Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with running

How much can jogging affect the healing of a shoulder injury?

upc_head — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:42:10 -0800

How much can jogging affect the healing of a shoulder injury? Hi all.. I've recently started jogging, and was really pleased after a few weeks to be able to go 8kms non-stop. Good momentum, and I've been sleeping better,my confidence is boosted, and stress is down. (and I really need those these days being suddenly single).

I accedently tripped and popped my shoulder out a few days ago. It was the third time it's come out, and physio just wasn't enough to stabilize it. A barrage of tests yesterday revealed a chipped shoulder joint, and a decent bankart leasion . I have an appointment with a surgion in a couple of weeks, and am looking at surgery this fall.

anyway, right now my arm is in a sling, and the torn muscles need to heal.
I can't wait to jog again.
I get the feeling that jogging is a lot more arm-intensive then it would appear.. bouncing, swinging.. all that might be a hidden for healing rotator cuffs.

Thoughts on the matter?

Jogging in Aix-en-Provence?

annabellee — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 07:12:43 -0800

FranceFilter: Where can I go jogging in a semi-secluded, flat area in Aix-en-Provence? I'm staying in Aix-en-Provence for several weeks and am looking for a good jogging route. I'm staying just off the Cours Mirabeau near La Rotonde. Ideally, I'd love someplace like a park but it seems like most of the green space is outside of the city. I know the French aren't huge on jogging and I want to be as far from city bustle and cars as possible. I don't have a car or the luxury of a lot of time to travel by bus to the ideal location. A friend recommended the periphery of the city, but I fear this is too populated. Is there any path by a stream or flat, secluded area where a casual jogger could get some exercise in Aix?

Tips for running?

mintchip — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 08:25:33 -0800

Tips for running? I run (interspersed with some walking) 3-5 miles about 4-5x/week.

1. Other than getting good shoes, what do I need to do to protect my knees? Is getting knee and joint problems from running inevitable?

2. How bad is it to run on a decline? In the area I live it's really difficult to avoid running downhill.

3. Even though I'm quite fit I seem to be really slow about building up aerobic endurance. Is there something I can do to speed this up? I get out of breath after maybe 1/2 half mile and then walk for a bit and start running again. How long before I should be able to go the whole distance without stopping?

Any other jogging/running tips are welcome.

Is a Nokia phone with GPS good enough to track my runs?

cyanide — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:39:21 -0800

I've been thinking of buying a phone with GPS to track my runs. Help me be sure and confident about my choice, or suggest a better alternative... I've been running for over a couple of months now. About 3-4 times a week, I run anywhere between 8-12 kms and looking to improve that steadily. I've recently been interested in tracking my runs with a GPS device to help me analyse them. Most of the information I've found on runnersworld forums deals with watches which have GPS functionality like Garmin and Polar. Unfortunately, such fancy watches aren't available here AFAIK.

I was thinking of using phone with GPS for the tracking features. I currently have a Nokia e61i and will be switching to a Nokia n95/82 or e66, all of which have a built-in GPS module. Nokia has its own Tracking (Sports Tracker) website/software which I'll be using unless there's a better third-party alternative. Plus, my phone will double up as an mp3 player, so one less thing to carry on runs. And my birthday's coming up soon, so I have a reason to spend some money on myself.

I wanted to hear opinions from the mefites as to whether my choice is correct or not. Giving suggestions for phones with similar features would be great too!

Thanks for reading! :)

Feet to the beat

913 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:52:59 -0800

What song would you use for a running commercial? Any genre, any style, anything.

Go wild.

Good stretches for an inflexible fellow?

jdroth — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:24:50 -0800

I went to see my doctor yesterday for a running injury (IT band). He says that basically I'm fit but that I have the "flexibility of a two-by-four". He wants me to do a stretching regimen three times a day — more if possible. He showed me a couple of stretches, but I'd like to do more. Can you recommend any good individual stretches or stretching routines, especially for a novice runner (and especially for one having trouble with his IT band)? YouTube clips a HUGE plus. Yoga's fine, but there's now way in hell I can do the pigeon pose (I have the flexibility of a two-by-four, remember?).

Running against the flow?

gyusan — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 13:25:33 -0800

Why do some runners run in the road ... against traffic? I've noticed in the past, and today in particular, that a majority of the runners I pass are running in the road, against traffic. Not all, but most. The presence or absence of a sidewalk or trail alongside doesn't seem to make a difference.

