Lets go running!

[funkadelik]

I only enjoy running outside, preferably during a rain or snowstorm. I'd rather run on a cloudy day than a sunny one. Barefoot running was awesome--removing those weights called "shoes." The incredulous looks were great entertainment too. Running barefoot in the rain on wet asphalt is very soothing to the feet. Strangely, it starts to feel like very firm, wet beach sand.

YES! Barefoot running kicks ass. I haven't done it now that I live in the city, but back in the mountain days I'd go to the parkway, stow my shoes and socks behind a tree somewhere and take off. It feels so good and liberating. A very different experience. Very different feeling on your joints and muscles, too.

 

[gromit]

I just got some little shoes! So I can run outside "barefoot" but not have to worry about broken glass/condoms/etc. Over the weekend I went less than 1.5 and my calves were so sore!!! But I think this may be quite good for me.

 

[Dali]

I love running. It feels like I'm flying. Have loved to since I was a child.

Nowadays, I can't run for more than 20metres because my right knee will ALWAYS act up the very next day. Young people with bum joints ftw.

I get my cardio fix from the elliptical machine. Does a great job of meeting my cardiovascular needs and keeping my bodyfat % low.

 

[MacGuffin]

I loathe running. It's super boring and after 10 minutes I even begin to hate the music I'm listening to.

I've gotten shin splints and a stress fracture in my foot whenever I try to push it a bit.

I did just buy a new pair of running shoes. Think I'll stick to a series of sprints this time.

 

[Totenkindly]

I loathe running. It's super boring and after 10 minutes I even begin to hate the music I'm listening to.
I've gotten shin splints and a stress fracture in my foot whenever I try to push it a bit.

Yeah, I used to run a lot about 10-15 years ago Not quite so bored, but it definitely was a love-hate relationship (although runner's high felt pretty awesome!), and I used to get shin splints / foot pain too despite having really good sneakers for it. I'm an overpronator and I run pretty heavy on my feet, and running on asphalt just was no good for me. I ended up moving my calorie burning to in-gym cycling and/or bike riding just because it reduced impact stress.

Still, with my other friends who don't run, I can still outrun them on a full-out sprint.

 

[prplchknz]

if you really want to lose weight you should let me ride in one of those things royalty use to ride in and had there servants carry. Mush! Mush! Mush!

 

[Beargryllz]

Today, I was told that my ankle is sprained

 

[iwakar]

I loathe running. It's super boring and after 10 minutes I even begin to hate the music I'm listening to.

I've gotten shin splints and a stress fracture in my foot whenever I try to push it a bit.

I did just buy a new pair of running shoes. Think I'll stick to a series of sprints this time.

Ditto. Let us know how that goes.

Today, I was told that my ankle is sprained

Bummer. Recovery time varies with severity I'm guessing?

 

[Ingrid in grids]

I love running, though I only really feel 'into it' after the first 10 minutes or so, after I'm really in the rhythm of it and I begin to feel like I can't stop. I'm not a sprinter.
I was never that active, so I started with this program called C25K (Couch to 5 km), which builds up running stamina over about 10 weeks (I think). I now generally run about 5-6 km. I should challenge myself a little more and run further, but the distance I run works well around my area.
I think next summer I'll try a triathlon... cycling is big in my area, and there's a beach too. Anyone done one? What kind of distances do you start with/do?

Any aspiring runners: definitely check out C25K (I think they've even made iphone/ipod apps for it to accompany your run).

 

[RDF]

I run 3 miles on my short days and 7 miles on my long days. I climb stairs or do elliptical as a break from running, and I do some weights for my knees to add strength. I mostly run on treadmill at the gym to reduce the stress on my knees and legs, and watch TV to keep from getting bored as I run. Treadmills are bouncy, so they're considered the softest possible surface. I would happily switch to a dirt or gravel path (the next softest surface) and run outdoors, but there's nothing nearby. I don't do asphalt or concrete if I can avoid them--too hard on my knees as I get older.

@Shin splints: I used to have a semi-permanent case of those. But I eventually got rid of them many years ago by paying attention to my equipment and technique:

--Shoes have different levels of cushioning. Get the ones with the most bounce and cushioning; and get 2 pairs and alternate between them if you run a lot so that the shoes have time to dry out and recover between runs--they'll last longer. Throw out shoes when they start to lose their bounce.

--Do a lot of vigorous calf and knee stretches to loosen up before and after the run.

--Steer toward running on the softest surfaces possible. Never run on sidewalks--concrete is the worst.

--As you start running a lot, lean a little futher back and lengthen your stride so that you land on your heel (rather than landing flat on your foot or on the ball of your foot), and then roll forward and step off the ball of your foot. It leads to a lower, faster, smoother, rolling gait with less shocks and bouncing around.

