Calling all runners!

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  • chris1529
    chris1529 Posts: 315 Member
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    I'm sure it's been said a million times, but I want to add, because this is vitally important: when you're starting out barefoot running, if you do too much, too fast, then it *will* hurt your feet and possibly lead to injuries like plantar fasciitis. Unless you're used to going barefoot a lot, the soles of your feet have to adapt, and when you start running barefoot you're asking your legs and feet to work in a new way - which means even experienced runners need to take it slow and easy until their legs and feet are ready for more.

    Not sure if I could do the barefoot running but I seriously am thinking of running around (inside) my house barefoot and seeing how that feels.
  • SilverOnTheTree
    SilverOnTheTree Posts: 102 Member
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    Went for my walk/run tonight and I swear I don't understand this! I came home hurting again! My knees and lower legs are killing me! Don't know what I'm doing wrong! I try to be mindful of my form, my shoes are good shoes, and I'm not pushing myself too hard! Don't mean to keep complaining but it makes me want to quit running! My husband says that it's cause I'm out of shape and need to get used to the running. I'm not so sure it's that though! It feels more like pain instead of just soreness. And what doesn't make any sense is that when I ran 2 days ago, I felt pretty good and felt like I was making some progress, but tonight it felt like I had fell back some! I don't know!

    I'm a beginner too, so I don't have the depth of knowledge of some MFP members. But I experienced this variation in achievement when I started too, both on gym machines and outdoors. Some days are just better than others, and I don't progress in a steady climb. Perhaps you need to review your stretching, warm up, and warm down time, or perhaps you need a longer break in between running days.

    For me personally, it took 8 weeks on an elliptical machine indoors (and -10kgs) before I could run outdoors without getting instant shin splits. Every time I have trouble, the answer has been "take it slower". Can you ask a personal trainer or another fitness professional for help in person?
  • macdiver
    macdiver Posts: 145 Member
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    Thanks for the link! So you run barefoot? Outside?? Doesn't that hurt your feet? You're not afraid of stepping on glass or anything like that?

    Yes I run completely barefoot. I started at 1/8 of a mile running and the rest of the mile walking and built up from there. I try to avoid stepping on things but sometimes, especially in the dark, it happens. Large stones, pine cones, and those gum tree balls hurt. Glass does not hurt or cut you if you do not slide your foot.

    I also wanted to reply to the person who responded that we are all recreational runners. I agree but my point was that only recreational runners run with bad form increasing their injuries. All runners, recreational like myself or competitive should run with the proper form. Look at the big running magazine runners world, they promote proper form, forefoot strike to reduce injuries. They do not have articles extolling the advantage of a heel strike.
  • timboom1
    timboom1 Posts: 762 Member
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    I also wanted to reply to the person who responded that we are all recreational runners. I agree but my point was that only recreational runners run with bad form increasing their injuries. All runners, recreational like myself or competitive should run with the proper form. Look at the big running magazine runners world, they promote proper form, forefoot strike to reduce injuries. They do not have articles extolling the advantage of a heel strike.

    No they do not extoll it, nor do they rant against it. There are plenty of articles that will focus on midfoot/forefoot and plenty more that will say don't worry about it (they do need to keep publishing new stuff to stay in business.) There is also advice from very experienced runners on the forums and the general consensus I have found is, shoes or no shoes, run with your feet underneath your, stand up tall, keep a short stride with increased turnover, build up slowly and don't worry about foot strike, adaptations are taking place and running efficiency is being developed, foot strike will likely change anyway.

    All that said, if the OP wants to try barefoot then they should, there is nothing wrong with it nor is it the "only right way," there is also no magic bullet for being a beginner and the advice of slow down and be sure you give time to recover between runs along with encouragement is probably all that is needed. The whole Barefoot/Shoes debate is just that, a debate that ends up on pretty much every thread that has anything to do with running if it goes long enough. Not sure the debate is really helpful in this case.
  • EdgyMcSterious
    EdgyMcSterious Posts: 51
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    Hey I'm a runner, I must admit that I didn't read through all the posts here but I've been running for over 20 years. I've had most injuries that you can get while running. I've run a bunch of half marathons and two marathons. So if you're a runner, friend me up! :)
  • toriaenator
    toriaenator Posts: 423 Member
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    hmm tips....

