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Dr Frasier Crane · Jul 11, 2011

I'm in.

I'm one fat fucker that does a bit of running.

3 weeks ago finished my challenge and did 3 10k races and the Yorkshire Three Peaks (look it up) in 5 weeks. My feet at the end looked like a grenade had gone off in a butchers shop.

Anyway after 3 weeks rest just went for a cheeky 5k run down my local canal.

xzoowy · Jul 11, 2011

I have 2 recommendations for people that want to start running to avoid injuries :

1) Purchase a running shoe that is adapted to your feet (overpronator, neutral or underpronator)
2) Stretching is important. Warmup your body (easy onplace running or just walking) then stretch before your workout(dont stretch cold). Then after workout do a 15min stretching session.

Deadly Cyclone · Jul 11, 2011

Week 2 of Couch to 5k this week, hopefully it goes well. I found week 1 to be pretty easy (even though I hate running), but the program says it may be easy to start but not to run extra.

Only other issue I ran into was my ankles felt extremely sore after a run last week but I worked through it.

Neuromancer · Jul 11, 2011

Funny you mention it, I just started Week 2. It wasn't bad at all, in fact it seemed easier than last week.

Hot as an oven outside where I live, though. I sweated buckets.

Deadly Cyclone · Jul 11, 2011

Neuromancer said:
Funny you mention it, I just started Week 2. It wasn't bad at all, in fact it seemed easier than last week.

Hot as an oven outside where I live, though. I sweated buckets.

Same for heat, this week the midwest is getting decimated. 90s all week.

I looked at the schedule and it seems the runs really jump up week 5, you have 3 different workouts that week ending with the 3rd workout being a 20 minute run.

Hope I can get there.

Neuromancer · Jul 11, 2011

I try not to look too far ahead. =O

This Endomondo site is pretty neat, here's my run from today:

Weird they don't differentiate between the start (top left) and finish (top right) points though.

BigAT · Jul 11, 2011

Does anyone have any advice/resources on basic running form? I'm 6'5" and getting all of this in motion isn't always easy. I'm pretty sure that my current form is all sorts of awful and much worse on my joints that it needs to be.

Gowans · Jul 11, 2011

arglebargle said:
if i remember my advice from my high school coach, stitches happen because your breathing is too rhythmic. we were taught to either speed up or slow down since that will change your breathing, and to always breathe deeply rather than shallowly to avoid stitches.

Thanks man I'll try it.

Neuromancer said:
I try not to look too far ahead. =O

This Endomondo site is pretty neat, here's my run from today:

http://i.imgur.com/KLqsY.jpg

Weird they don't differentiate between the start (top left) and finish (top right) points though.

It does when you hover over them. Pretty area for a run.

Jugendstil · Jul 12, 2011

I had to deal with this out of town family stuff this weekend, so I had to delay the start of week 3 of the program until tonight. I hadn't run since last Wednesday, so I was really feeling the need for it. It was tough, but not too bad. Don't psych yourself out too much. As the British announcer lady says on the app I'm using, if you think it's hard, just remember you ran for three times longer than you were two weeks ago. Progress!

Neuromancer · Jul 12, 2011

Gowans007 said:
Thanks man I'll try it.

It does when you hover over them. Pretty area for a run.

Oh OK thanks. It's Baltimore, an area called the Inner Harbor. Nice place for a run, and some good eye candy on a summer day too.

Ghost23 · Jul 12, 2011

What a hot day today! The heat index got up to 111 degrees at noon! Grant it I ran at 8 A.M., but even at that point it was 99 degrees. It really takes it out of you when you run.

ThanksVision · Jul 12, 2011

I run XC for school. I meet with the team early every morning for runs and I love it. Been running for about 4-5 years now. Anyways, here are some things that work for me:

I never eat before runs, only after. DRINK CHOCOLATE MILK. Great recovery drink, I've been doing it for years and it's seriously the best feeling during the postrun haze.

Work out your legs/Do core (preferably endurance lifting). Building muscle helps you get much faster in that your muscles don't get tired nearly as fast. More importantly, it prevents injuries like no other.

Stretch as often, and as long as you can. Before runs and after runs especially. But I would recommend doing it even before you go to bed. Provides great sleep imo.

Take recovery days. Run at an easy pace every other day or so. Relax. It does wonders.

And remember to taper before a big race!

snoopen · Jul 12, 2011

does anyone use an ipod nano / something separate to their phone for running?

i have an iphone 4 but thinking of buying a nano as i'm thinking of buying a nano for an easier arm band.

