JuliePurplehead said:

awww... I love that one!

And yeah, I've thought of that.

be sure to tell us about your experiences running

you're really making me want to do it as well...but I think I'll have too at my school's gym since it's icy outside and I don't want to die for the cause

It gets easier with time. I'm not to the place where I feel like a runner yet. I'm still trying to fall into the groove of it.

I might go and make myself a skipping rope!

thekidsgirl said:

Yeah, I've got a ways to go before the class starts. And it's FAR too cold out now to even consider. Besides, I wear my winter boots every time I leave the house right now cause of the cold, ice and snow. I can't run in those.

CarrieMpls said:

running in boots leads to blisters!

CarrieMpls said:

I run daily as a part of my military physical fitness program....my tips would be to definitely get a couple pair of good running shoes....and good cushioned socks...STRETCH smartly...meaning start from the head/neck and work your way down...we usually start off with running/walking in place for 1-2 minutes...then rotational exercises (neck, shoulders, hips, and knees/ankles)...and into static stretches for a total of 5-7 minutes...when you hit the road, get your breathing down to a cadence of 1-2 inhale, 1-2-3-4 exhale....inhale through the nose, exhale forcefully through the mouth...that way you keep circulating clean air...if you start "huffing and puffing". your pace is too fast, so slow down until you can regulate your breathing as I mentioned above...one rule of thumb is that you should be able to speak, but not carry on a full blown conversation....

as far as striding, you have to go with what you find you're comfortable with...whether its up on your toes or heel to toe, you shouldn't over stride (an example being like a sprinter's stride), nor should you take "baby steps" because in the latter case, you're working a lot harder than you need to and getting nowhere fast...running uphill, you should lean into the hill and shorten your stride so that you're generating power from your legs and not your lower back....downhill, lean back and allow momentum to take you down the hill...its an opportunity to catch your breath and relax your muscles before you get back on level ground...

that's pretty much all I can think of right now....about the only other thing I can add is to try to be kinda light on your feet (meaning stride, don't stomp) and unless you're in severe pain or you feel hurt, run when you plan to run...there will be days that nothing on earth sucks more than running, but 1/8th of a mile in, you'll be pumped again....

reneGade20 said:

Good stuff!!

I already practice 1-2 breathing (I use it for relaxing and meditating, probably much longer breathes) so that should be easy to remember and do.

Thanks!

CarrieMpls said:

Trust me, that's the majority of the battle...so you should get the hang of the rest...I've seen and dealt with so many young troops that never get the cadence down, and they struggle mightily...especially out here in Arizona, which is like running on the surface of the moon (we're at 4667 ft. above sea level at the base)...

good luck!

In theory, I like the idea of running. It's cheap, you can get cute running clothes, it makes your leg muscles awesome, but in actuality I hate it.

I ran distance track (800s, 1500s and 3200s) and cross country in high school. I was slow, plus I hated it. I just did it to stay in shape for basketball. Cross country wasn't as bad because we would run places instead of just around in a big circle; but ugh it was torture.

Swimming laps is probably one of my favorite forms of exercise; but I haven't done that in years as I can't afford a gym membership in NYC.

and take an ipod/mp3 player, the music can help too

This is just my own personal experience:

1. Get a pair of decent, very light jogging shoes. Don't worry about getting the highest end ones. They're going to tell you the more expensive, the better most of the time, which is true. However, what they don't tell you is how crappy the soles are on the shoes and that the shock absorbency diminishes quickly (within 3 months if you jog often) regardless of the quality of the shoe.

2. Get a pair of Sole Inserts like these . You don't have to buy really high end ones like these (40 bucks), and you can find them in any drug store or a Target. Insoles make a huge difference. Even the cheap 6 dollar inserts are going to give you far more support than the soles that go into high end running shoes. And the cheap inserts last much longer. They're actually a good idea for putting in to any casual shoe, as they greatly increase the comfort of walking and strain on your back. Trust me, a good insert will make even the most lackluster jogging shoe ten times better.

3. Carry an iPod with you. When I started listening to my favorite music, I was able to run well past an hour without thinking about it. It was almost like dancing at a nightclub. It really gets your mind off a typically mundane task like jogging.

4. Your first 2 or 3 weeks are going to be annoying, trying, and difficult. You'll be sore, you may chafe, and you'll definitely feel discomfort. It may even seem like you'll never get into it. But the beauty of your body is that it doesn't like being punished. It will compensate by shedding weight to make the load easier, building additional blood vessels to more efficiently carry oxygen (thereby greatly increasing your energy levels), and releasing endorphins to diminish the physical 'strain' you might feel. When I was really into jogging, I actually looked forward to getting home from work so I could run. I think I shed 20 pounds in 2 1/2 months just jogging.

5. Expect your taste buds to change. If you break the one month barrier, you'll start getting grossed out by the smell of grease and other types of food that might slow you down or affect your jog. I would imagine for most folks, this is a desirable thing though.

6. Without sounding gross, expect more trips to the toilet. Your digestive track for some reason always improves and becomes more frequent and more efficient when you jog. I have not proof of this medically--just that all my friends and I experienced this after a few weeks of jogging.

7. If you find yourself unable to jog the first few weeks, try jogging for 5 minutes, then walking for 5 (or whatever duration you can do). This greatly helps. A lot of athletes do this kind of "burst" training to increase their endurance, though I'm not advocating burst training--just trying a hybrid strategy if you find jogging full on too difficult in the beginning. The trick is to make it more strenuous than walking at least.

You've convinced me to start jogging again.
[Edited 1/30/09 0:55am]

The music is a given. It's a necessity for me. And greasy foods already gross me out for the most part.

The rest is good. Thanks!

LazarusHeart said:

Definitely true in my case as well....I went back into the military at 180 lbs., which was about 45 pounds heavier than I'd ever been at any time in my life...but I got down to 155 by the end of basic training 2 months later...



I find that, for me, doing interval/burst training is a good departure from the norm, maybe once or twice a week....one way that I incorporate burst into my running regimen is to pick a light pole on my route and increase my pace until I reach the next one down the road...sometimes I'll go two poles when I'm feeling frisky...

CarrieMpls said:

It's actually the only thing that clears my head. Well not really clears it, but allows me to just let my thoughts run, get ideas, listen to music, and really "plan" things. It's the only time I have my "good thoughts/ideas".

Well, that and when I'm on the toilet.

Oh yeah, and it is addictive. So if you're the addictive personality type (like I am) it's probably not such a bad thing to be addicted to.

Runners high is the BEST!!!!!

mdiver said:

trhat's one reason i prefer other sports. hate having to strap my boobs to my chest to keep them from jiggling around when i run :ouch:

XxAxX said:

actually, that isn't just something that happens to women...I had a male troop who got joggers nipple so bad that he had to put band-aids on his eraser heads everytime he ran....

reneGade20 said:

I really want to start running too

Teacher said:

The store is Title Nine. They have some storefronts (Cali, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Texas & Washington) & sell online. They rate each sports bra in terms of strength to help you figure out the right one for you. The "3+ barbells" section is the one you wanna look @, I've seen sizes range up to 46DDD:

http://www.titlenine.com/...itemID=676

CalhounSq said:

bookmarking site!

Thanks!

reneGade20 said:

That shit happens to me, i have small but constantly pointy ones

Hoola hooping and jump roping are the name of my game,
and outdoor walking when the weather permits...you know
what that's like

Anyway, good luck with your new agenda!