Lately I decided to incorporate some roadwork into my kid's Taekwondo training for better stamina, and started jogging with him for 1 mile, bringing it to to 2 miles this week and then throwing in intervals. Anyone knows fun (but age-appropriate) military running cadences that I could use to spice it up?
Half the fun is making them up as you go.
Yeah for middle distance. I'm in Florida, so we have a fall race season and I'm trying to work my way to a respectable half-marathon time. But at 42, I've learned (the hard way) to take it slow and easy. As long as I do that I'm injury free. Push it and any one of a number of tendons let me know the error of my ways.
I do 3 days of running and 3 day of resistance a week, so I'm never going to be really good at either, but for a middle aged dad I'm pretty happy with my condition.
Although I was beaten by my friends 11 year old daughter at a 10k about a month ago.
But in my defense she's an 11 year old that runs a legit 6 min (flat) mile.
Oh well, growing old beats the hell out of the alternative...
Yeah for middle distance. I'm in Florida, so we have a fall race season and I'm trying to work my way to a respectable half-marathon time. But at 42, I've learned (the hard way) to take it slow and easy. As long as I do that I'm injury free. Push it and any one of a number of tendons let me know the error of my ways.
I do 3 days of running and 3 day of resistance a week, so I'm never going to be really good at either, but for a middle aged dad I'm pretty happy with my condition.
Although I was beaten by my friends 11 year old daughter at a 10k about a month ago.
But in my defense she's an 11 year old that runs a legit 6 min (flat) mile.Oh well, growing old beats the hell out of the alternative...
Cool. What was your time for the 10k?
I run just a bit--3 miles every other day. Even with such a light regimen, I have to take special precautions to make sure my knees (I've had a couple of surgeries on one of them) don't crumble into dust.
I've been pretty careful to rotate running shoes and retire them when they get close to or at end of life (about 350-400 miles). I use a custom carbon fiber orthodic and aftermarket gel insoles. I take Triflex (glucosamine, chondrotin, MSM), watch my diet, and take a multivitamin daily. I even spend time stretching everyday irrespective of whether I run or not.
I credit this routine with keeping me fairly injury free. Running (as with any endurance sport) is all about knowing the line between pain and injury. Pain is a constant companion. Injury is a pariah to be avoided.
I started running religiously after both of my parents survived heart attacks within a year of eachother. They ate right and exercised, but it wasn't enough to overcome genetics. That'll make a guy feel mortal. So, I run every morning and -depending on work schedule- evening. Next month I'll be doing the BolderBoulder 10k race for the first time.
It helps to have a short term racing goal to work toward, but my main reason for running is to maintain a strong heart.
Cool. What was your time for the 10k?
It was a fun run 56: something. I took it very easy and felt good cruising in under an hour. 'Pokey the Wonder Slug' is me but I'm too old and wise to be competitive anymore.
Pain is a constant companion. Injury is a pariah to be avoided.
So true...I stopped running from my early 30's till my late 30's, and after 8 years off (and being 8 years older) it was quite a shock how things just hurt for no good reason. Now I'm used to it but it really freaked me out for a while.
Cool. What was your time for the 10k?It was a fun run 56: something. I took it easy and felt good cruising in under an hour.
Pain is a constant companion. Injury is a pariah to be avoided.So true...I stopped running from my early 30's till my late 30's, and after 8 years off (and being 8 years older) it was quite a shock how things just hurt for no good reason. Now I'm used to it but it really freaked me out for a while.
Coolness. I'm about an 8:30ish mile runner for the 10k through half marathon, so that puts me right around the middle of the field in most major races in that distance around this area. I'm seriously trying to work the speed this year, but I'm running into a genetic ceiling with my asthma. Track days feel like ritual strangulation sessions.
I've been working with a coach lately, but I'm a little worried that the advice a 28 year old college track star who regularly runs sub-3 marathons can give me will be of fairly limited utility. I'm 5'11" and 185 pounds and go through shoes in 350 miles or less. He's 5'4" and 120 pounds and runs in racing flats.
I've looked into a couple books lately that are changing the way I think about how I run. Timothy Noakes' Lore of Running is a 900+ page tome on pretty much everything related to running oriented exercise phys. The other is Michael Yessis' Explosive Running which goes more in depth about kinesiology and the correction of movement. Both raise serious doubts about the efficacy of engineered running shoes.