GiJoccin · Jul 12, 2011

BigAT said:
Does anyone have any advice/resources on basic running form? I'm 6'5" and getting all of this in motion isn't always easy. I'm pretty sure that my current form is all sorts of awful and much worse on my joints that it needs to be.

so this might sound kind of hokey, but i took a lot of the core principles behind Chi Running and applied it to my running style. get a partner to critique your form, or video yourself running. key principles are to relax your legs, lean forward from your ankles, keep your foot strikes underneath you and never in front of you. i went from knee pain quite often to never having any (unless i play basketball) even though i ramped up how much i run and the speed i run (did a half marathon in sub 7:40 min miles, which was a big deal for me)

correct shoes are important also, as well as making sure your feet face forward when they land.

SentientStone · Jul 12, 2011

Running is probably my favourite activity but this year I have developed some injuries (left knee tendon / left aches when applying pressure). I have toned down the frequency of my runs now and have been running in a more efficient and less intense manner since the start of the year. I also started to do bikram yoga today to see if that might help my injuries.

One problem I have always had is that when I run long distances sometimes, or when I go snowboarding or skating, my feet often times feel like they are being squeezed with intense pressure and is fatigued / in pain. The pain usually goes away after a days rest or once I remove the boots / shoes though, never have I had a lasting injury such as this.

I am going to see a podiatrist today to see if the culprit is the arch on my feet (or the lack of it). I am wondering though, because some people have told me insoles are not good for me (makes my muscles weak). I have been running with some generic Superfeet insoles since last summer but I guess the podiatrist will recommend me get more specialized ones. Do you guys recommend them?
Would running barefoot or with the vibrams help me at all in perhaps strengthening my feet without the use of any insoles?

Any opinion would be greatly appreciated.
I wish to continue running for as long as possible and perhaps a marathon or two someday.

Edit: Thanks for the Chi Running link, going through some of the videos now.

Urban Scholar · Jul 12, 2011

I went for a run but didn't get a full night's rest. I ended up running 45 minutes non stop as opposed to an hour normally. Oh well there's tomorrow.

GiJoccin · Jul 12, 2011

Leshita said:
I am going to see a podiatrist today to see if the culprit is the arch on my feet (or the lack of it). I am wondering though, because some people have told me insoles are not good for me (makes my muscles weak). I have been running with some generic Superfeet insoles since last summer but I guess the podiatrist will recommend me get more specialized ones. Do you guys recommend them?
Would running barefoot or with the vibrams help me at all in perhaps strengthening my feet without the use of any insoles?

Any opinion would be greatly appreciated.
I wish to continue running for as long as possible and perhaps a marathon or two someday.

Edit: Thanks for the Chi Running link, going through some of the videos now.

I desperately wanted to do barefoot running/vibrams, but I've been told something along the lines of it's not for everyone - which makes sense to me. might not be a bad idea to bounce the idea off of your podiatrist and see what he/she says.

and yeah, i really like the basic ideas behind chi running. it's not very unique, just solid running form. the dude's a little bit out there though...

Gowans · Jul 12, 2011

Long day today, tired, achey, sore and feeling bloated. Have to run as I'm away with work the next couple of days but man I'm feeling the need for lots of warm up.

I'll try changing my breathing and see if that helps with the stitches, hopefully this run wakes me up too, lots to do tonight.

Gowans · Jul 12, 2011

Breathing worked was able to manage a stitch.

Even tho I was shattered before starting it was my best time yet tho I was in a bit of a daze for most of the run and as always the last two mins were a bitch.
http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/giYzrXSTljo

That's the first week of the couch to 5k podcast done now, week 2 starts on Friday, dreading it

sixghost · Jul 12, 2011

Neuromancer said:
I try not to look too far ahead. =O

This Endomondo site is pretty neat, here's my run from today:

http://i.imgur.com/KLqsY.jpg[IMG]

Weird they don't differentiate between the start (top left) and finish (top right) points though.[/QUOTE]
You're lucky to have such an interesting area to run, running in suburbia is pretty boring. I had the chance to run along the mall in DC and it was the most enjoyable run I've had in my life.

I'm kind of surprised to see how many people run with earbuds in, every time I've tried that the swinging of the cords drove me crazy.

Shiv47 · Jul 12, 2011

sixghost said:
I'm kind of surprised to see how many people run with earbuds in, every time I've tried that the swinging of the cords drove me crazy.

When I run with headphones in, I run the cords under my shirt (using an iPod with a sleeve cuff) and out the top, so they stay fairly bounce free.

