But am worried about doing damage to myself.

As much as I love my Bikes, I’ve a low attention span and fancy something different.

I’ve got some New Balance Trainers which seem ok and just wondered what kind of distances I should start out doing ?

Should I walk then jog, then walk then jog or just jog for a bit then walk home ?

Any ideas please

indeed, ease into it. do a couple of short routes first and maybe look for a grassy/track at first. IMO.

I found crap trainers meant pounding the streets hurt my knees, on grass it was better but good trainers helped. When you buy some dont go to a trainer shop, they’ll sell you whatever, find a runners shop and tell them the sort of running you’ll do, job done.

NHS c25k app helps break in the running to avoid shin splints etc.

jogging, or jogging slowly, to warm up is actually worse for you than running or walking as there is more shock, so more chance of shin-splints.

So walking to start is a good idea.

The Stark Reality Of Stretching has some good advice about lower body stretches to avoid injury, he was a physio I think for top-level sportsmen and describes the common injuries people cause themselves by stretching incorrectly.

Intervals – 100 paces of jogging then 50 paces of sprint, then gasp and repeat – is very good for getting fitness and strength. You need good strength around your knees so you can run ‘springy’ – if you are plodding I think you are more likely to cause damage.

If you can stretch to it and it is likely that you will become a regular runner, seriously think about getting one of the Garmin Forerunners (other brands are available. You don’t need a fancy one but it’s a great way of monitoring fitness and pacing and makes intervals much easier (to monitor, not to run) – e.g. .25 mile at X min pace, .5 at Y, repeat Z times. I also find that it helps me to break myself in after a long period of running absence.

swimming, skipping, boxing, poker ?

you’ve got the heart, lungs and legs of a biker, you’ve got the feet and ankles of a couch potato.

(a slight exageration, but i’ll stand by it)

walk to warm up, run gently for a bit (a minute or 2), walk – see how you feel, run a bit more if nothing hurts, walk to warm down.

see how you feel the next day.

build slowly from there.

running offroad is nice 🙂

I am starting myself at the end of the month since I have been roped into running a 10k trail run in December I figured I had best get started early! Some interesting advice in this, and the concept that plodding causes more damage is particularly catching my eye.

Is there anything research like on that, or is it just experience?

Got to get myself some new footwear soon as my old trainers did a fair bit a few years ago then put on the shelf. They will do for the first couple of months though (I hope!)

I did this a month ago, my knees are now broken 🙁
Shame as I quite like it too.

I recently went from 0 running miles in 30 odd years to just under 5 miles 3 times a week in 3 months, the first month was pain hell but I came through it although I do get the odd hip twinge, one thing that surprised me (although I guess it shouldn’t have) was my aerobic fitness, cycling for 10+ years really showed itself there.

Start of running and walking for a couple of miles expect some discomfort, buy some ibuleve gel, and rest between runs, you should come through it although you may be lucky and not experience any pain.

Yesterday was my 5th run in over 20 years. I have just started 4 weeks ago and have been going out once a week as I cycle 5 days a week as it is. I am running off road and bought some decent shoes first. I choose off road as it is easier on the joints and a lot less bring. I walk for the first 2 or so minutes then set off. I had a garmin wrist device anyway so have been using that which is a great aid. First effort was 2.9km, yesterday was 6.4km. Well chuffed and no joint issues to date, touch wood. Any stretching done after exercise.

NHS c25k app helps break in the running to avoid shin splints etc.

IMO it’s correct technique that will help you avoid shin splints, although C25k is a good program!

Was talking to someone at the weekend I hadn’t seen for a while who used to jog. Feet and knees are shot but otherwise in good shape

Slowly.

Map out a 2 mile course, and aim to run it, doesn’t matter how long it takes, doesn’t matter how much of it you actually run, aim to do this at least 3 times a week. If you get an injury ( anywhere) stop and walk home. Treat the injury RICE etc, and don’t run for a couple of days, when it feels better, run. If it doesn’t hurt, cool, if not give it a bit longer.

Repeat this ( on the same 2 mile course) for At Least 5-6 weeks. Don’t run faster or longer, just try to run.

Wear comfortable clothes, and pretend that you run( by this I mean try to look like a runner, head up, even strides, steady breathing) get into the habit/ mindset that you are a runner.

Eventually you’ll be bored of the 2 mile course, if nothing hurts and your running it comfortably, then run for longer or run faster choice is yours

Capt. Kronos – Member
…the concept that plodding causes more damage is particularly catching my eye.

Is there anything research like on that, or is it just experience?

i wouldn’t worry about it

don’t run uphill till you’re ready, definitely don’t run downhill till you’re ready.

Was talking to someone at the weekend I hadn’t seen for a while who used to jog. Feet and knees are shot but otherwise in good shape

IMO jogging is a terrible thing to do, I see so many “plodders” pounding their joints with each slow step. Running properly allows you to be quite light on your feet. Better to run/walk than jog the whole way IMO.