Another book gaining a lot of currency in running circles is Danny Dreyer's book Chi Running. I'm not much on the whole spirituality of running stuff, but the posture and kinesiology advice it gives seems to be pretty sound.
I've looked into a couple books lately that are changing the way I think about how I run. Timothy Noakes' Lore of Running is a 900+ page tome on pretty much everything related to running oriented exercise phys. The other is Michael Yessis' Explosive Running which goes more in depth about kinesiology and the correction of movement. Both raise serious doubts about the efficacy of engineered running shoes.
So what do they recommend?
I've always had trouble pushing my limits to get my endurance up, and sticking to it over time. Actually having a race on my calender will help this year.
I've looked into a couple books lately that are changing the way I think about how I run. Timothy Noakes' Lore of Running is a 900+ page tome on pretty much everything related to running oriented exercise phys. The other is Michael Yessis' Explosive Running which goes more in depth about kinesiology and the correction of movement. Both raise serious doubts about the efficacy of engineered running shoes.So what do they recommend?
I've always had trouble pushing my limits to get my endurance up, and sticking to it over time. Actually having a race on my calender will help this year.
What you do is you give permission to any of your friends to beat you up if you dont make 10 miles a week by the end of the month and see the results come in.
I've looked into a couple books lately that are changing the way I think about how I run. Timothy Noakes' Lore of Running is a 900+ page tome on pretty much everything related to running oriented exercise phys. The other is Michael Yessis' Explosive Running which goes more in depth about kinesiology and the correction of movement. Both raise serious doubts about the efficacy of engineered running shoes.So what do they recommend?
I've always had trouble pushing my limits to get my endurance up, and sticking to it over time. Actually having a race on my calender will help this year.
Well, it's kind of hard to distill the wisdom of a 900+ page tome into an internet post, but a number of things struck me immediately as things I'm doing wrong.
One was that I am a typical "heel to toe" runner and a lot of the pain I'm experiencing from plantar fascitis to periformis sciatica is either directly or indirectly attributable to bad form. Cleaning that up by trying to get my weight over my front foot, landing on the mid/forefoot, bringing the heels up, and increasing my cyclic rate by shortening my steps has made a serious difference in my postrun pain levels and my long run endurance. It does, however, take a great deal of concentrating on form to do so. I catch myself dropping into bad form constantly.
Another thing I didn't really consider was the thesis Yessis forwards that there is a direct correlation between your spending on footwear and your risk of injury. That being that the more overengineered your shoes, the greater risk you assume because of atrophied stabilizing muscles. He suggests running barefoot on grass for short distances regularly. I'm not sure I'm ready to go that far just yet, but it seems to make a lot of sense when you consider the Kenyans and Mexican runners that do so.
As for motivation, I find that finding a regular running group or partner helps a lot. It's a lot harder to crap out on your run when other folks are counting on you. Also, get into a routine. That way you don't think about it. The hardest part is getting out the door.
Another thing I didn't really consider was the thesis Yessis forwards that there is a direct correlation between your spending on footwear and your risk of injury. That being that the more overengineered your shoes, the greater risk you assume because of atrophied stabilizing muscles. He suggests running barefoot on grass for short distances regularly. I'm not sure I'm ready to go that far just yet, but it seems to make a lot of sense when you consider the Kenyans and Mexican runners that do so.
This does make a lot of sense. However not much grass round here to run on. Guess I can go to a park.
Another thing I didn't really consider was the thesis Yessis forwards that there is a direct correlation between your spending on footwear and your risk of injury. That being that the more overengineered your shoes, the greater risk you assume because of atrophied stabilizing muscles. He suggests running barefoot on grass for short distances regularly. I'm not sure I'm ready to go that far just yet, but it seems to make a lot of sense when you consider the Kenyans and Mexican runners that do so.
Thanks, that's what I was looking for. I think I will have to pick up at least one of the books you've mentioned.
This does make a lot of sense. However not much grass round here to run on. Guess I can go to a park.
Barefoot in a park... brave, my friend. Very brave.
One of the points that Noakes makes is that there is very little actual science involved in the engineering of running shoes. Lots of claims, but very little in the way of peer review or testing. Considering how much the average high mileage runner spends on footwear, that's a lot of faith we're putting into a piece of protective equipment that has no objective measure of efficacy.
