Princess Half and Knee Pain... need advice from experienced runners!!

Angeliki19

DIS Veteran
Joined
Apr 3, 2011
Hi all! I am signed up for the princess half.. my first runDisney event EVER and my first half marathon! I have planned this for 2 years and of course, I over did the training I guess two weeks ago and started having debilitating knee pain. :sad: I have been seeing a sports chiropractor and he diagnosed it as "runner's knee" and said there is no structural damage, so that's good. Basically nothing hurts except walking and running... I can lunge, squat etc. with no pain at all. He advised me to not try and run on it at all until race day and has been doing deep tissue massages on my IT band every few days. I asked him about wearing a brace but he said its too late in the game for me to try and run with something new that I am not used to. He thinks my best bet is to try and just run the race as best I can, with the shoes I am used to and not doing anything crazy different. He said after the race I can try a more corrective shoe (for overpronating) and get used to it slowly.

Although he said he feels like I can run on it, I am not as hopeful. It hurts slightly just walking still so I am scared to try and run on it. If the race was just a 5K maybe... but 13.1 miles seems like a long time to be running through pain. If I could defer my registration I would probably consider that, but I know that Disney doesn't do that anymore.

So I guess my questions are:

1) Would you even attempt the run? What happens if I get "swept"? I don't know what that really entails. I am considering just throwing in the towel and enjoying my weekend in Disney without worrying about getting up early, watching what I eat/drink etc. However the other side of me is wondering if I will always regret not trying and wonder if I could have done it. Maybe I should just show up race day and see what happens and just accept that I might get swept and not finish?
2) Does anyone have any other advice for knee pain? Should I get a brace or tape it, considering I won't have time to "practice" anything new at this point?

I am so bummed out... this has been a really tough year for me as I got divorced and I had to make a lot of sacrifices to make this trip still happen. My kids and I will be down there for 10 days so my trip certainly won't be ruined if I can't do the race.... but it is so hard to give up on something you have dreamed about for 2 years. I am in good physical shape and besides this knee pain know I would have no problem finishing, so its just so frustrating. Any words of advice or encouragement would be appreciated as I feel so conflicted on what to do! Thanks!!!
 
I think it may be worth it to try it if this is something you have been dreaming about so long. If you get swept, you get swept.

But either way it seems that you are either going to be saddled with physical pain or emotional.
 
I'd give it a shot and see what happens. Definitely walk as much as you can since it sounds like that hurts less than running. I'd also wear a knee wrap (one of the neoprene compression ones, not a full brace) to give your knee some support during the race. I know, nothing new on race day, but you're already running the risk of getting swept as it is by competing with severe knee pain. If you do get swept, it's not the end of the world. They'll put you on a bus, take you to the finish area, give you a medal if you want
 
If it is the IT band, go to a running store or order online an IT band strap. It straps about three inches above the knee. I’ve tried a couple of brands and like the Pro-Tec band. I know several other runners as well as my self who have tried it and it works wonders. I can’t promise it works on everyone but I couldn’t run more than two miles at one point, got the strap, and then ran a pain free half about two weeks later. It worked instantly for me. It is worth a shot and will only cost you about $20. There are a lot of YouTube vids about them. I hope it works wonders for you like it did for me a while back.
 


"Runner's knee" is pretty vague, and any advice on what to do or not do really depends on what your issue truly is. I have run a Disney half with IT band issues and it was not pretty. The race hurt like hell, and the recovery time after the race was longer than if I had just let it heal and not raced. Running with IT band issues can make you change your running stride and can lead to other issues (although over the course of one race-who knows) If that is truly your issue, and you are okay with walking an entire race, and the discomfort is modest, then I would say line up at the start and do what feels okay--but quit if it becomes too painful. But you have to ask yourself "What comes after the race?" Will any increased pain afterwards affect your ability to enjoy your vacation? What's your plan for returning to running later--any future races to consider?
 
If you are determined to still run it, you may want to do a very short Galloway interval of :15 seconds run / :30 walk. I have crepitus and my doctor recommended I run with a compression knee sleeve. I got an ugly white one for a few bucks from CVS but it works and it wasn't too radical for me to run a race with it without "breaking it in" first. I've also used physio tape for knee / IT band support. Obviously I'm not your doctor and am only telling you what I did. You are also given a 16 minute /mile pace and can probably walk it, but keep in mind even if you're walking 13.1 miles is VERY far and can do a lot of damage.
 
