No idea how you runners do it.

contingencyplan

I give up. I have no idea how you runners do it. I just tried going for a run on the only level stretch of road near me. I got .73 mile according to this app I downloaded before I started wanting to shoot myself and headed back home. Having to watch for cars constantly was seriously screwing with my mojo, and the impact of feeling my foot hit the ground and having that reverberate all throughout my body and up into my skull made me want to punch someone. It was worse than what I feel when jumping rope. I also noticed per my HRM that I didn't burn nearly as many calories as I would have if I had jumped rope for that same duration.

katedevall

I worried my way running I also prefer running indoors on a track because there's less impact.
I don't jump rope so Idk about cal burn but i always burn a lot of calories in the 3 miles i normally do

timeasterday

Is your heel striking when you run? Sounds like it - there shouldn't be so much impact. Keep your strides short & quick and land on your forefoot directly underneath you. Find a trail or "greenway" type path near you where you can run without worry. Try C25K so you can start off with short runs and build from there.

contingencyplan

Is your heel striking when you run? Sounds like it - there shouldn't be so much impact. Keep your strides short & quick and land on your forefoot directly underneath you. Find a trail or "greenway" type path near you where you can run without worry. Try C25K so you can start off with short runs and build from there.

There are no paths near me. I have a single block long stretch of road to work with that I can run up and down. That is it. Regarding how I land, I sort of don't have much control over that.

rachjenn

Don't give up if you want to continue to run! I was crap at running at first - what you did (.73) would have probably killed me. Now I run a few miles per run easy. It's taken time, but don't push yourself. You should enjoy it rather than trying to do more but hating yourself for not being able to.

I run on grass (loads of fields near me) to help my legs/knees, as they hurt if I do too much

I go running in a morning before work - the roads are empty :-)

rachjenn

There are no paths near me. I have a single block long stretch of road to work with that I can run up and down. That is it. Regarding how I land, I sort of don't have much control over that.

Of course you have control. You can be assessed in a sports shop by running on a treadmill - the shop person will then tell you how you run, and if it will cause you problems later in life, they'll suggest trainers with insoles.

contingencyplan

Don't give up if you want to continue to run! I was crap at running at first - what you did (.73) would have probably killed me. Now I run a few miles per run easy. It's taken time, but don't push yourself. You should enjoy it rather than trying to do more but hating yourself for not being able to.

I run on grass (loads of fields near me) to help my legs/knees, as they hurt if I do too much

I go running in a morning before work - the roads are empty :-)

Endurance wasn't why I stopped. I could have gone on waaaaaaaay longer endurance-wise. I stopped because I could not stand the feeling of impact being transmitted all throughout my body with every step and because I did not like the idea that I wasn't burning as many calories per minute per my HRM as I would have jumping rope--my normal form of cardio.

rachjenn

Don't give up if you want to continue to run! I was crap at running at first - what you did (.73) would have probably killed me. Now I run a few miles per run easy. It's taken time, but don't push yourself. You should enjoy it rather than trying to do more but hating yourself for not being able to.

I run on grass (loads of fields near me) to help my legs/knees, as they hurt if I do too much

I go running in a morning before work - the roads are empty :-)

Endurance wasn't why I stopped. I could have gone on waaaaaaaay longer endurance-wise. I stopped because I could not stand the feeling of impact being transmitted all throughout my body with every step and because I did not like the idea that I wasn't burning as many calories per minute per my HRM as I would have jumping rope--my normal form of cardio.

If you don't like the feeling of impact...running probably isn't for you!

DavPul

I hate running. But if I have good music or an interesting podcast that helps a lot. And it takes me awhile because I'm not a natural runner to get my stride right, but after several weeks of continuous running my stride improves to the point where it's a natural low impact motion.

But still, I hate it. If I don't have a running event to train for I get my heart rate and calorie burn elsewhere.

contingencyplan

Don't give up if you want to continue to run! I was crap at running at first - what you did (.73) would have probably killed me. Now I run a few miles per run easy. It's taken time, but don't push yourself. You should enjoy it rather than trying to do more but hating yourself for not being able to.

