Running

Where do you go to do that? Do you have to run on the street, or can you find a track or field to do it (preferred)?

Any tips for someone who never thought they would ever be keen to try this (but now sort of is... so weird)?

Start in the gym on the treadmill. Try going it twice per week for no longer than 10 minutes. Over time increase length and intensity.

When you have reached half hour per each run, move onto hard surfaces, like road etc.

If you throw yourself into too fast, your body will freak out and you will hurt and most likely will not want to do it ever again. Especially if you haven't done it before or haven't done it in ages, slow progression is the only way.

running on a treadmill is boring. i would try and find some grass or flat trails to run on. start at 10 minutes adding a few minutes each run - do it at an easy pace, so you feel like you could easily keep running.

once you get to 30 minutes..you can increase by 5 minutes, i'd run 2-3 times per week minimum.

Nice one Smiley.

This is often touted as a good way for people to break into running: The Couch to 5k program.

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Get some decent shoes if you don't have any already.

Definitely get some decent shoes. Do not make the mistake of running in shit shoes.
I had a good experience at Shoe Science and I believe Shoe Clinic is similar. Don't go to Athlete's Foot.

I run on the road. I was advised not to as it is much harder on some of the stabilising muscles and tendons but there was no way I was going to do more than 20 mins on a treadmill.

Experiment a bit, see what works for you. Sometimes I find it easier to run a known circuit and aim for a better time, other times I just cruise and go for distance or just go exploring and enjoy the surroundings.

yeah, that one's apparently a myth about terrain. A Uni of California (Berkley) study showed that the difference between grass, tarmac and a treadmill is negligible in the scheme of things and made no real difference on the impact on your legs.

The best thing you can do is fit proper shoes.

Read an interesting article a few weeks ago about how bad shoes (in general) were for us. The author also mentions how running shoes aren't as protective against injury as one might think:

Okay, but what about a good pair of athletic shoes? After all, they swaddle your foot in padding to protect you from the unforgiving concrete. But that padding? That’s no good for you either. Consider a paper titled “Athletic Footwear: Unsafe Due to Perceptual Illusions,” published in a 1991 issue of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. “Wearers of expensive running shoes that are promoted as having additional features that protect (e.g., more cushioning, ‘pronation correction’) are injured significantly more frequently than runners wearing inexpensive shoes (costing less than $40).” According to another study, people in expensive cushioned running shoes were twice as likely to suffer an injury—31.9 injuries per 1,000 kilometers, as compared with 14.3—than were people who went running in hard-soled shoes.

http://nymag.com/health/features/46213/

:>

Interesting 1991 paper. It might very well be true that wearing shoes is worse for you than bare feet. Not really practical though! But there are many African runners who do distance in bare feet, just fine.

I'd like to have known whether they accounted for the fact that people who purchase running-specific shoes spend far longer in them, than your 20 minutes, 3x a week who runs in cross trainers on a treadmill. i.e. people who run more often and longer distance, are more likely to get injured.

finally finally FINALLY had my first run, around the blocks of Tuakau while I'm here

Used the couch to 5K guide, although I'm a bit fitter than what it asked of me which was nice. Man that was fun, and I'm gonna keep it up now that I have started, got some places in mind in the city.

Also started reading 50 Marathons in 50 days by Dean Karnazes, an inspired xmas present from my brother. I reckon this could help me find some inner peace that I've been looking for as well as the fitness side of things. YAY

Well, I managed to (very slightly) tear my achilles tendon which fucked me up right royally for five weeks.

Ooh, I started the C25K but fell off the wagon as I'm in retail and work crazy hours at Christmas.

Have to get back into it this week.

Are you doing week one now? Do you know about the podcasts you can download to make it easier?

Yeah sort of week one, was a bit easy for me though...

Buuut one my best mates has decided she wants to run too, so we're gonna start tonight at mission bay

I'll see how that pans out over the rest of the year, will be cool if we can keep it up together, but if we don't, I will on my own anyway. Might try the podcasts, but not the first week, a bit too easy.

I used to street run a lot and my shins got fucked up...

shin splints??

But I enjoyed it.. now I do my treadmill so far I do 1 hour a day.. 1/2 hour in the morning 1/2 at night..

it's not boring?? I just stick a good movie on or a good tv programme and have my motivational picture of Lara Bingle on the treadmill to remind me wtf is up..

but it's so good love it

Let me know some times and dates and I will come down for a run with ya...




We could start a squad!