Leg pains

[christinew]

Calling all runners-

I started a running program a few weeks ago....walking/running intervals and now I am experiencing bad sharp pains in my R lower inner knee which feels like it is coming from the bone. And on my L inner ankle pains too.

Am I not stretching enough? Where can I go to find out exactly how to stretch?

[SusanMac]

Ouch! Anything related to knee pain is definitely not good.

CL actually had some good stretches over several issues this past year. It's the Gin Miller column. Check out your back issues, as I don't know the specific month. The articles aren't about running, but stretching is good no matter what exercise you're doing.

You should also visit runnersworld.com. They should have lots of articles, as well as links to their health and training columnist websites.

While I stretch before and after my runs, I sometimes find that stopping to stretch in the middle helps, too (after about 8- 10 minutes).

Make sure your shoes are in good shape and appropriate for you, and that your foot strike and roll-through is normal. If you tend to pronate, that could be adding stress to your knee.

good luck!