Just run or get a trainer?

btsinmd

I wasn't an athlete as a teen, then I did nothing for 30+ years and gained a lot of weight, then I got a strange thing that caused all my muscles to hurt and I really didn't move ... now I'm fine, almost.

I started running last May. I started well in the negative as far as having much useful muscle or endurance. On the other had, I am a generally healthy person with nothing major wrong with me. I have slowly been upping my miles. I feel comfortable running 4 miles a few times a week and last Sunday ran an easy 10k and felt fine throughout and like I could have kept going. On the other hand my knee bothers me. I had it checked out in the past and was told that there was nothing mechanically wrong with my knee that building good muscles around it wouldn't fix and that it's most likely not my knee exactly per se, but my IT band and other muscles. It used to bother me when I ran, so that I was limping home the last mile, but doesn't any more. Doesn't bother me when I run or walk or squat. It IS improving, slowly. I do feel it when I try to do things like lunges or other things involving quick movement and twists.

I've been going to a self described fitness studio, which means it has nothing physically heavy like treadmills, exercise bikes, weight machines, or barbells, but does have ropes, bars (chin up, pull up, with straps for assisted if needed), dumbbells, kettleballs, a rowing machine, stability balls, and many other similar things. I've been attending what they call a Metabolic Conditioning class with lots of squats, lunges, pushups, pullups, planks, all of various types with and without kettleballs, dumbbells, or sandbags. I like it, but feel like I would do better with more individual attention. I paid, heavily discounted, for 20 classes and have attended 11. I have until mid-June to attend the remaining 9.

So, do I:
1) just attend these remaining 9 classes and other than that run during the very limited time I have to get formal exercise in, get up to 4 or 5 days of running and other than that just try to squeeze in the few body weight exercises I know. Aim to run a half marathon in the Fall?
2) pay monthly to belong to this fitness studio and get a small group trainer session once a week that would be fitted toward me and my goals and abilities (hopefully; but the trainers there do seem competent), be able to continue to attend classes there, but not be able to do more than 2 or 3 days of running a week because of time? If I do this, I'm committed to 6 months.
3) do 1) and then do 2) starting when it starts getting cold and dark again (late October or November)

I would much much rather do 1) and then maybe 3) It's less expensive, it's more convenient, it's what I want to do, but 2) might be better for me in the long run. I might learn more so that once I can quit going to the studio, I'll be better off on my own and the sooner I do that the better?

PinkNinjaLaura

Speaking from personal experience, as someone who was never an athlete and just started working out in my 40's, my trainer has been invaluable to me in my running. A lot of my strength plan is customized around the fact that I run. He has me do specific hip strengthening exercises twice a week. He makes sure my core is strong. We do running drills. He's made sure the muscles around my knees are stronger so I've stopped having most of the issues that I was having with my knees. He watches to make sure that my squats and lunges are correct so I'm not doing more harm than good with bad form.

Also buy a foam roller if you don't already have one, and make yourself use it on your IT bands. It will hurt. It will hurt a lot. But it's worth it.

dougii

Never considered myself to be an athlete but now the doctor tells me I am one based on my training routine. I certainly ate, not poorly, but way too much for way too many years. Am in my second year of running now; covered 1000 miles in the first year :)Personally I have learned most of what I need to know about running and exercise from books and talking to others that are doing similar things. I joined a gym that is open 24/7 and hardly ever has anyone supervising or training others on the property and I go there in the wee hours of the morning so have very little company. I run every other day, again in the very early dark hours of the day; my companion is my 85 pound German Shepherd, we run outside year round unless the temps go below 10 degrees at which point I will use the treadmill at the gym. Do what makes the most sense to you, what you can afford, and what you are most comfortable with. Each of us continues this journey in our own fashion. As long as when you are done you are smiling the way makes no difference in my opinion.

schmenge55

What are your goals? Are you simply looking to run pain free? Pain free and a race now and then? Want to compete all the time and improve performance? I think the answer to your goals helps determine the path.

I totally agree that most knee issues are not knee problems, the knee is the symptom. You can find tons of stuff on Runners World and other sites for the IT bands, glutes, etc. Most are simple and do not require a trainer.

i do use a trainer twice a week. I do 10-12 races a year and look to be competitive. I've used a trainer for maybe 7 years now. Could I do it on my own? Maybe. i use Greg (my trainer) for a few reasons. 1. To make sure i do it. i am nowhere near as disciplined about strength work as I am running. 2. To make sure I do it correctly. Easy to make little adjustments, unknowingly, that make an exercise easier, but not as effective. 3. To notice when I need more focus on a specific area

i also know many, many people, most actually, who do all their strength work on their own. It;s is all choice. If you need any ideas for the exercises for keeping your knees good let me know. I know a lot of them