Long-term effect of running on knee joints

I am a very avid swimmer/cycler. Naturally, I am very tempted by the
idea of expanding my interest to triathlon. However, everytime I try
some running, even a short distance (for example 5 miles) gives me a
pain in the knees. I think it is due to a combination of poor running
position, anatomy and bad shoes, as I am otherwise very fit and lean.
In this regard, have there been long-term studies on the effect of
running on the knee joints?
I wouldn't want to have fund doing triathlon now and suffer from bad
knees in my later years.

New Daddy wrote:
> I am a very avid swimmer/cycler. Naturally, I am very tempted by the
> idea of expanding my interest to triathlon. However, everytime I try
> some running, even a short distance (for example 5 miles) gives me a
> pain in the knees. I think it is due to a combination of poor running
> position, anatomy and bad shoes, as I am otherwise very fit and lean.
> In this regard, have there been long-term studies on the effect of
> running on the knee joints?
> I wouldn't want to have fund doing triathlon now and suffer from bad
> knees in my later years.

Being fit in one sport does not equate to being fit in another sport,
and can cause more injury because you have an aerobic base but you
muscles and tendons and bones are not yet prepared to run your "short
distance". 5 miles is not short for a beginner to running.

I would expect to hurt a bit in the beginning.
Have you tried massage and or active release therapy after running to
work it out?

Seriously, the pulling of the muscles like that on your "short" run can
hurt you. Rip rip rip.

Work yourself into it. Try a 10 minute soft run for a few weeks and walk
after.

Also, do you have shoes that are built for your body type/foot type and
for running? Do they have enough cushioning for you?

On Jan 31, 9:18 am, Triathlete <Triathletenotinyourcor...@shaw.ca>
wrote:
> New Daddy wrote:
> > I am a very avid swimmer/cycler. Naturally, I am very tempted by the
> > idea of expanding my interest to triathlon. However, everytime I try
> > some running, even a short distance (for example 5 miles) gives me a
> > pain in the knees. I think it is due to a combination of poor running
> > position, anatomy and bad shoes, as I am otherwise very fit and lean.
> > In this regard, have there been long-term studies on the effect of
> > running on the knee joints?
> > I wouldn't want to have fund doing triathlon now and suffer from bad
> > knees in my later years.
>
> Being fit in one sport does not equate to being fit in another sport,
> and can cause more injury because you have an aerobic base but you
> muscles and tendons and bones are not yet prepared to run your "short
> distance". 5 miles is not short for a beginner to running.
>
> I would expect to hurt a bit in the beginning.
> Have you tried massage and or active release therapy after running to
> work it out?
>
> Seriously, the pulling of the muscles like that on your "short" run can
> hurt you. Rip rip rip.
>
> Work yourself into it. Try a 10 minute soft run for a few weeks and walk
> after.
>
> Also, do you have shoes that are built for your body type/foot type and
> for running? Do they have enough cushioning for you?

Agree with all of the above. In terms of increasing mileage - would
start with no more than 30 minute runs initially (you can swim/cycle
before/after if you want a longer training session) and build this up
by no more than 5-10 minutes per week. If joints are sore then ease
back a bit until they're better. Short but frequent runs will
strengthen your joints, ligaments and tendons more quickly and safely
than going too long too early.

Also make sure you are not overstriding with a slow turnover
(equivalent to grinding in top gear on a bike). Recommended cadence
for running is ~90 strides per minute (on each leg). Try to achieve
this cadence at a sustainable pace (wear a stopwatch and count your
strides). Taking shorter strides reduces the impact of each stride on
your joints.

Ice baths after runs can help speed up recovery if you're feeling
extreme!