What is so special about running???

BrianSharpe

To me.. Nothing. Running sucks.. Plain and simple.

You can get the exact same results by walking that you can by running... which is why I don't force myself to do it.

You're not entirely correct, running burns almost double (net) the calories of walking .63cal / lb body weight per mile vs .30cal/ lb body eight per mile (Source "Energy Expenditure of Walking and Running," Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise, Cameron et al, Dec. 2004.) and you'll get your heart rate higher running than you will walking but......if you hate running walking is still way better for you than being inert and you can find other ways to boost your heart rate.

Back to the original question.......Setting aside the health benefits of running I find it's a great way to clear away the mental clutter. It's just you, the sound of your footfalls, they rhythm of your breathing - it's very meditative. (I don't run with music, I find it distracting and impairs my ability to hear traffic)

dad106

To me.. Nothing. Running sucks.. Plain and simple.

You can get the exact same results by walking that you can by running... which is why I don't force myself to do it.

well come on...you can't get the "exact same results" from walking as running. From a time angle, running is more efficient for weight loss and cardiovascular benefit. Walking is excellent exercise, but its not as beneficial as running. Running "sucks" for some I guess....but when those endorphins get released, it doesnt suck at all.

So you're still getting the same weight loss and cardiovascular benefit from walking that you get from running.. it just takes longer with walking? Sounds like the over all progress is the same... and if it means that I don't have to kill my joints and get injured running, then it's fine by me.

Dave198lbs

From a time angle, running is more efficient for weight loss and cardiovascular benefit. Walking is excellent exercise, but its not as beneficial as running.

That actually depends a lot on your diet. Running is going to tap into carbs for most people. If you are working a carb-restricted diet, and ESPECIALLY if you are on an IF diet, walking will actually be better for burning body fat stores.

Now, obviously running is better for cardiovascular fitness; just not necessarily for weight loss. And when I think about valuable running for cardio fitness, it's not miles and miles of trotting. It's sprint circuits and HIIT.

the recent stuff I have read (some of which I think was Alan Aragon) that while slow steady state cardio (walking for example) is beneficial while cutting, that higher intensity (like running) can also be beneficial for cutting if you dont over do it.

Running is a lot of things. Miles and miles of "trotting" isnt one of them. Not to me anyway.

dad106

To me.. Nothing. Running sucks.. Plain and simple.

You can get the exact same results by walking that you can by running... which is why I don't force myself to do it.

You're not entirely correct, running burns almost double (net) the calories of walking .63cal / lb body weight per mile vs .30cal/ lb body eight per mile (Source "Energy Expenditure of Walking and Running," Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise, Cameron et al, Dec. 2004.) and you'll get your heart rate higher running than you will walking but......if you hate running walking is still way better for you than being inert and you can find other ways to boost your heart rate.

Try doing inclines on a treadmill while walking.. Crank it up to like 8-10 and see what your heart rate does.. I think you'll be surprised.

grinch031

From a time angle, running is more efficient for weight loss and cardiovascular benefit. Walking is excellent exercise, but its not as beneficial as running.

That actually depends a lot on your diet. Running is going to tap into carbs for most people. If you are working a carb-restricted diet, and ESPECIALLY if you are on an IF diet, walking will actually be better for burning body fat stores.

Now, obviously running is better for cardiovascular fitness; just not necessarily for weight loss. And when I think about valuable running for cardio fitness, it's not miles and miles of trotting. It's sprint circuits and HIIT.

How is walking better for burning fat stores than running? It shouldn't matter what source they are coming from (carbs vs. fat) because in the end it evens out and you can eat more carbs (as opposed to fat or protein) to compensate for the carbs burnt running. So any way you look at it, you are burning more calories in less time by running.

grinch031

To me.. Nothing. Running sucks.. Plain and simple.

You can get the exact same results by walking that you can by running... which is why I don't force myself to do it.

well come on...you can't get the "exact same results" from walking as running. From a time angle, running is more efficient for weight loss and cardiovascular benefit. Walking is excellent exercise, but its not as beneficial as running. Running "sucks" for some I guess....but when those endorphins get released, it doesnt suck at all.

So you're still getting the same weight loss and cardiovascular benefit from walking that you get from running.. it just takes longer with walking? Sounds like the over all progress is the same... and if it means that I don't have to kill my joints and get injured running, then it's fine by me.

