Thread: Guide to Running

In this thread I will discuss in detail, proper cardio-vascular training methodology. If you train incorrectly, it can lead to permanent damage to your joints and ligaments.

Before starting, I think it’s important that people know where I’m coming from so that they know that I know what I’m talking about and not just making things up as a go along. My father was one of the best NCAA cross country runners in the country in the mid seventies, and still competes at the national level in the masters division.

I myself, ran three years of track and one year of cross country in high school, then two years of track in college. In college I trained under legendary distance runner Steve Spence. Steve Spence was a four time NCAA champion and ran the marathon in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, getting twelfth place, with a flu. The next year he won the bronze medal in the same event at the world championships.

Starting
The most important thing to remember is to start small. Your body can’t handle a marathon if you’ve been inactive, so don’t try one. You may have the cardio for it, but not the muscles. Most running injuries happen to small stabilizer muscles, because these are ones that people tend to forget about.

Every time your foot impacts the ground, that shock wave travels up your leg and your muscles tighten to absorb it. You quads and hamstrings are massive muscles, and can take it, but they push you, they don’t stabilize you. The muscles around your knees and ankles are tiny, and they are the ones that do most of the work on landing. If these muscles have atrophied, your stabilizers may pull or tear and your joints will jiggle around too much, leading to tendonitis, or even worse, arthritis. This can be especially true for those of you who may be overweight, the heavier that you are, the more strain you put on those muscles.

When first starting a regiment, do a little jogging, to warm up the muscles, then walk. For the first week, you should do as much or more walking than running. Walking strengthens these small muscles without putting so much strain on them that they will get injured. Once these muscles are strong enough, then you can run.

Shoes
A good set of running shoes is a good investment for someone doing a lot of cardio. Like those stabilizer muscles, a proper fitting set of shoes can dramatically decrease the shockwave that travels up your leg and into your joints.

When buying a new set of shoes, you should also take a week off from anything to strenuous so that they get broken in a little bit and your stabilizers get used to the new shoes. If you went from a pair of shoes that are very good at stabilizing one particular motion, to one designed for something else, the some of the muscles may have weakened. Things like switching from road shoes to cross trainers would certainly do this.

The best thing to do is to have multiple sets of shoes and alternate them every day. This keeps all stabilizers strong and extends the amount of time that you can train consistently and not have to stop to break in a new pair of shoes. A good pair of running shoes last about 500 miles, so having three of them means that you can run 1500 miles before re-calibrating your legs for a new shoe.

Make sure that your shoes fit perfectly, specifically around the arch. An arch that’s too high can cause shins splints, and arch that’s too low can also cause shin splints. Shin splints aren’t dangerous, but they are very painful. The shoe itself doesn’t need to accommodate this, if you find a good pair of shoes with the wrong arch support, buy then. You can swap in insoles easily and cheaply.

Before running
Some people stretch before running, this is dumb. Stretching pulls on your muscles and loosens them up, you want your muscles tight when you run, or else you aren’t as stable on your feet. You should do a minor stretch, but nothing extensive, and only after your muscles are properly warmed up.

For sprinting or something like that, stretching is more important, but not for cardio. For the most part, you can just run right out the door. Your workout and your warmup are one in the same, just don’t start out too fast. Even for runners who can do a sub five minute mile, eight minute pace should be the first mile or so of a distance run. For most, nine or ten is best.

Make sure that you are well hydrated even when it’s cool out. You sweat a lot, but you loose just as much water from your breathing, and people tend to forget that. The reason that you can see your breath when it’s cold out is because you are expelling water.

Don’t eat. For runs less than 10 miles, eating is not a good idea, your body will burn the food in your stomach before it burns any fat. Longer runs, you should eat during the run, not before. This is not true for a race, during a race you need fast energy, and only food can deliver that. Make it carbohydrates though, not sugar.

After Running
Now is the time to stretch, and stretch well. Stretching helps prevent soreness the next day, allowing you to run again the next day. It also helps your muscles stay nimble so that your flexibility is not compromised. Flexibility is what allows you to control your body under any circumstances. If you step incorrectly, how quickly you can move your legs to compensate is directly proportional to how flexible you are.

Ice. Even if you’re not injured, you have to ice your knees and shins. This is preventative treatment. After 5 miles, each knee has taken over two thousand small impacts, and they need ice to recover. Twenty minutes on, twenty minute off is the best way to do it. This is useful because you can alternate legs and constantly ice.

