Running is good. I think my healthcare costs should be tied to my
aerobic fitness. I don't care whether you look at my mood,
"issues" or my physical woes, running has elevated me above so many of
the health issues. It should be manditory for ADHD kids to rip up
the playground and gyms much more than they are allowed to in most
school environments.
================
I have come to love the changes in the environment. One day it will be
glorious and the next wet and cold. I ran on day this summer when the
humidex was a 44C. I knew beyond any reasonable doubt that I was fit
enough, but the warnings on the radio and the reports from hospitals
suggesting people take cover was something to think about anyway. I
ran four miles that day and I was pretty darn slow. Drank everything I
brought and more that I stashed for the return miles. I ran in snow
storms last winter. If I'm outside in the variable weather I get to
feeling that most days aren't nearly as miserable as the weather
channel might lead you to believe. Most days there is something
spectacular about being outside. Either a smell or a sight or just a
feeling that I'm part of the universe, it's good for me to be reminded
of the elements. I could never do the tread mill thang.
I've certainly learnt a lot more about how to dress to be outside in lousy weather and be comfortable.
I was so cautious starting out because I had been hurt running before. It's not fun and it's surprisingly easy to do.
The heart and lungs are quickest to adapt. The muscles take about six
weeks to change to anything new. The ligaments and tendons take months
longer and bones take the longest, sometimes years.
My mind adapts within minutes! eheh I think I can do much more than is wise.
When I started, I saw a podiatrist that specialises in runners and
their feet before I bought shoes. I spent a pile of money on shoes
trying to prevent trouble. It's now time to buy new shoes. I've got 500 miles on my shoes! Can you believe that? I can't if I don't pinch myself first. :D
I took on a great deal of research to learn what muscles needed to be
strengthened and how to stretch properly before I finished my first leg
of the reintroduction to running. I also took 14 weeks to go from
walking a half hour to running a half hour. I am not a spring chicken
anymore and I really really didn't want to be hurt.
I knew my weight was a little high but only by maybe thirty pounds or
so. Yikes. I've still got the last ten or 15 to go, but I'm in no
rush.
You would likely be wise to learn a lot more about what you are doing,
if you don't already know all you need to know. Not that I don't want
to help, but the variables are too many for me to help with so little
information. Maybe you can help.
What part of your leg is giving you trouble. As I understand it, if you feel the pain while you are running and not after or before, it's a warning that you are likely doing some damage by continuing.
Some aches and pains are to be expected and after a while you'll get to
know the differences between the ones that will go away and the ones
you need to listen to. Patience is key. Listening to my body has been
a long time in coming and I still have to listen very carefully to hear
even the louder messages. It takes time.
How did you introduce yourself to running? How long did you walk
first? How many times a week and for how long were you out each time?
How much extra weight are you carrying?
What type of shoes are you wearing? What type of surface are you
running on? Have you had someone that knows what they are doing look
at the mechanics of how you walk and run?
There are seemingly endless questions and many variables to consider
when looking at why you might be having some leg pain. I'll gladly
offer what I have to say. I also belong to a running message board (contact me if you'd like a link)
that is where I've learnt almost everything I know and have spoken of
here, but regardless of where you post, more detail will be necessary
for anyone to assist.
I've had a couple of things I've had to change in order to stay
healthy. At first my knees felt spongy. Especially my left one. I
read every post I could find on the topic and many articles. In doing
so of course I picked up a lot of good ideas that were not related
directly to my knee problems, but were really handy to know. Reading
is a good thing. :D
I found that my stride was too long and the rate at which my feet hit
the ground should be much faster. I need not move any faster forward,
but the foot fall needed to be much quicker. I think the rule of thumb
is 80 strikes a minute. I was surprised that it didn't seem to matter
how fast I was running, the 80 strikes a minute was the desired
frequency. This made my strides much shorter and that was what made my
legs feel great again.
I wear a heart rate monitor for most runs. This way I can target the zone I want to train in. This helps keep the demands on my body down and my return on investment up. Heart rate training is a wonderfully low intensity way to go.
I have that same spongy thing going on in my left knee now, but I'm
pretty sure it's the shoes being pounded out after 500 miles and the
cushion is just not there like it was when they were new. The 500
miles threshold for shoes is a common reference for shoe replacement.
It took me nearly a year to put on those miles. I've got pretty nice
looking legs just now, if I do say so myself. :D
I stretch after most runs. I learnt to stretch from Bob Anderson's
popular book on stretching when I was taking Karate five nights a week
in college. I've still got the book and it's still working well for
me. I focus on my calves, Achilles tendons, quads, and glutes then hit
the shower. Stretching before working out weakens the muscles.
Stretching after running when the muscles are warm is rewarding. I
start by being really slow about applying the stretch. I keep applying
the pressure very slowly. If I introduce any pain or over do it in any
way, my body just protects itself and I don't gain any benefit. My
body has to cooperate and relax into the stretch. If I can't feel it
stretching it probably isn't and I've probably gone too far too fast.
I repeat each stretch at least twice and some of them three or four
times being careful to work both legs or sides of my body the same.
The strength exercises I do are done in repeats of three sets of 12-15
and no more than twenty. I do lunges, side leg lifts, calf raises with
my heels down below my toes over a ledge or something similar. I do
various planks taken from the "core strength" ideas. They cover my
front, sides and back of my torso. I do push ups for my arms and
shoulders.
It's important to do any strength exercise after a run and not before.
Apparently, if you do it before the run eats up any gains you might
have asked for. I didn't figure this out until way late in the game.
:P
RICE is the acronym for rest, ice, compression and elevation.
Those are the standard things people do to help minimise the damage
from a painful run. Many people have prepared ice baths waiting for
them as soon as they finish a marathon so the inflammation from the
inevitable damage is kept to a minimum. Not having run that distance,
I'm not convinced the ice bath cure would be any better than the pain
from inflammation. :D
I seem to be writing long posts again. I'm donning my flame retardant
asbestos suit so you all can take cheap flame war shots at me for being
so long winded. ehhe
Cheers! and I hope some of this leads you to a better place Casper.
Take your time, ask all the questions you like. Keep your ears and
eyes open to your body when it speaks. Watch, and most of all, and it
sounds ridiculous, but think about what you are doing when you are
doing it.
Keep us posted please. The first bit of difficulty was the hardest to
accept for me. I thought very quickly that I just wouldn't be able to
run any more and I didn't for twenty three years. This time seems to
be different, but I'm also sure that hurdles remain to be jumped.
Mistakes are inevitable. If I wasn't making them I wouldn't be trying
very hard!
Ian
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