Why do we run, is it good for you?

[D.P.]

Interesting. Why is it so bad for our joints when it's what we're biomechanically designed for? I started really late - only two years ago at 44 but I thoroughly love it. I don't go far, 5km each morning is enough for me but if I don't go, I really wouldn't be active at all.

It is not bad for your joints. This is mostly a myth. As you said, we are biomechnically designed to run, are extremely good at it. Running is humans super power. When you watch a nature documentary and hear about a spider that can lift 100x its body weight, or a whale that can hold its breath for 3 hours, or a bird that can nose dive at 200 MPH... - well humans ability to run is almost unmatched in the entire animal kingdom.


As has been mentioned several times in this thread, you gain run fitness quickly but it takes longer for your bones and muscles to adapt. Most beginners run far to fast and ramp up volumes and paces way to quickly. Injury is inevitable and then these people go on to complain that running ruins their knees/is bad for you, spreading myths

 

[Converge]

When you guys speak of slow running, what speed are we talking? 6:30 / km? If it’s around that, I’m relieved as that’s my general pace!

 

[lemonkettaz]

I go to a speed linked to heart rate zone, so it was really slow but it's increased over time.

 

[ic1male]

When you guys speak of slow running, what speed are we talking? 6:30 / km? If it’s around that, I’m relieved as that’s my general pace!

I run to my heartrate rather than a fixed pace/speed so my averages are actually 7:30/km.

EDIT: Having looked at my figures, 12th March pace was 8:21, 19th June 7:03. So my fitness is improving. It just doesn't feel like it at times.

 

[Freefaller]

I agree about slow running. Personally I'm not about trying to get good / fast at running, I do it for cardio, and just because it's a bit different to swimming / row machine. I do prefer swimming and the row machine, in fact I'd do anything I can to avoid running. However, running is convenient as all you need is a pair of good trainers. I'm fit, but slow at running and not trying to push myself, just get a good breathing / HR going. Rowing (2k and 5k) and swimming (500-750m) is where I push myself as it's easier on my joints since I'm quite heavy and more interested in powerlifting, but like to vary my exercises.

Just doing "something" is better than doing nothing, and you do get a buzz from running, and if done well can be very cardioprotective, it doesn't have to be too hard on the joints if you build up to it. My joints are used to being battered, but running does aggravate them more than 200kg+ squats - because that's what my body has adapted to - hence why myofascial release, stretching (dynamically) is important.

 

[xdcx]

It's just pure injury prevention. All the time.
I ran 90-100miles a week. 1/2 track sessions, a hill session and a long run on non race weeks typically. In between was steady or active recovery running.
Long/steady running was 6:30-7:15 minute miles and 70% of it was on gravel/grass surface as first attempt at preventing injury because constant tarmac honestly is just going to hurt you.

The rest of injury prevention came from gym work, foam rolling, stretching, sports massage, technique drills at track and all of these things combined just to try and stop injury probably took as much time as all the actual running each week...... Yet there was always niggles and lingering injury all the damn time! Whether it physically be actually hurting or just worrying you slightly mentally, it was detrimental to performance constantly and just always on the cards that you'd be injured.

I race bikes now, the cost and equipment need is so much more. Time wise, yeah you need train a lot more hours at a time but I don't need to do all the injury prevention stuff constantly in militant fashion. I also don't need to replace trainers every 7-8 weeks or go to sports massage half as much etc. Cycling is big outlay and big costs now and again but I can go 3 months training bike wise and not spend a penny on it but running was more constant drip feed of money for stuff.

Just trying to give some perspective of it competitive wise on top the rest of what people are saying. I would absolutely love to just be able to go out 2-3 times a week for a 5k or a 10k for "fun" and to unload some stress and just enjoy it. To me, in answer to the thread, that is a peak reason to run. It can be enjoyed, it can be fun and it of course is of benefit to your health and wellbeing.... not everything has to be about "training" and targeting goals/improvement. It can absolutely just be about enjoying the thing for what it is and reaping the benefits that come from that. It doesn't need to be about getting the same from a breathing exercise or using a step machine to mimic the same muscle use. It can just be about enjoyment of something.

 

[Freefaller]

You're spot on it should be fun / can be fun. I don't find it fun, I don't even find weightlifting "fun" but I enjoy it weirdly!

 

[Bear]

I used to love running although was never fast at it. I suffered an injured calf and rested for a couple of weeks but it didn't really go away and as quite a few people that like to exercise and become quite obsessive about it, I couldn't just sit and rest it so went out running again and because my calf never healed properly I altered my gait and ended up injuring my hip which niggled me for ages. In the end I turned to cycling as it was a lot easier on my body but the moral of the story for me was never get itchy feet and exercise whist injured, it will only end with worse injuries unless you do something different that doesnt aggravate it.

