What is so special about running???

SOMETHING that unites large groups of people.
*An easy sport that almost anyone can start doing any day as little equipment or special facilities are required. Its cheap...or at least it can be...plenty of people do it so you're never really alone and there's always an event for your level.
*It burns calories mega quick,
*It improves your CV and aerobic fitness dramatically and quickly.
*Variations of running, such as HIIT/Tabata/Intervals/Sprints all can improve your ANAEROBIC endurance and threshold too. *Longer runs at high intensity are great for surpressing appetite.
*Physical motion of running works many large muscle groups... all over workout
*Physical motion also aids the bowel in digestion and can aid sufferes of IBS or constipation through mechanical needs.
*It looks cool.
*It makes you feel ace.
*After a run you feel far more accomplished than on a bike ride (asa general personal rule)
*Can be quite high impact so when used in moderation and with proper nutrition, is great for strengthening joints, muscles and bones and increasing bone density in collaboration with pure strength.
*It can be done on many terrains to make it interesting or even indoors on a treadmill.
*It's great to go on a long run when stressed or a lot on your mind as thought processing will distract you from the monotony that running may otherwise bring and you'll come back accomplished with training AND thoughts processed!

* The list goes on and on and on...

I started running at age 13 when I joined the Track and Field Team. It became clear early on the that I would participate more in the "Field" part of the team as the one mile run to the track was enough torture for me.

I did well with sprints, hurdles and the Triple Jump.

Rinse and Repeat for 4 years at college.

Fast forward 16 years to today and I'm on a mission to convert the sprinter to a distance runner. I was having so much trouble in the beginning, mostly because I wasn't running enough to increase my distance. Seriously, running 1-2 miles was really tough; phyically and mentally. Currently, I go out and run 6 miles each Saturday morning. It's my time, all alone on a quiet tree lined road. perfectly pristine and peaceful....oh man, just talking about it makes me wanna go lace up. { if you never reach this point, then running just might not be for you }

That said, I don't think running is the end all of exercise. I also attend boot camp, zumba, lift weights and have a new found love of calisthenics.

For me, its quiet time away from the busy life with a wife, kids, work. I can listen to a podcast/music and no one brothers me.

For me, the high after i have done it is amazing. After i finish, i look back and go wow, i just ran, 4 miles, 6 miles, 8 miles with out stopping is such a big boost to my confidence, mood and overall well being. I am probably more centered then i have ever been and that is a good thing.

I never ran ever since i was a kid, and i hated it. then last April, i finally started. It started at 10 minutes at a time, and now i have my first half marathon scheduled for April.

To me.. Nothing. Running sucks.. Plain and simple.

You can get the exact same results by walking that you can by running... which is why I don't force myself to do it.

You're not entirely correct, running burns almost double (net) the calories of walking .63cal / lb body weight per mile vs .30cal/ lb body eight per mile (Source "Energy Expenditure of Walking and Running," Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise, Cameron et al, Dec. 2004.) and you'll get your heart rate higher running than you will walking but......if you hate running walking is still way better for you than being inert and you can find other ways to boost your heart rate.

Try doing inclines on a treadmill while walking.. Crank it up to like 8-10 and see what your heart rate does.. I think you'll be surprised.

LOL - you just gave me a flashback to my stress test. I agree completely, ramp up the incline and maintain the same pace and you'll see heart rate and calorie burn skyrocket.

Nothing has ever burned my belly fat like running.. I'm FLAT for the first time in my life. I can get out with the wind in my hair and the sun on my skin and just have me time. I am stronger and fitter. I have more energy now at 39 than I did at 18. I'm 4 sizes smaller than I was at 18.. and 10 sizes smaller than I was 2 years ago. There are about a billion different races that I can enter, so I never get bored.. I ran some 5Ks then switched to half marathon.. now I'm training for Warrior Dash.. I'm having an absolute ball. I love it.

I just started running three weeks ago......I luv the rush I get when I run but knowing I can lose my belly fat has just given me an added incentive....thx for the post

First off, That article is hardly considered research.. All it does it say that running does not ruin your knees and that you need to run with your upperbody/trunk... no scientific study anywhere to back up either claim.

Second, How many posts do you see on here from people that are in pain from running? Due to wrong shoes, running wrong, etc etc... How many posts do you see here from people that are injured by walking? Very few.

I have my opinion.. You have yours. I don't like running and never will... so I will continue to walk and reap the benefits from it.

Knee pain is not necessarily indicative of joint damage, my right knee was killing me during a half marathon last year and I ended up walking the last 7km. It was an IT band issue that manifested itself as pain on the lower outside portion of my knee.

I'm not saying people don't get injured but it's rarely actually the joint itself. It's almost always a result of trying to do too much, too soon too fast which then exposes muscular imbalances (often related to glute and hip strength).

In my case I ended up not running for about 6 weeks and using the services of a registered massage therapist who had me running again after two sessions. She also taught me improved stretching, foam roller techniques etc ; I've been running pain free since and am building up again for a half marathon in May.

Here's a portion of a research paper (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2556152/)

"Methods

Forty-five long-distance runners and 53 controls with a mean age of 58 (range 50–72) years in 1984 were studied through 2002 with serial knee radiographs. Radiographic scores were two-reader averages for Total Knee Score (TKS) by modified Kellgren & Lawrence methods. TKS progression and the number of knees with severe OA were compared between runners and controls. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between runner versus control status and radiographic outcomes using age, gender, BMI, education, and initial radiographic and disability scores among covariates.

Results

Most subjects showed little initial radiographic OA (6.7% of runners and 0 controls); however, by the end of the study runners did not have more prevalent OA (20 vs 32%, p =0.25) nor more cases of severe OA (2.2% vs 9.4%, p=0.21) than did controls. Regression models found higher initial BMI, initial radiographic damage, and greater time from initial radiograph to be associated with worse radiographic OA at the final assessment; no significant associations were seen with gender, education, previous knee injury, or mean exercise time.

Conclusions

Long-distance running among healthy older individuals was not associated with accelerated radiographic OA. These data raise the possibility that severe OA may not be more common among runners."



I'm not critical of people who don't like running and chose to walk instead, in fact I applaud anyone who puts in the effort to improve their health whether it's better nutrition or starting a fitness program. What I am critical of is the (often unintentionally) perpetuation of incorrect information.

Becasue you look hot while doing it
Its like a special club when you are a runner
You are sexier

Some women do look sexy running. I certainly don't with my baggy shirt and hat on sweating like a pig and red-faced. I'm 5'4 so I kinda look like a kid running around the neighborhood. It's all good because I feel awesome after a good hard run.

Well its not really free...lol but its not a gym membership. I love it because its social..my friends and I run together..so its more fun cheering each other on in our healthy lifestyle. It always feels better after a run than before.

I enjoy it better than walking because walking makes me feel like I'm exhausted from the effort of moving, but I'm not really getting anywhere. Which is also why I prefer running outdoors to running on a treadmill. I also like it because it makes me feel more fit than walking or any other cardio exercise....except for boxing/martial arts (which I've never tried, but I've always imagined it would make me feel like I was in good shape).