Jeff,
Yea, coming down hills isn’t the easiest thing. However, so far it seems easier on my joints than going from a full sprint to a stop then turning around and going the other direction, which is what soccer officiating does. Plus, I don’t have the speed to keep up with the youngsters anymore!
Interestingly enough, it’s not the knees that have given me problems. It’s my ankles and plantar fasciitis due to all the sprinting. I’ve learned how to effectively treat both (ice stretching, etc.) The biggest thing I’ve learned over the years is: Take care of your feet, and they will take care of you. I used to worry about spending money on shoes, insole inserts, etc. Now if I’m going to spend on anything, it’s to make my feet comfortable.
I have some budget trekking poles that I used on the Mt. Wilson hike. It made a world of difference. We have a family trip to Lassen coming up this summer, so I think I’m going to invest in some better ones before that trip.
Thanks!
James