[Closed] starting running...

Put one foot in front of the other. Push off the one which is behind you (unless of course you want to run backwards). Repeat.

HTH

Don't do too much too soon - it hurts!

strart off slow. dont be tempted to increase the distance/speed too quickly. your legs wont forgive you.

My personal opinion is to not start running on the road. find somewhere with a softer base like grass or sand. Tarmac can be very unforgiving.

Get a pair of shoes with enough support but not too much cusioning it means you are running on stilts.

Run like you are being chased by a dinosaur, throw your arms about and scream 'noooooooooo, someone ate my last rolooooooooo' for the full length of the run, it will burn more calories I promise.
But other than that, what Becky said and start small, build up nice and easy. Or you could do what I did and try a 10k in the heat of summer with rubbing shoes and accompanied by someone for whom 10k is a warm up. Not recommended for a first run but jolly good fun and I survived.

Got an mp3 player?
Get hold of the ' couch to 5k' podcast off iTunes by the nhs.
It's good.

go somewhere nice - don't feel guilty if you need to drive to get there.

walk away from your car for 10 mins, run slowly back, drive home, stretch a bit - but don't go nuts.

see how you feel the next day - hopefully you'll be fine, and you can think about gradually increasing your distance/speed.

don't run up or down steep hills (for now).

try and enjoy it - i find it's really good for clearing my head, it's almost meditative.

Dont bother, not trolling, but its too high impact and will bugger your knees. Ride your bike instead. Oh yeah, its well boring too.

A few thoughts:
1. Get a running shop to check your shoes are the right ones for you. Also consider Superfeet insoles
2. Don't increase your distance from one week to the next by more than 10%
3. Work on your core strength for speed/strength and flexibility to keep injury at bay
4. Stretch at the end of each run
5. You can't out-train a bad diet
6. Enter a few races - it helps motivate you to run regularly
7. You'll learn a huge amount if you join a club. They're not just for fast runners and there's literally hundreds of years accumulated experience in any decent sized club
8. Watch out for injury - and stop when you get injured, it's not worth the long term risk
9. If you want to get fast, speed work and track sessions are a lot more fun than a regular run (harder work tho')
9. It's the most time-efficient and cheap way I've found to get fit
10. It's not anything like as much fun as riding a bike, sadly...

Good advice from brooess

A few things that you can only really find out for yourself.

For me those were

I rarely use an MP3 player. The clear head / listen to the world around you approach suits me much better

I don't run with others any more (used to all the time). I like to run at my own pace. This varies dramatically from run to run. (< 7 min miles to >10 min miles). I just run based on how I feel.

Running is just a suppleement to my biking. Something different that is easy to do whilst on business travel or if short on time.

Try cross-country running: It's far more interesting than the road and easier on the knees.

Cool some good tips...ta

I have never understood the appeal of running with music playing. Whenever I've tried it I just found it distracting.

Anyway, my advice is take your shoes and kit with you wherever you go on holiday / business etc. A half hour run here and there lets you see places in a different light and keeps you fit.

shanta - Member
Dont bother, not trolling, but its too high impact and will bugger your knees.

What evidence is there for this?

Runnersworld is good for training plans.

-Running with/without music are 2 very different things- introspective/outrospective experiences. I prefer no music by the way, and meditating on whatever has been happening etc.

-Start slowly, don't build up your distance or your speed too drastically.

-If you have to take time off due to injury or illness, start slowly or you WILL have to take MORE time off.

I'm about to start a return to running program having 'done a pretty good number' (my physio's words) on a ligament in my ankle. Program is as follows:

Complete each 30 minute session three times a week, each week (eg mon, wed, fri)

Week 1: 6 x 5m Walk i.e. walk for 30 mins
Week 2: 6 x 4m walk + 1m jog
Week 3: 6 x 3m walk + 2m jog
Week 4: 6 x 2m walk + 3m jog
Week 5: 6 x 1m walk + 4m jog
Week 6: 6 x 5m jog

As has been said before, shoes vitally important, stretch properly to aid recovery and alleviate instances of DOMS.

Five weeks ago I got talked into entering a duathlon in March.