No its not the same. You have to elevate your heart rate to get the same benefit as running.

sunkisses

It's more readily available and is cheaper than therapy. Running was the only thing that helped save my sanity during the worst year of my life.

DarrenSeeley

Until last summer, I hadn't run since school 30 odd years ago. I was already weight training in the gym and I had a holiday coming up in Yellowstone Park. I had this crazy idea of doing a short jog through the park, so at 42, I taught myself to run which was against all my natural ability and brain wiring. I loved the challenge. When I started I couldn't run for more than 1 minute. In a few weeks I improved dramatically and was able to complete a 2 mile jog around Yellowstone Lake in July (see photo!) I now run 5k on the treadmill 2 or 3 times a week and I love the mental and physical challenge. Every time I run I try to break a personal record, whether distance, or speed etc. My best 5k is 26m 43s and by chipping away I'm hoping to achieve sub 25m in a few weeks.

We can all argue about the actual health benefits of running, but everyone who starts, does it for a reason and those of us who keep doing it, do it because it gives us something we can't get doing something else.

RBRoy

I love to run! Fresh air, no cost, social/can do it with friends, can run at any time/as far as I want/as fast as I want, burns calories, tones my body, reduces anxiety/stress, and makes me feel so good!

Mommawarrior

Everything about running is a positive for me. The freedom of just me and the wide open, no worries in the world on a run. I love the way I feel after a good run, I love the way it makes my body look, I can lose weight easy if I am running. If I am hurt and stuck on a machine at the gym nothing comes off of me.
I love the amount of food I get to eat when I am running regularly .... lol. I don't eat junk food, I just get to eat and eat and nothing sticks.
I love the great outdoors, I love the fresh air, I love the sound of the road beneath my feet.

BrianSharpe

That actually depends a lot on your diet. Running is going to tap into carbs for most people. If you are working a carb-restricted diet, and ESPECIALLY if you are on an IF diet, walking will actually be better for burning body fat stores.

The "Fat Burning Zone" is so misleading. Yes, when you're in that zone you burn a higher number of calories from fat relative to carbs but working in the training zones you are still burning calories from fat and, as your absolute number of calories is higher for a given distance you burn more fat (unless you're getting into an anaerobic level)

Now, obviously running is better for cardiovascular fitness; just not necessarily for weight loss. And when I think about valuable running for cardio fitness, it's not miles and miles of trotting. It's sprint circuits and HIIT.

Depends on what you're training for. If you plan on running a half-marathon or marathon there is no substitute for the long runs - it's also about developing the mental stamina to actually run 26.2 miles (something I have not yet done myself).

BrianSharpe

So you're still getting the same weight loss and cardiovascular benefit from walking that you get from running.. it just takes longer with walking? Sounds like the over all progress is the same... and if it means that I don't have to kill my joints and get injured running, then it's fine by me.

Running does not kill your joints unless you already have a pre-existing injury and/or joint damage.

Please do a little research before perpetuating this myth: http://rwdaily.runnersworld.com/2012/02/no-running-does-not-ruin-your-knees.html?cm_mmc=Facebook-_-RunnersWorld-_-Content-Blogs-_-RunningRuinsYourKnees

Huffdogg

How is walking better for burning fat stores than running? It shouldn't matter what source they are coming from (carbs vs. fat) because in the end it evens out and you can eat more carbs (as opposed to fat or protein) to compensate for the carbs burnt running. So any way you look at it, you are burning more calories in less time by running.

Aren't most people looking to burn fat? Look, as I've said, it depends on your diet. If you are on a carb-restrictive diet, which many people advocate for reducing body fat, then doing high-intensity exercise is going to be much less efficient. These exercises are going to demand carbs to fuel muscle synthesis (as high intensity exercise is invariably going to stimulate muscle growth). I'm not saying that walking burns more calories. I'm not talking about basic calorie-in/calorie-out math here. I'm talking about specifically targeting body fat deposits through diet and exercise that is focused on doing just that.

grinch031

How is walking better for burning fat stores than running? It shouldn't matter what source they are coming from (carbs vs. fat) because in the end it evens out and you can eat more carbs (as opposed to fat or protein) to compensate for the carbs burnt running. So any way you look at it, you are burning more calories in less time by running.

Aren't most people looking to burn fat? Look, as I've said, it depends on your diet. If you are on a carb-restrictive diet, which many people advocate for reducing body fat, then doing high-intensity exercise is going to be much less efficient. These exercises are going to demand carbs to fuel muscle synthesis (as high intensity exercise is invariably going to stimulate muscle growth). I'm not saying that walking burns more calories. I'm not talking about basic calorie-in/calorie-out math here. I'm talking about specifically targeting body fat deposits through diet and exercise that is focused on doing just that.

