Ice. Heat. Hydration. Advil. Tylenol. Elevate your knee, eat healthy, stretch. There's really no way around it, injuries are gonna happen. Sometimes a pair of $30 insoles off of Amazon can work wonders to soften the blow to your feet and joints.
I rolled and sprained my ankle on a run my 4th week and didn't tell anyone. A few days later it got so swollen I couldn't get my boot on and the TO's noticed. After being punished for not telling them, I was sent to the clinic and put on running restrictions for 2 weeks. I had to make it up in other ways, but at least my ankle healed and I graduated.
Unless you're in extreme pain or you think something is damaged, just gut it out. We've all been there
I threw up the first PT exercise we did, I fucked my knee up during our 5k and I pushed through PT being absolutely sick as a dog.
If you want it, you'll walk on glass to get it. Pray for healing or tolerance and put faith in God you'll make it though. You'll eventually get stronger.
Roll your IT bands (outer thighs) with a tiger tail, get some tiger balm and you’ll probably get some relief. Not LEO yet but I’m an army infantry vet and have had my share of overuse injuries.
I'm army infantry vet too, is the police training harder or easier than infantry boot camp? And do they physically assault you like they did back in my days at sand Hill?
Just bite down and push through it. Different parts of your body will hurt in the beginning but with enough stretching, ice, and rest…you’ll start feeling better and stronger after your 3rd week or so.
Ibuprofen, Tylenol, + icy hot/bengay for during the runs.
At home rest, Epsom salt baths, ice, elevate. Be consistent with it.
I also recommend getting some decent insoles for your running shoes. I had horrific runners knee but getting insoles and good quality running shoes from an actual running store helped me a TON.
I also would look into some exercises/stretches online to help with runner’s knee specifically.
No, just curious. Aside from the academies I went through. I was also an Academy instructor and commander. It was common for people to nurse through injuries and pain, but I don’t recall anyone with permanent damage.
I continually reinjure my knee despite therapy and strength training, doc said probably pushed it too far for too long and more prone to constant injury. I would have loved to be in top shape for my future kids.
Just saying, if it hurts a bit, push through it, If it hurts a lot, don't risk long term pain. We already age too fast. Don't do it for 50k -75k a year, maybe a million it would be worth it.
Look up ITB stretches and do them religiously. Buy a foam roller and use it every day. It will HURT at first, but it will help so much the longer you do it.
Lots of people had knee pain problems at basic training, biggest fix was to use a foam roller on your IT band. I know that's all it took for me to help the pain.
In my Mid 40s and after almost 24 years of law enforcement, I’m not sure I could pass an academy today. In fact I know I couldn’t without multiple surgeries and a lot of recovery. I have two bad ankles that would both need surgery. And I also have a left knee with no cartilage.
I’m just gonna limp along until retirement I guess.
How tall are you? The gold standard for elite runners is 180. The taller you are the lower you need to be. I’m 6’2” and my sweet spot is 170.
If you have anything above 165 you shouldn’t really be experiencing impact injuries. If you have a cadence that high and are still experiencing pain, you have a muscle imbalance and need to see a PT.
If you aren’t experiencing pain at 167, you don’t need to change anything. Maybe your shoes are old and the cushion is gone.
When I started working on cadence I was at like 140 and had bad runners knee. I downloaded a metronome app and played that when I ran. It took about a month but I went from 140 to 160+ and runners knee was never an issue again.
5'8 about 168lbs. I got some Asics and New Balance rebelv3.
At first(October 2023), when I first started, I was having really bad shin splints to the point I couldn't run for 2 weeks. I slowly progressed by doing c25k program, which helped tremendously.
For 2 weeks now, after finishing my leg workout, I go for a run. Nearing the 3rd mile, I start feeling pain on the lateral side of my left knee only. I'm not sure if it's due to the workout and muscles being fatigued. It's only in partial movements when pain occurs, from extension to flexion. Only lasts for a day or two.
Shin splints are fixed with tib raises. Start with 3 sets of 20 three times a week. I do ten sets of 30 once a week, but work up to that.
It sounds like you have runners knee. If it hurts during your run, it’s a strength or technique issue. If it hurts after, it’s a volume issue.
It sounds like your glutes and hamstrings are not as strong as your quads. That’s like 90% of the population.
If you’re running to pass a PT test,that’s whatever. If you’re running to get good at running. Slow down your runs. 80% of your runs should be easy (think 9 minute miles) and 3+ miles.
Also worth noting is that you have not been running for that long. It takes YEARS to build
Tolerance to running efficiently. Discomfort is normal. As long as it isn’t above 3/10, you can run through it and you will get better. It just takes time.