Now you may eat, although you should wait a little while, since your stomach is churning and eating might make you sick. Drink lots of water though. The best thing to eat after a run is food that are high in protein. Fish, eggs, and soy are the best.

Hearth Rate
How much you push yourself will affect how much weight you lose or how good of a cardio workout you get. In order to lose weight, you should keep your heart rate between 60 and 80%, this is not very difficult, a slow job will keep your heart rate about this level. It will burn fat because it’s not a difficult exercise, your body wants to save it’s carbs and sugar in case something happens to it and it needs to go into fight or flight state.

Strenuous activity, brining your heart rate between 80 and 95% will burn the food in your stomach and really get your heart beating. Your heart is a muscle too, exercising it is important. The number one killer of people in the us is heart problems, caused by smoking and obesity. Running won’t help with your smoking, but obesity is something that you can control with running.


I'll add more later.

I have a question, ninja. For someone, like me, who has never run for an extended amount of time, what sort of distances would you recommend for running for a start? Any tips for setting up a regimen? Also, I take some supplements for weight training. Creatine, Whey Protein, and L-Glutamine are all in my stack. Would any of these cause problems while running? And on the opposite side, would I see any positive effects from them related to my running?

Running uses your muscles so much that creatine will dramatically make your leg muscles bigger, which will kill your stride.

To start out two miles a day would be good. I'll add that to the sticky later.

Ninja, that is good advice, but I don't think all of it applies to everybody. Based on what you have told me, your distance racing times were better than mine, so don't think I am trying to sound like more of an expert. I dabbled in road racing in elementary school and got very serious about track, cross country, and road racing as a teenager. For me personally, I have to stretch before I run. My legs get worn out faster if I don't stretch first. They feel flat and crampy. However, I think everybody should be very slow and gradual in stretching cold muscles. You don't want to jerk them and end up with a pulled muscle. Also, I absolutely have to eat something a few hours before I run to do it effectively. Running without having eaten that day leaves my tank on empty, and it sucks. I pretty much never run in the mornings, but if I do, I eat maybe two pieces of bread or drink a glass of Rice Dream or something 30 or more minutes earlier. Maybe those needs don't apply to most people, but I thought I should mention that they do to me.

Good thread.

If you stretch, your muscles are weaker. You don't want your muscles to be tight, but you don't want them too loose either, loose muscles pull easier and can't keep a tight hold of your joints that way.

The more power that you use, the more you need to stretch. Football or sprinting should have some good warmup and stretching, not for slow jogging and LSD.

Running with the tank on empty is painful, but you will loose more weight if you don't. Not completely empty though, you don't want your stomach in a knot.

Ninja~~~~

I signed up for a half marathon in September. I ran 13 miles the other day, so I know I can finish it. . . My shoulders were sore, but not much else. I'm wondering how I should focus my training as I approach race day.

Originally Posted by ninja9578

The more power that you use, the more you need to stretch. Football or sprinting should have some good warmup and stretching, not for slow jogging and LSD.

I know the Ole Miss track team used to do it at the beginning of every practice, distance runners (such as Pablo Sierra, Thomas Johnson, and George Kersh) included. Pablo won four SEC distance championships, including cross country, and led half of the New York Marathon in 1996, and George was the 800 meter SEC champion and held the high school national record in the 800 for ages. He ran a 1:46 in high school and got down to 1:44 in college. He came in first in the 800 at the Good Will Games in 1990. Any way, those guys stretched even before really long runs. However, I also knew a complete bad ass coach who believed in not stretching before runs. He thought stretching should only be done three times a week on occasions very separate from runs.

Originally Posted by KingCarnie

I have a question, ninja. For someone, like me, who has never run for an extended amount of time, what sort of distances would you recommend for running for a start? Any tips for setting up a regimen? Also, I take some supplements for weight training. Creatine, Whey Protein, and L-Glutamine are all in my stack. Would any of these cause problems while running? And on the opposite side, would I see any positive effects from them related to my running?

This not a big problem.. ones you just start running with short distance then you reach at extreme level of Running.... just do

Great post Ninja!!

Would you say running is a full body workout?

It doesn't work your arms. It works your legs, core, and shoulders.