The 25k on the bike I could handle, the two 5k runs either side of it less so. I'm now on week 5 of the NHS couch to 5k training plan. It's good to have that structure to training.

My knees ache all the time. Take it steady.

Roll on March . . .

stop [s]when [/s] before you get injured

Easier said than done, but you often do get a bit of a twinge before an acute injury, overuse injuries tend to build up over time with plenty of warning signs and I once took myself out for a couple of months by tearing a calf muscle when trying to run through a cramp! Best to stop at the first signs of something wrong.

If you want to get fast, speed work and track sessions are a lot more [s]fun [/s] effective than a regular run

Oh and for interest, try orienteering. Of course you can't do that every time you run - though I often do run with a map rather than follow a set route - but it's good motivation for working on your running.

stretch properly to aid recovery and alleviate instances of DOMS.

No evidence it helps with that.

I'm also doing the snowdonia marathon later this year.

Take your time, build up gradually, don't over do it.

mikey74 - Member
Try cross-country running: It's far more interesting than the road and easier on the knees.

Take that a step further, if you're close to anywhere hilly with remote terrain, eg. Peak, Lakes, Brecon, etc, then try fell running. Out in the hills like when you're on the MTB just not covering as much distance. Despite what certain individuals above have said about impact, ignore. You're running on grass, gravel, mud and sometimes rock - a variety of terrain softer than tarmac (except the rock, obviously) - and it's also a good opportunity to recce potential MTB routes.

I'm lucky to have the pick of routes in Dark or White Peak on my (current) doorstep or the Lakes when I visit my folks but just look for any remote, upland area on your local map.

+1 for being a very meditative activity - being out on the fells on my own helps me clear my mind.

To be honest I have never understood this thing about having to listen to music everywhere you go and during everything you do. I am a music lover but I rarely ever use a portable player as I prefer to sample the world around me, rather than isolate myself from it.

The others are right: Running, particularly trail running, does have a meditative element about it and I couldn't think of anything worse than having music playing in my ears.

If you were slogging up and down a main road all the time then I could probably understand it, but get off the roads and on to trails, footpaths, and out into the countryside.

Just as an aside & not to troll I can't see the attraction of running once you're a cyclist. With cycling you can go much faster and further whilst expending the same energy, going fast is fun.

Different muscle emphasis, different mentality and also more intensive than biking so a quicker fitness fix when you're short of time. It's also just another challenge to have a go at. Those are some of my reasons, anyway.

Just started running with the OH, it is less faff than getting bike out, less gear, less mucking about. Plus easier to do in bad weather and at night, just stick to pavements in light up area's - but as someone says, easier on shins if you are on paths/off tarmac.

Going well so far, just started at 2-3 miles 3 times a week. Don't see it replacing cycling, but as a slightly easier to get out option, and it certainly does help with fitness.

Listen to your body, take note of any grumbles, watch out for stitches, but it is a very good addition to fitness, and can easily be done anywhere if you have less than an hour to spare. Consider even a run at lunchtime from work (providing you have facilities)

With cycling you can go much faster and further whilst expending the same energy, going fast is fun.

jekkyl - Member

Just as an aside & not to troll I can't see the attraction of running once you're a cyclist. With cycling you can go much faster and further whilst expending the same energy, going fast is fun.

with a car, you can go much faster and further whilst expending the same/less energy, going fast is fun.

in an attempt to answer in a more meaningful fashion, running and biking are different activities, sometimes i want to go out on my bike, sometimes i want to go out for a run.

part of the attraction of running is that i can go out for an hour and come back physically knackered, but mentally refreshed - i don't think that's possible by bike (for me anyway)

go somewhere nice!

http://bicyclepump.net/

erratic runner here...

takes me a good month to 6 weeks before it starts to get less agony and more fun.

something i've only just discovered (as of monday this week), check out your local running club. i could'nt believe on a freezing feb night how many showed up for the week's social run, and it was far from the uber fit under 30 year old legions i had imagined.

There is no evidence it does any damage to your knees or any other joints AFAIK. it is also not boring IMO and I have ran almost daily for the last 30 years and love it (not a Ron Hill streak as periods of downtime and injury but you get the picture)

Racing is great and there is little evidence stretching does any good.

going fast is fun

Going fast on two legs is more fun IMO

What is this "social run" of which you speak?