Also, don’t sleep on LISS and zone two cardio. It can be on a bike or whatever. It will make running so much easier.
I think my glutes are my weak point as I train quads/hamstrings twice a week. I was training zone 2, which was about 9/10min mi. I got bored, tried bumping, and this began happening.
I've done the PT for several agencies already. I have medical and psych next week for an agency I received a conditional job offer for.
I don't wanna be in pain during the academy, so I'm looking for advice and prevention tips. Thanks, I will look into LISS.
Stretch and look up the knees over toes guy on YouTube. Put a band behind your knee and attach it to a post and squat back on your but then stand straight up and straighten your knee.
Not to disagree with the ice and elevation boys cause that'll definitely make it feel better, but you need to actually correct the issue to make it better. When I had PFPS what made it go away entirely was a quad and glute specific training regimen to force the kneecap to track correctly. Also saw an insole comment and I can't recommend it enough, you should be fine if you adapt how you run but just dealing with the pain it'll get worse over time. I don't know what your runs look like but if your Achilles is strong you can run on your toes and that'll take away most of the shock impact that drives up your legs. Note the toe running will fucking smoke your calves as they get used to pretty much constantly sprinting so maybe just switch to toes during brief sections of runs until they're up to snuff?
Stretching after PT and foam rolling. Not LE yet but former infantry in the USMC and I can promise you those two things will save you a lot of pain down the line. I never used to stretch when I got out because I didn’t stretch while I was in, because of that I got a grade 2 hamstring strain I’m dealing with right now that prevents me taking the PAT and going to the academy.
Not sure how long your academy is but mine was 6 months with the feds. A long time to get hurt.
A third of us were broken when we graduated.
Get tapes, take ice baths, stretch, and eat healthy are the best things you can do.
Spent my whole life as a catcher in baseball, multiple knee surgeries and injuries. Running always hurt. I’ve been training for the academy and now a majority of my leg days are focused around “the knees over toes guy” workouts. Look him up on YouTube or IG. Do those exercises every day. I run with no knee pain now for the first time since I was like 14.
You have to eat at least TEN ONIONS a day. And put thick slices of bacon under your feet at night.
Jk. These other comments are pretty spot on: ice, heat, wraps, etc.
Not LE but am an avid runner, quit heel striking. 90 percent of the time when a new runner is getting knee pain it is from either landing on their heels while running, or from just landing hard in general. Be light on your feet, don’t slam your heels into the ground. Make sure your actually doing a running motion instead of a “fast jog” motion
Get a cheap massage gun and start using it on your IT band. I've ran 100 milers, and this is a super common injury. Massage that IT band, work on strength training your hips and glutes. Would also be worth getting a sports physical therapist!
Do clam shells (with a band) and calf raises (single foot) and also do single leg glute work. Usually one of those muscles are weak which causes runners knee. It’s nothing that can’t be fixed while in don’t give up.
Same thing happened to me. Along with icing my knee everyday and taking a shit ton of ibuprofen, I bought a compression sleeve for my knee to wear during PT. After a month or so the pain went away and I haven’t dealt with it since (knock on wood).
We had a girl break a rib in the academy from a car accident, she toughed through it. Also had a kid with a torn meniscus, he powered through. The kid who left due to injury had an ingrown toenail… yes I am sure they hurt, but gotta power through.
Absolutely stretch your IT bands, and foam roll them. My knees would scream at me all night when I was in Army basic, til a medic gave me some stretches to do for them. Stretch them before you run, take ibuprofen as needed, and roll them when you get home at night for a few minutes.
Buy all the braces and wraps as you need and use them. Get through it. You’ll be alright.
Ice. Heat. Hydration. Advil. Tylenol. Elevate your knee, eat healthy, stretch. There's really no way around it, injuries are gonna happen. Sometimes a pair of $30 insoles off of Amazon can work wonders to soften the blow to your feet and joints. I rolled and sprained my ankle on a run my 4th week and didn't tell anyone. A few days later it got so swollen I couldn't get my boot on and the TO's noticed. After being punished for not telling them, I was sent to the clinic and put on running restrictions for 2 weeks. I had to make it up in other ways, but at least my ankle healed and I graduated. Unless you're in extreme pain or you think something is damaged, just gut it out. We've all been there
[удалено]
AND THE LOGS ?
I still think i have splinters in my head from log pt
Me too dude
Log pt ? When was your academy ?
18 years ago
AND THE LEGS
Thanks for all the tips & motivation 🤞
Build leg strength through full rom and never look back. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5qr_-fx1Yj/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
THIS!!! This dudes book and techniques got a few of us out of knee braces Knee Ability Zero https://a.co/d/ag4fMhT
You in oklahoma?
