westis

An update... I've more or less kept the 2 days/week routine for the C25K program, apart from a couple of week when I wasn't well. The knee seems to manage ok so far, which I'm very happy about. I'm running a forest route that isn't flat, about 30 m climb per 2K lap. However, I'm trying to keep the distance runs (starting from the 20 min run on W5D3) at around 6 min/km and the "interval runs" at a faster pace. But i'm getting confused by the pace in the C25K program. Walking seems to be at around 7:30 min/km, which is VERY fast walking, particularly since the running parts seem to be around 6:15-6:45 min/km. Should I "jog walk" instead of simply walking fast? As I've been running quite a bit when I was younger, before the problems with my knees, should I try to run faster during the "interval runs" and try to slow myself down during the distance runs to avoid pushing my knees too hard? Anyway, I'm happy my knees are ok so far and I already look forward to continue moving towards 10K!

Thanks LELady and KellyAnn. My knee is usually ok when I start running, but get worse if I increase too quickly, or after having trained for a few weeks. I do feel when I go down the stairs etc., though, which is why I'm trying to do some rehab to increase long-term strength. I have been twice to the physiotherapist to get a gym program. But I can't seem to drag myself to the gym, so I'm trying some home exercises instead, and hoping that C25K twice a week is a slow enough increase. So far, after only two weeks (four C25K sessions), everything feels fine. That is, it feels like it usually does, still having some pain when walking downstairs but usually ok. This is how it's been more or less for the last 11 years actually, as I've never really done any serious rehab before... :/

I used to run quite far, 10-20K, up to about 10 years ago. Then I got knee problems and although I've started over a few times over the years, I have either fallen back to laziness or got some problems with my knee or foot. It's some version of patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), with pains under the knee cap of my left knee, when walking down stairs or similar. I have started C25K, and after a week I don't really feel anything in my knee. But I know I will if I increase too fast, as I'm usually not very active these days and work a lot by the computer. My question is, could I do C25K twice per week, and use the third day for some kind of rehab program for patellofemoral pain syndrome? Should I then just push the days, so I do as many days of running in total, but over a longer period than the normal 9 weeks of the C25K program? I find rehab and gym exercise quite boring and unmotivating, running is what I want to do. So I'm trying to find some kind of mix, where I can find motivation by running, but not increasing too fast and still doing some rehab training for my knee (or rather the muscles around it), in order to hopefully avoid having to quit after a few weeks with knee pain...