Okay folks. It’s happening. I feel like I’m finally having my “ohmygoshican’trun!??!” breakdown. I have worked hard to maintain a positive attitude and a cheery disposition on my ‘vacation’ from running over the past 2 months – see I’m even using positive words like ‘vacation’ to fool myself into thinking this is a happy time. Well this week I have really hit rock bottom. I stare longingly at runners at times. Other times I glare angrily at them as they joyfully jog along, smirking at me as I either a) walk slowly in my fitness gear or b) look out my car window. Okay so maybe they aren’t smirking at me – but seriously, they might as well be…
Signs you may not be dealing with a lack of running well (aka Runner’s Knee Negative Attitude, RKNA):
- Angry or jealous thoughts regarding anything running related. Runners included.
- Turning to food to deal with the frustration. Nope I didn’t have half a box of girl scout cookies this morning. Or several scoops of peanut butter straight up instead of a breakfast. Not at all.
- Angry thoughts targeted toward the injury. Frankly I’m just really mad at my knees right now.
- Sense of hopelessness. No, but seriously, sometimes I feel a little lost without running.
- Feeling depressed (not the clinical kind – just the meh this sucks kind). Running helps me to stay cheery. Not running isn’t good for my attitude.
- Feeling like you “aren’t a runner.” Yeah I used to be one of those…
- Not eating well or hydrating enough because after all “I’m not training and it doesn’t matter”

I don’t even remember what this is… a pull-up bar? a push-up bar? Was there even a time when I could do pull-ups? (okay, maybe I’m being a little dramatic)

Absolutely I’ve used my new yoga block. I just prefer to use it with the packaging still on. Helps me feel more yogi.
As of this week I am officially displaying all signs of Runner’s Knee Negative Attitude. A non-life threatening issue that can wreak havoc on your attitude, outlook, and disposition. It can have ramifications on your social life, loved ones, and anyone in your path. Proceed with caution. Now that I have been (self) diagnosed, I feel more prepared in coming to terms with my condition. Over the past couple weeks I have done some things well in dealing with the condition, but I’ve also bombed majorly in other aspects. Now that I’m in this sad, pathetic position I’m realizing there were some crucial steps I could’ve taken to avoid this unpleasant condition.
Bottom line: It all comes down to maintaining fitness and staying active.
For me, the double whammy is not being able to run, but also slowly moving backward fitness-wise. Major bummer. These are the steps I wish I would’ve taken when I first got diagnosed.
1. Stop. Okay, so you’re freshly diagnosed with an injury. Hooray, right? The most important thing to do: stop using it. I cut way back on my running, but I should’ve stopped entirely and switched to another form of fitness.
2. Find another outlet. This is my number one mistake. Instead of researching a pool for swimming or taking my bike into a shop to get fixed, I just stewed and swirled. For the first few weeks I did well with my workout DVDs. But I know myself, and replacing running with a cardio activity like swimming or biking would help simulate the theurapuetic benefits that running accomplishes. The repetition is calming and I should’ve stinking made the effort and committed to a new activity for a couple months. This would’ve helped tremendously.
3. DO YOUR EXERCISES! A big one. Again – for the first few months I was diligent. But as time passed and I didn’t “see” improvement I got discouraged. Well here’s the thing folks – normally recovery isn’t instant and it will take some time for those exercises to provide benefit. Stay diligent and eventually there will be a payoff.
4. Maintain a healthy diet. I have been doing about a B on this one, but eating balanced meals more regularly would’ve significantly helped. Now I feel a little out of sorts without running and not eating as cleanly as I could be. You are what you eat. Now that I’ve been eating more processed/sweet things I can feel it. And I don’t like it.
Recovery is possible.
I truly believe that my RKNA is a direct result of not doing the above. Instead I have let myself get a little bit soft, a little bit lazy, and allowed myself to pout just a little too much.
The biggest secret? Stay active. Do whatever you can to maintain fitness and stay active… you won’t be sorry if you do! Here are some ideas on how to maintain fitness when you can’t run regularly. I wish that I had done a better job overall.
- Walk. Lace up those shoes, listen to music and go on nice walks. They are relaxing and get you outside, moving, and active.
- Swim. See above – but seriously I should’ve made this happen.
- Bike. Again, see above. Biking is a nice lower impact way to be active and outdoors.
- Join a gym. If you can use the elliptical and don’t own one, consider joining a gym or Y. Generally these facilities have equipment that can be used with Runner’s Knee or other injuries.
- Complete an at-home DVD program like P90X or ChaLean Extreme – one that is more focused on lifting. I’m starting ChaLean next week and I CANT WAIT. I think getting back into the swing of a program will really help. Be careful not to choose something high impact that could cause more injury (in my case, Insanity).
Now that I know what I should’ve done, I’m trying to work on my attitude to try and turn this ship around! I start ChaLean Extreme next week, which should be a big help. I’m also going to research both joining a gym with a pool, and getting my bike fixed. They may be out of my price range, but it’s at least worth taking a look! August 5th is my start date with my first foray back to running. It’s just 2 weeks away and will be an indicator of whether or not a fall race is happening this year. Let the countdown begin!
-Kelly
What activities have you done when you couldn’t run? How have you dealt with injuries? Have you ever experienced Runner’s Knee Negative Attitude?