If it is the IT band, go to a running store or order online an IT band strap. It straps about three inches above the knee. I’ve tried a couple of brands and like the Pro-Tec band. I know several other runners as well as my self who have tried it and it works wonders. I can’t promise it works on everyone but I couldn’t run more than two miles at one point, got the strap, and then ran a pain free half about two weeks later. It worked instantly for me. It is worth a shot and will only cost you about $20. There are a lot of YouTube vids about them. I hope it works wonders for you like it did for me a while back.

That's amazing! I'm so glad it worked well for you. I am not sure if it is the IT band to be honest. That's what the chiro thinks because the pain is on the side of my knee and he can feel a lot of tension in my quad. But looking at diagrams online, I don't know that the pain is exactly where the IT band pain would be. Its more like on the side of my kneecap, not near the round bone thing. I last tried to run on Friday and I made it about 8 mins mostly pain free and then it came on very strong and quick and I really couldn't run at that point without limping. It's like a sharp shooting pain that goes up the back of my leg almost. Even walking was painful. But shortly after stopping the pain was gone and I could walk normally again. So I don't know.


"Runner's knee" is pretty vague, and any advice on what to do or not do really depends on what your issue truly is. I have run a Disney half with IT band issues and it was not pretty. The race hurt like hell, and the recovery time after the race was longer than if I had just let it heal and not raced. Running with IT band issues can make you change your running stride and can lead to other issues (although over the course of one race-who knows) If that is truly your issue, and you are okay with walking an entire race, and the discomfort is modest, then I would say line up at the start and do what feels okay--but quit if it becomes too painful. But you have to ask yourself "What comes after the race?" Will any increased pain afterwards affect your ability to enjoy your vacation? What's your plan for returning to running later--any future races to consider?

Yeah this is what I worry about too. Is finishing the race going to screw the whole trip up or even worse, sideline me from running for even longer. I already miss just doing my daily workouts and want to be better as soon as possible. There's a 5K i would like to do in May.. not planning any longer races anytime soon!!
 


If you are determined to still run it, you may want to do a very short Galloway interval of :15 seconds run / :30 walk. I have crepitus and my doctor recommended I run with a compression knee sleeve. I got an ugly white one for a few bucks from CVS but it works and it wasn't too radical for me to run a race with it without "breaking it in" first. I've also used physio tape for knee / IT band support. Obviously I'm not your doctor and am only telling you what I did. You are also given a 16 minute /mile pace and can probably walk it, but keep in mind even if you're walking 13.1 miles is VERY far and can do a lot of damage.
Yeah I have been training with 3 min run, 1 min walk, which is what my running partners want to do on race day. But like you said, even if I walk the whole thing, that's still a whole lot of repetitive motion to consider. Ugh! I just feel like there is no way to know for sure since I am completely resting until that day. I am praying for a miracle that after a whole week of rest it calms down and I am back to normal but I don't feel very hopeful...
 
If the pain is not something you can stand to run on at all, then skip it. Well, don’t “skip it” as throwing in plyometrics in on race day certainly will make it hurt, so just don’t do it. The races will be there for another trip. Think of all the extra time you will have with your kidderinos.

My previous short line of advice comes from me having played through the pain of torn MCL/Meniscus for the duration of 9th grade football. It sucks, but women have a higher pain tolerance than guys do, and I don’t really know where I am going with this, so I am going to shut up now.
 
I had a similar issue that happened shortly before my second marathon at Disney. Mine was definitely IT pain, so I rolled my IT band and rested it. I also used one of those IT bands and it helped some. I would go ahead and roll and stretch your IT band even if you aren't sure that's what it is. It won't hurt anything and might help. I also (on the advice of my doctor) took high doses of NSAIDS (naproxin specifically). Like really high. I would never have done that on my own, but on my doctor's advice I did it. She assured me that those high doses as long as I didn't do them long term would not have serious side effects. She wrote me a prescription so I didn't have to take as many tablets. Ultimately the couple of weeks rest and the other things I did left the knee in much better shape. I worried starting out that day that I might not finish, but while the knee gave me some pain during later miles of the race, it was very manageable and I finished the race fine.

I'd echo @FFigawi and plan to start the race. If the pain is really intense early on, then let the sweepers pick you up.
 
I'd echo others. I'd plan to start the race but willing to stop if the pain get's bad. I might try and go to the Expo on Friday or Saturday and get the knee KT taped by someone that knows what they're doing (at the KT booth) . If you can point out where you have pain they can potentially tape explicitly for that. If you aren't doing damage some Biofreeze might make it a little more bearable. They will be giving it out at the med tents.
 