Do you have a ParkRun near you?

http://www.parkrun.org.uk/

Nice, friendly, informal, accepting environment with a timed run. All abilities. Away from roads. No commitment. What's not to like?

What's not to like?

Find your local athletics club instead, at least you know the "subs" you pay will be going to support coaching and the development of the sport

Anyone who runs unless it's being employed as a method of survival (i.e. escaping kidnap, large carnivores, kids, wife, etc.,) should be summarily executed. They're all miserable bar-stewards.

surfer - Member

What's not to like?

Find your local athletics club instead, at least you know the "subs" you pay will be going to support coaching and the development of the sport

ParkRun has made running more enjoyable for me and helped me improve which in turn means I'm more likely to get involved with a local running club.

As a novice I wouldn't have turned up to a club, so it has been a useful stepping stone.

Every year I say I'm going to start running and I never quite manage it. The last few times I've tried C25K, but I find it too structured and the times/distance don't fit well with the loop I run around.

I started for this year on Sunday. I did two laps of the path round the river near us and use a walk-run like C25k, but didn't do it to set times or distances. It turned out to be [url= http://app.strava.com/activities/39637878 ]4km and took me 24 minutes[/url].

I was going to go out again yesterday but my legs still hurt, so I'll go this evening instead.

Got an mp3 player?
Get hold of the ' couch to 5k' podcast off iTunes by the nhs.
It's good.

Second that. We're doing it currently (Me and otherhalf).

It's well thought out, not too difficult for a beginner to get started with and stick to and gives you a feeling of achievement working through the weeks. Plus its totally free.

I'm not sure the 2 are mutually exclusive.

I'm not really against them as the more people out running the better and I'm sure your right that some will gain the confidence to join a club.
The issue I have is that they play by different rules and the nature of the events they put on means they bypass some of the costly "red tape" that athletic clubs have to abide by. This means that competitive events (Parkruns are competitive but they get around this!) put on by clubs are being squeezed out and this is to the detriment of the sport.
Athletics clubs also support junior events, coaching and a whole host of other things that cost money and require a great deal of commitment by those involved. I would just like to see a level playing field not to take the fun out of the Parkrun events but to ensure we continue to offer events and support for young runners coming into the sport.

The issue I have is that they play by different rules and the nature of the events they put on means they bypass some of the costly "red tape" that athletic clubs have to abide by.

Apologies to the OP for having taken this a bit OT 🙂

how relatively easy it appears to be for ParkRun events to be held.

Thats my point. They are not classified as "races" despite them being timed and a mass start!

They are not classified as "races" despite them being timed and a mass start!

Isn't that the same as many bike events?

Possibly Mike but thats for cycling clubs to challenge.

To the OP don't bother with fancy shoes or stretching. There is no evidence either do any good despite the anecdotal evidence you might get on here.

Just start gently and increase slowly.

If you are a regular cyclist you will probably have an aerobic engine that will carry you much further and faster than your legs will cope with as they will not be used to the impact so even more reason to watch how much you do to start with.

To the OP don't bother with ... stretching

To the OP: I'd ignore that if I were you.

Anyone who runs unless it's being employed as a method of survival (i.e. escaping kidnap, large carnivores, kids, wife, etc.,) should be summarily executed. They're all miserable bar-stewards.

A wise man once said that in the wild you don't actually need to outrun the predator, just be ahead of your companions.

So as a regular runner and therefore probably faster than you on my feet... see ya 🙂

Anyone who runs unless it's being employed as a method of survival (i.e. escaping kidnap, large carnivores, kids, wife, etc.,) should be summarily executed. They're all miserable bar-stewards.

Really? I find it more social than mountain biking.

stretch properly to aid recovery and alleviate instances of DOMS.

To the OP don't bother with fancy shoes or stretching. There is no evidence either do any good despite the anecdotal evidence you might get on here.

If you are a regular cyclist you will probably have an aerobic engine that will carry you much further and faster than your legs will cope with as they will not be used to the impact so even more reason to watch how much you do to start with.

