After returning from New York in May I went for a couple of runs, but very quickly my knees were unbearably sore. I haven’t run since, but I’ve been investigating why. What I’ve found out is this:

1. My previous running shoes were wrong for me. They didn’t have sufficient support given the shape of my foot, and didn’t have any in-built cushioning to correct the way my feet pronate.
2. My skeleton was out of alignment, with both my pelvis being crooked and discs in my back out of place. I’ve seen an osteopath twice in the last three weeks, and have been made straight again.
3. Apparently after a long flight (eg, 20 hours in the air from New York to New Zealand) there is additional fluid taken on by the body. When I ran after coming back, my knee joints had additional fluid therein. Hence the pain at that particular time.

Well #2 has been resolved, my knees don’t hurt anymore (#3), and today I purchased new running shoes after taking expert advice from two running specialty shops. At both shops the salesperson looked at my pronation style, the shape of my foot, and both independently recommended exactly the same shoes. I was stunned … but it sure made the purchasing decision easy!

Anyhoo, once it stops raining down here, I’ll start the process of running again (ie, slowly, and build up). I’m looking forward to it.