Long distance running saved my life...

[diewhitegirls]

...can anyone help out someone who has ridiculous aching in his knees? i'm totally motivated to improve my running but this kind of gets in the way...

I would highly recommend slowing your pace, going shorter distances and stretching before and after your runs. If it's a muscular thing and none of that works, get a foam roller and go to town until the tears roll down your face.

[mrjuby]

...can anyone help out someone who has ridiculous aching in his knees? i'm totally motivated to improve my running but this kind of gets in the way...

what are shoes are you using? thats what happened to me. i bought a pair of nike air structure triax 11+'s on tuesday and ran in them the same day. i didn't have any pain in my knees at all.

[mrpenguin354]

The type of surface you're running on might have something to do with it too. Running on grass is a little harder (exertion wise) than pavement, but it's nicer on your legs. Also, watch your stride. If your bounding (more upward movement than forward), it could be putting extra stress on your knees on impact.

Running is fun!

[masuerte]

Def I had knee problems too and it was due to overuse of shoes and sloppy form from overrunning (too tired to focus)... basically I pushed myself too hard, too quickly and not being smart.

You should do shorter runs with alot of focus on proper running form like mrpenguin's suggestion about bounding and such.

rome1, I'm glad to hear you've improved that way. It's inspiring because right now I'm really bushed and tired after my morning runs, to the point that I sleep through noon... and when I wake up in the afternoon I have to struggle to do my squats and pushups. I have to build up my mental strength and will I guess.

[grilled cheese]

I've been doing about 20 miles per week throughout the spring after doing roughly 30-40 miles per week last spring. So I'm feeling pretty fat and lazy. To compound matters, I just moved (my life is in boxes) so I went on my first run in over a week last night, and I ran six miles in about an hour. It felt good, but I have a bit of pain on the ball of my right foot this morning and I'm wondering what that's about. I might try and push through and do another 3-4 miler tonight, just take it easy. I'm currently running in these:

Asics Gel Nimbus 10

and

these:

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 7

I really like the Brooks, and I'm still adjusting to the Asics. Good thread, keep it moving.

[Guest Goose25]

love running and now bringing the breathing and pace into my cycle and swim training. I have a pretty noticeable leg length discrepancy and put a lot of attention into my hips and right knee as I run because as soon as I get loose the right knee seizes up due to compression and I have to break for a while before continuing. i find ashtanga yoga helps keep the hips and chest open - sucking down oxygen

Also, this is a great video for aspiring runners/triathletes - for those of you with knees that hurt take a look at the way the runner places his foot - floating nice and easy

eoUoyBCB1Kg

[diewhitegirls]

love running and now bringing the breathing and pace into my cycle and swim training. I have a pretty noticeable leg length discrepancy and put a lot of attention into my hips and right knee as I run because as soon as I get loose the right knee seizes up due to compression and I have to break for a while before continuing. i find ashtanga yoga helps keep the hips and chest open - sucking down oxygen

I have an 8mm leg difference myself and it kills my right knee. Do you feel like you're sort of keeling over to the side when you run? It drives me fucking nuts.

Also, ashtanga yoga is the greatest thing ever invented. I have never before known what it meant to sweat until I took this class. Holy balls, wow.

[Guest Goose25]

I have an 8mm leg difference myself and it kills my right knee. Do you feel like you're sort of keeling over to the side when you run? It drives me fucking nuts.

...sometimes I go in big circles before I realise - hehe kidding...

Alot of the time I place pads in my shoes to help the equilibrium a touch when walking - when running it doesn't help alot - I do lunges and hip opening stretches before I run and the bike has helped build up muscles around the knee. This is good because these muscles take up the strain of the already stressed knee. I also try and retain the same technique as in the video - placing the foot correctly reduces alot of the crunch when you get tired and sloppy.

My advice for runners with one leg longer than the other: definitely see a podiatrist and also work on building muscles around the knee by yoga, biking, lunges etc

[highfructosecorn]

I have an 8mm leg difference myself and it kills my right knee. Do you feel like you're sort of keeling over to the side when you run? It drives me fucking nuts.

If you can find stretches of crowned road (curved cross section) try to run on the side that matches the difference. Might help some.