I had a similar issue that happened shortly before my second marathon at Disney. Mine was definitely IT pain, so I rolled my IT band and rested it. I also used one of those IT bands and it helped some. I would go ahead and roll and stretch your IT band even if you aren't sure that's what it is. It won't hurt anything and might help. I also (on the advice of my doctor) took high doses of NSAIDS (naproxin specifically). Like really high. I would never have done that on my own, but on my doctor's advice I did it. She assured me that those high doses as long as I didn't do them long term would not have serious side effects. She wrote me a prescription so I didn't have to take as many tablets. Ultimately the couple of weeks rest and the other things I did left the knee in much better shape. I worried starting out that day that I might not finish, but while the knee gave me some pain during later miles of the race, it was very manageable and I finished the race fine.

I'd echo @FFigawi and plan to start the race. If the pain is really intense early on, then let the sweepers pick you up.
That's very encouraging! I am glad it worked out for you. I ordered an IT band as a PP recommended above. As far as the naproxen goes... did you take it leading up to the race or just on race day? I have been taking Advil here and there just to reduce any inflammation but I read that it can be really bad to take NSAIDs the day of the race... my chiro said that I can absolutely run on this as long as I can bear the pain so I am not too worried about further injuring myself.. I just want to manage the pain so I can hopefully finish! I am planning on doing a run/walk anyway... this was never about a PR or anything for us... it was more about the experience. So I just want to get through it!
 
That's very encouraging! I am glad it worked out for you. I ordered an IT band as a PP recommended above. As far as the naproxen goes... did you take it leading up to the race or just on race day? I have been taking Advil here and there just to reduce any inflammation but I read that it can be really bad to take NSAIDs the day of the race... my chiro said that I can absolutely run on this as long as I can bear the pain so I am not too worried about further injuring myself.. I just want to manage the pain so I can hopefully finish! I am planning on doing a run/walk anyway... this was never about a PR or anything for us... it was more about the experience. So I just want to get through it!

I took it leading up to race day. I think I had some on me in case I wanted to risk taking it during the run to finish, but it's not a smart idea to take NSAIDS during a race. Hard on the kidneys as I understand it. I was surprised and relieved by how much it had improved from just a couple of weeks off. I'd suggest not just taking the Advil here and there, but rather consistently leading up to the race, but you should really run that past a doctor first.
 
Ok thanks for the clarification. I am going to switch over to naproxen and take it consistently up until race day, but avoid it for the race because as you mentioned, i don't want to risk any kidney damage!

One more question- while I am waiting for my IT band to arrive, I borrowed a regular compression knee sleeve from my neighbor and that has been helping more than I thought. I feel like it might be mental, but it just feels better to have my knee secured a little and some counter-pressure. Do you think I can wear both this and the IT band?
 
If your doctor says you can do it, and you’re willing to attempt it, I’d probably show up and at least start it if I was in your position. I’d hate to not try and then wonder if I could’ve done it. I’ve never done a half marathon though, so I can’t speak for certain on whether it is too much to handle.

Last year I signed up for the 10K, and I was coming off an ankle injury. I had been going to PT and was doing okay, but walking through the parks aggravated it and I was in a lot of pain the day of the expo. I got taped at the expo at the Rock Tape booth (I don’t believe they’re going to be there this year, but KT Tape is). I had used regular medical tape (suggested by my orthopedist) before, but I didn’t have any with me and I was willing to give the rock tape a try. For me, the tape (as well as the excitement of the event) made a HUGE difference!

I’d listen to your doctor’s advice and listen to your body. Enjoy your trip, regardless of your decision!
 
Hello! I experienced the same thing as you 4 years ago, right before the Princess Half which was my first half ever. I knew going into the trip I was still going to tough out the race, as long as I finished. Then a couple days before I got the flu and hardly slept the night, but we were flying home right after the race (so many bad choices :P) and I just wanted to tough it out because I came ALL the way for this race! I did not want to disappoint my running partner either. So I went, and just kept telling myself one more mile one more mile. I ended up walking most of it but eventually I made it passed the to be swept line and knew I would finish! I don't regret doing that for one second even if it hurt like heck after wards and I had to relax on the running for awhile. I would have been so disappointed if I did not at least try. So anyway, a bit of a ramble, and no new technical advice but just wanted to say I would give it a try! If you feel you could walk a few miles, you at least crossed the start line and gave it a shot! Of course though always listen to your body first and if its a no go then its all good. Life happens :) I hope all goes well for you, all the best!
 
