20 Things No One Tells You About Running

These are all great and SO true! If one more person tells me "it's bad for your knees", I will scream! LOL. Thanks for sharing.

My god yes, #2 so much. I'm SO freaking tired of hearing this it's not even funny. I'm close to the point of physical violence when hearing this. Someone I was close to would tell me this everytime I mentioned running and it took a lot of discipline to try and calmly explain to her why this was a stupid thing to say instead of grabbing the nearest table and flipping it in rage. *headdesk*

I still have some women tell me it's bad for my "female organs." :noway:

13. You might pee yourself while your run, or worse.

Umm, gross! I'd rather add a few minutes to my race time and make use of a portapotty.

That's really cute.

Hey. I used to use vaseline on my feet, when I ran. I haven't run in years and probably won't run seriously, ever again.

I DO hike some pretty good miles/trails and I've found that can blister up your feet pretty good, too, even with a pair of good fitting boots. So........a trick I learned from running was to use the Dr. Johnson gel insoles (you cut them to fit your shoe). I also take care, at night, to care for my feet. I use Sombra on them, put a pair of old socks on them, and by morning, they are well, again. Sombra heats if heat is needed, cools if that's what's needed. The stuff is amazing. I got mine from a naturopath but I think you can find it on the internet, maybe.
Cheers.

"4. If you only run and don’t do anything else (cross train, strength train), you will probably get injured."

Yes. I learned this the hard way. I ran for 4 months, did my first 5k, felt awesome, lost 10 lbs, and then I injured myself at the beginning of this year. Ankle tendonitis and stress fracture. I'm now on my 2nd round of physical therapy, and I probably won't be able to run for a few more months. I rejoined the gym and started swimming laps, and once I'm able to start running again, I will keep my gym membership so I can strength train and start weight lifting.

Yes bodily functions during runs! It always makes me have to pee! Sometimes number two. I hate it. I am training to do a 9mi race and my biggest fear is staying hydrated and not having to use the bathroom

:drinker: DO runners even lift? They mostly look dehydrated to me

This runner does ! Squats and deads have done more for my speed and endurance as anything I have ever done in the past

So do I!

Go PACKERS!

ooh, I hadn't thought about depreciation of my shoes...I guess at $0.23/mile my last shoes were really ready to be retired :bigsmile: Only at a $1.44/mile on the new ones.

Oh and I've lost 3 toenails since 4th of July (not the big toe); I think it was from running in shoes in sand and surf though.

Oh yes I have experienced almost all of these things so true awesome post!

The black toe nail thing - that's a fit issue, unless you're running 24 hr trail races. I've ran up to 50 miles a week, a couple half marys, and a 30k, and none of my toenails remotely came close to being black or falling off.

#2 (ruin knee) will happen if you don't strength train and stretch. Ask me how I know.

#6 for me....I am in such a love hate relationship with running.

As someone just learning to run, I appreciate the warnings, lol!

This list is great. I don't really have bathroom issues (except for having to pee) UNLESS my stomach was already on the verge before my run lol. And the black toenail thing has happened to me twice. Once, when I first started running (shoes and having fingers for toes I guess) and second, when I ran in the Super Spartan this past August (on the slopes I kept clinching my toes on the way down lol). I hate running while I am doing it but it gives me a great high and so much energy after.

Beginner runner here!

This is inspiring and terrifying, all rolled into one awesome post! :drinker:

my thoughts exactly :happy:

Me too...
By the way, I just started running and I keep having shin pain. Is there a strength training exercise I can do to fix that? I used to run many years ago and remember having shin pain then too...

Me too...
By the way, I just started running and I keep having shin pain. Is there a strength training exercise I can do to fix that? I used to run many years ago and remember having shin pain then too...

yes, runners world has a couple of recommendations on strengthening your foot - towel exercises or elastic ones and my physio recommended a different stretch after - do a normal calf stretch, hands against the wall arms stretched, facing the wall, one foot back and heel down, then without moving your heel bend that knee forward. I am quite flexible despite my years of inactivity and have very little movement in that direction (go figure)!

Also on the peeing/pooping - see this http://www.shape.com/fitness/training-plans/10-strange-effective-tips-better-marathon

reading about other runners getting emotional during their first HM and M makes me feel like bawling, I am pretty sure when I do my first 5K I will be sobbing my heart out.

oh and on the black toenails vs not black toenails - I read even if the shoe fits perfectly if the foot has greater depth rather than size or toenail length that can happen too. My shoes are perfectly fitted and my heel slips if I don't use a different lacing technique, cos I have teeny ankles (nothing else on me is teeny -yet- just my ankles LOL)

As for getting the stench out of your running clothes... I found that Tide Sport does a really good job. I was having horrible trouble getting the smells out of my sports bras!!

When I get my own washing machine and can wash my stuff separately from my boyfriend's clothes without having to pay for it (hate community laundry rooms), I'll pick some of this up. But he has sensitive skin so we have to stick with a free and clear detergent.

Try SportSuds. From their description: "contains NO perfume, dyes, optical brighteners, sodium laureth sulfates, d-limonene, PABAs, petrochemical products softeners or fillers". It works great.