The Perpetual Running Thread: 2011 Edition!

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Who here's been running during this lovely winter? </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>We've been running all winter, but at the gym (I'm kind of fussy when it gets below 30 degrees and the sidewalks are covered in ice <img src="http://episteme.arstechnica.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_razz.gif" alt="Razz" width="15" height="15">). Starting March 1 though, we started running outside again and I cannot properly express how thrilled I am with this development. Looking forward to ramping up this year. <img src="http://episteme.arstechnica.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="Smile" width="15" height="15">

I started running last fall, because my sister talked me into doing a half marathon with her. I've been running outside, in the cold, and managed to finish the half marathon at the end of February.<BR><BR>Hooray!<BR><BR>I'm signed up to do another one in June and I'm hoping to beat my previous time. I ran it in 2:32, so that shouldn't be too hard to do. <img src="http://episteme.arstechnica.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_razz.gif" alt="Razz" width="15" height="15"><BR><BR>I did a "short" run of 2 miles today and I'm looking forward to a 10 miler tomorrow. The weather has just been glorious! If I ran faithfully in sub-freezing temperatures, I can only hope this means I am even better about it this spring.

I've been debating switching from elliptical back to running. I don't know, though, the elliptical is inside, lets me watch a movie while I work out, and is generally pleasant.<BR><BR>Outside, there is more variety, more challenge, and it let's me actually say, "Yeah, I ran X today" as opposed to doing the elliptical. (And, yes, being able to tell other people how far/fast I ran is a big motivator.)<BR><BR>I think I'll have to get some more shoes (mine have a hole through them at the moment).

I've been running since last July. When I started, I couldn't run more than about 50 yards without being ridiculously winded.<BR><BR>As of last week, I ran 2.5 miles at an average pace of about 14 minutes/mile. Usain Bolt, I am not, but it's a hell of an improvement. I'm thinking I might actually look into a 5K sometime soon. Not that I'll be competitive, but I should be able to do it.<BR><BR>I have been running, outside, all through the winter. The coldest day was 9F outside, and with wind, it felt like -6F. A bit brisk!<BR><BR>I really have to thank the crew of friends I've suckered into running with me, because if it weren't for them, I'd have given up on this shit long ago. I go some evenings, just because I've promised them I'd go.

I ran through a good part of the winter, but have only been a couple of times since the year started. The combination of really cold weather and being sick kept me inside a lot. Wii Fit has helped, but it's just not the same. Now that it's getting warmer and (after Sunday) daylight will last more than 45 seconds when I get home I'm planning on stepping back out again. No races, only about 5 miles as a goal, but that's enough for me for now.

My running has fallen off quite a bit due to some chronic ankle pain. I have an ortho appointment (finally) to figure out WTF is wrong with it. <BR><BR>Goal this year was to run a half marathon in the spring and a full later on in the summer but we will see how this turns out. It doesn't look good though. Lots of sprains over the year had my regular doc talking about reconstructive surgery before he sent me to ortho <img src="http://episteme.arstechnica.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_frown.gif" alt="Frown" width="15" height="15">

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I really have to thank the crew of friends I've suckered into running with me, because if it weren't for them, I'd have given up on this shit long ago. I go some evenings, just because I've promised them I'd go. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>That's one thing I wish I had here. I don't know anyone here that would go running with me nor do I know anyone that would run with me that actually lives close to me. Sure, I could join a running group or something, but I'm not sure that would work since I wouldn't feel that sense of obligation towards strangers.<BR><BR>On a running sidenote, I have been getting out about 2-3 times a week, but I have to stop about halfway through when I have horrible lower back pain (think slipped disc type pain). After about 10-15 minutes, I can resume running without issue. So wtd? Aggrevating my lower back via a slipped disc would last a hell of a lot longer than 10-15 minutes.

Was out for 6 weeks due to a stress fractured two, back to running for 1 week, and then out for 2 weeks due to a bike wreck. I ran again this morning and it felt great!

I've been pretty much out of action for 90 days after a bad ankle sprain (not when I was running - on the stairs at work).<BR><IMG SRC="http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a419/mat8iou/DSC_0102.jpg"> <BR><BR>Just been starting again the last few weeks - a couple of shorter runs, then about 15k yesterday. My times are bad though at the moment, but this is to be expected for a while I guess. The ankle seems to be holding up at the moment which is good. I left it for a full 90 days, as from what I read, chances of re-injury from sprains are very high & the second time round it is usually worse than the first.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by I Palindrome I:<BR>The problem I'm having is cramping, or more accurately, getting a stitch in my side or abdomen. I've tried varying my eating and drinking interval before running, but I get the cramps regardless. Any ideas on what I could do differently or what might be causing this? </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>For me anyway, when I was going through Couch to 5K last year, side stitches were something I just had to push through and eventually they disappeared. They're usually related to your breathing. <BR><BR>Others may have better suggestions, but if I were in your position, I'd just continue to push yourself to (and past) that point to get your body conditioned to running.