Dont bother, not trolling, but its too high impact and will bugger your knees.

[img] [/img]

my 'anecdotal' advise of stretching is that unless i a) walk for a few mins to cool down and b) stretch my legs are solid the next day.

similarly, i once did a wet foot test to choose shoes, i read thats what you do on the internet, and within weeks i could'nt run for knee pain. went to a specialist shop, sorted no issues.

Bare foot running: http://barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/

Some people think it is snake oil.

I think it makes perfect sense.

Read this through and make up your own mind!!!

Some people think it is snake oil.

Yup and there's one born every minute.

Again very little evidence to support stretching or fancy shoes - wouldnt say that there was no evidence though.

There may be little evidence but that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it if it works for you. In the face of little "evidence" surely anecdotal and personal experience actually tell you more.

Having just taken up running after years of cycling, I can promise you that stretching my calves has helped, as has general stretching of those specific muscles used in running. So you are telling me I shouldn't be doing this, even though I have found it works for me?

I can promise you that stretching my calves has helped, as has general stretching of those specific muscles used in running.

How do you know?

How do you know?

Because I can feel it.

Because I can feel it.

Maybe but there is little or no evidence that it increases mobility or reduces injury. There is a similar amount of evidence to show it may be harmful.

[url= http://sock-doc.com/2011/04/stop-stretching/ ]Stop Stretching[/url]

Maybe but there is little or no evidence that it increases mobility or reduces injury. There is a similar amount of evidence to show it may be harmful.

As with wearing or not training shoes?!

So you are telling me I shouldn't be doing this, even though I have found it works for me?

No, I'm not saying that. I'm merely pointing out that there is very little evidence to support the idea that stretching is of benefit. If it works for you that's fantastic keep doing it.

As with wearing or not training shoes?!

The evidence for wearing or not wearing shoes is anecdotal and not really scientific. Its not practical to be a runner and not wear shoes simply because we cant all train and compete on soft grass.
When this is is discussed its never really what it seems. Proponents of barefoot running dont mean "bare foot" running they mean running in shoes which have reduced lift.
These shoes have been around for years so the "built" up shoes are really a straw man. "Barefoot" then just becomes a marketing tool to replace the one you are trying to debunk.
As an aside can you name me a competitive distance runner that competes shoeless?

re: stretching - I find it helps me to relax my muscles more which makes running more enjoyable and (I think) makes me run more efficiently. YMMV

re: "barefoot" shoes - yes I would agree that it is a bandwagon which has been jumped on lately. However, as mentioned zero (or minimal) drop shoes have been around for years. Aren't proper racing shoes (like wot Mo Farah or Bolt would wear) not like this? Hence are not all these artificially padded shoes not the "snake oil"?

Zola Budd

Hence are not all these artificially padded shoes not the "snake oil"?

Discount Bolt as he is a sprinter and probably doesnt run "distance" as we would describe it.
Farah races on the track in the shoes you describe which would have almost no cushioning. On the road he would wear a flatish racing shoe with a noticeable midsole and for the remaining 96% of his running I assume he would wear a traditional training shoe given to him by his sponsors

Don't do it! Look what's happening to me... http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/pee-in-my-blood

You should know better Glupton 😉 She raced on the track barefoot but she trained in shoes and also raced on the road and country shod (although she ran some XC races barefoot on occasion)

Farah uses spikes on the track.

As an aside can you name me a competitive distance runner that competes shoeless?

That was the question you asked - she is still competing on the US masters circuit.

I'm liking the shoes like the Saucony kinvara, pretty low heel but with some cushioning for my toes.. 6mm i think but could be 4mm drop.
Barefoot is the style that i do whilst wearing shoes! It can be any shoe that has a low heel although i changed my running style with the help of newton shoes as they do help place your foot and encourage forefoot strike.
At around 200gm the Kinvara has racing flat weight but with a bit of protection. Great for the miles im doing and easy to swap to a dedicated flat for 10k race day!
Not sure about the stretching, i do it in karate with everyone else in class but that's about it. I find i try and stretch when im injured to but have more success with strengthening exercises with injuries.

but not barefoot

I find i try and stretch when im injured to but have more success with strengthening exercises with injuries.