If your doctor says you can do it, and you’re willing to attempt it, I’d probably show up and at least start it if I was in your position. I’d hate to not try and then wonder if I could’ve done it. I’ve never done a half marathon though, so I can’t speak for certain on whether it is too much to handle.

Last year I signed up for the 10K, and I was coming off an ankle injury. I had been going to PT and was doing okay, but walking through the parks aggravated it and I was in a lot of pain the day of the expo. I got taped at the expo at the Rock Tape booth (I don’t believe they’re going to be there this year, but KT Tape is). I had used regular medical tape (suggested by my orthopedist) before, but I didn’t have any with me and I was willing to give the rock tape a try. For me, the tape (as well as the excitement of the event) made a HUGE difference!

I’d listen to your doctor’s advice and listen to your body. Enjoy your trip, regardless of your decision!

Hello! I experienced the same thing as you 4 years ago, right before the Princess Half which was my first half ever. I knew going into the trip I was still going to tough out the race, as long as I finished. Then a couple days before I got the flu and hardly slept the night, but we were flying home right after the race (so many bad choices :P) and I just wanted to tough it out because I came ALL the way for this race! I did not want to disappoint my running partner either. So I went, and just kept telling myself one more mile one more mile. I ended up walking most of it but eventually I made it passed the to be swept line and knew I would finish! I don't regret doing that for one second even if it hurt like heck after wards and I had to relax on the running for awhile. I would have been so disappointed if I did not at least try. So anyway, a bit of a ramble, and no new technical advice but just wanted to say I would give it a try! If you feel you could walk a few miles, you at least crossed the start line and gave it a shot! Of course though always listen to your body first and if its a no go then its all good. Life happens :) I hope all goes well for you, all the best!

Thank you both and I am so glad it worked out for you! Way to go!
 
If it is the IT band, go to a running store or order online an IT band strap. It straps about three inches above the knee. I’ve tried a couple of brands and like the Pro-Tec band. I know several other runners as well as my self who have tried it and it works wonders. I can’t promise it works on everyone but I couldn’t run more than two miles at one point, got the strap, and then ran a pain free half about two weeks later. It worked instantly for me. It is worth a shot and will only cost you about $20. There are a lot of YouTube vids about them. I hope it works wonders for you like it did for me a while back.
Hi! I got Pro-Tec band as you recommended.. it came today from Amazon. I have a question.. should I be wearing it around all day leading it up to the race or just on race day? Today is the first day I really feel like my knee has no pain just walking around my daily life. :banana: I still have 3 full days of resting ahead of me so I am hoping to keep improving. Do you think it would help to be wearing the band for a bit each day? Or really just when I go for the run?
 
Hi! I got Pro-Tec band as you recommended.. it came today from Amazon. I have a question.. should I be wearing it around all day leading it up to the race or just on race day? Today is the first day I really feel like my knee has no pain just walking around my daily life. :banana: I still have 3 full days of resting ahead of me so I am hoping to keep improving. Do you think it would help to be wearing the band for a bit each day? Or really just when I go for the run?
I just wore it each time I ran. However, I don’t think it would be an issue to wear it the rest of the time either. It may even help you get used to the feel of it since you don’t have much time with it before the race. I really hope it works out for you.
 
I experienced severe knee pain last year while training for Star Wars The Dark Side last April. After some foolish attempts to simply run through the pain, I realized I had to take time off. Honestly, I was pretty scared for a while that this pain would end my hopes of finishing the Star Wars races and my then budding dreams of running the marathon. But I also knew that the pain was too much.

I took about 3 weeks off, albeit at different times, like 2 weeks off, 1 week running, and then sickness sidelining me for another week. When I started back up about this time, I started slowly and never even worried about getting back to where I was before the pain began. I'm a slow runner to begin with, but that approach did the trick. I was able to train pain free and quickly learned the signs that indicated I needed to slow down. Whenever I noticed the initial signs of the knee pain coming back, I immediately slowed down to a pain free pace.

My thoughts. If you want to at least attempt the race, go for it. But start the race slowly and see how your body responds. Don't be afraid of walking most or all of the race. If you can walk the race relatively pain free and maintain the pace, you'll still cross that finish line. You may have to forego pictures on the course. But there will be plenty of time for those after the races in the parks. I would also advise any running partners that you will be going slow and will not be offended if they choose to go faster. Run your race. Even if that's a slower one.
 

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