To think I could run a marathon with a torn meniscus

I was on the Mall today reuniting runners with their bags. There were plenty who were not sub 4 hour runners who had a run walk strategy that got them round in 5 hrs 30 - they were just as happy (if not more so) than the sub 3.30 guys.

I’m watching the marathon runner and just say I cracked a smile thinking about this thread!

I wish that worked for me - I was so hopeful. Mine is a different injury though - no cartilage left in my knee so 2 bones rubbing together 🤢.

I am 45 and getting a knee replacement this year as I cannot stand the pain, I am sometimes in tears and unable to speak. Due to asthma all I can take is codeine and paracetamol.

Be careful OP, once your knees are fucked, so are you.

🤣🤣🤣🤣

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

fair enough then. Just no.
You won’t even manage the training.

Wait til your body has healed and then think about a slow 6 month programme to your first marathon.
Good luck! 🤞

"5k, three times a week" before the injury.

Both DH and myself run or have run marathons. The answer is no. You can do it after you’ve recovered, DH tore his meniscus and damaged his ACL (or maybe PCL, it’s not my knee I can’t remember!) and it’s never been an issue with running. He had an op to sort it and the tear was pretty bad.

Training for a marathon is a big undertaking.

As for your shoes if you’re going to spend money on anything for running it’s the shoes.

It’s like a character from a comedy show!

You may be a little shocked to learn that the only experience the OP has of Marathons was after they'd been renamed Snickers. Hence the Primark trainers, buying a new pair of shoes online instead of having gait analysis and orthotics made and the aggressive belief that with a nasty knee injury and pain that she'll be able to run 26.2 miles because she's done a handful of 5ks and experienced more pain afterwards.

What marathons have you run before? Have they been flats. I’m just wondering about after healing time as gradient and terrain will matter.
I broke my foot over a year ago and I still can’t get over 5k without significant pain and I dread to think how much worse a knee injury is. I couldn’t contemplate a marathon even from a training perspective (as you’ll probably be running 60 miles plus a week) and I’ve run dozens. So much depends on how seasoned your body is for the distance and your knowledge of your body. I finished an ultra with breakages and adrenalin got me through for instance.

Running in unsuitable shoes can cause a ‘slow’ meniscus tear, yes. If the shoes don’t provide enough support or stability, the foot turns and the knee kind of compensates to right itself on every step.

You have a torn meniscus, the furthest you’ve ever run in your life is 7K, and you’ve been running in £10 Primark shoes.

What you need to focus on is rehab for the meniscus and building up to a point where it’s safe to run at all, not deciding to train for a fucking marathon.

Oh sure you go right ahead 🥳🥳🥳

I also want to do one and was going to until I pulled out because of niggles before I even started training.

Thanks to a sprained ankle I'm now back at square one which is a good thing even if it feels a bit shit.

My aim is to spend the next year building up the distance slowly. Right now I'm on C25K, once I'm comfortable with a 5K I'll build up to 10K then a half marathon. I want my base level to be comfortable and niggle free with a weekly 2ish hour run before I even think about entering a marathon.

I've no idea about your injury but I would seek proper advice about running and see if you are able to slowly build up. If not next year then the year after.

Definitely get your gait analysed and pick the shoe that suits you. I've had several pairs and not massively keen on many of them in terms of aesthetics but that has to come second.

Also don't forget strength training which is also hugely important for runners.

Ultimately it depends what the professionals say, if they say never run then it's not a good idea but if they say build up then go for it (slowly!!)

Running is the worst thing to do to your body! Especially your knees! Carry on and you will be permanently disabled very soon!

Spot on user name @alittlebitdelusional

Steroid injections can have very varied outcomes.Treatment regimes can have very different affects on people as well. I’m under the physio currently, different issue but have responded very well to treatment. With physio it’s all about persistence and patience.

Can I possibly ask what kind of strength and training work you did please?

Once there is an injury like this, it's incredibly easy to bugger it more just by turning a little quickly at normal walking pace, when the ground is perfectly flat and even, being fully refreshed and feeling great, picking up a sock from the floor or coming down the stairs carrying a couple of towels to put into the washing machine, never mind when you're tired, on uneven ground, wet grass, a bit of ice, a damp leaf or halfway up a muddy hill somewhere between Ditchling and Haywards Heath.

If it's a suspected tear and you've not had an MRI yet then it might be worth avoiding running until you've got the results from the scan.

I had a meniscus tear 18 months ago. Before the MRI physio was super positive and encouraging me to push myself with exercise to support recovery. Physio back tracked on that as soon as we had the MRI results. I had surgery end of last year and surgeon advised me never to run again to protect my knee for as long as possible.

So have a think about being out for years. I carried on and ignored my injury and ended up being unable to compete for two years. Don’t be stupid.

Is it likely you’ve injured yourself as you’re running in rubbish trainers?

Ha. This was me. I strapped it up and ran a half marathon.
Turned out it wasn’t just a torn meniscus but a stress fracture of the tibia and a dislocated knee cap. I’ve been out of running for 4 months, just had surgery, and it will be 3-6 months before I run again. And the pain got to the point where painkiller weren’t touching it, and i couldn’t sleep.
Don’t be like me. Rest and wait the results of the scan.

Perhaps just walk for the meantime. You’re young. You could have decades ahead of you running. You’re best to wait to hear what the professionals say and avoid further injury.