I bicycle alot, and one reason I notice this is that inevitably they are running in the bike lane, against traffic. This morning's ride in San Francisco went through the Sunset, the Richmond, the Presidio; both on the urban streets and the more "rural" roads in the Presidio ... many runners going the "wrong" way, out in the traffic lane.

On a bike as a kid you learn early to "go with the flow" ... is there opposing advice for runners?

A good combination bike trailer/jogging stroller?

drezdn — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:21:35 -0800

Can you recommend a good combination bike trailer/jogging stroller. Once my baby can safely do it, I'd like to take him on bike rides and jogging trips, but I don't have the room to really store both of them. Is there a good combination one that my wife and I should keep our eye out for?

How do i stop running away?

Anonymous — Sat, 31 May 2008 08:51:28 -0800

How do i stop running away? So I'm a twenty something a coupla years out of college and I've pottered around a few jobs here and there.

I've met great people wherever I've worked who've always taken me seriously at the start and plied me with opportunities and the freedom to choose my projects: and yet I manage to do this everytime.

What I've essentially ended up doing for a long long time now is: getting terribly excited about some idea, and then sitting on it for days and months, fretting the crap out as the deadline approaches, keep putting off doing anything real till a few hours before, and throwing together something hasty for the meeting.

I think I can manipulate people pretty well so it ends up sounding serious and high falutin but if you peer beneath the surface there's nothing deeper.

The thing is, every now and then amongst all the bullshit, I can come up with a pretty neat idea and this has lead to an impressive resume on paper - but I don't really know anything.

I've sorta convinced myself that I was 'still searching' but that line seems more and more implausible and downright bs even to me.

This is not to say that I doubt my abilities: I think I'm pretty smart and have pretty good sensibilities about the things I like: but if I never actually *do* anything about them, and instead keep running away, then I'm dumbing myself down.

So I am asking for your help.

Especially worrisome is that I live with this constant feeling of dread - I've had this since I was a kid. The cause itself maybe trivial or important - but the dread is *always* present. The physical sensation is a weight at the pit of my stomach and feeling like I need to go to the toilet to take a shit. This causes me to fret, pace, eat junk, smoke, neglect the people in my life and generally self-destruct slowly.

I also tend to live thinking of how my biographies will look like - so I talk as I think will look 'good in a book', assume poses all the time. Only complete surprises jolt me into an honest response, but this is quickly tailored to how I want this event to 'look and sound' later.

In college I'd be glib and pass this off as 'solipsism' (leaving other people to pick my shit up after me) or crave for little laurels: 'maverick' etc.

Is this something pathological? How can i cure this. Please help.

alwaysrunningaway@gmail.com

Ipod + music + metronome = Steady Runner

26.2 — Sun, 25 May 2008 13:42:57 -0800

How do I layer a metronome over music on my Ipod? I like to use a clip on metronome to keep my cadence steady while I run. However, the clip is annoying to me and the shrill beep is probably annoying other runners and people trying to enjoy the park. I'd like to layer a metronome over the music on my Ipod, but I don't want to rerecord everything. Also, I'd love to have the tempo be variable between 80 and 100 beats per minute.

I prefer to run with my Gen1 Ipod shuffle, but I have a 60gb video one too.

Any suggestions on how to make this happen?

How to avoid runner's knee this time...

mistsandrain — Sat, 24 May 2008 12:47:08 -0800

Looking to start running again- it's been 10 years and I want to take better care of my knees this time. What are your favorite stretches and exercises for preventing/relieving patella-femoral syndrome (runner's knee)? and... What running shoes have helped you- esp if you have a high arch?

I know there is a lot of info out there and I've been researching- but I'd love to know what has specifically worked for individuals...

FYI the type of pain I experienced when I ran 30 mi/ week regularly was a shooting, sharp pain that was probably under the knee cap, but felt close to the surface- especially when I ran uphill/ up steps. The pain was enough to stop me in my tracks when it occurred.

What happened to my knee, and how can I exercise around it?