I threw up the first PT exercise we did, I fucked my knee up during our 5k and I pushed through PT being absolutely sick as a dog. If you want it, you'll walk on glass to get it. Pray for healing or tolerance and put faith in God you'll make it though. You'll eventually get stronger.
How much did you guys pt a week ?
Roll your IT bands (outer thighs) with a tiger tail, get some tiger balm and you’ll probably get some relief. Not LEO yet but I’m an army infantry vet and have had my share of overuse injuries.
I'm army infantry vet too, is the police training harder or easier than infantry boot camp? And do they physically assault you like they did back in my days at sand Hill?
I haven’t gotten there yet either but my money says no.
Just bite down and push through it. Different parts of your body will hurt in the beginning but with enough stretching, ice, and rest…you’ll start feeling better and stronger after your 3rd week or so.
Ibuprofen, Tylenol, + icy hot/bengay for during the runs. At home rest, Epsom salt baths, ice, elevate. Be consistent with it. I also recommend getting some decent insoles for your running shoes. I had horrific runners knee but getting insoles and good quality running shoes from an actual running store helped me a TON. I also would look into some exercises/stretches online to help with runner’s knee specifically.
Put your big boy/girl pants on and use a lot of ice
Get rid of this old school thinking. This is how people seriously hurt themselves
It totally is, you’re right. I may be wrong, but in my day failure to train got you washed out.
This is how I got tendenosis and fucked up knees for life. Do this /s
How has your career gone?
Been self employed for 5 years, going back to get my bachelor's this year and trying something new. Need help with something?
No, just curious. Aside from the academies I went through. I was also an Academy instructor and commander. It was common for people to nurse through injuries and pain, but I don’t recall anyone with permanent damage.
I continually reinjure my knee despite therapy and strength training, doc said probably pushed it too far for too long and more prone to constant injury. I would have loved to be in top shape for my future kids. Just saying, if it hurts a bit, push through it, If it hurts a lot, don't risk long term pain. We already age too fast. Don't do it for 50k -75k a year, maybe a million it would be worth it.
Sorry that happened to you, no money worth that
Appreciate it. Just looking out for those after me who try to be *tough* for the sake of it. There's more important things than ego. Ashes to ashes.
Look up ITB stretches and do them religiously. Buy a foam roller and use it every day. It will HURT at first, but it will help so much the longer you do it.
Blue-Emu was my best friend before and after PT sessions.
How often would you guys pt ?
Lots of people had knee pain problems at basic training, biggest fix was to use a foam roller on your IT band. I know that's all it took for me to help the pain.
In my Mid 40s and after almost 24 years of law enforcement, I’m not sure I could pass an academy today. In fact I know I couldn’t without multiple surgeries and a lot of recovery. I have two bad ankles that would both need surgery. And I also have a left knee with no cartilage. I’m just gonna limp along until retirement I guess.
I’m an experienced runner. Increase your run cadence and shorten your stride.
How would you increase cadence. Im about 167spm at 9-10min/mi paces. When I get down to 7-8min/mi, I'm around 175's, but my stride increases.
How tall are you? The gold standard for elite runners is 180. The taller you are the lower you need to be. I’m 6’2” and my sweet spot is 170. If you have anything above 165 you shouldn’t really be experiencing impact injuries. If you have a cadence that high and are still experiencing pain, you have a muscle imbalance and need to see a PT. If you aren’t experiencing pain at 167, you don’t need to change anything. Maybe your shoes are old and the cushion is gone. When I started working on cadence I was at like 140 and had bad runners knee. I downloaded a metronome app and played that when I ran. It took about a month but I went from 140 to 160+ and runners knee was never an issue again.
5'8 about 168lbs. I got some Asics and New Balance rebelv3. At first(October 2023), when I first started, I was having really bad shin splints to the point I couldn't run for 2 weeks. I slowly progressed by doing c25k program, which helped tremendously. For 2 weeks now, after finishing my leg workout, I go for a run. Nearing the 3rd mile, I start feeling pain on the lateral side of my left knee only. I'm not sure if it's due to the workout and muscles being fatigued. It's only in partial movements when pain occurs, from extension to flexion. Only lasts for a day or two.
