Pain under or around the kneecap that gets worse going downstairs is classic runner's knee. The fix is rarely the knee itself — it's the hips, quads, and how you load the joint.
The 3-week rebuild
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- Week 1: Cut volume 50%. Daily hip abduction work (clamshells, monster walks).
- Week 2: Add single-leg squats to comfortable depth.
- Week 3: Reintroduce strides on flat terrain, build mileage back at +10%/week.
Stridely tracks the daily signals behind this issue — readiness, sleep, stress, pain — so you catch it before it derails your season.
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