BigBlue1974 · Jul 12, 2011

First off, awesome thread! I recently ran my first 1/2 Marathon in 20 years on Father's Day. I only ran one other and that was when I was 17. I talked about the disappointment with my time in the Fitness thread. I trained pretty well and was hopeful for a sub 2 hour time, but I got sinusitis and was pretty sick in the few days leading up to the race and wound up with a time of 2 1/2 hours. I'm signed up for another in September so I'm really hopeful to be healthy and put in a much better effort!

snoopen said:
does anyone use an ipod nano / something separate to their phone for running?

I use the Sandisk Sansa Clip. It's a great unit. It's nice and lightweight, has a built in clip and it just uses Windows Explorer for very simplistic drag and drop functionality. Also has a couple extra features such as a built-in radio if you like that.

Leshita said:
I am going to see a podiatrist today to see if the culprit is the arch on my feet (or the lack of it). I am wondering though, because some people have told me insoles are not good for me (makes my muscles weak). I have been running with some generic Superfeet insoles since last summer but I guess the podiatrist will recommend me get more specialized ones. Do you guys recommend them?

I had massive issues up until about a month ago. Not the same problem as you, but basically, especially after long runs I was getting incredible soreness on the insides of my ankles. I was doing all the "right" things. Stretching before and after, icing, doing exercises to strengthen, having good supportive shoes and it was still persisting and actually getting worse. I went to a podiatrist and they fit me for custom orthotics. Essentially these are a hard plastic insert that gets transferred to any shoes I wear now including of course my runners. They are made by doing a form of your foot using plaster of paris. They were expensive, $300 but at least for me they were covered under my medical plan. They have literally done wonders. After my weekly long runs before, it was hard to go down stairs just due to the impact. I was popping Advil just to be able to go and do a run. I did an 8 mile "long" run on Saturday and I'm perfectly fine now.

For the record, the custom orthotics are nothing like the gel ones you buy in stores. They are hard plastic with pretty much no give in them and are made to truly support your foot and prevent your arch from collapsing. It takes a little getting used to in the first few days, but I was running with them in the day after I got them and they felt just fine. Probably the best $300 I've ever spent because it means I don't dread the day after a long run anymore.

Neuromancer · Jul 12, 2011

sixghost said:
You're lucky to have such an interesting area to run, running in suburbia is pretty boring. I had the chance to run along the mall in DC and it was the most enjoyable run I've had in my life.

I'm kind of surprised to see how many people run with earbuds in, every time I've tried that the swinging of the cords drove me crazy.

Thanks, yeah it's a nice run, you get some cool wind off the water and it's perfectly flat too. Only complaint is sometimes I have to weave through the crowds.

Yeah I don't know why but the cords don't bother me at all.

J Tourettes · Jul 12, 2011

xzoowy said:
I have 2 recommendations for people that want to start running to avoid injuries :

1) Purchase a running shoe that is adapted to your feet (overpronator, neutral or underpronator)
2) Stretching is important. Warmup your body (easy onplace running or just walking) then stretch before your workout(dont stretch cold). Then after workout do a 15min stretching session.

Just to counter, I never stretch before a run nowadays and run in Vibrams. Both or one of these have contributed to me getting injured a lot less.
YMMV.

Cyan · Jul 12, 2011

J Tourettes said:
Just to counter, I never stretch before a run nowadays and run in Vibrams.

Likewise on the not stretching. I stretch afterwards, but not before. I think it's actually helped me avoid injury. *knocks on wood*

SentientStone · Jul 13, 2011

Thanks guys. Well my podiatrist told me that my left leg is apparently 1cm longer than my right which is causing me to stress my left leg more. I also have flat feet.
He recommended that I stop running at first and try cycling and other activities, but then I told him that I really wanted to continue running. Afterwards he said I can try getting orthotics, in combination with doing exercises to strengthen my foot / arch and to tone down the frequency of my runs. He also recommended me to lose some weight (after I told him I gained 15 pounds over since last fall

). He said I probably should not run anymore until I get my weight down and get the orthotics done. Argh, I probably will still run on the weekends. Why me? *cries*

Neuromancer · Jul 13, 2011

That sucks dude. =(

Neuromancer · Jul 13, 2011

Good run today, not too hot. I definitely feel it getting easier.

Gowans · Jul 14, 2011

Awesome, so the stepup to week 2 is ok?

Rekubot · Jul 14, 2011

Love this thread. Thanks to whoever posted the Couch to 5k podcast. Did my first week 2 run yesterday and found it easy enough. I should probably increase my speed a little more.

Neuromancer · Jul 14, 2011

Gowans007 said:
Awesome, so the stepup to week 2 is ok?

Yeah it's not bad at all. Some of the music is questionable though, haha.