I run on grass (loads of fields near me) to help my legs/knees, as they hurt if I do too much

I go running in a morning before work - the roads are empty :-)

Endurance wasn't why I stopped. I could have gone on waaaaaaaay longer endurance-wise. I stopped because I could not stand the feeling of impact being transmitted all throughout my body with every step and because I did not like the idea that I wasn't burning as many calories per minute per my HRM as I would have jumping rope--my normal form of cardio.

If you don't like the feeling of impact...running probably isn't for you!

I know for a fact running isn't for me. But I'd like to at least be able to go 3mi/5k without wanting to die so that I can test myself to see if some theories I have are true.

JustMQ

So stick with jumping rope. Who said you have to run? There are plenty of other cardio options that wont make you want to shoot yourself. :laugh:

But just so you know, the running thing will get easier. Give it time.

Yogi_Carl

You should be landing on just about the same part of the foot when you are running as you do when you are rope jumping. That way your calf muscles are taking the shock gradually rather than your heel. Your foot fall should be mid to front to allow the shock to absorb each stride.

emacb123

Regarding how I land, I sort of don't have much control over that.

Of course you do! It is part of form and technique. Runners are constantly self-checking and self-correcting.

Try to be aware of how your foot is striking the ground. If you're hitting heel first, then you need to make a conscious effort to try to change that.

You sound a little frustrated and defeated. Slow down. Go at your own pace. Don't compare yourself to others. Watch some videos on proper form.

Or don't run if you don't want to!

RonandDi

Like others have said, you can change your stride to reduce the impact. You don't land on your heals when you jump rope, you shouldn't when you run either.

ozigal

Hmmm... Interesting post. I noticed the same things when I started c25k.

To resolve it I went and got properly fitted for running shoes. I bought a pair of skins (running compression tights) and I got a knee brace for my dodgy left knee. With everything properly supported it felt a lot better.

Yesterday I went for a 20 minute run and I forgot to put my knee brace on. I could really feel the difference. I got through the run but every step felt like I was getting knocked about.

Chopstheduck

Were you running downhill? Even a slight slope can make the reverberations a lot worse. Running offroad makes it easier too, even on mud it's less intense.


I agree with the posters though who said it would be worth getting your gait assessed.


You say about calorie burn being higher with a jump rope, I couldn't personally skip for an hour and a half, but I can run for that, and prob burn more that way!

MissPeppers

Why run?
I used to think that I needed/wanted/could learn to like/had to run, but I realised that it's not for me. And I don't need to run, there are other ways to exercise. Find your way instead? :flowerforyou:

LishieFruit89

You sound like you're making a heck of a lot of excuses here.
And that's why you can't do it.


You've got control of the way you foot hits the ground, others have given you suggestions on how to correct it.
Go to a running store and have your gait analyzed, they'll be able to give you even better suggestions than we can.

You stated you wanted to run 5k to prove some theory.
You're just going to have to do it.
It's going to suck for awhile and be hard but it gets easier.
You just have to push through it - that's how I get through my running.

timeasterday

There are no paths near me. I have a single block long stretch of road to work with that I can run up and down. That is it. Regarding how I land, I sort of don't have much control over that.

You have complete control over your running form. But it's not easy and it doesn't happen quick. It has taken me months and I am still working on it. You have received some good suggestions here.

TabithaMichelle85

I don't know how runners do either to be honest I feel like I can run sometimes but when I do I don't even make it a minute if I do I'm so out of breath I can't run anymore I need to learn how to control my breathing and I think that would help me a lot

contingencyplan

1. No, I have no control over my running form. I have poor motor control and balance in general.

2. There are no corrective shoes for me because my feet don't impact the ground in the same way with each step. Sometimes I land on the heel, sometime I land on the toe, sometimes I just randomly fall over (more often to the left than to the right) and it's really something I seem to have no control over.

EDIT: Had my "gait" assessed once in the past and they had absolutely no clue what to do for me because I did not have a consistent running "form." I was all over the place. Because they use treadmills I am not able to be consistent in staying on them at speed because I can't keep going in a straight line. I drift off to the sides very quickly and fall off.

3. Treadmills are not an option because I cannot keep from falling off of them when moving at any pace faster than walking speed.

majope

I don't know how runners do either to be honest I feel like I can run sometimes but when I do I don't even make it a minute if I do I'm so out of breath I can't run anymore I need to learn how to control my breathing and I think that would help me a lot

This one's easy:

SLOW DOWN.