Do the math. An average pair of running shoes goes for around $80-135 and lasts roughly 300-400 miles. The average high mileage runner runs upwards from 30 miles/week. That's 4+ pairs of shoes a year or $360-540+.
Funny you should ask.
I started running last week. Primarily because I'm now 30 and slowly becomming what some would call "overweight".
I set up a 52 week schedule of 5 days of running, 1 day of cross training and 1 day of rest.
The schedule starts with 1 mile a day...steadily moving up to 4 miles a day by week 12 and finally test runs of 13+ miles on weekends. I'm hoping next summer I will be able to run a half marathon.
Funny you should ask.
I started running last week. Primarily because I'm now 30 and slowly becomming what some would call "overweight".
I set up a 52 week schedule of 5 days of running, 1 day of cross training and 1 day of rest.
The schedule starts with 1 mile a day...steadily moving up to 4 miles a day by week 12 and finally test runs of 13+ miles on weekends. I'm hoping next summer I will be able to run a half marathon.
Very cool. I would greatly suggest joining a weekend running group for your long runs. This gives you the motivation to continue well past your initial reluctance ot do double digit runs as well as gives you access to a wealth of running knowledge. Most road runners groups are VERY inexpensive (mine costs $10/year). The benefits you get from them are nearly limitless.
In my experience the most important thing is buying shoes (of whatever kind and price) from a specialty store. A really knowledgeable specialty running store. If they don't spend 5 minutes looking at your old shoes and talking to you about how you train before they go in the back room, look somewhere else. The place I go to is a hour+ drive from my house but it's worth it. I'll take 2-3 pairs out for a run of 1/4 mile or so before I make my decision.
As an old fart, I always, always run in the grass when training. Why, oh why, would you subject your delicate frame to the pounding of unyielding pavement when nature's bountiful cushioning is right next to the road? I say again, why?
Form is critical at higher mileages. I try to follow the rules and hit mid-sole, small steps, etc., but for me it's not over training. It's so easy to 'tough it out' which just leads to injury and downtime.
I want to go run now, but it's a gym day and I really need a day off between runs...
I'm mostly a road runner myself, but am seriously considering doing some trail running now that I'm getting long in the tooth and fragile in the knees. I'm told incorporating two days of trail running per month in your routine can do wonders for you.
Possibly the BEST description of a run ever is listed on the pretzelcitysports website for the Halfwit Half Marathon:
Trying to look "young" and thus marketable, many celebs have "nipped" and "tucked" their bods so much that it's tough to recall how they originally looked (or, in the case of Michael Jackson, even what "race", "gender" or "species" he is). Now that Dolly Parton's age has caught up with her bust size (60), her mug is stretched so tight that if you bounced a quarter off her upper lip, you'd put a hole thru your skylight. Cher & Joan Rivers, two other surgery creations, have been under more blades than all the rebels executed in the French Revolution; collectively, the only "original" God-given parts that the two retain between them are 2 hearts, 3 eyes, 1 spleen, 14 fingers, 17 toes, 1½ lungs & a colon that they share on alternating weeks. 67-year-old George Hamilton, despite spending enough time in the sun to look like Jabba the Hutt, has skin smoother than a Prada bag. Melanie Griffith, hot before injections, now sports lips so big that when she sneezes in the pool, everybody yells "Surf's Up"& grabs their boogie boards. Goldie Hawn, Dyan Cannon, Burt Reynolds; the list goes on & on of folks that went under "knife wielders" with less ability than Stan at the ShopRite deli. Now, some would suggest that the Half Wit course, one of the "ugliest" around, could use some serious cosmetic surgery of its own. And we suppose that we could slice down a few of the course's "large mounds" to make them more "perky" and "stretch" a few of the single track trails into 4-lane roads. And coating the whole course with Proactiv should eliminate the rocks and boulders from the course's otherwise smooth "skin", an aerial coating of bikini wax should remove the trees and a little Botox would fill the valleys that are almost assuredly followed by a big climb. But what would that leave us as a course? A bowling alley? The beach, without the two-pieces? Kansas? Who'd want to race across any of these? BORING!!! So, the HWH will continue to offer you ugly climbs, rough trails, gnarly downhills, grotesque urban relics like the "128 Steps from Hell", vistas overlooking piles of