Stet · Jul 14, 2011

So I tried running again after 3 weeks of downtime and my knee is still all messed up. I get about 2.5 km in and at the end of every stride, the outside of my right knee flares up in pain.

I've been told it sounds like ITB syndrome, but I'm seeing a sports medicine specialist tomorrow and hopefully I can get this sorted out with enough time to keep training for my 16 km race in August.

JonCha · Jul 14, 2011

I think I was at Week 5 last year. You really find out your mental strength when you've got five minutes to go and you just want to talk the rest of the difference.

Valkyr Junkie · Jul 14, 2011

Has anyone else seen blisters in this location of the foot? It's the only place I ever get blisters, and I've tried vaseline, Body Glide, fancy socks, etc to no avail. I have a family of runners, and none of them have ever seen blisters in this location. I get them even after getting new shoes from a runner's store that has the fancy scale and uses a camera to analyse your ankles when running on a treadmill.

I won't hotlink the photo since some might find a blister on top of a blister gross. This was the worst one I've ever had; after running a 15k.
http://i.imgur.com/1ARFU.jpg

Valhalla · Jul 14, 2011

Didnt get any hellp in the last thread i asked, but how do you guys beat the sun? I want to go on a trek for many hours, is sun screen the best way to go about protecting myself? I plan on sweating my ass off should i just bring a bunch of it with me and keep re applying?

J Tourettes · Jul 14, 2011

Valkyr Junkie said:
Has anyone else seen blisters in this location of the foot? It's the only place I ever get blisters, and I've tried vaseline, Body Glide, fancy socks, etc to no avail. I have a family of runners, and none of them have ever seen blisters in this location. I get them even after getting new shoes from a runner's store that has the fancy scale and uses a camera to analyse your ankles when running on a treadmill.

I won't hotlink the photo since some might find a blister on top of a blister gross. This was the worst one I've ever had; after running a 15k.
http://i.imgur.com/1ARFU.jpg

I used to get a blister there until my feet got used to my Vibrams. I usually put one of those thick blister plasters there as a pre-emptive strike which did the trick.

BigBlue1974 · Jul 14, 2011

Valkyr Junkie said:
Has anyone else seen blisters in this location of the foot? It's the only place I ever get blisters, and I've tried vaseline, Body Glide, fancy socks, etc to no avail. I have a family of runners, and none of them have ever seen blisters in this location. I get them even after getting new shoes from a runner's store that has the fancy scale and uses a camera to analyse your ankles when running on a treadmill.

I won't hotlink the photo since some might find a blister on top of a blister gross. This was the worst one I've ever had; after running a 15k.
http://i.imgur.com/1ARFU.jpg

I was getting blisters there(though not to that extent!). I found tying my shoes tighter actually helped for me anyhow. I know you mention you get them even with new shoes, but are you positive you have correct fitting shoes? A lot of people get feet that swell somewhat as they run so it's often suggested to get 1/2 size bigger than what you normally wear. Another thing to do is go and get fitted for your next pair *after* you do a decently long running session so your feet would be at the right size.

BigBlue1974 · Jul 14, 2011

Valhalla said:
Didnt get any hellp in the last thread i asked, but how do you guys beat the sun? I want to go on a trek for many hours, is sun screen the best way to go about protecting myself? I plan on sweating my ass off should i just bring a bunch of it with me and keep re applying?

If it's just for training, I just beat the sun by avoiding it. Went for my run last night just around dusk and I have a long run on Saturday and I'm planning to set the alarm so I can be up early before the sun is way up in the sky.

If you have to be running when the sun is up and about, get one of the "sport" spray lotions. They are quick and easy to apply and designed for people that will be sweating so it should be fine for the duration of your run.

Valkyr Junkie · Jul 14, 2011

J Tourettes said:
I used to get a blister there until my feet got used to my Vibrams. I usually put one of those thick blister plasters there as a pre-emptive strike which did the trick.

Yeah, I tried using moleskin once too, but that ended up being a bigger mistake because my feet get really sweaty, and the thing came loose and ended up contributing to the blistering. I think my biggest problem may be that I don't give myself enough time to callus after blistering, and it just builds from there. Recovery from something like that seems to take too long though, and I hate going too long between rungs. I've heard Vibrams have been good for people with blistering problems, so I should probably look into getting a pair to play with sooner than later.

BigBlue1974 said:
I was getting blisters there(though not to that extent!). I found tying my shoes tighter actually helped for me anyhow. I know you mention you get them even with new shoes, but are you positive you have correct fitting shoes? A lot of people get feet that swell somewhat as they run so it's often suggested to get 1/2 size bigger than what you normally wear. Another thing to do is go and get fitted for your next pair *after* you do a decently long running session so your feet would be at the right size.

