loose out in the neighborhood so I thought I’d go out and try to chase her down.
She can run 60 meters in, like, 4.2 seconds, my personal best is 6.97 seconds, so I really had no chance at catching her, but it was worth a shot. Well, she made me look like a fool, the neighbors were wondering what in the @$# I was doing out there chasing a dog in the streets. OK, to the point, my knee still hurts but not as bad as before. I’m still taking it a little easy.
The good news is that my squat numbers are going up, up, and up. I almost got kicked out of my wife’s gym the other day for , “lifting too heavy of a weight, for taking up all the 45 lb. (20kg)plates.” I guess other folks needed some plates, but I had them all on my bar! The bar was bending over my back and they thought I was going to damage their equipment. Just crazy stuff, man!!
Peace and love.
hey man, good to hear you’re doing well.
as for not catching a dog. Well, content yourself that you are faster even now than i’ll ever be!!
Good Luck
where the hell has this Man gone.