Last night I went for my first run with the orthotics. I probably went a little bit further than I should have – 4.5 miles or thereabouts – but I was feeling good. The knee felt loads better, and in fact felt totally normal until about the 25th minute. I was running an out-and-back course that is mostly downhill on the outbound leg. After I turned for home and started uphill, I felt a few twinges in my knee. Still, it felt a whole lot closer to normal than it did last week before I went to see the orthopedist. The knee was a little stiff when I woke up this morning but as I sit here, it’s feeling pretty good.
By the time I got home, though, my dogs were barking. I had developed some serious hotspots on both arches, just behind the balls of my feet. Neither one raised a blister (yet) but I definitely have some footwear issues to sort out.

After suffering about three months of increasing post-run pain in my left knee, I finally made it to the orthopedist this week. He diagnosed me with an inflamed medial plica – annoying, but less serious than some other potential problems that exhibit similar symptoms, such as patellofemoral syndrome.

Continue reading →