discarded training bras & birth control devices and a volunteer staff that closely resembles a composite of all the people NOT picked, over the years, on "The Dating Game". (It also offers great shirts, unique aide stations, a wheel measured course, finisher awards for all, etc but, for a course this ugly, that's like saying "Yes, but it has a great personality). Yes, these .3 miles of bushwhacking & 12.8 miles of trail are "ugly"; the HWH is one of the East's more challenging & competitive trail runs. Yet, the "beauty" of the HWH is that it can also be done by those who view a "10-minute/mile pace" as "sprinting" & are so removed from "athleticism" that they still think the word "Spandex" is the first name of a bad "˜80's British Euro-Pop group. The HWH is that one race that will stick in what little mind you have for years to come, even with professional help. LEGAL SCHMEGAL: YOU, YOURSELF, ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR HEALTH & WELFARE WHILE RACING THE HWH. We've entered the woods to find 1 or 2 people over the years but only because we knew they had beer in their car and that we'd be amply rewarded. And we have medical folks on site but they don't do "offroad" so you'll have to limp to a spot where they can throw you a rope and drag you across the ground to asphalt. While this race is for "kidders", it is not for "kids" so we don't allow runners under 18. Others discouraged from entering are folks that go to karaoke bars on a weekly basis, people that don't snicker when they hear the term "cockfighting"& runners with SAT scores over 1200 since they'll stick out like a "sore thumb" in this band of half-brains, underachievers, family "black sheep" and finalists for the lead in "My Name is Earl".
I started running religiously after both of my parents survived heart attacks within a year of eachother. They ate right and exercised, but it wasn't enough to overcome genetics. That'll make a guy feel mortal. So, I run every morning and -depending on work schedule- evening. Next month I'll be doing the BolderBoulder 10k race for the first time.
It helps to have a short term racing goal to work toward, but my main reason for running is to maintain a strong heart.
Good luck with that! I always stayed the heck out of downtown when that was on. Talk about a HUGE crowd....
I, like others here, can not run well. My ankles start to seize up after about the first mile or so. I do love to hike up mountains, though, so I typically stick to the StairMaster and other non-impact style cardio machines (and then hit the trails when summer arrives).
double posted
This is a useful thread, thanks for the advice everybody. I didn't realize my shoes were so trashed til I read it here.
I'd like to hear some opinions on how other runners push the envelope. For me, its all about the music I'm hearing. I start with straight up rock and roll or classical, but when I start getting tired and feel doubt setting in I crank up some high energy old school metal for about 10 minutes. It may sound cheesy but it gets me back on track almost every time and I'm good for another mile or two.
You people are crazy. After I run 1 mile I'm ready to die.
I'd like to hear some opinions on how other runners push the envelope.
It's different for everybody. Some people can push themselves daily and keep on going.
If I push the envelope, it tears, so for me the key is safe, consistent training. I've read in Runner's World that best training is 85% low intensity, 10% medium, 5% high.
It's the accumulation of miles at low intensity that gives you the strength to safely, occasionally, push the envelope. For example, you should never increase your weekly mileage more that 10% (except at very low miles i.e. 1 mile to 2 miles).
Obivously, YMMV.
I have flat feet. And I'm talking "perfect for water skiing without ski's" type of flat feet. I think it's about time for me to go to a doctor and get some of those shoe inserts that support the band of flesh where my arch should be.
This is my schedule. After 1.5 weeks I've already cut 1 whole minute off of my mile time, down to a blazing 9 minutes! 
Week 1-3
M-F/Wed off: 1 mile
Sat: 2 miles, Sun: Cross train
Week 4-7
M-F/Wed off: 1.5 miles
Sat: 3 miles Sun: Cross
Week 8-16
M-F/Wed off: 3 miles
Sat: 5 miles Sun: Cross
Week 17-24
M-F/Wed off: 3.5 miles
Sat: 5 miles/Sun: Cross
Week 25-30
M-F/Wed off: 4 miles
Sat: 6/Sun: Cross
Week 31-52
Mixing in runs of 3 to 7miles, Tues-Thurs.
Saturday runs ranging from 6-14 miles.
I'm sure that I'll modify this as I go. I'm hoping to be hitting 4 miles during the weekdays a lot earlier than week 25 but, with how crappy I feel now after hitting 1 mile...we'll see. I'm halfway through week 2 but, I don't even feel the slightest hint of dreading the run or wanting to quit at all. I'm actually feeling a lot better after those first 7 days of running.