Originally Posted by ninja9578

Some people stretch before running, this is dumb. Stretching pulls on your muscles and loosens them up, you want your muscles tight when you run, or else you aren’t as stable on your feet. You should do a minor stretch, but nothing extensive, and only after your muscles are properly warmed up.

I'm so glad you said this. I was all ready to come in and give my speech about stretching. Good to see you are well informed and dispelling the old myths about stretching and warming up. You only need to stretch to your range of motion. Being too flexible increases your risk of injury. Showing off your full splits is fun at parties, but it is really only necessary if you need to kick people in the head.

Speech on stretching? That sounds fun

This thread is awesome, thanks so much..

I run every now and then but I always get out of the loop, any tips on motivation, coach? and do you think it's better to run in the morning, or maybe later in the day? and 2 miles seems a bit much for the first week, but I suppose not if you're walking just as much as running.

Once again, thanks, this thread is amazing.

Is it bad to run on tarmac?

Originally Posted by IWillBeLight

This thread is awesome, thanks so much..

I run every now and then but I always get out of the loop, any tips on motivation, coach? and do you think it's better to run in the morning, or maybe later in the day? and 2 miles seems a bit much for the first week, but I suppose not if you're walking just as much as running.

Once again, thanks, this thread is amazing.

Go onto iTunes and build yourself a really good playlist to listen to while running. It's better to run in the morning, because it kickstarts your metabolism. If you have a slow start to your day, your metabolism will do the same.

Originally Posted by Dizko

Is it bad to run on tarmac?

Yes, it puts a lot of shock through your most vital joints, if you have to do it (like I do,) make sure that you have really good shoes. Nike Air 360s I would recommend, and make sure that your arch is perfectly supported.

Hi Everyone,

Thanks ninja, Really nice and great post... and very helpful for everyone means different age wise people..

You don't want to do any long distance running if you are weight training. Endurance activities will turn your short/fast twitch muscle fibers into long/slow twitch muscle fibers. Essentially you would be sacrificing explosive strength for endurance which is not good for weight training. However, sprinting/HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is a VERY good addition to any weight training routine and will also give you good cardio while improving the explosive strength developed from weight training.

oye ninja! I just wanted to let you know I can do 3, 5 minute rounds of fairly intense sparring (both on the ground and standing up) consistently now ^^. but now that Im out of college, I need to do something to stay in shape and there isnt a martial arts place around me at home anymore

So, Im left to keep myself in shape. One of the things I wanted to do is running of course. If I have been staying in shape (but not running) is it reasonable to just kind of jump in to running for cardio strength? ( a mile or two) also, not to derail the sticky, but what else can I do until I go back to college in the fall?

Yes, but start slow as stabilizer muscles that you use when running may be atrophied, so give it a week of just jogging before running.

Alright. I bought myself a pair of well-fitting running shoes today, planning to start excercising tomorrow. I haven't practiced any actual sports in 3 years, some would argue I'm slightly overweight and the craziest activity I've done lately is probably some short 1 mile runs every second weekend.
My diet is quite okay I believe. I don't smoke and I rarely drink.

I think I have a fair idea about how to start with running, though I was hoping maybe you or somebody else could pitch in with a few tips, maybe even a simple training regimen. I love running, it's just a matter of starting.

Cool thread. I'll have to read it over again maybe tomorrow

I'm doing training and trying to better my running. I'm not worried about weight as I am about cardio endurance

I run every day about 1.5mis (which the last 3 days I've upped to 2mis). I really need to be up to a consistant 3mis by the beginning of Aug. Would throwing in a 6mi run on the weekend be ok, you think? I deff wouldn't run the whole thing. Prob 2mis, rest walk, another mile, rest walk... depending on how tired I am

You have any ideas that could help me build up my cardio endurance? My buddy had me do some sprinting after a short run. Should I try some wind sprints?

Thanks

Yes, doing short sprints dramatically increase your VO2 Max, this will increase your endurance by quiet a bit.

Any stretching examples for us?

I didn't see this. Here you go, this girl is using good technique in all of these stretches, and are the most common for runners


Do them GENTLY before a workout, if you stretch too much before you work out, your muscles are too loose to support your joints. Do a good stretch after though. Your muscles are already tight, but warm, so they should be pliable. Stretching well after a run loosens tight muscles, which are the main cause of aching the next day.

Thanks for this thread. Its always good to keep up on information about excercise, to get the most out of it. I'm a runner and I usually do about an hour every other day.