Is this runners' knee?

Question

Recently, as I run, I can barely get through a quarter mile without feeling a pain in my knees. It's not very bad, but I stop because I don't want to injure myself even more. I'm baffled by it-I don't stretch a lot and I run on pavement, so that may be what's causing it, but still-it's so weird. It just suddenly appeared one day!

I got new shoes recently, but they're in the exact same design as my old ones, just a different color scheme, so I don't know how they could be causing it. Also, my knee isn't swollen or inflamed-it just hurts when I run or go downstairs.

I generally do 1, 2, 3 miles and one 5 mile run a week (but normally I get lazy and skip this.) I'm just 13, though, so I'm not really training hard-just running for pleasure.

This is really frustrating me. I'm trying to start building up mileage so I can do cross-country when school starts, but I don't know if it's okay to run and I really don't want to get an injury.

Please tell me what I can do about this!

Answer 1

If you're hurt, it is something you did.

possible causes

1. Bad shoes, not real running shoes

2. Too much pavement, not enough soft surface

3. Not enough stretching before or after

4. Some other bad for your knee workout, like stairs

Answer 2

Start stretching. You probably pulled a muscle do to not stretching.

Answer 3

Make sure that your running heel toe and not toe first because your putting a lot of pressure on the knee. That happened to me once. Also it could be that your running to much. If your running to much then the bottom of the knees will hurt. Take 3 days off to let it heel. On the 3 days swim half a mile and bike 10-15 miles.