I've been running off and on for a few years, but as of the past few months I'm currently at about 10 miles a week, which is the most I've ever run in my life. The hardest thing for me is the time to do it. Long commute and long work days leaves very little time to run. Now that the days are longer I'm hoping this will change.
Hmm. My schedule is a lot less rigid, but it generally falls into something like this:
Monday: 4-6 mile fartlek run (speed/recovery on road conditions)
Tuesday: 3 mile easy junk mile run, play hockey
Wednesday: Track workout: 1 mile warmup, 4x800 repeats, 1 mile cooldown
Thursday: 3 mile easy junk mile run, play hockey
Friday: hang out with girlfriend and drink beer
Saturday: 10-15 mile long run with running club
Sunday: Race Day: 10k to half marathon race
I realize that scheduling my long day the day before my usual race days is probably counterproductive, but my schedule doesn't allow easy alternatives.
On a different note, I spoke with my girlfriend (getting her PhD in a medical research field related to exercise phys) and she seems to agree that running shoes should either be regulated as orthopedic medical devices or at least have to reveal some science to back up claims the companies make regarding corrective abilities. As it is now, they are mostly marketing rather than substance.
On a different note, I spoke with my girlfriend (getting her PhD in a medical research field related to exercise phys) and she seems to agree that running shoes should either be regulated as orthopedic medical devices or at least have to reveal some science to back up claims the companies make regarding corrective abilities. As it is now, they are mostly marketing rather than substance.
Working in a "comfort" shoe store myself and I can see how these claims are true, for running shoes. But hey at least I get a 60% discount on my shoes hehe.
I've looked into a couple books lately that are changing the way I think about how I run. Timothy Noakes' Lore of Running is a 900+ page tome on pretty much everything related to running oriented exercise phys. The other is Michael Yessis' Explosive Running which goes more in depth about kinesiology and the correction of movement. Both raise serious doubts about the efficacy of engineered running shoes.Another book gaining a lot of currency in running circles is Danny Dreyer's book Chi Running. I'm not much on the whole spirituality of running stuff, but the posture and kinesiology advice it gives seems to be pretty sound.
It's good to see other runners considering their style and methods. I've been running for about 5 years and constantly fought knee and lower back pain as a heel striker.
Last fall I picked up Chi Running and was immediately drawn to the running mechanics posited in the book. This led me to research the "Pose Method" as well.
I then started experimenting with my running style and I have moved to a front foot strike (sort of a ball, mid, ball strike) and it's reduced my pain to almost zero. My runs are much more comfortable and efficient. I do have pain, but very few injuries. 
All that padding in my running shoe heels (even for front foot stability shoes) feels like extra weight.
I highly recommend the research into alternate methods if you're a heel striker that is injury prone.
I've looked into a couple books lately that are changing the way I think about how I run. Timothy Noakes' Lore of Running is a 900+ page tome on pretty much everything related to running oriented exercise phys. The other is Michael Yessis' Explosive Running which goes more in depth about kinesiology and the correction of movement. Both raise serious doubts about the efficacy of engineered running shoes.Another book gaining a lot of currency in running circles is Danny Dreyer's book Chi Running. I'm not much on the whole spirituality of running stuff, but the posture and kinesiology advice it gives seems to be pretty sound.
It's good to see other runners considering their style and methods. I've been running for about 5 years and constantly fought knee and lower back pain as a heel striker.
Last fall I picked up Chi Running and was immediately drawn to the running mechanics posited in the book. This led me to research the "Pose Method" as well.
I then started experimenting with my running style and I have moved to a front foot strike (sort of a ball, mid, ball strike) and it's reduced my pain to almost zero. My runs are much more comfortable and efficient. I do have pain, but very few injuries.
All that padding in my running shoe heels (even for front foot stability shoes) feels like extra weight.
I highly recommend the research into alternate methods if you're a heel striker that is injury prone.
Great to know. I tried toe/ball striking for one run and found that I was getting pretty severe shin splints from it. In fairness, that might have to do with the fact that my stabilizing muscles are atrophied from a consistant running style.
I looked at Pose Method and considered that over Chi Running. I'm a serious skeptic and tend to glaze over whenever someone talks about "energy flow" or spirituality of running. A lot of the ground covered in changing gait is in both Lore and Explosive Running.
Thanks for your observations. I'll probably give changing stride a serious effort now.
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