I have been doing for the last six-seven months on and off, walkovers, handsprings and the easier stuff and some jumps. I have put weight on the leg enough I play basketball, box and run a few miles everyday so I know it can take a bit of damage, but oftenly it becomes really irrated or hurts if I land on it wrong from something simple as just walking. Right now I still have a rod in my leg and I wear ankle- leg-brace whenever it begins to iritate.

One of the reasons I asked is from a few months ago I tried to do something a bit more difficult that was still on ground a spinning cartwheel and I twisted pretty badly. I think its stronger now but I want to go back to doing aerials and backflips, does anyone know what kind of precaussions I should use, stretches, protections. I have mats already from flippinig in the boxing ring.

I started running about 3 years ago for school. I played basketball before that but during one game I landed hard on my knee. It was just bruised but later during track I began to experience pain in that knee. My coaches have always told me that I have potential but they only put me in one race.. the 800. I didn’t have to sit out that season but I could’ve performed better if it wasn’t because of my knee.

Well I moved and continued running in 8th grade. I wasn’t good enough for the coach so he only ran me in like one meet and i did horrible. (He had me sprint when I run distance) so that season ended and I really didn’t improve because I wasn’t really motivated.. I was just that random girl on the team. After track one of the coaches saw something in me and kept egging me on to join cross country saying that I could be an amazing runner because I had so much potential. I joined late that season and only ran 3 races but had to drop out of one because my ankle slid against a rock and it twisted.

Finally the most recent season.. I started off as a sprinter again and I pretty much sucked. All the other girls were better than me, even the new ones that had never ran. Tired of all of it, I asked the coach one day during the meet if I could run the 800 instead of the 400. she said yes and asked if I would like to do distance.. so I said yes.

Well, during spring break my knee had been bothering me so I wore a brace to practice and the coach had me run with the sprinters that day because he didnt want me on the roads until I had it checked out. It wasn’t anything serious so i started running, but secretly my knee was still bothering me.. I just didnt want to have to sit out again. A few weeks later we had a meet where basically the underdogs got their time to shine. I was in the mile and I ran my first mile in 6:30 (I’m 15). I felt really good but deep down I didnt think that was a good time.. after that I had a severe pinching pain in my knee but I still had the 4×4 relay. well we didnt end up running that so we went home.

The next day my coach noticed me limping and told me to sit out. So I sat out for the rest of the season… Running is my passion. I want to run in the Olympics someday and my coaches always tell me that I am such a hard worker and they wish they had more runners like me and I have so much freakin potential.. potential.. they always say that.. but they never tell me that I’m good.. or that I’m goin somewhere someday. Yeah I get a few good jobs here and there but thats what the team does, they tell you good job even if you sucked.

Well I have never.. EVER thought about giving up on my dream but the other day I was just like.. ‘screw it.. I’m not gonna make it.. I’m not good enough, my knees are holding me back.. I just need to stop running for good".. and trust me I never give up on stuff.. but… ugh.. I just don’t really have any support.. Even my family members say that I need to stop before I hurt myself anymore and become crippled..

What should I do.. I.. argh.. Just any opinions would be great.

Thanks.
I do take physical therapy and I haven’t ran in 3 months. I’ve been icing, stretching, eating even healthier foods, I’ve taken up yoga, and I rest it.. but if it’s not one knee.. it’s the other.