Anyone here like jogging?

by Elsewhere 40 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Princess

  Princess, you are lucky, but please think long-term and stay off hard surfaces as much as possible.

  When school starts in the fall I'll be able to switch to trail running pretty easily. Right now while the kids are home I have to run close by so I can get back before Steve goes to work. I have had two injuries already though, just not shin splints. I ran a hilly half marathon in March and pulled my groin and messed up my hip so bad I had to switch to biking for three months. I had problems with my knee from the beginning but have been able to stabilize them with the help of a personal trainer.

  Elsewhere, you won't regret seeing a sports physical therapist. The first visit with mine I was hardly able to climb the slight incline to his office and I couldn't walk without noticable pain. When he was done I was able to walk normal and climbed a flight of stairs! They can work miracles.

  I just received a book I ordered, "Marathoning For Mortals" in the mail yesterday. There was a good line in it that reminded me of this thread. It said the difference between joggers and runners is a race number.

  Runners don't like to be called joggers.
• 

  tinkerbell82

  i bought marathoning for mortals too! i loved it :)
• 

  heathen

  I like to jog. I used to go to the high school track until they fenced it in , I think too many kids were throwing bottles all over the place or something .I think it's too hot in texas to go out before like 10pm . I use the tread mill at the gym but struggling due to back problems I've developed over the past couple of years. I never heard of shin splints so can't help ya there.Right now I just use a cross trainer pair of sneaker but it is easier with actual running shoes .
• 

  wasasister

  Runners don't like to be called joggers.

  Amen, Princess!!!

  PS: permament damage to footsies aside, I have NO REGRETS. If I knew then what I know now about my feet, I would not have done anything differently. The joy I got from running was worth it in spades.

  Now THAT's sick.
• 

  Elsewhere

  This evening I found a running specialty store and they set me up with a pair of running shoes... the guy looked at my legs and feet and watched how I walked and had me move my legs certain ways before deciding what was best for me. It turns out that I "over-pronate". Basically my feet roll inward when I take a step.

  The shoes he got for me are designed to correct the over-pronation. I tried them today and what a difference they made! I still got the shin splints, but nowhere near as bad as before.

  Oh, and a note of my progress... today I finally ran a solid mile without stopping.

  They guy at the store said that I might be pushing myself too hard, so I stopped running at one mile and just walked another 1/2 mile as a cool-down.
• 

  SixofNine

  Running barefoot - does anyone remember Zola Budd? Barefoot distance runner from - if I remember correctly - South Africa. I wouldn't recommend this. Human feet just cannot absorb the shock of pounding on surfaces that aren't dirt. Running can result in impact about 10x body weight.

  Doesn't Zola Budd, and the ethiopian who won the 60 Olympic marathon kind of contradict that?

  I think running barefoot would be especially beneficial for a beginner like Elsewhere, way more so than a podiatrist, sports therapist and expensive shoes. Good gawd, we're talking about doing something that humans have been doing since Thog created fire in with the wooden hut.

  Think about it. This is from an article in Running Times:

  Feet are wonderful things too. Each foot has 26 bones, many ligaments, and over 20 muscles and their associated tendons. These muscles form four layers which support the four arches of your feet and both spread the load when you land and help propel you forward. Yet we rarely let our feet out of their little protective houses. The result is weak feet and ankles and, arguably, reduced running performance and a greater risk of injury.

  Runners with weak feet and ankles have a slightly shorter stride because the feet are the last bit of propulsion at the end of the chain from the hip, thigh and lower leg. The feet provide the extension at the end of push-off, not unlike the follow-through that gives a pitcher those last few miles per hour on his fastball. You may also be more likely to be injured if you have weak feet because they are less able to withstand repetitive stresses.

  You can strengthen your feet and ankles by using them as they were designed to be used. Take off your shoes and let your feet move on natural surfaces. When you walk or run barefoot, you strengthen the little muscles in your feet which have been sleeping peacefully in your shoes for years. You also stretch and strengthen your calf muscles and may improve your running form. The protection provided by your shoes allows you to get away with sloppy running style. It is very difficult, however, to run barefoot with bad technique and almost impossible to overstride.
• 

  wasasister

  Take off your shoes and let your feet move on natural surfaces.

  Therein lies the key, Silly. Humans were NOT running on asphalt in Neanderthal times. On today's surfaces, we need Nikes.
• 

  SixofNine

  I think one can find a few places to get started w/o being on asphalt, wasa (and honestly, a marathoner has to end up running on concrete and asphalt, so obviously humans can tolerate it). Seems to me it might be worth the effort, givin the potential gain. Even if you don't plan to make it your main running mode, why not use it to develope good technique and strong feet? I'd bet any amount of money David wouldn't have gotten shin splints if he'd started off barefoot. I'm sure he wouldn't be running a mile yet, either, but he might still be ahead of the game.

  I see alot of runners with such goofy assed form, that it is obvious they've developed bad habits to run through or avoid pain. I've read of people who compete in marathons, that will have extremely strong muscles in one part of the leg, but the opposing muscle will be almost useless, because their form has compensated that muscle out of use.
• 

  Princess

  I see alot of runners with such goofy assed form, that it is obvious they've developed bad habits to run through or avoid pain. I've read of people who compete in marathons, that will have extremely strong muscles in one part of the leg, but the opposing muscle will be almost useless, because their form has compensated that muscle out of use.

  Yep, me too. I saw a guy during a half marathon who was running on his toes. His heels never touched the ground. I saw people who were totally compensating for pain.

  I still can't imagine running barefoot though, my feet would get soooo dirty!

  Glad you found some help Elsewhere. I wear Brooks Adrenalines for my over-pronation...I love them.

  Wasa, you are such a sick-o. I have to meet you someday.
• 

  zanex

  The wind through my hair

  the concrete passing beneath

  I feel free

  as the world passes at my feet

  nobody to say, "stop"

  nobody to tell me, "go"

  it is my life to decide

  each foot..blow by blow..

  Yah i have been runnin fer a while...it has become better than a shrink...cuz its all mine...nobody can take it away from me...anywayz...

  -Z-