[highfructosecorn]

goose, the best biomechanics tip i ever got was to make as little (impact) noise as possible when you run. the more noise you make the more stress you are exerting on some part of your body. it also automatically forces a more efficient stride for most people.

grilled cheese, do you like the nimbus? i tried them on once and they had way too much cushion.

[grilled cheese]

Just came back from a 7.12 mi run according to the calculation provided by http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/ (this is an awesome tool which I'm sure some of you are already using, but perhaps helpful to others). Feeling pretty good, but it's hot out there!

Highfructose, I am starting to like the Nimbus. There is much more cushion than I am used to, but after sticking with the Adrenalines for a while, I felt I needed a bit more cushion in the forefoot (all my shoes wear out here first), which is the reason why I went with the Nimbuses after trying on roughly 12 pairs of shoes. I am probably haevier than a lot of you guys though at 175lbs, so take that into account.

[grilled cheese]

20 + miles logged this week (including Sunday) and I'm going for a long run tonight at the track to give my knees a rest. I was planning on logging 30 + this week, and if I can pull through the next few days I'll make that easily. It's been a long while since my mileage was that high. If I could stop slamming snickers and twixes that are stored in my office i might actually lose some weight! What's good with the rest of you?

[highfructosecorn]

grilled cheese, you should run a marathon! then the weeks worth of running would be done in a single day!

[highfructosecorn]

^ I think cardio by definition is a longer duration medium effort workout. Sprinting (especially on hills) will usually push you into an anaerobic workout. That's not saying that there's no place for high intensity stuff in cardio training though. You probably get the most benefit from alternating between doing both.

Also, this will vary from person to person, but I don't tend to lose muscle as long as I do weight training at least once a week.

[highfructosecorn]

Eating before running isn't too much of a big deal as long as you 1) don't eat too much, and 2) don't eat disagreeable foods. The second case you kind of learn as you go. With that said, if you feel like you have enough energy for a run without a snack, then its probably best not to eat since you're stomach won't be sloshing as much.

Same goes for drinking water while running. Just don't drink too much. For me, if I'm going on a longer run, I usually plan to find a water fountain about every 3 miles. If your run is shorter than that, unless its extremely hot, dehydration shouldn't be a concern.

[jwied82]

I like to eat a small snack before i run. like piece of whole wheat toast and jam or maybe a bowl of instant oats before i run. Something with a mix of both simple sugars and slower-burning carbs.

Really, you just have to experiment and figure out what timing and how much food works best for you.

i personally almost never drink anything when i run, even runs of 15+ miles. But i hate stopping once im going and i also hate carrying anything while i run, so i made a conscious effort to train myself to be able to run for a good amount of time without drinking anything. Plus, then when i run any longer distance races with fluid stations its like a luxury to get hydration on the run.

[travisio]

i heard that training yourself to be able to run without drinking water is bad for you. i dunno though, everything's bad for you these days.

[LaiShin]

Gonna run in a short marathon this coming sunday. Have some questions.

-Does Electrolyte help (at all)?

-This might sound rather stupid. But does drafting work in running? lol

[highfructosecorn]

Gonna run in a short marathon this coming sunday. Have some questions.

-Does Electrolyte help (at all)?

-This might sound rather stupid. But does drafting work in running? lol

1) YES. Prevents cramping near the end.

2) Only if you can run with the kenyans. or if its very windy.

How is it a short marathon? Aren't they all 26.2?

[Larry!]

Just curious about what you all think about running with Nike Frees. I've had a pair for the past year or so, and after I started using them during sprint training during T&F, they've gotten worn down so I need a new pair of shoes. I'm thinking about getting another pair, but for just basic runs would anyone else recommend anything?

Also, I just started going on night runs rather than making false promises to wake up early in the morning to avoid the heat. I love it. Although, it is kind of scary.

[jwied82]

^^since i started running a few years ago i have always done probably 75+% of my running at night after the sun is down. For some reason, i just love running at night, and im not a morning person at all. Plus that way i dont have to worry as much about sun exposure.