--Of these measures, the stretches beforehand and lengthening my stride seemed to do the most to get rid of the shin splints. The rest are just about reducing the general level of impact for the entire leg.

I'm suddenly seeing a lot of people doing wind sprints on the treadmills at the gym lately. I don't know if that's a new thing, or if it's just a seasonal crowd coming in to get in better shape for the coming good weather. I don't know whether sprints would be good or bad for shin splints. I've used sprinting to work on a longer stride. The longer stride works better at faster running speeds; if you try to do a slow jog with a long stride, you get kind of a weird loping stride.

 

[King sns]

Ran four miles with 2 friends. Then I went to "Sin Spin" (Spinning with weights) with the friends. Then I walked the dog. Then I went to Zumba. All before 11 AM! Now I feel like a million bucks!

 

[RDF]

Also, if you get an injury or your shins and knees just don't tolerate running well, just switch off to stairs (stairmaster), eliptical, and slow-jogging/fast-walking up a steep incline on a treadmill. Just do a good mix of exercises across the week, and they're every bit as invigorating as a long, hard run. If you use stationary machines for those exercises at the gym or home, then you can also read books with those exercises, which you can't do when running.

And of course there are bicycling/spinning and cardio workouts (step class, zumba,etc.) Use them as a replacement for running, or work them into your routine on break days from running.

Gyms are nice because they provide stationary machines for lots of different leg exercises as well as cardio classes. It depends on what kind of deal you get, but I think that big gyms like Bally's charge $20/month over the long-term for gym memberships. Memberships typically cost more the first year and then less across succeeding years; since most people quit after a couple weeks, gyms charge more at the start.

@shortnsweet: That's a good mix of exercises. Mixing up lots of varied activities like that is great for the health, and it's usually more fun than just grinding out a single long, grueling run (unless one is really into the long, grueling activities).

 

[Randomnity]

self-inflicted torture is so not my style these days. Everything hurts, it's the most awful feeling in the world. Boring, too. And if you're jogging, not full-on running, you don't even get the "wheee fast" feeling, it's just never-ending misery.


(/melodramatic)

soccer though (spurts of RUN LIKE THE WIND interspersed with catching your breath.... and running for a purpose). That's the only form of cardio that I've been able to tolerate so far.

 

[RDF]

@Randomnity: Team sports are great when they're available. As you say, they give a feeling that you're out there for a purpose. Also, couples competitive sports (tennis, squash, etc.) are great if you can find the right partner. Couples or individual dancing is usually a good workout as well (swing dancing, contra dancing, line dancing) and available in most larger towns and cities.

My main rule for any exercise or physical activity is: Keep it fun, so you'll keep on doing it. I alternate a couple different routines so that I don't burn out on doing the same thing all the time. If I find myself not going to the gym for a few days or a week, then I reduce all my weights and distances by 25% to make it easier to jump back into the routines, and then I look at ways to make them more fun or interesting for when I build back up to full weight/distance again.

 

[Beargryllz]

Bummer. Recovery time varies with severity I'm guessing?

It's a "low ankle" sprain. Doctor says ~2 weeks, but I had already been walking all over it for a week before I even knew.

 

[Randomnity]

@Randomnity: Team sports are great when they're available. As you say, they give a feeling that you're out there for a purpose. Also, couples competitive sports (tennis, squash, etc.) are great if you can find the right partner. Couples or individual dancing is usually a good workout as well (swing dancing, contra dancing, line dancing) and available in most larger towns and cities.

Yeah, sqash is a good one, too - haven't played in a couple years for various reasons but it's lots of fun. Never really learned how to play tennis. I like volleyball a lot too, although it's not really exercise (compared to other sports).

 

[King sns]

@shortnsweet: That's a good mix of exercises. Mixing up lots of varied activities like that is great for the health, and it's usually more fun than just grinding out a single long, grueling run (unless one is really into the long, grueling activities).

Yea, I used to be solely running (with some occasional other stuff) thinking that training would take up all my time. Now I'm finding that with all this variety, my running endurance doesn't suffer at all, and it's way more fun! I learned some A+P stuff from my class instructors, too... Never knew hip flexors existed, before until recently. Never suffered an injury from running, (aside from some achey muscles, and a pulled tendon that took a couple of weeks to heal), which is awesome and lucky!

 

[RDF]

[...] although it's not really exercise (compared to other sports).

Badminton. :workout:

 

[Tallulah]

Hate running. I find it boring, too, and I'm hyper aware of how much impact it's having on my body, my joints, etc.

 

[Randomnity]

badminton is fun, it's true. All my friends think it's lame and won't play, though. And it isn't really as fun as volleyball and soccer (for me).