LishieFruit89

I don't know how runners do either to be honest I feel like I can run sometimes but when I do I don't even make it a minute if I do I'm so out of breath I can't run anymore I need to learn how to control my breathing and I think that would help me a lot

I had that problem before.
Run slower.
My problem was my legs wanted to go faster than my lungs could handle but by slowing down, I was able to get my breathing under control.

rachjenn

I don't know how runners do either to be honest I feel like I can run sometimes but when I do I don't even make it a minute if I do I'm so out of breath I can't run anymore I need to learn how to control my breathing and I think that would help me a lot

I agree this helps loads - I concentrate on my breathing like this...
Step 1: in
Step 2: in
Step 3 and 4: out.

See if that helps

HealthyVitamins

I'm not sure what kind of answers or feedback you are looking for?

Lots of great suggestions so far which unfortunately don't work for you, so what else can be suggested?

if you don't like running don't do it.

i suffer from vertigo at times which means if I go swimming the movement of the water can send me completely off balance..so I stopped doing it and found something else to do..

TabithaMichelle85

I don't know how runners do either to be honest I feel like I can run sometimes but when I do I don't even make it a minute if I do I'm so out of breath I can't run anymore I need to learn how to control my breathing and I think that would help me a lot

This one's easy:

SLOW DOWN.

If I went any slower id be walking backwards!

HealthyVitamins

I don't know how runners do either to be honest I feel like I can run sometimes but when I do I don't even make it a minute if I do I'm so out of breath I can't run anymore I need to learn how to control my breathing and I think that would help me a lot

This one's easy:

SLOW DOWN.

If I went any slower id be walking backwards!

just go a little further every time, they recommend increasing your distance by 15% a week.

So let's say you can only do 0.5Km, after a week push it up to 0.65Km and so on, it really helps to work up your endurance.

mikeyrp

Shoes make a BIG difference. There are two lines of thought on this
- You go for minimalist shoes which basically have no cushioning in them at all. That way you are forced into using good technique because doing anything else is really painful!
- You go to a running shop where they do gait analysis and buy some well balanced, cushioned shoes. Try a few out because they all feel really different. This will massively reduce the impact you feel but you will need to learn good technique and practice it to avoid injury.

What is good technique? this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx6x2cD6Y8Q

Personally, I use minimalist shoes for training up to 5K but it is taking me a long time to get used to them. Bare in mind I regularly run 13-15 miles.

Its worth noting that generally speaking it takes me 3 miles to warm up properly - you need to stretch out your muscles, clear your lungs, find a rhythm and get your head into a kind of meditative stance before you start putting the serious miles in. Once you get there though the time and the miles fly by and you come back physically tired but mentally rejuvenated.

ms_leanne

I'm still working n the breathing side of things. I was terrible and full of phlegm and stuff all the time. The first few times I had to stop and cough/spit stuff out.

In terms of the impact, I suggest you maybe ask a trainer/gym instructor to look at what happens on the treadmill when you try and run. I'd also just check how old and worn your trainers are.

I seriously had to slow down to be consistent in running (ie not walking) and now I'm very very slowly speeding up again.

LishieFruit89

I don't know how runners do either to be honest I feel like I can run sometimes but when I do I don't even make it a minute if I do I'm so out of breath I can't run anymore I need to learn how to control my breathing and I think that would help me a lot

This one's easy:

SLOW DOWN.

If I went any slower id be walking backwards!

Another thing that helped me control breathing was starting running on the treadmill (aka dreadmill lol)
I was able to control my speed there - whereas I wasn't able to out on the pavement.

Intervals are also an option for you - run for a minute, walk/jog for 2, rinse & repeat.


And to the OP, you've been given plenty of options/suggestions/opinions.
It doesn't seem like you're going to listen to them so I don't know why you posted.
If you hate it, don't do it, and stick to jump roping and other cardio activities you enjoy.
And if you can jump rope for half an hour straight (roughly 5k time), kudos to you.

brit_ks_89

thank you for posting this - REALLY LOVING ALL THE GREAT ADVICE : )