    1)consistency is key. even if you start off snail paced and running short distances, you will improve with time if you are consistent :)

    2)for long distances, start off super super slow and work your way up to a comfortable pace. this will get you burning fat rather than glycogen while you are running (glycogen is used up more quickly and thats when you feel the lactic acid come into play; i.e your legs feel heavy and stuff) and youll have energy for longer runs :D

    3) eat carbs the night before or your meal before the run. for a race start hydrating the day before as well. i usually run on an empty stomach because i run first thing in the morning but some people like to eat something light.

    4)dont forget to cool down and stretch to avoid pulling any muscles. if you do a hard run or sprints and then dont jog slowly you will have tense muscles and stuff :/

    5)if you get cramps. change your breathing pattern! i.e if you were inhaling two counts exhale 3 try switching it up. (this worked for me anyways hehe)

    6)usually breath in through nose out through mouth (until you get to the point where you cant go on without your mouth dropped open which is usually at the same point the lactic acid kicks in)

    7)for a more efficient heart rate boost do interval training (jog then sprint then run or whatever you want to do)- a good way to do this is if you are listening to music run slow during the slow songs, fast during the fast ones etc

    8) if you have a smart phone or iphone that you run with get the ap "mapmyrun" and it has GPS tracking to track your average and current speeds, distance ran, etc!!

    thats all i can think of off the top of my head...yay for choosing to start running; its free, easy to do anywhere and so awesome once you get to the point where you can run while just clearing your mind <3
  • janesmith1
    janesmith1 Posts: 1,511 Member
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    Hi there, can I join? I run at home to videos I like, mostly documentaries. I need some motivation this morning.

    "Running melts fat" - agree?

    I run at home on thick mats, really thick ones. I have plantar fasciitis, and knee issues, run barefoot on my mats & I do consider myself a runner! :)
  • janesmith1
    janesmith1 Posts: 1,511 Member
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    I've run 3x today at home (see above).

    First run - 22 min - 100 cals

    Second run - 20 min - 100 cals

    Third run - 13 min - 100 cals

    I really haven't run in ages, so this looks fantastic to me! Interesting that I do better with each run!
  • chris1529
    chris1529 Posts: 315 Member
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    I think that I am going to just do 2 days a week of the walk/run cause this pain is too much and I KNOW that it can't be normal to feel shooting pains on and off in your legs. Today I was in the store and my knees just started really hurting and I started getting those little shooting pains in my lower legs. That's when I decided that I am going to cut back to 2 days a week of running and the other days I am going to walk and ride my bike. When the pain goes away, I will try building from there. Question though......... will riding my bike help me to build endurance so that I can run more as well?
  • chris1529
    chris1529 Posts: 315 Member
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    I've run 3x today at home (see above).

    First run - 22 min - 100 cals

    Second run - 20 min - 100 cals

    Third run - 13 min - 100 cals

    I really haven't run in ages, so this looks fantastic to me! Interesting that I do better with each run!

    Awesome! :)
  • cbeutler
    cbeutler Posts: 667 Member
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    Bike riding is great cross training
  • crimznrose
    crimznrose Posts: 282 Member
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    I'm on week 8 of Couch 2 5k and have done my first 5k last weekend. Through trial and error, here's the best of what I've learned and been told:

    Shoes are your best friend - get a pair made for running. My first was a $30 Ryka pair from Shoe Carnival and I went to the Runners Forum this past Friday and got fitted for a real pair of running shoes as my reward for finishing the 5k and not walking it.
    Wear good socks. Moisture wicking and thick enough to prevent any rubbing of your heel and the shoe.
    Train every other day to start with strength training in between. Core work and strength training will actually help your run.
    Warm up and Cool down on your run days. Stretching is for AFTER the work out, AFTER the cool down.
    On run days, make sure you hydrate the entire day. I had a noticeable difference in my ability to keep a good pace on days I didn't make sure to drink water all day.
    Don't eat heavy on run days. I learned that even a carb-heavy breakfast or lunch was still affecting my twilight jogs hours later. On my run days, I eat light and feel better during my runs as a result.
    If it hurts, stop. I made the mistake of trying to push my endurance one week and skipped my rest day. Instead, on that third day in a row of jogging, I ended up with horrible shin pains and limped home. I lost days afterwards because I hurt too much to jog.
  • RunXstrong
    RunXstrong Posts: 73
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    start slowly, and don't worry about speed. As far as eating, 15 minutes beforehand eat one granola bar or something easy to digest. But also it is all about learning your own body response. I can eat anything but most people need some carbs and simple sugars.
  • janesmith1
    janesmith1 Posts: 1,511 Member
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    Not that it matters but I used to run in Crocs due to my feet. There's a guy who ran in them on youtube and definitely finished, so if all of the regular shoes hurt your feet try them.
  • janesmith1
    janesmith1 Posts: 1,511 Member
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    I've run 3x today at home (see above).

    First run - 22 min - 100 cals

    Second run - 20 min - 100 cals

    Third run - 13 min - 100 cals

    I really haven't run in ages, so this looks fantastic to me! Interesting that I do better with each run!

    Awesome! :)

    Thx! I thought I was the "thread killer" here because no one responded after me for ages...lol!
  • TheRealMrsMetro
    TheRealMrsMetro Posts: 25 Member
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    I agree, you are a runner! I did the C25K and am going to run my first 1/2 marathon in one month. I think you should keep going and do not stress about your time or how long you can run right now. Listen to your body and give yourself rewards for meeting your running goals. Every month I meet my training goals, I buy a new running outfit. I love the motivation and it feels great to be outside for an easy run. I also suggest that you train for a Thanksgiving 5K race. That is enough time for you to train and enjoy the fruits of your labor on the day we are encouraged to feast. Keep up the good work. Happy Trails!
  • janesmith1
    janesmith1 Posts: 1,511 Member
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    It's 6:55 am right now & coooold this morning. I don't want to do it but I will.
  • timboom1
    timboom1 Posts: 762 Member
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    I think that I am going to just do 2 days a week of the walk/run cause this pain is too much and I KNOW that it can't be normal to feel shooting pains on and off in your legs. Today I was in the store and my knees just started really hurting and I started getting those little shooting pains in my lower legs. That's when I decided that I am going to cut back to 2 days a week of running and the other days I am going to walk and ride my bike. When the pain goes away, I will try building from there. Question though......... will riding my bike help me to build endurance so that I can run more as well?

    2 days a week, walking some others is a good plan as you build running endurance is a good plan. Biking will help with cardio endurance, which won't hurt you. It won't really help with running specific endurance related to the adaptations that support hopping from foot to foot over and over again. Biking is great cross-training however, so go for it. Try to be sure and walk at least one day, as you feel up to it you can add a little run/walk into that day.

    It will take time, but you will get there.
  • janesmith1
    janesmith1 Posts: 1,511 Member
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    I agree, you are a runner! I did the C25K and am going to run my first 1/2 marathon in one month. I think you should keep going and do not stress about your time or how long you can run right now. Listen to your body and give yourself rewards for meeting your running goals. Every month I meet my training goals, I buy a new running outfit. I love the motivation and it feels great to be outside for an easy run. I also suggest that you train for a Thanksgiving 5K race. That is enough time for you to train and enjoy the fruits of your labor on the day we are encouraged to feast. Keep up the good work. Happy Trails!

    Love your rewards to yourself!
  • MassiveDelta
    MassiveDelta Posts: 3,311 Member
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    Not that it matters but I used to run in Crocs due to my feet. There's a guy who ran in them on youtube and definitely finished, so if all of the regular shoes hurt your feet try them.


    PLEASE do not take this advice. Crocs aren't good to walk in let alone run in.

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