Should I walk then jog, then walk then jog

Do this^^^

As others have said C25k (couch to 5km) apps for your phone are good and will have you doing this for the first few weeks until your body is ready to run for longer spells.

I’ve started this and had none of the ill effects (aches/pains/strains) I had when previously attempting to start jogging. It helps to do it on softer ground or treadmills too, more forgiving!

Some interesting advice in this, and the concept that plodding causes more damage is particularly catching my eye.

Anecdotal experience, treadmill based: walking is easy, running doesn’t hurt, but the transition (when speeding up a treadmill) is horrible, you really feel the thump as your foot hits the ground.

I’d be using a walk/run plan, and taking it slowly. It’s very easy to overdo it (and injure yourself) if you’ve already got a reasonable level of bike fitness.

Think that’s what i did, first run 1 1/2 miles, 2nd run 5 miles…knees are killing.

FWIW when I started running last year I really felt it in my knees/ankles for the first few weeks – I assume because all the little stabilising muscles took a while to build up

Try using this program with the intention of getting you through Bristol half marathon.

http://www.runbristol.com/App_Files/Downloads/BEGINNERS_WEB_HALF%20MARATHON.pdf

I used to run, stopped and took up biking, now run again intermittently in ‘chain store’ bought trainers, and have been suffering from calf and Achilles pain.

I went to sweatshop this am and got my feet analysed on a foot bed analyser, some custom insoles moulded for my slightly protonating high arch feet, and then my gait analysed on the treadmill. I tried on and ran several pairs and ended up with a pair that weren’t the cheapest in the shop but were also far from the most expensive. The lady that fitted me wasn’t convinced I needed the insoles after looking at me run in the new support shoes, but I got them anyway as they have a 30 day no quibbles money back guarantee, so I need to do some runs with and without them to see if they are better or worse.

All told an hour’s consultation and advice, all for less than £100 and with £40-odd of that being refundable if the soles aren’t good.

Highly recommend sweatshop, Woking branch fwiw.

Best advice I got was “a little a lot” Very short runs (time wise) on a daily basis. As little as 10 mins a time 5/6 days a week for a 3 to 5 weeks then start to add time for one of the days (your long run day) increase the others at very low increments. be very conservative till things really start to feel easy.

Try using this program with the intention of getting you through Bristol half marathon.

Looks quite interesting, seems to gel with something I’ve heard a few times – that one of the biggest mistakes can be doing all your runs hard. Of course it (like most other generic training plans) assumes that you don’t do any other exercise (like ride a bike for example!)

Good technique is very important: this makes interesting watching…
http://vimeo.com/12551218

Its worth noting you don’t need minimal running shoes to learn how to run properly.

If your new to running, make sure you stretch your IT band after you have finished your run. From my experience when I started running I was only aware of what the IT band is when it started to cause me problems, pulling my knee cap out of place and causing a whole lot of knee pain. This is called runners knee and i believe most amateur runners have suffered from it in the past

Google ‘IT band stretches’ or find some videos on Youtube 🙂

have a word with yourself, the only place you should jog to is to your bike.

This is just what I’ve worked out from my own experiences … clearly I don’t actually know what I’m talking about tho’ – so it might all be pish, and it’ll only work for me. 😉

Go slowly to start with, walk to get started, then run, then walk – repeat as often as you need. Don’t go too far too early, keep your HR comfortable whilst you build up endurance. My first few sessions were no more than a couple of km each time, and I’d set myself little targets along the way to keep my attention, and to help me improve – simple easy stuff like: walk for n lamp-posts, then run for n x 2 lamp-posts – next time out, walk for n lamp-posts, run for 3 x n lamp-posts (or whatever …).

Good running posture is key tho’ – less fatigue, less injury. better endurance …

I’ll add to that vimeo video by suggesting a look at this one:
Principles of Natural Running with Dr. Mark Cucuzzella .

Subjective, but I think that is amongst the best running posture I’ve seen.

There are strong views about shoes … but whatever you run in, as long as they don’t actively interfere with you running properly, (which some overly thickly soled ‘trainers’ can do) they’ll probably be ok to get you going. Think about how you feel when you are on the trail, and use that to give you feedback.

I hate running on tarmac, it’s duller than dull and it makes me sore, but running on steep rough trails suits me much better – clearly some people find the opposite is true … so, as with riding a bike… don’t get hooked up on one thing being ‘better’ than any other.

I’ve found that ‘data’ can be a useful motivation, I dare say you’ll find some application for a smart-phone to help, but just seeing 20 seconds come off a regular route after a few runs will help.

I never bother with any warm-up / stretching / warm-down malarkey, I walk for a bit to start, then get going, and stop when I stop. Whilst that works for me, I doubt that’s good advice tho’ – so you’ll need to do your own research on that aspect.

My recovery tips are, eat proper food (get the basics, then kinda define your own – as that’s another subject of countless Holy Wars), ‘listen to your body’ and get some decent sleep.

Upsides are things like the awesome coast path run I had this time last week, seeing stuff I’d never have seen on a bike, as I simply couldn’t have got it there …