Who_Am_I — Thu, 22 May 2008 07:01:04 -0800

Should I seek additional physical therapy for my mysteriously injured knee, and how can I continue to work out in spite of it? Last year, around September or October, I injured my knee. I was playing a lot of racquetball at the time, but I don't remember any specific incident causing it (like coming down on it funny or twisting it). It swelled up a little and for a few weeks it was painful to squat down, or go up or down stairs. I went to the school physical trainer and she said something about leg muscles firing out of order because of the injury, gave me some light physical therapy to do and told me to ice it a lot which I did. It has slowly, slowly gotten better since then, but bending the knee past ~20 degrees with any weight on it still hurts a bit. Walking normally is fine, stairs are almost ok but I can still fell it. I asked my doctor about it a few weeks ago and he didn't seem concerned, but we were covering a lot of stuff (initial visit with a new doc). So part (a): what happened to my knee, and should I seek additional physical therapy or just give it more time?

Interestingly, I discovered that running is not hindered by, and does not aggravate, the injury. So I've been running 3-4 miles at a time, with no ill effects, but I feel like I'm getting to the point where I need to be doing some lower-body weights to improve my stamina and speed. I've been going to the gym regularly and just doing upper body stuff, but when I try to do squats or leg extensions my knee hurts a lot and I have to stop. Is there any way to improve my leg strength with my hurt knee?

There's a freeze up comin' (maybe)

activitystory — Mon, 19 May 2008 11:29:45 -0800

Post-marathon advice: I'm running my second marathon this weekend; I was very sore after my first and am convinced that an ice bath is probably my best bet post-race to combat soreness. Problem is, I'm more scared about the bath than the race. Does any one have any practical insights into how to make the ice bath a positive experience? Advice on how not to make a big mess, when/how much ice, what it takes to get in and out of the bath would be appreciated. I'd also love to hear some "my first ice bath" stories, even if they end in heartbreak.

How do I train for a marathon?

ChasFile — Sat, 17 May 2008 09:44:44 -0800

How do I train for a (half-)marathon? I know there have been questions on this before, but those tend to be really specific and start at a place of knowledge, which I have none of.

Background: For the sake of not having to totally invent the wheel, let's assume I'm already jogging casually for 3-5 miles 3 times a week.

So talk to me like I'm a five-year-old: what do I do between now and race day to get in half-marathon shape? I'm intentionally skimping on the details because I'd like general advice, links to good training guides, etc. "What I know now that I wish I knew when I started training" kind of stuff.

Y'know how Jim Fixx died? A heart attack, while he was jogging!

Lucinda — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:22:06 -0800

I will be jogging in my first 5K race in a week and a half. What can I do in the upcoming days to ensure I don't crash and burn? I am not expecting to win any awards or break any records - at my pace and my rate I will call finishing under 40:00 a major, major victory (I have been doing the Couch to 5K program.) But I'm excited (because I never thought I'd actually *be* at this point), and want to make sure I have the best experience possible.

Any advice y'all have, I'd appreciate. How should I spend the next week and a half? I jog every other day, on the course that the 5K will take (it goes right past my house). What should I eat the morning of the race? (It starts at 9am). What should I eat the night before?

no bumbag zone

peachfuzz — Mon, 05 May 2008 14:22:53 -0800

Runners of MeFi: What do you carry when you race, and what do you carry it in? Does anyone have any experience with this thing? I ran my first half marathon yesterday, and while it was a blast, I definitely could have planned better...I felt kind of dumb clutching at my sweaty, jingling Ziploc full of jellybeans. I did most of my long runs where it was cool enough to wear a jacket, and shoved all my stuff in the pockets - but this left me with no plan for warm race days.

I'm particularly interested in non-waistpack and non-fuelbelt solutions; they just don't work with my specific anatomy and always end up flopping around my waist. I'd like to carry a couple keys, a little cash, dry socks, bandaids, a handful of candy, maybe half a bagel for really long runs and my fall marathon. Does the holster linked above have room for all that? Does it flop around at all? Any other ideas for holsters or bandoliers or leg sacks or whatever?

Or am I just plain carrying too much stuff, and could pare it down to a couple things that would fit in a shoewallet or running shorts pouch?

I'm okay on water - I carry one of those bottles with a handstrap when I think I'll need it.

Thanks, AskMe!

The awkwardness of the crap distance runner

chesty_a_arthur — Mon, 05 May 2008 12:46:42 -0800

Please help me (age 30, healthy weight, no major physical ailments) learn to run like a normal human. I have never really been able to run correctly. even when I'm in excellent physical condition, I get winded very quickly when running. My running gait is awkward to the point that small children have laughed at me in public at softball games. I am assured by those who have seen me run that it's more of a fairly rapid stagger than a recognizable run.

