THE AIRTEL DELHI HALF MARATHON

Hello,

15 days ago I started preparing for the New Delhi Half Marathon.
I scrolled the net to get some idea on how to prepare and came across a wonderful training chart for novices at http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/novice.htm.

I have since followed it religiously and done 19 kms for the past two weeks with a six km run on Saturdays ending the weeks.

After the first week I developed some pain around my knees. Earlier I had developed similar pain when walking downhill from Vaishno Devi and had concluded that it was because of my excessive walking. The pain, while doing the Vaishno Devi trip, generally started after I had completed the uphill climb of 13 Kms and was on my way down. As I never had this pain while walking or playing cricket I associated the pain with something to do with the pressure I put on my knees when coming down.

When the pain in the knees threatened to disrupt my plans in the first week itself I decided to seek help. As always I trusted the net and came up with detailed description on symptoms, causes and came up with this on http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/knee-pain/DS00555/DSECTION=symptoms

Chondromalacia of the patella, or patellofemoral pain.
This is a general term that refers to pain arising between your patella and the underlying thighbone (femur). It's common in young adults, especially those who have a slight misalignment of the kneecap; in athletes; and in older adults, who usually develop the condition as a result of arthritis of the kneecap. Chondromalacia of the patella causes:

Pain and tenderness in the front of your knee that's worse when you sit for long periods, when you get up from a chair, and when you climb or descend stairs.
A grating or grinding sensation may be present when you extend your knee.
When to see a doctor
If you have new knee pain that isn't severe or disabling, a good rule of thumb is to try treating it yourself first. This includes resting, icing and elevating the affected knee, and sometimes using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce pain and inflammation. If you don't notice any improvement in three to seven days, see your doctor or a specialist in sports medicine or orthopedics.
Some types of knee pain require more immediate medical care. Call your doctor if you:
Can't bear weight on your knee
Have marked knee swelling
See an obvious deformity in your leg or knee
Have worrisome pain
Have a fever, in addition to redness, pain and swelling in your knee, which may indicate an infection

As i had none of the above serious symptoms I started treaing myself.
I started rehabilitation exercises. These specific exercises help in strengthening the muscles that support your knees and control limb alignment, such as your quadriceps, hamstrings and the muscles around your hips (especially the hip abductors). The details I once again got at the halhigdon site on the half marathon and I was happy to know that it is not serious. http://www.halhigdon.com/15Ktraining/Stretch.htm gives details of the exercises that stengthen your muscles.
After doing the stretches for a couple of days I found that I no longer have the pain around the knees. As recommended I also purchased knee caps to support the knee but I think I need to purchase something better, this one is cheap and most prabably will start slipping off after using it a few times. I have still not started the icing part but will do that as well.

After I ran 5 kms on two consecutive days I have developed some pain on the sides of the calf muscle. I will once again take a look in the internet for a solution. Meanwhile I ran 6 Kms today with the slight ningling pain but was able to complete the run.

When I started I had thought I will not have the lung power to run the distances. Now, after two weeks my ideas are changing. I now believe I will not be breathless over even longer distances but need to take care of my legs.

Best regards,
Manoj