December was off for lack of time, and I figured that I should give my legs some time to rest and heal from some shin splints I was starting to develop. The shin splints hit in a very painful way on my ~3rd run back in January, so I've been off of running and just crossfitting ~3 times/week with substitutions for the running workouts. <BR><BR>I started working running back into the crossfit a few weeks ago with some really aggressive stretching, and I've been alright, so I think with the time change next week I'll start getting out again ~2x/week. I'll start with my normal flat ~3.8 mi loop and work it up from there.

Restarted in January after an 8 month break. I'm training for a half-marathon in late June, and am up to a 6 mile long run (needs to be 7 miles this week <img src="http://episteme.arstechnica.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_redface.gif" alt="Red Face" width="15" height="15">). I'm very surprised at how fast I've been able to ramp up. I did the couch to 5k last Spring, and it felt like I needed that 9 or how many weeks just to get up to a 5k distance. This time around, I was consistently doing 3 miles a run by the second week.<BR><BR>St. Patrick's Day 5k run this Sunday. First competitive run I've been in since 1994. I'm targeting for 27 minutes. If I can get to 25 minutes, I'll be thrilled. Back in high school, I was able to do a 5k in 17.47. <img src="http://episteme.arstechnica.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_frown.gif" alt="Frown" width="15" height="15">

By the way, I still don't know what the hell the point is of a "street team" in RunKeeper, but if anyone wants to add me, here's my profile. Since I broke my iPhone 3G, it's not auto-reporting my runs anymore (no GPS) so I'm just adding them by hand. <img src="http://episteme.arstechnica.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_frown.gif" alt="Frown" width="15" height="15">

I had a "pop" happen in my calve muscle today while I was running today, now I walk with a limp. Hooray. Guess I'm sidelined for a little while.

I trained for and went to the Myrtle Beach Half Marathon, which got canceled 8 hours before it was supposed to start. <BR><BR>Right now I'm training for the Cooper River Bridge Run, a 10k.<BR><BR>Then I'm training for the Kiawah Marathon, which is in December.<BR><BR>Does anyone have much experience with Vibram Five Fingers? I was talking with some people in #arsificial about it awhile ago, but I just got a pair of Classics and they're incredible.

Huh, I didn't know there was a running thread.<BR><BR>As a goal for 2010, I decided that I would do at least 1000 miles on foot. I figured this would motivate me to keep running regularly, since to do otherwise would make it difficult to accomplish my goal. I have been steadily working towards that goal. So far I'm at around 220 miles, although I'm about to go run in a few minutes, so probably more like 224-225 after that.<BR><BR>I have been doing mostly between 5k-10k although sometimes I will do more.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by clm100:<BR>I've switched to a Forerunner 305 to avoid damaging my iPhone & to get the heart rate monitor. I honestly found runkeeper easier to use, and it's free-$10. Here's my profile from last year, http://runkeeper.com/user/chmullig. Any suggestions on software/websites for OSX?<BR><BR>Went for a really short run this evening to test out my knee. Seemed to work mostly ok. A bit of pain, but nothing bad. Stopped after 1.2 miles to keep myself from re-injuring it, but it was solid. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>I use a Forerunner 305 as well. The software that comes with it SUCKS. I just import my runs into mapmyrun.com. It's pretty easy to do.

Inspired by this thread I just did a *very* short run with my dog. I haven't run since 1989. Maybe 1988, I think I took my senior year of HS off.<BR><BR>Actually, it may not have been the thread that inspired so much as a couple of beers. Which also contributed to the length of the run also, I'm sure.<BR><BR>Damn dog just kept going and going and going and going...