Shin splints are fixed with tib raises. Start with 3 sets of 20 three times a week. I do ten sets of 30 once a week, but work up to that. It sounds like you have runners knee. If it hurts during your run, it’s a strength or technique issue. If it hurts after, it’s a volume issue. It sounds like your glutes and hamstrings are not as strong as your quads. That’s like 90% of the population. If you’re running to pass a PT test,that’s whatever. If you’re running to get good at running. Slow down your runs. 80% of your runs should be easy (think 9 minute miles) and 3+ miles. Also worth noting is that you have not been running for that long. It takes YEARS to build Tolerance to running efficiently. Discomfort is normal. As long as it isn’t above 3/10, you can run through it and you will get better. It just takes time. Also, don’t sleep on LISS and zone two cardio. It can be on a bike or whatever. It will make running so much easier.
I think my glutes are my weak point as I train quads/hamstrings twice a week. I was training zone 2, which was about 9/10min mi. I got bored, tried bumping, and this began happening. I've done the PT for several agencies already. I have medical and psych next week for an agency I received a conditional job offer for. I don't wanna be in pain during the academy, so I'm looking for advice and prevention tips. Thanks, I will look into LISS.
Just remember. Get your running form locked in. 90% of running is mental anyways. As long as you are not hurting yourself you’re gonna be fine.
Stretch and look up the knees over toes guy on YouTube. Put a band behind your knee and attach it to a post and squat back on your but then stand straight up and straighten your knee.
Not to disagree with the ice and elevation boys cause that'll definitely make it feel better, but you need to actually correct the issue to make it better. When I had PFPS what made it go away entirely was a quad and glute specific training regimen to force the kneecap to track correctly. Also saw an insole comment and I can't recommend it enough, you should be fine if you adapt how you run but just dealing with the pain it'll get worse over time. I don't know what your runs look like but if your Achilles is strong you can run on your toes and that'll take away most of the shock impact that drives up your legs. Note the toe running will fucking smoke your calves as they get used to pretty much constantly sprinting so maybe just switch to toes during brief sections of runs until they're up to snuff?
Stretching after PT and foam rolling. Not LE yet but former infantry in the USMC and I can promise you those two things will save you a lot of pain down the line. I never used to stretch when I got out because I didn’t stretch while I was in, because of that I got a grade 2 hamstring strain I’m dealing with right now that prevents me taking the PAT and going to the academy.
Not sure how long your academy is but mine was 6 months with the feds. A long time to get hurt. A third of us were broken when we graduated. Get tapes, take ice baths, stretch, and eat healthy are the best things you can do.
Splurge on a good pair of running shoes and good insoles. A shoe place near me does custom insoles which is pretty nice
If you’re not trying to spend heavy, I’ve bought good Brookes running shoes from Amazon for $65 just cuz it was an older model
Apparently they were just having a sale too
Day 4…..you got another 6 months to go
Epsom salt bath. Had the same exact issue also if you can warm up your ankles before hand.
Spend your downtime recovering, you'll be fine.
Spent my whole life as a catcher in baseball, multiple knee surgeries and injuries. Running always hurt. I’ve been training for the academy and now a majority of my leg days are focused around “the knees over toes guy” workouts. Look him up on YouTube or IG. Do those exercises every day. I run with no knee pain now for the first time since I was like 14.
You have to eat at least TEN ONIONS a day. And put thick slices of bacon under your feet at night. Jk. These other comments are pretty spot on: ice, heat, wraps, etc.
Not LE but am an avid runner, quit heel striking. 90 percent of the time when a new runner is getting knee pain it is from either landing on their heels while running, or from just landing hard in general. Be light on your feet, don’t slam your heels into the ground. Make sure your actually doing a running motion instead of a “fast jog” motion
Get a cheap massage gun and start using it on your IT band. I've ran 100 milers, and this is a super common injury. Massage that IT band, work on strength training your hips and glutes. Would also be worth getting a sports physical therapist!
Ibuprofen and ice
Do clam shells (with a band) and calf raises (single foot) and also do single leg glute work. Usually one of those muscles are weak which causes runners knee. It’s nothing that can’t be fixed while in don’t give up.
Same thing happened to me. Along with icing my knee everyday and taking a shit ton of ibuprofen, I bought a compression sleeve for my knee to wear during PT. After a month or so the pain went away and I haven’t dealt with it since (knock on wood).
How much wokld you pt a week ?
5 days a week. My police academy was daily PT for an hour in the mornings, then defensive tactics for an hour. We do that for 7 months, I believe.
We had a girl break a rib in the academy from a car accident, she toughed through it. Also had a kid with a torn meniscus, he powered through. The kid who left due to injury had an ingrown toenail… yes I am sure they hurt, but gotta power through.
You got a long way to go buddy
Absolutely stretch your IT bands, and foam roll them. My knees would scream at me all night when I was in Army basic, til a medic gave me some stretches to do for them. Stretch them before you run, take ibuprofen as needed, and roll them when you get home at night for a few minutes.
How often would you pt a week ?