I like to run, and I was doing so for awhile before it just got too hard on my knees. I have crappy knees anyway; they just tend to hurt. I also know that women's bodies are not really build for running and that the structure of our hips ends up putting a lot of strain on the knees.
That said, there are women who run, and I'm wondering if anyone knows of some strategies to make it possible for chicks to run without destroying essential bendy parts. Shoes? Particular stretches? What's the secret?
Eileen,
Age is a big part of how well you run. You didn't indicate your age, but you might want to consider that as a factor. Your body can only take high-impact and contact sports so long. Up to age 27-30, you can run practically any way you want and your body will bounce back on its own. After that, however, running increasingly becomes a game of trying to avoid breaking down your knees and feet too badly.
The best athletes start young with a trainer and stick religiously to training systems that are geared toward longevity and injury reduction. The athletes vary their training greatly across the week and across the year, training hard for specific events and then lightening up considerably and even taking breaks during non-event periods.
And even with an entourage of trainers, doctors, and expensive medications, a lot of athletes go into their retirement years with lots of physical damage and arthritis. (They often don't mention that in their training books, because they're trying to sell a product--themselves and their training system.)
IOW, if you're past your 20s, don't try to hang onto your youth and continue to train hard once your joints start giving you problems. Listen to your body. I'm not a doctor or a trainer, but I've read a lot of articles about aging baby boomers tearing up their bodies trying to maintain the same athletic pace as when they were younger.
Some ways to increase running longevity:
1) Lose weight. If you're carrying a heavy frame, it's going to tear your knees up more quickly.
2) Run on soft surfaces (grass and dirt are best, concrete is worst) and buy running shoes with lots of cushion in the heels.
3) Cross-train. Do stretching exercises, do some knee exercises to strengthen your knees, do stair-climbing or hill-climbing for the same purpose, and in general diversify your exercises to both strengthen your knees and give them a rest from running.
4) Start switching off to lower-impact exercises: Swimming, cycling, or walking.
I used to run an average of maybe 3-5 miles a day, but around the age of 35 my doctor told me that I would have to give up running pretty soon. My knees were already pretty creaky and loose, and the doctor told me I had too big a frame to maintain a heavy running schedule for much longer.
Now I'm 50 and my knees are pretty good overall. I climb stairs 4-5 times a week (alternating between 36 and 60 floors per session), and I run a fast 2 1/2 miles on a treadmill at the gym a couple times a week. (Treadmills qualify as nice soft surfaces that are easy on the joints, and also my wife and I can exercise together and jog side-by-side at different paces.) I also do some weights at the gym.
If anything, my feet are more likely to stiffen up and pain me than my knees. But here too, cross-training helps. Ballroom dancing a couple times a week keeps my feet strong and limber and pain-free and also gives my knees strength for lateral moves.
FL