You Want to Run, but are Obese/Flat-Footed/Unfit/All 3

mark2605

Bump !

Bad knee, high arches, underpronation = trouble.
I love your sense of humor, lol. Ty for a great guide!

Ok, a noob question. I'm 43 yrs old and in excellent cardio health from spinning classes. RHR hovers around 52. But when I try running, that is REALLY hard for me. Is that cause my "running" muscles are weak ? Any suggestions on what I need to improve?

Ah, a fellow possessor of a sense of humour amid all this humourlessness! I'm no expert, but I think you answered your own question. You may be really fit at the cardiovascular level but just not conditioned for running. Make no mistake, running is hard on the body, even if the body is a slim one. That's why I suggest people take it slow, even if only to give their body time to adjust (even as their heart and lungs are screaming C'MON MAN LET'S GO!!!!).

Also, all types of fitness are different. When I was doing half marathons years ago, I would get in a pool and be literally gasping for breath after 4 lengths of a 25m pool, so there's that to consider. Either way, slow and steady is the way.

mark2605

This is not a WHY RUNNING IS THE BEST FORM OF EXERCISE post (so the "lift heavy" crowd can just pre-shutup, please and thank you).

I got this far before I stopped reading.

You're gonna make a lot of friends by telling all of the lifters to shut up...

I lift and run just like JTick.

Also:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1217573-so-you-want-to-start-running

^so yeah, that instead kthnx

And yet you still took the time to post a comment and tell everyone you stopped reading! HAHA

mark2605

SHOES
Discard any of the crap you read online about running barefoot or with minimalist shoes. This may be a good idea for that mythical running waif with perfect posture and zero excess fat, but it's probably a bad idea for you. Get stability shoes that can take a lot of the shock of you pounding the pavement.

POSTURE
Don't get too stressed out about your posture, and again, don't fall down the rabbit hole of people opining on minimalist running.

While I agree that it may not be for everyone, you should not be talking so much trash on minimalism. I am no mythical running waif with perfect posture, but if it was not for minimalist shoes and barefoot running form, I would not be running. I started running a little over three years ago at age 53 and I have had both hips replaced... traditional running shoes and the specialty shoe store experts talking about my over-pronation or whatever the crap I had/have, nearly trashed my knees, hips and back. A quick switch to zero-drop shoes and barefoot running form almost immediately alleviated those issues. Since then I have accumulated about 4,500 miles (over 1,500 this year so far) and have just started running ultras, so I know that minimalism works very well for me...and lots of other people as well... I know how divisive this subject can be, so I am not proselytizing or trying to say because it works for me it will work for everyone. I am just saying you are throwing out a very sweet baby with your anti-minimalist bathwater.... :-)

OK, so obviously I was being a bit hyperbolous to drive a point. I'm glad all the minimalist stuff worked out for you, I just don't think it's a great starting point for overweight and/or overpronating runners.

Foamroller

Bump !

Bad knee, high arches, underpronation = trouble.
I love your sense of humor, lol. Ty for a great guide!

Ok, a noob question. I'm 43 yrs old and in excellent cardio health from spinning classes. RHR hovers around 52. But when I try running, that is REALLY hard for me. Is that cause my "running" muscles are weak ? Any suggestions on what I need to improve?

Ah, a fellow possessor of a sense of humour amid all this humourlessness! I'm no expert, but I think you answered your own question. You may be really fit at the cardiovascular level but just not conditioned for running. Make no mistake, running is hard on the body, even if the body is a slim one. That's why I suggest people take it slow, even if only to give their body time to adjust (even as their heart and lungs are screaming C'MON MAN LET'S GO!!!!).

Also, all types of fitness are different. When I was doing half marathons years ago, I would get in a pool and be literally gasping for breath after 4 lengths of a 25m pool, so there's that to consider. Either way, slow and steady is the way.

Ok, I think I finally understood the nagging about specificity training. Naturally having good endurance for one sport does not equal good endurance in other field. It's not like those slow-twitch endurance muscles fibers suddenly jump to support my "running area". I feel like a facepalm, lol.

girlviernes

I really like this post. I'm not sure that I am going to take up running, but it seems to be a useful guide and a very helpful reminder that slow and steady is so key especially when you are overweight and deconditioned.