My shoes have room to swell, but I have been tying my shoes looser than normal due to issues with circulation in my sheet. It's a catch-22 because I've been running more often lately to obviously help with circulation.

Cyan · Jul 14, 2011

Crucified said:
So I tried running again after 3 weeks of downtime and my knee is still all messed up. I get about 2.5 km in and at the end of every stride, the outside of my right knee flares up in pain.

I've been told it sounds like ITB syndrome, but I'm seeing a sports medicine specialist tomorrow and hopefully I can get this sorted out with enough time to keep training for my 16 km race in August.

Definitely sounds like ITB. Your sports medicine person should be able to get you patched up without too much trouble. You might get taped up, get a list of exercises to do, get a foam roller. You should be back running before long, in any case.

Urban Scholar · Jul 14, 2011

After today I'm going back to running first thing in the morning before eating breakfast. My run was ok but that was the problem it felt ok. I prefer to run on an empty stomach.

Bboy AJ · Jul 15, 2011

Skipped every post but the OP so forgive me here or tell me to read the thread if it's been asked...

Where can I find a good GPS watch? I think something like that would tremendously help motivate me.

Anyone know of a good running shoe store around NYC? I don't want VFFs.

arglebargle · Jul 15, 2011

Bboy AJ said:
Skipped every post but the OP so forgive me here or tell me to read the thread if it's been asked...

Where can I find a good GPS watch? I think something like that would tremendously help motivate me.

Anyone know of a good running shoe store around NYC? I don't want VFFs.

a few people on the first page said they loved their garmin watches. i dont run with a watch so i can only refer you to earlier in the thread.

as for a good running store, i like super runners shop. there is one on the upper west side, one on the upper east, and i think two in midtown (one of which is in grand central). they arent cheap, but they have a good selection and have knowledgeable people who will help you find the type and fit of shoe you need.

Buckethead · Jul 15, 2011

I don't know why but I've had 0 motivation to run for like the past 2 weeks.

Kind feeling blah about it which is weird for me.

Forcing myself to do it.

Meier · Jul 15, 2011

I started going to the gym (2-3 times a week) about 6 weeks ago.. haven't noticed a HUGE difference in my muscles but my stomach is getting flatter and closer to what it was before I moved here to Texas and put on some weight from being more sedentary.

I ran outside for the first time the other night.. did 2 miles (well, 1.97) in about 16:48. Even at 10:30 or thereabouts, it was still 93 degrees outside but at least there was a bit of a breeze. It was the first time I had used this cheapo armband I bought off Amazon -- worked fine. I probably should have paid the extra $10 and got the Belkin brand but oh well.

Other than that, I try and do at least a 5k in 30 minutes or less each time I hit the gym and then do machines for about an hour.

Bboy AJ · Jul 15, 2011

arglebargle said:
as for a good running store, i like super runners shop. there is one on the upper west side, one on the upper east, and i think two in midtown (one of which is in grand central). they arent cheap, but they have a good selection and have knowledgeable people who will help you find the type and fit of shoe you need.

Perfect, thanks! I wonder if I could get fitted and the service at Super Runners Shop and then just buy it online for cheaper. Would that be a dick move?

arglebargle · Jul 15, 2011

Bboy AJ said:
Perfect, thanks! I wonder if I could get fitted and the service at Super Runners Shop and then just buy it online for cheaper. Would that be a dick move?

possibly. when i was part of the way through training for my first marathon and had to replace my shoes, i went to them, got fitted and bought from them. subsequent to that, i have bought the same thing at cheaper places/online. i figured that was a fair compromise; give them the first sale as thanks for the knowledge, save a few bucks after that.

Neuromancer · Jul 15, 2011

Almost got hit by a car today during my run, so that was awesome. (I had a walk signal but the one on the other side of the street wasn't working, so dude didn't see it and almost nailed me.) I literally had to dodge out of the way. Got the pulse up that's for sure.

Hey Gowans007 I was looking at the satellite view of where you go running, looks pretty awesome with those cliffs.

Gowans · Jul 15, 2011

Yeah the breeze is lush. Watch them cars.

Fitting my run in on a evening with the kid going to bed, eating with the mrs and taking the dog on a walk is a nightmare so gona follow the advice here and start with morning runs starting tomorrow at 7am.

Hopefully I'll fell a lot less bloated and uncomfortable that way
.

Gowans · Jul 16, 2011

I has to sprint after my puppy for 5-10mins yesterday afternoon to catch him when he got off his lead and it's shot my knees.

Both are so stiff n saw. I can't fall behind in my running shedule, gona give it till this aft and see if I can get out.

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