 

[Black Dog]

I run about 20 miles per week, 2x10 miles on a Monday and Friday. I couldn't really say I enjoy it but the feeling afterwards far outweighs the running. It's weird but some days I actually enjoy it but other days I struggle but have to dig deep and do it anyway. I'm not one for giving up or cutting it short so always complete the run no matter what. I have been doing this for 4 years now and feeling good and the weight has fallen off. I wouldn't say I'm really in to running but it's more of a casual thing for me but very dedicated to it and won't ever miss a run. Whatever happens I will run twice a week otherwise I feel I have let myself down. I used to run over 35 miles a week broken up to 3 times a week but it got to much for me time wise and started to get a few niggling injuries.

I'm in a good place at the moment and fits in very nicely with my lifestyle.

 

[D.P.]

When you guys speak of slow running, what speed are we talking? 6:30 / km? If it’s around that, I’m relieved as that’s my general pace!

It is all relative to your fitness and years of experience. Rather than pace per se, you want to look at effort and heart rate. A very easy way to check you are running at an appropriate pace is to try and hold a conversation with someone. If you don;t have a running partner, take a phone and call a friend. You should have no problems holding a conversation, no gasping for breath or cutting sentences short, but ti won;t be quite as fluid as sat on your sofa. You are looking for just that hint that you are breath a little more than normal but breathing itslef is not problematic.

At least 80-90% of your runs should be at about that pace, and if you never care about getting your fastest time in a race you never need to run faster to get great fitness. Also, hill repeats are a good way of increasing your heart rate without adding any impact forces.

This doesn't mean you should never run fast, or it is dangerous, or it will instantly give injuries. It is just that it increases the impact forces significantly which over time without proper recovery will increase the risks of getting injured. You don't gain any additional fitness by running faster, rather it can be detrimental. Running should also be polarized, so either you are doing slow easy running over a longer time, or you do some shorter higher intensity workouts with a specific focus. Intervals and high intensity running is a specific trainign tool to be used sparingly at specific periods of training. They are like the icing on the cake, you really need to make sure you have a good cake made through months of aerobic base building before high intensity runs have much value, and their value is limited by the quality of that cake.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

I'm 63 walking on two sticks or in a wheelchair all because of running.
I have out of control diabetes all because of running and the foods I ate to do Marathons/half Marathons.
If I had one wish it would be not to take up running in 1999 because it has made me very poorly & disabled.

I also understand that long distance running was a daft thing to do for me who isn't a natural runner because I know 70 year old blokes who have run 400+ marathons with zero health problems.

 

[D.P.]

I love running, I am addicted to it, and get withdrawal symptoms when I can't run, like today because I am tapering for a race so taking a rest day which I hate.

But that doesn't mean I love every run. Far form it, those cold dark wet winter mornings, alarm going off at 5:30 so I can get drenched for 2 hours. But the persistence pays off, and that is rewarding. And the guilt from not running because I am too much of a sissy to run in the blinding snow is usually worse than the run itself. Normally always enjoying coming home to a hot shower when your cold and wet after running 12 miles in torrential rain with people driving past thinking you are insane.

 

[D.P.]

I'm 63 walking on two sticks or in a wheelchair all because of running.
I have out of control diabetes all because of running and the foods I ate to do Marathons/half Marathons.
If I had one wish it would be not to take up running in 1999 because it has made me very poorly & disabled.

I also understand that long distance running was a daft thing to do for me who isn't a natural runner because I know 70 year old blokes who have run 400+ marathons with zero health problems.

The problem is your probably trained wrong, and/or your ailments liekly have nothing to do with running.

Statistically, people that have ran most of their lives have far lower incidences of knee problems, arthritis or any other health issue form cancer to heart disease, diabetes, to mental health, parkinsons, alzheimer's, etc.

Training for marathons doesn't require any specific diet, the usual lots of fresh veg, quality ingredients, etc. Running generally helps with diabetes as it improves the sensitivity to insulin.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

The problem is your probably trained wrong, and/or your ailments liekly have nothing to do with running.

Statistically, people that have ran most of their lives have far lower incidences of knee problems, arthritis or any other health issue form cancer to heart disease, diabetes, to mental health, parkinsons, alzheimer's, etc.

Training for marathons doesn't require any specific diet, the usual lots of fresh veg, quality ingredients, etc. Running generally helps with diabetes as it improves the sensitivity to insulin.

I'm not going to deny I may have trained wrong but I can tell you 100% that my ailments have been bought on by long distance running that I probably did wrong.
One massive mistake was running on a knee I had two cartilages taken out in 1985, that was never going to end well.