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by LordFrith:<BR>I've been debating switching from elliptical back to running. I don't know, though, the elliptical is inside, lets me watch a movie while I work out, and is generally pleasant.<BR><BR>Outside, there is more variety, more challenge, and it let's me actually say, "Yeah, I ran X today" as opposed to doing the elliptical. (And, yes, being able to tell other people how far/fast I ran is a big motivator.)<BR><BR>I think I'll have to get some more shoes (mine have a hole through them at the moment). </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>At times they're a necessary evil, but if you can avoid machines, do so. I don't believe in machines, especially if you're doing something not-related to your activity (like watching TV or reading). I know it seems like a time-saver, but if you're just going through the motions, why bother? It strikes me as counterintuitive to do to ignore your body when partaking in a strenuous physical activity. Concentrate on what you're doing. Learn to feel and listen to your body, not ignore it.<BR><BR><BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by clm100:<BR><BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by BigM:<BR>Does anyone have much experience with Vibram Five Fingers? I was talking with some people in #arsificial about it awhile ago, but I just got a pair of Classics and they're incredible. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>vafarmboy is practically a sales rep for them, I believe.<BR><BR>I'm considering switching to them, or nike frees. Supposed to be pretty awesome. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>Heh. At work I get comments when I wear them, and then I get comments when I <I>don't</I> wear them! <img src="http://episteme.arstechnica.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="Smile" width="15" height="15"><BR><BR>An important thing with VFFs (and similar barefoot-like shoes) is to break your feet into them gradually. As I understand it, there's a biomechanical reflex where the dorsiflextion (flexing) of your big toes fires all the muscles that support the arch of your foot. Most of us have worn stiff-soled shoes our entire lives, so those muscles have atrophied from disuse. When you start going barefoot(-ish) you start using those long dormant muscles with every single step. It's very easy to overdo it. Also, most shoes (sneakers, at least) have a cushioned heel that encourages a strong heel-strike. You will <I>not</I> want to do this very much without that cushion, but you've been doing it for so long you might not be able to help it! So again, take it easy when you start wearing VFFs. Your feet will thank you!<BR><BR>As a personal anecdote, I hadn't worn shoes inside for 12 years before I got my VFFs. I tried to take it easy with them, but I overdid it anyway. Don't go all gung-ho and think "I walk barefoot all the time!" unless you really, really do.<BR><BR>[Edit] PS - I'm looking to switch out my Nike Frees for Vivo Barefoots or something similar. After going perfectly flat with the VFFs for so long, I really don't like the raised heel on the Frees.<BR><BR>PPS - I'm wearing my VFFs now, 36,000 feet over Illinois. Today was the first time ever the TSA has made me remove them going through security, and I've been flying with them since I got them I-don't-remember-how-long ago.

Ah, Spring. The season when I think about starting to run, then shrug and go back to the elliptical.<BR><BR>Admitting that here is probably a none-too-subtle attempt to get some positive peer pressure going.

Gack...running last night, I started off at too quick a pace. I ended up having to walk a little over half the distance...and now I've got a bit of pain in my hamstrings.<BR><BR>I really need to learn to pace myself better.

I had a winter hiatus of a couple of months, due to painful knees & a pulled back muscle.<BR><BR>Everything's OK now, so I've restarted my weekly runs (once or twice 6 miles on weekdays after work, and a longer one - between 9 & 13 - at the weekend). <BR><BR>I've recently got some running tights (is that what they're called?), to help support my knees. I'll post a ridiculous pic of myself in my winter running gear soon. <img src="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/forum/smilies/scared_classic.gif" alt="Scared" width="15" height="15">

I've been running since January. Very slowly ramping up distance after an injury in the fall. Still have some weakness in my leg at times, but I just rest it for a few days and it seems to be good. Slow going. Currently running about 4.5M at a go and doing it <I>very</I> slowly compared to my former times.

WebMD said that the pain in my calf muscle is a broken femur. Just an fyi! <img src="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/forum/smilies/biggrin_classic.gif" alt="Big Grin" width="15" height="15">