Its a bad idea in general to use exercise as a means to create a caloric deficit. But when you look at a 24 hour period (which is really what matters), if you run for 1 hour you will be entitled to eat alot more calories that day than if you walk for 1 hour. It doesn't matter what zone you're in during your training.

But I"ll agree there are benefits to restricting carbs, but that has to do with things like managing your hunger and not overeating.

dad106

So you're still getting the same weight loss and cardiovascular benefit from walking that you get from running.. it just takes longer with walking? Sounds like the over all progress is the same... and if it means that I don't have to kill my joints and get injured running, then it's fine by me.

Running does not kill your joints unless you already have a pre-existing injury and/or joint damage.

Please do a little research before perpetuating this myth: http://rwdaily.runnersworld.com/2012/02/no-running-does-not-ruin-your-knees.html?cm_mmc=Facebook-_-RunnersWorld-_-Content-Blogs-_-RunningRuinsYourKnees

First off, That article is hardly considered research.. All it does it say that running does not ruin your knees and that you need to run with your upperbody/trunk... no scientific study anywhere to back up either claim.

Second, How many posts do you see on here from people that are in pain from running? Due to wrong shoes, running wrong, etc etc... How many posts do you see here from people that are injured by walking? Very few.

I have my opinion.. You have yours. I don't like running and never will... so I will continue to walk and reap the benefits from it.

grinch031

So you're still getting the same weight loss and cardiovascular benefit from walking that you get from running.. it just takes longer with walking? Sounds like the over all progress is the same... and if it means that I don't have to kill my joints and get injured running, then it's fine by me.

Running does not kill your joints unless you already have a pre-existing injury and/or joint damage.

Please do a little research before perpetuating this myth: http://rwdaily.runnersworld.com/2012/02/no-running-does-not-ruin-your-knees.html?cm_mmc=Facebook-_-RunnersWorld-_-Content-Blogs-_-RunningRuinsYourKnees

First off, That article is hardly considered research.. All it does it say that running does not ruin your knees and that you need to run with your upperbody/trunk... no scientific study anywhere to back up either claim.

Second, How many posts do you see on here from people that are in pain from running? Due to wrong shoes, running wrong, etc etc... How many posts do you see here from people that are injured by walking? Very few.

I have my opinion.. You have yours. I don't like running and never will... so I will continue to walk and reap the benefits from it.

You are likely to get injured if you run with bad form. So I'd say its better to walk than to run with bad form.

Huffdogg

Its a bad idea in general to use exercise as a means to create a caloric deficit. But when you look at a 24 hour period (which is really what matters), if you run for 1 hour you will be entitled to eat alot more calories that day than if you walk for 1 hour. It doesn't matter what zone you're in during your training.

But I"ll agree there are benefits to restricting carbs, but that has to do with things like managing your hunger and not overeating.

Your first sentence seems to directly oppose your second. Yes, it's a bad idea to try to use exercise to "earn more food." Which is exactly why I don't advocate doing that. Which is why I'm not working from basic in/out math here. And yes, there are many reasons to restrict carbs; not only because they are the least satiating macronutrient, but also because they have a tendency to store very easily if not used right up.

At any rate, this is taking us a bit away from the OP's question, to which I still respond "nothing."

picassoadagio

Love running. It has made me healthy (with the proper diet) for once in my life. I have lost over 100 lbs, 60 lbs from running and I'm still going. The only down fall from running is occasional back pain, but I am also training for a 1/2 marathon.

neverstray

For all the haters, when the zombies come, you're going to then understand. Until then, weightlift away. But, being strong doesn't save you from the zombies. Only speed and long term endurance will save you.

rob_v

real-world applications; e.g., running from zombies

I love it!!!
This is so true - I'm guessing another Walking Dead fan!

I used to hate running. And when I say hate - I mean could not stand it, would rather do anything else in the world - hate.
Then my wife started running, and started training for a marathon, and she would drag my *kitten* out with her. And I slowly began to un-hate it. It was some time we got to spend together, which was great. Fast fwd a few years, and I will admit that I actually enjoy running. The wife and I still run together somedays, but there are days that I run alone. The best runs ever are the early morning runs when the sun is just starting to rise. Something very calming about it. I think I am officially a convert!