RUNNING...........What's the deal?

I hated running when I was in high school. HATED IT. Last spring (2010) I decided to try C25K, and since then I've run several 5Ks. I am by far not the fastest person out there, but I also don't finish last. For a woman starting a running program, I recommend the following:

1. Start gradually. If you've never done any serious running before, you need to get your body accustomed to running. C25K is great for this. Feel free to do each week twice if you need to.

2. Get properly fitted for running shoes. Whether you use barefoot-like shoes or highly cushioned trainers, get fitted by someone trained in fitting running shoes. If you live in a larger metro area there is bound to be a couple stores dedicated to runners and walkers. Also, you get what you pay for - if you buy cheap shoes you're going to feel the regrets in your shins/knees/hips. Be prepared to spend about $100 for quality shoes.

3. Get properly fitted for a sports bra, particularly if you are well-endowed. You want a bra that will support the girls and restrict their movement, and one that fits snugly but not too tight. I prefer the Moving Comfort bras that I can find in my local running store. A good sports bra will be as pricey as - if not pricier than - a quality "normal use" bra. I spend about $40 - $45 each for my sports bras. And don't dry them in the dryer - line dry only. (Some will say hand-wash only as well, but I have been fine putting mine in the washer in a lingerie bag on a gentle cycle.)

Good luck! You can do this!

I started running two years ago at age 58! I usually run 6 miles a day six days a week. I have come to love it. Just make sure you get fitted for the right shoes. If I can do it at 60 any one can!

I agree with what the others have said (that I've read) regarding the proper shoes, making sure you get some good stretching in (particularly afterwards), legs will be sore, especially at first. Potassium rich foods will help alleviate that. Go slow b/c shin splints are very painful.

I didn't read all the replies, so I don't know if anyone else commented on the running in public b/c things bounce or jiggle, etc. I pass people who are out running all the time. Most of them are not in super top condition and you know what the first thing is that goes through my head is when I see them? "Way to go!"

I know I'm not alone ... so give it a try ... and let a few total strangers cheer you on without you even knowing!

My husband talked me into trying the C25K program and a little over a week ago, I ran my first 5K. It was the best feeling to cross that finish line! It's a great calorie burner and stress reliever, I'd say give it a try but like alot of people here say, may sure you've got good shoes!
Goodluck!

Make sure you have AMAZING shoes! Get properly fitted. I just started running a couple of months ago, after having bad asthma and having NEVER been able to run one full mile. I didn't do C25K, but I did intervals as long as I could stand on the treadmill. Usually, I would do 3 minutes to warm up, then alternate among 2 minutes jogging (5 mph for me), then walking (4 mph), then sometimes sprinting for one minute (at 6 mph). Now, I can run a straight 2 miles (at 5 mph), but not without the help of Lady Gaga's new CD. Music is the best motivator for me.

Good luck!

Running is GOOD FOR YOUR JOINTS. Provided: good shoes, proper healthy nutrition, not crazy-bad form.

"In a well-known long-term study conducted at Stanford University, researchers tracked nearly 1,000 runners (active members of a running club) and nonrunners (healthy adults who didn't have an intensive exercise regimen) for 21 years. ...it found that the runners' knees were no more or less healthy than the nonrunners' knees. And It didn't seem to matter how much the runners ran. "We have runners who average 200 miles a year and others who average 2,000 miles a year. Their joints are the same," says James Fries, a professor emeritus of medicine at Stanford and the leader of the research group. The study also found that runners experienced less physical disability and had a 39% lower mortality rate than the nonrunners.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1948208,00.html#ixzz1PwZkwqUs

In 2007 a nine-year study of 1,279 elderly residents of Framingham, Mass., resulted in similar findings: that the most active people had the same risk of arthritis as the least active. About 9% of the participants overall developed arthritis over the course of the study, as measured by symptoms reported to their physicians (pain and difficulty walking) as well as X-ray scans. And in the same year, Australian researchers writing in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism found that people who exercised vigorously had thicker and healthier knee cartilage than their sedentary peers. That suggests the exercisers may have also enjoyed a lower risk of osteoarthritis, which is caused by breakdown and loss of cartilage.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1948208,00.html#ixzz1Pwa0q68d

i love running <( '' )>

Running is terrible for you! It will make your uterus fall out and your knees explode into fiery balls of light. Avoid running at all costs. You've been warned...

AHAHAHAHA!!! :laugh: Omg--that's hilarious!

oh and COTTON is NOT your FRIEND, so do NOT wear cotton socks they= blisters!!!!

THANK YOU! I do not know why I am just now reading this!!! THANK YOU!

Running is terrible for you! It will make your uterus fall out and your knees explode into fiery balls of light. Avoid running at all costs. You've been warned...

Awesome!