Is it just me or does running on pavement fuck the knees up

[Santa_Claus]

I squat 3x a week but my knees hurt after running on the asphalt bike path


Is it because my shoes are bad or is it normal?

 

[pintoca]

I have the exact same feeling. I can run on the threadmill and have no problems. If i run on pavement, after 2 or 3 days I need to make a pause and rest for maybe a week before I feel my knees not giving up...

 

[calebdonnellyusmc]

How much do you weigh? if you're too heavy(I don't mean fat) , you're better off with a form of cardio that's low impact. The force of impact is, ofcourse going to be greater on pavement than on a dirt trail or such, so yes it happens to most people. A better shoe will help, it is common for worn shoes to cause knee problems if you run alot. You may also be more prone to knee pain because you're squating so often. I'd need to see how heavy you go on your squats, and your form, but 3x a week is alot.

 

[pintoca]

yep, I am 199lbs just now... so those are 200lbs going on my knees with every step... I now do mostly ellyptical for this reason...

 

[Synpax]

What is your goal (yikes, this is old)?

Nike makes shoes for folks like you (big runners) - they are called the Nike Shox TL 2. If you are neutral or nearly neutral, maybe try these out if you really enjoy running.

 

[thelion2005]

Toes and ball of foot can also be effected from running, marching and walking this way. If I had it to do over .... I'd been on the bike and dirt more.

Shoes do make a great difference. Try to find a runners club in your area with people over 50. Ask them about the shoes they've used to save their feet and knees. I see Nike is going "barefoot" with their latest offering.

 

[xshepx]

When I can track down a discounted gym membership (poor college kid) I will be hopping on the elliptical but I will always do some running. When I first started I was doing a "brisk walk" but now I am alternating laps running and walking. When I first started the running my shins and knees hurt BAD and I had to take 2 days off from running again. Even though the impact is bad for you, while I am still young I want my body to stay used to the impact of running so I will always run 1 or 2 laps a day. I plan on enjoying it while I can and cutting back when I hit my 30s or something. =)

 

[rnch]

all of the "pavement pounders" will be hurting when they get into their 40's and up......

 

[necr0potenc3]

truth be told, running on pavement fucks everyone, simply sux. it might be because of your shoes also. I run on grass-like area and I'm ok, my shoes are 2 years old

when I was fat (253lb or more), I used to have some knee pain, after I lost weight all that pain (and several others) disappeared

the ellyptical and bike are good choices for people with knee injuries. but if you want to check if it's really the pavement's fault, give some time from running (a week or so) and then start running on a grass area. see if it helps

about the squats, your squats SHOULD NOT cause knee pain! if they do, check your form

 

[RDJ]

1) Are you overweight? For running it does not matter if the weight is fat or muscle.
2) Do you have the correct shoes? (Shox for instance, like synpax said)
3) How's your running technique? Most of the shock can be absorbed just by correct placement of the foot.

And even then, the best surfaces for me are sand and (low) grass. Running in nature is also way more fun than running in the streets. Though I have no problems with running on asphalt. If I wear my non-running shoes even walking feels too hard on asphalt though so I guess shoes are very important.