Calling all runners...

juanwilly1 wrote: »

72 years old and TKR runner here! Average about 20 miles a week--sandy beach, sandy trails, concrete bridges and asphalt roads. Soft sand slows you down and trails have their rooted peril but love living in Florida where all is available. Just switched from Brooks Beast for many years to Hoka Cliftons 7's and love the cushioning, but the negative heel takes some getting used to and they do help the knees! Keep on running folks! Cheers

@juanwilly1
I also used to run in Brooks Beast and swapped to Hoka Gaviottas, as you say, the difference in cushioning is huge and although I used to love the Brooks, I'll never go back after using the Hoka's.

Got up this morning begrudgingly at 2:30am to get my run in before work, to my surprise once I started running I felt great and pushed close to my threshold pace. So glad I got up now haha

Hi I'm a long term runner. I'm easing back in after two weeks off. Nice to meet others!

SwtHedgehog wrote: »

Does anyone have flat feet and supination? I know it's rare, butI have that. If so what running shoes do you run in?

I made it to physical therapy and had my leg/gait checked out. My summary of that is my hip is tight so it fights that by going the opposite direction of where it should be and my *kitten* (technically glutes) x too lazy to do anything about it, so the poor little guys I. The lower leg/foot are forced to take more load. She did give me some exercises (some were tweaks on ones I've been doing anyway ) to help with that. She did confirm my self-diagnosis (I wasn't going to trust myself) that I have flat feet and I suppinate.

I suffered a string of calf, ankle and achilles injuries from 2016-2018 due to the same root cause: tight hip flexors, and glute muscles that didn't fire as a result. The cause in my case was a combination of too much sitting at a desk, coupled with cycling. Both of those activities had me in hip flexion for long periods of time. Then, when I started to run, (especially in triathlons after cycling) my glutes didn't engage, forcing my legs to do all the work, leading to imbalances and injuries.

I had to make significant changes in order to continue in triathlon (with its "bike to run" transitions). I bought a stand up desk in order to reduce sitting, did hip flexor stretches multiple times/day, plus a number of hip extension and glute activation exercises. The goal was the break the neuromuscular pattern that develops when we repeatedly engage one muscle group (hip flexors).

I'm sure your PT gave you some hip flexor stretches and glute activation movements (bridges, squats, etc.) I've also become a regular yogi, since the entire posterior chain from the lower back to the feet need to be aligned. A brief round of yoga that includes Up Dog, Down Dog, pigeon pose and twists provide the counter stretches and different planes of movement that help maintain balance and flexibility in the muscle groups.

Good luck with your PT and running.

@SwtHedgehog - Gotcha. Your story sounds familiar. I lost all of 2019 to my chronic achilles problems, then I got derailed in 2020 by the pandemic, just like most everyone I know. With three races cancelled, I just threw in the training towel. My wife said I was "fairly pathetic" during most of 2019-20, lol.

Regarding swimming: My Garmin 920 tracks lots of data about my swims, but we don't use HR in the swim. The output from my chest strap HR monitor is usedfor establishing my HR zones for bike and run. Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and/or time per 100yds (1:45/100, 2:15/100, etc) are what most people I know use to understand swimming's impacts on their fitness and fatigue. Hope that helps. BTW: swimming is a terrific cross training tool for runners. Really builds the lungs, no pounding on the joints, and it provides a different movement pattern for the muscles used in cycling and running.

Thanks for the info. On Thursdays, after my swim, I use a pool belt and do pool running. For that, I'm not sure if I use a run or pool swim activity since a hybrid of both? I wasn't sure if there's a reason HR is shut off for the pool.

neffyworld wrote: »

Did my first parkrun today. Took 56 minutes to walk/run 5kms. I think I walked slower after running about twelves poles because my shoes were no good and my feet were sore.

I need to internet search what a park run is. We have none locally to me; I do know that much. You got out and ran, so nice job on what running you did manage to get in! I hope your feet feel better soon.

smal48 wrote: »

Hi, new joiner to this thread I started running again a couple of months ago after a few years off with knee issues and then a baby emerging. Really happy to be running 5k again. @neffyworld I didn’t think Park Runs were going? My local ones have been cancelled since the summer I think, hopefully starting up again soon tho. Well done for doing it, are you going to go regularly?

I'm in New Zealand where Covid 19 is pretty much gone, so the parkruns are on. I went to my first and last one, because I need new shoes. I'll probably venture out again in a few months.

I run 3x week, but short distance. 2-4 miles. I did it in my younger days for soccer training, but now just for heart health and to help increase my HDL cholesterol. Not to mention it helps keep the pounds off. My one friend always told me though...."you can't outrun a diet".