But running is incredibly appealing: the outdoors! the city! it's basically free once you get the shoes on! music! fresh air! I am willing to be incredibly uncomfortable in the normal new-to-running kind of way, but if I don't get help, I'll keep wasting energy and eventually injure myself

I live in Manhattan, if that's relevant. Where and how can I re-learn to run? Is this something (generally speaking) that insurance might cover physical therapy for? Should I go to a sneaker store for a gait analysis? Is there a book, or a mnemonic? I have tried the Couchto5K program and it was great as far as getting me into better shape, but in the end you can't run a 5K if you can't run very well.

Help me, MeFi, what can I do?

Help me take my running a step further

LyzzyBee — Sat, 03 May 2008 03:25:16 -0800

I started running through the walking-running method last year. I have got to the point where I did a 10k run last Sunday; I ran all the way (yay!) and did it in just under 1 hr 9 minutes. The magazine I read, etc, make it clear that to expect to run better/faster/stronger/safer, I need to do some non-running activities now, as well as the running. I am looking at buying a home multigym type thing. Recommendations please! Also - I'd like to increase my hip flexibility - so I can stride longer - I feel I am a bit "tight" at the moment. Best exercises for that? On the machine/ using a ball thing? Specifics for the machine:

- It must be available in the UK (shop or internet)
- It should cost up to £360 (the price of a year's gym membership)
- I want to be able to work my legs to improve strength and flexibility.
- I would like some arm work in there to be toned and have my top half match my bottom half

Also - I'd like to increase my hip flexibility - so I can stride longer - I feel I am a bit "tight" at the moment. Best exercises for that?

I don't want to join a gym (please don't advise I do - the local one is small, the staff do not seem expert, and the machine area is small, crowded and intimidating) and am good at self-motivation.

If it matters, I'm female, 36, 140lbs. I brisk (really brisk) walk and run about 20 miles a week but am going to increase that. I work out on an elliptical trainer 1 to 2 times a week, 45 - 60 mins at a time.

Did road runner have once shin splints?

randomDirtPattern — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:14:29 -0800

I have resumed jogging. However, already after 5 minutes of running, I will have unbearable pain in my lower legs. I might be experiencing "shin splints", and I wonder what are some good ways to prevent/lessen/delay these. I start running, and after 5 minutes I will feel bad muscle pain in the lower-front part of my lower legs. If I continue running for another 5 minutes, I will start running like a duck, as I cannot flex(?) my feet anymore. Another 5 minutes, and I am done and walk back home as a sad duck, although rest of my body is just starting to get warm and I feel like I could have run for an hour if I did not have the terrible pain in my legs. Strangely, this pattern does not seem to change much if I put walking or stretching breaks between these 5 minute sequences. (Although I haven't tried any "5 min run, 10 min walk, 5 min run" kind of extremely loose sequence).

I don't think that I am running too fast, I stretch fairly before I start (and after, when the pain is gone), I am wearing some 'cushion' type of running shoes and I am healthy in general.

I believe this is a bad case of the common shin splints, which should be normal when one is just unfit and needs to get in shape. I wonder if there is anything I can do to reduce or delay this pain. Actually, I don't mind the pain afterwards, since it usually takes 10 min. of rest and then it's gone. I just want to delay the pain, so that I can run longer and so that running is more fun.

I would love to hear from people who had the same problem and how they coped with it... Did you change shoes and the pain was gone? Is there an effective stretching trick? I will be happy to hear some advice or experience.

knee support for a jogger/runner?

grafholic — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:00:02 -0800

joggers with knee problem - do you recommend a knee support? I added jogging to my regular workouts lately, and I started to toy with an idea of running a half marathon this year (not to run competitively, but just to make my exercises a little more fun by adding a goal).

When I started jogging, I was only going for about 3 miles or so and I didn't have any issues with it. But when I started thinking about running a half marathon, I started to jog longer (duration and length) and I started to notice knee pain a day after my jog, which lasts about 3-4 days (or longer if I don't give myself a good rest). At first, I thought it was my old shoes not very fit for running, so I got a good pair running shoes which was designed for people with...well, sort of bad running form (which I believe I have). The shoes have been great, but knee pain continues.

I'm now considering about buying a knee support, but my boyfriend doesn't believe ones sold at drug stores (priced about 15-30 dollars) are any good.

So, my questions are:
* Does knee support actually help (in terms of relieving pain or not creating pain after running long distance)?
* What brand/kind do you recommend?

