Dear Carol,
Hey....I have a problem..lately I have been having knee problems and I went to a doctor. He told me it was Osgood-Schlatter Disease. I have been icing andtaking Motrin. The last two weeks it had hurt more than ever. I have taken days off but it doesn't help. Yesterday in my race..I had to stop in the middle because I felt it twinge and I felt the pressure. I was afraid to keep racing and have it hurt even worse like it had before. It's the right knee. I am 13. I have to stop training for about 2-3 weeks now and I am mad. I have association JO meets in 3 or 4 weeks and I really want to qualifly, but without training for the next few weeks.I'm afraid I won't be able to. I am scared. I have been working for this for along time. How can I cross train and still make it? Please help me!!! I really want to go to JO and I want to run again. What should I be doing to help???

Dear Sandy,
I'm not a doctor, but I have read a bit about Osgood-Schlatter Disease. Here is a link that will probably reinforce what your doctor has told you.

Osgood-Schlatter Disease

Now, this is the tough part. You need to be patient, let your knee heal, take care of it, then later on strengthen your muscles, and put your competing on a 'back-burner' while you go through this process. Most runners will KNOW how tough this is, for many of us have experienced injuries (this 'growing' disease acts like an injury) at very inopportune times.

Your knee will heal and if you are patient you will run better than ever after, but you'll need to start again with shorter distances and easy running. I understand that you are disappointed. These things happen to many people at one time or another.

They say the sign of an elite athlete, is that they 'listen to their body' and will not race if they may be injured. They have important long term goals and will not jeopardize those goals, but most of us think about now instead of doing the best thing for our bodies, but then after a while it catches up with us.

Good luck. Take care of your knee. Be patient. Find some other things to do for a bit. You should be able to swim and pool run, do some easy running, or bike riding when your doctor gives you the okay. There's no 'quick-fix', Let your body heal and be proud that you have lots of desire to run.

Let me know how things go.

Taking care of an injury takes a lot of patience and time. Let us know how you worked through your injury!

Feel free to email the kid's editor at carol.kids@rodale.com.