If you liked the frees, Nike has been making some new shoes based on the free concept but with more protection and more durability. I think they have a one now called the "free everyday"

[highfructosecorn]

For a long time in college I used to run at 2AM because thats when the bars let out and the police were all over the place. Since I wasn't drunk and the police were everywhere, it was the safest time of day to run...

I don't like frees for normal running. Don't know about newer ones but the old ones wore out way too fast. They're nice for track workouts though.

[jwied82]

Ive never actually tried the frees myself... i could see them being good for workouts on the track but im always surpsirsed how many people i see wearing them in road races even up to half-marathon distance. But alot of the people i see wearing them look to me like they probably shouldn't be wearing such a minimal shoe.

I'm a big fan of nikes lightweight racing flats though, and I myself just got these new nikes last week..

http://www.nike.com/index.jhtml?cp=USNS_KW_0611081618&l=nikestore,home&re=US&co=US&la=EN&ef_id=1778:3:s_b11f6395eee217ff95bf72a750de6d6f_1680572350:uSfX@ko-JyIAAAKwKZgAAAAR:20080805183542#l=nikestore,grid,_pdp,cid-1/gid-176350/pid-176350,_grid,f-10002+12001+26005&re=US&co=US&la=EN

they are really light (like 6 ounces a shoe in size 10) and flexible but actually feel a bit more cushioned/protective than most shoes that light, though somehow they dont feel particularly fast for a shoe that light and i don't think id want to use them for running at 5k or 10k pace. Ive already went for runs of 11 and 14 miles in them and my feet didnt feel beat up at all afterwards and they stayed comfortable the whole time. They do feel a little different than most running shoes, not really in a bad way though.

[LaiShin]

1) YES. Prevents cramping near the end.

2) Only if you can run with the kenyans. or if its very windy.

How is it a short marathon? Aren't they all 26.2?

It's more like a charity run, about 14.7km. Plenty of slopes. My strategy is to walk uphill and run downhills.

[rome1]

I used to love running in Nike Frees but they wear out so quick, or at least mine did. Plus for long distances I didn't feel like they gave me much arch support. Hopefully with the newer models coming out I can try them again. And for running at night I used to but, because of work I have to run early morning now (5:30-6:30am) it sucks and I miss running at night.

[jwied82]

One bad thing ive found about running at night is that im so used to running after being up and about all day that if i do try to run in the morning or run when ive only been up for an hour or so i feel like shit... sluggish, slow, heavy-legged, stiff, especially for the first few miles. And road races are always damn early in the morning, so i have to try and get myself up a good 3 hours beforehand and i still never feel fully awake/warmed-up/ready to run.

Its so hot and humid here in the midwest right now that the best option really is to run when the sun is down... during the day its about 98 but with the sun index and humidity it say it feels like about 110. You can do it, but it takes alot more out of you, and its tough to run for a long time.

I actually just finished up running today.. started about 9pm. But tonight it had rained a little earlier so it had cooled down alot from the 95+ degrees it was at 7pm... ran 13 miles in 1hr24min. the whole time i could see lightning off in the distance and i kept think it was going to start storming on me but it never did.

[Knugget]

I did 5.8 during sunset today, probably in about 45 minutes? I haven't been running in a week..so lazy, and I'm slowly switching over to swimming.

[highfructosecorn]

^ its a little glitchy. if you click too fast or drag the map around with overexaggerated movements the application gets confused. If you keep the cursor in the map screen though, basically double click places a point, and you keep placing points till all the route is recorded.

Laishin: I guess for that distance electrolytes during the race shouldnt be a big deal. do drink some water though, and good luck with the hills! =)

[jwied82]

It's more like a charity run, about 14.7km. Plenty of slopes. My strategy is to walk uphill and run downhills.

strange terminology calling it a short marathon, considering its only about 1/3 of the distance. Where did the 14.7km distance come from.. seems odd.

Thats just over 9 miles, i think.

[rome1]

I did 5.8 during sunset today, probably in about 45 minutes? I haven't been running in a week..so lazy, and I'm slowly switching over to swimming.

I wish I had a pool or somewhere to swim... its so good for you. I would love to alternate run one day and swim the next.

At that rate I would try to incorporate biking and amuse myself with the notion of doing an Iron Man comp one day.