Running shoes online

2or3whiskeysodas — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:22:18 -0800

Looking for particularly good prices online for running shoes, if such exist. Also, general advice on the subject, maybe. I've been a casual runner (30 minutes, 2-4 times a week) for many years. I've never bought a pair of shoes that didn't suit me fine. The clerks at the shoe store I've bought from in the past have always told me that I have "neutral" feet.

Money's tight right now, but my old shoes are getting hella worn out. So I'm mostly looking for the best price I can find. I'm fine with ordering another pair of the Asics I have right now. Any websites you're particularly pleased with, especially in the price department?

Also, if there are any compelling "do not do not do not order running shoes online" arguments, I'm open to hearing them. I do plan on training for a marathon this fall, and when that starts I'm planning on hitting my usual store. Thanks!

Final preparations for a first half-marathon

web-goddess — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 05:31:00 -0800

Final half-marathon preparations: I'm signed up for the Sydney Half-Marathon (my first ever!) on May 18th, and I've just got a couple questions as I enter these last few weeks of preparations. Do I need to start investigating energy gels or GUs or something? And is this a *really* bad time to get new shoes? I'm getting a bit jittery so I'd be grateful for any wisdom and advice from the MeFi running contingent... I did my longest run ever today - ten miles! But man, am I sore right now. I had plenty of Gatorade and water throughout the two hours (yes, I'm SLOW), but I've since been googling and it seems like ten miles is about the magic number when folks start taking energy supplements with them. I've read enough to know that I shouldn't take anything for the first time during the actual race. So should I try out some in these last three weeks? What kind of results can I actually expect from them? My legs were feeling pretty dead by the end of today's run, but I just chalked that up to the effort of going farther. Would sucking down a gel or two have made me feel noticeably more peppy?

The other culprit for my soreness could be my shoes. I've done 430km (about 270 miles) on this pair, which I bought last September. Most of the articles I can find online suggest replacing them between 300-500 miles. I'm a fairly big girl, so I'm sure I'm putting a bit more wear and tear on them than a lighter runner would. So should I get a new pair as soon as I can and start rotating them for my last few workouts? Or would it be better to stick with what my feet are used to until after the race?

I'm grateful for any additional advice you guys can offer! I'm actually kind of excited to "graduate" into longer distance running. I've tried several times in the past to become a runner but it never really stuck until this year. Wish me luck...

Give me feet of steel.

middleclasstool — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 06:42:23 -0800

Resources for exercises for my feet, arches, ankles, and lower legs? I'm a distance runner -- or, more accurately, was one until after my first marathon, when IT Band Syndrome finally caught up with me. I've done physical therapy but will have to go back to the doc's for more treatment. Right now I can't do more than three miles for fear of making things worse.

I'm told the ITBS is likely a result of my overpronation, which I'd like to correct. Inspired by this post, I ran a mile barefoot on the treadmill last night, then spent the rest of the evening walking around barefoot and paying careful attention to feedback from my feet, and learned more about my gait from that than six months of running prior. I found myself working muscles in my feet and lower legs that I didn't even know I had. It was, in short, awesome, and has encouraged me that maybe I can build up muscles to help at least partially correct my gait so maybe I can ultimately transition to a lighter-weight shoe.

Thing is, I'm not finding many resources for strengthening exercises that target ankles, shin muscles and feet for overpronaters, so I turn to you for help. Resources need not be online. Books are good too, though I'd prefer not to kill trees. Give me feet of steel, people.

And yes, I will check with the doctor, but it'll be a bit before I can get in to see her.

How many Boston Marathon runners qualified and how many ran for charity?

csimpkins — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:07:36 -0800

Is there any way to find out the percentage of Boston Marathon runners that qualified for the race vs. the percentage that gained entry through other means (charities and such)?

Another Vancouver restaurant thread

Slarty Bartfast — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:04:22 -0800

Another Vancouver, BC restaurant question. The challenge? Carbo-loading before the Vancouver Marathon... Ok, I need to eat about 5000 calories of pasta, rice, and potatoes the day before, so I'm probably looking for Italian food although Asian rice and noodles could work too. I am staying near the starting line at BC Place Stadium but I'll have a car. I am guessing a lot of places will be full of runners with the same idea as me, so the ability to make reservations or go to a place that is kind of undiscovered would be especially appreciated.

I should point out I would never have would have made it this far were it not for the MeFi group at Runner+.