Running, how to get started

[laxbaby05]

This may sound complicated I hope not. Well I have a bum knee that no doctor can figure out what the hell is wrong with it. They tell me that its all good and I can play on it, and it ended my high school career on a sour note. This year I wanted to play lacrosse, but when I started training, well my knee kind of did a pop lock thing and made matters worse, so I never tried out...I'm in physical therapy for this now, and feel as though I'm not being tested my limits and I'm beginning to think that their slowing me down.


I need to build up speed and lots of it. I'm in pretty good shape, but I want to be able to do sprints and suicides like nothing. I have pretty high stamina the only thing is well, I'm not that good of a sprinter. I want to try and aim for middie because well my coaches all put me as a middie, as slow as I was, because I also have a lot of attack/defence skills, but now that I'm in college, with my speed, I may be put back onto defence like I started out, which isn't bad, but I prefer to run down field with the ball instead of passing it off every chance I get.

Any suggestions...hopefully that will work fast also...I have a physical therapy test coming up for my running ability, and I would just love to just show them that its not going to put me down and my knee can do more than what their doing...it may sound that I'm not taking it easy, but in reality, I just want to play and well yeah get their permission that its ok for me to go play finally.

[IronmanMid30]

My suggestion as a person going into the Athletic Trainer field, go to a doctor ASAP (orthopedic), get a clearance for an MRI on your knees if you havent already had one. If you get it and they figure out the problem, work from there. If they really cant see the problem its probley a stability issue which can be fixed by adding strength to the quads, which can lead to more explosive speed. IE: Squats, Deadlift, Leg press (Take it EASY while doing weight lifting, dont go out there and do 500lb squats or anything, take it slow and steady and progress if your therepy lets you, and only if they say its ok), so on and so forth. Work both sides of the quads, front and back, this will help a ton in adding stability (i did this when i had a meniscus injury and my trainer told me right away to strengthen the quad so it would keep my knees stable).

If its not a stability problem i really dont know, talk to a personal trainer, your college trainer, doctors, coaches, other players. Just get as much info as you can about adding strength to your legs so you can maintain the position on the field that you want. :) Goodluck and have fun

[MUHS #30]

Whenever you do figure out what is wrong with it, fix it. The worst thing you can do is screw it up even more with out even knowing it. I played a season of Football on my knee and while i didn't feel it get worse, it kinda did.
My bits of advice:
Hit the bike. If you can't run or it just feels crappy, just hit the bike to get things back in order.
Second, when you are out doing stuff, don't overwork it. You'll just screw it up even more.

Good luck man, hope it gets better

[powell22lax]

I went to physical therapy cause my knees were the same. I could walk fine. But when i went to run... gone. Turned out i had oshgoodslaughters disease. But the best thing that coulda happened was physical therapy. Got my mile down. Learned how to run rihgt. Now i can do 6 min miles and before i was only doign 8 min. Im telling you listen to what they say they are the best thing for athletes or find an athletic one and get a brace and everything. Seriouly take it slow and youll be good. If you think you can do it, good for you. But would you rather be able to run fast now and then get hurt again or take it slow then explode out of physical therapy and become lightning fast? Seriously its eiether run kinda fast now for a little while, or keep working out , go to physcial therapy and be ready to kick some butt when you are done and be in the best shape of your life.

[laxbaby05]

Well see I have a pretty fast mile, I always did without the Physical therapy, its just afterwards, my knee is always screwing up and I end up limping off the field...I've been through a whole lot of tests, and nothin ever turns up. And I even had a sports orthopedic say i was good to play and the only thing they can do is give a shot to ease the pain...

What I'm more concerned about now, since I supposively don't have a problem with my knee, just a lotof pain, is just trying to work up on my agility. I can run long distance,but I want to be more speed than anything, any ideas?

[MUHS #30]

I dk, maybe run the agility ladder slowly at first, then work it up. Just go slow

[laxbaby05]

Ok this might sound a bit...well sad...whats the dot drill???

[MUHS #30]

5 dots set up like a 5 on a domino. Then you can do it in a number of variations, but start on the middle dot, then jump to the dots and back to the middle. You can work out different patterns and such. At least this is the dot drill that i learned

[laxbaby05]

ah ok thanks bud

[Mista Hollywood]

try getting in like a parking lot and roll a ball in front of you and sprint after it

[RIT37FO]

you put one foot infront of the other than repeat. then speed it up

and there you go








sorry had to do it.