Soreness of the knee

[Tristan]

Actually its sore just below the knee, in the front immediately below the knee cap.

This problem happened just a few times last year when I got into the really long runs, upper teens and 20+ milers I'd get a little sore in the knee. I figured then it was just getting used to the extra mileage. The ideal form will falter after you start loosing strength in the muscles that support it, so thought (and maybe still do) that its just my muscles tiring, but I feel like I'm still landing fore/midfoot just fine and landing softly so idk. It also feels strained - like perhaps the tendons just become strained after the muscles pull on them for so long, perhaps not form related at all.

But just figured I'd mention it. I don't have very many issues except for my calves and this one.

At the marathon last year this was kind of bad afterward. As I recall it also wrapped upwards a bit around the outside of knee. Is that the IT band? I could feel it bulged - never noticed it before so probably inflamed a bit. However I had soreness in every corner of my body after that, so wasn't to concerned with certain areas at the time. Figured it was all part of being undertrained and still attempting my first marathon.

Yesterday I went for 17 mile long run. The last few miles I noticed this slightly again just below the knee cap felt a bit strained. Since I'm getting into the serious part of my marathon training if there is anything I can do about this I'd like to hear about it. Thanks!

 

[Bare Lee]

I have something similar, but no real solution to offer. I'll just relay my experience in case it helps somehow. Two years ago I got a pain below the knee but more on the inside. I self-diagnosed it as the MCL, but who really knows? It came on acutely on a single step, less than a mile into my run. Over time, it got better and eventually went away. Then a few weeks ago, a mild version of it reappeared, but the morning after a 3.5-mile run. It doesn't seem to be bothered by deep squats, which is kind of strange, and only ever so slightly irritated by heavy deadlifts. It seems to specific to running, and I feel it most upon landing, and any kind of torque on the knee. After two weeks, it's just about gone, but I haven't run more than a mile on it since I first felt it. Today I may try three miles to see how it feels. I think rolling or massaging both the lower leg and the upper leg has helped, but it's hard to be sure if it hasn't been a matter of just resting it and letting it take its course. I wasn't doing high mileage like you, so I don't know if any of this is relevant. In my case, it seems kind of random and unrelated to distance or pace.

Anyway, all the best on your training. Hope you can get back at it soon. It sucks not to run!