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by RabidGnome:<BR>WebMD said that the pain in my calf muscle is a broken femur. Just an fyi! <img src="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/forum/smilies/biggrin_classic.gif" alt="Big Grin" width="15" height="15"> </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Try not to die from your calf cancer, either.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Pokrface:<BR>Check your posture and make sure you're not running slightly hunched. Try to even out your breathing and <B>synchronize it with your strides</B>. If you find you get a stitch when you're breathing shallower, then breathe deeper; if you get one when you're breathing deep, then breath shallower. For a bad stitch, you can cross your arms over your head for 30 seconds or so to stretch your diaphragm. I sometimes get a stitch as well, and the last usually cures it pretty darn quick. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Bold mine.<BR><BR>This seems to be the key for me. I think I was breathing way too fast before and basically hyperventilating myself. Now, I do one big exhale every 8 steps, then go to one big exhale every 6 steps when 8 isn't enough. Pace is about 6.5 mph and I have my heart rate around 160 the whole time. <BR><BR>This about the limit of what I can sustain right now. I can usually make it 1.25 miles at this pace without stopping.<BR><BR>Interesting to know about the stitches...guess it makes sense.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by vafarmboy:<BR>An important thing with VFFs (and similar barefoot-like shoes) is to break your feet into them gradually. As I understand it, there's a biomechanical reflex where the dorsiflextion (flexing) of your big toes fires all the muscles that support the arch of your foot. Most of us have worn stiff-soled shoes our entire lives, so those muscles have atrophied from disuse. When you start going barefoot(-ish) you start using those long dormant muscles with every single step. It's very easy to overdo it. Also, most shoes (sneakers, at least) have a cushioned heel that encourages a strong heel-strike. You will <I>not</I> want to do this very much without that cushion, but you've been doing it for so long you might not be able to help it! So again, take it easy when you start wearing VFFs. Your feet will thank you! </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>I've worked on developing a mid-strike instead of a heel-strike, so the VFF's didn't hurt my calves very much. I took it easy and only ran 2 miles the first time I ran in them (I've been running 6-10 miles a day in my Mizunos). The weirdest part to me was when I stepped outside for the first time to go for a run in my new VFF's. I felt completely naked. It was a very weird experience.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by AmigaPhreak:<BR><BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Pokrface:<BR>Check your posture and make sure you're not running slightly hunched. Try to even out your breathing and <B>synchronize it with your strides</B>. If you find you get a stitch when you're breathing shallower, then breathe deeper; if you get one when you're breathing deep, then breath shallower. For a bad stitch, you can cross your arms over your head for 30 seconds or so to stretch your diaphragm. I sometimes get a stitch as well, and the last usually cures it pretty darn quick. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Bold mine.<BR><BR>This seems to be the key for me. I think I was breathing way too fast before and basically hyperventilating myself. Now, I do one big exhale every 8 steps, then go to one big exhale every 6 steps when 8 isn't enough. Pace is about 6.5 mph and I have my heart rate around 160 the whole time. <BR><BR>This about the limit of what I can sustain right now. I can usually make it 1.25 miles at this pace without stopping.<BR><BR>Interesting to know about the stitches...guess it makes sense. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>I do the same, but a little faster ... usually inhale for 4 steps, exhale for 4, and then when I really get going, drop to 2 steps. One other thing that really helps is I try to take very deep breaths and fill my lungs as much as possible. If you're not thinking about it, it's really easy and almost natural to go for more shallow breaths, and getting that air deep into your lungs gives you a lot more to work with, at least for me. <BR><BR>I've also been told that the exhale is as important if not more so than the inhale - your body has lots of oxygen in store, so you're not going to run out quickly, but the exhale is what moves metabolic waste out of your system, and is the only way to do it. That's probably more relevant to swimmers and divers, but it changes how you think about breathing a little bit in other pursuits.

Stitches are usually a sign that cardiovascularly you are not up to snuff for the amount of activity you are trying to push through.

After having my tonsils removed in January I finally started jogging again last Thursday <img src="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/forum/smilies/biggrin_classic.gif" alt="Big Grin" width="15" height="15"> And the weather picked a great time to get decent again.<BR><BR>Oh, also, I guess I'll do some advertising here. For any of you who happen to be in the Baltimore area, UMBC's ultimate frisbee team is hosting a 5K on April 25th. http://www.umbc.edu/studentlife/orgs/frisbee/di5k

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by BigM:<BR>I've worked on developing a mid-strike instead of a heel-strike, so the VFF's didn't hurt my calves very much. I took it easy and only ran 2 miles the first time I ran in them (I've been running 6-10 miles a day in my Mizunos). The weirdest part to me was when I stepped outside for the first time to go for a run in my new VFF's. I felt completely naked. It was a very weird experience. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>This is definitely the right thing to do! I didn't mean to imply one should run with a heel-strike in Vibrams… you shouldn't! What I was trying to say is that people are so used to heel-striking it's hard to stop. Even running in regular shoes, people should try to not thunk down on their heels every stride. It's an unfortunate byproduct of post-Nike life that shoes are designed to make us want to do that.

^ Just FYI I had to give up the idea of barefoot running due to a collapsing arch. Despite all the rhetoric around it strengthening your muscles/joints/tendons/whathaveyou, my feet never adjusted and running without arch support at all continuously caused all kinds of badness in the side of my tibia. My natural mid-foot strike actually made it worse since all the weight of each stride was coming down on the arch, which would collapse and then bow out my tibia as all the force reverberated up my leg.<BR><BR>Ortho told me to stop. Barefoot running is not for everyone. I'm 26 and ~132 lb. The collapsing arch on my right foot is a bio-mechanical defect I was, unfortunately, born with and not due to muscle atrophy.<BR><BR><BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by TheReverend:<BR>After having my tonsils removed in January I finally started jogging again last Thursday <img src="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/forum/smilies/biggrin_classic.gif" alt="Big Grin" width="15" height="15"> And the weather picked a great time to get decent again. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Yeah. I had a one week break in my running during February when I had all four wisdom teeth extracted. And it was blistering cold when I started back, which caused pain when the air hit the healing sockets. I basically learned to run while only breathing through my nose. <img src="http://episteme.arstechnica.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_frown.gif" alt="Frown" width="15" height="15">

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">And it was blistering cold when I started back, which caused pain when the air hit the healing sockets. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR> <img src="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/forum/smilies/scared_classic.gif" alt="Scared" width="15" height="15">