That would probably be because when you have injured a muscle just about the last thing you should be doing is stretching that muscle...

Surfer - I need evidence man.

I was going to use Zola as an example, but in Surfers defense he said competes.

And actually I agree with most of what is says in the above post, as with Zilog's post.

I don't run bare foot, but I do run in Vibram Five Fingers (VFF's) I am happily running 5 - 10kms in them and as long as I am doing it regularly my calves don't get too hammered. I used to be plagued with shin related injuries which would mean I could barely walk if ignored. These have disappeared using VFF's, which force me to run with a mid or forefoot strike rather than a heel strike.

I have also tried the merrel Trail Glove shoe which uses a vibram sole with slightly more cushioning, not enough for heal striking to be comfortable, but enough for my feet to feel ok after hours of running and walking. I find it much less flexible and it holds my foot rigidly laterally, ie I think it artificially turns my ankle in and holds it there.

I was using these for longer trail runs last summer almost exclusively, but I think they contributed to a stress fracture in my leg. I now don't run in them and have brought my VFF's back out again.

So far my own limited practical research in this area has suggested that for me a very flexible sole that allows my foot to smoosh about and ankles to role around makes for least chance of injury. Other people may be different.

Your making the assertion not me. I am asking a question.

I took too long to respond! Can't discount bolt just because he sprints. Running and sprinting are the same physical motion. You just engage different energy sources to achieve the speed.

Running and sprinting are the same physical motion.

Of course they are however Bolt doesnt run in the same way that Farah does in the sense that his only requirement is traction and something to show his sponsors name!
To some extend this is the same of Farah when he competes. The difference being Farah probably spends about 90% of his running time in something we would all recognise as a "traditional" shoe and not something we would describe as akin to "barefoot" To bolt it doesnt really matter I suspect he seldom runs more than a mile or so in training and that is at very high speed. I may be wrong but he is not what you would call a "distance" runner/trainer

My theory is that barefoot or minimalist shoes allow or encourage more movement at the ankle joint, which in turn uses the small muscles in the lower legs more effectively - things like the peroneals, tib pos, flex dig+hall longus. Folk who have "achilles" pain are often misdiagnosed as having tendinopathy when it's really one or more of those muscles that's giving them stick. It's certainly true in my case.

I asked a contact of mine who works in elite distance running in Ethiopia - he tells me that runners there run barefoot until they are sponsored then they tend to run in whatever the sponsor gives them - changing shoes depending on what they are doing in training and the part of their training cycle. Once they are sponsored they are encouraged to do a couple of barefoot runs each week.

Plus one or Fell Running

Massive amount of freedom as to where is good to run compared to a bike. I suspect the running naysayers are just rubbish at running.

A great addition to add to your hobbies. Only run on the roads as a last resort though, xc/trail/fell-mountain is the way to go.

It's only a matter of time before you buy your first singlet.

Can anyone explain the difference between these new fangled minimalist shoes and a pair of Walsh PB's for me please?

Aside from the Walshes having far gripper tread.

My theory is that barefoot or minimalist shoes

Therin lies the problem. Its marketing language that describes something that has been around for decades. We just called them something else. Its this straw man of "built up" shoes versus "minimalist".
"Built up" just means a shoe with a midsole and given that you are not running "barefoot" in its literal sense then your shoe has a midsole. Its called something different and their are a host of manufacturing companies and marketeers happy to perpetuate it.

Just my opinion

Can anyone explain the difference between these new fangled minimalist shoes and a pair of Walsh PB's for me please?

About £50

😀

Sorry for the thread hijack by the way whattyre!

Unfortunately I need to get on with some work 🙁 Would be interested to debate this further with more hard evidence available though (googled pictures of Mo training and couldn't find anything without a prominent sponsors logo, although all shoes were cushioned with heel lift interestingly)

piemonster - Member

Can anyone explain the difference between these new fangled minimalist shoes and a pair of Walsh PB's for me please?

Aside from the Walshes having far gripper tread.

well,

surfer - Member

About £50

covers most of it, but rest assured that when you buy a pair of merrels/inov8's you've invested your money in a company that's spent loads more money on styling and advertising.