Running: Training, Problems, Techniques, Questions, etc

[neuromancer]

Ok, I can do 3.5km in about 20min, this is on a strech of HWY with
two big hills on it and very ruff uneven shoulders.

But I have a problem; I have flat feet, and I've been using insoles but my
right leg (particularly the shin and calf area) just kills after every run.

So it made me start to think, are insoles possibly the problem here?

Do insoles, while correcting posture, make your calfs weaker?

This could also be due to my runners which are getting pretty ugly, but
my body is pretty self aware and its telling me the insoles have something
to do with it.

Anyone else have experience with this?

 

[Island Ryhno]

Oye, I'm flat footed and wear custom orthotics and I get numb leg! Yeah my feet, right up to about mid calf go numb after a while running. The problem with mine is that my calf muscles are so large that I can't stretch them in an adequate manner and hence the calf, achilles tendon area tightens up significantly. Do you have custom orthotics, if you don't you should look into them. No manner of muscle pain is worth giving up your orthotics. If you think leg pain is bad from running, try out plantar fasciitis, it feels like two broken heels! In any case the medical advice given to me was to stretch my leg muscles (calves et al) on a daily basis, I found this helps a fair bit!

 

[ZipperHead]

My advice: spend the time and money and go to a specialty shop like the Running Room (link: http://www.runningroom.com/hm/ ) and get fitted for a good quality pair of running shoes. Believe me, it makes all the difference in the world. The initial cost can be staggering ($150 to $200 for a decent pair), but you owe it to yourself to treat your body right. And the rule of thumb is to only wear them for no more than 800km (the Running Room website has a Clinics page, where you can keep track of your running, and after you input your shoes, it will keep track of how many km's you've put on them for you as long as you keep logging in all your runs..... I have been using it for almost 2 years now...). And that 800km's includes walking around in them, wearing in the gym to lift weights, etc. Face it, wear is wear, so have a set of runners strictly for running. Some people buy two pairs (or more) of the same model of shoe at the same time: one for outside, one for the treadmill.

I know people who wouldn't think twice about blowing over $1000 for tires for their car every 6 months or so, and buy the best synthetic oils,etc  but buy the cheapest shoes they can. Are you going to have the car you have now when you're 60 years old? You're certainly going to have the feet, ankles, knees, hips, etc that you were born with..........

As for your leg problems (even before getting fitted for shoes) think about seeing a specialist, and get orthotics if neccesary. $10 insoles aren't going to do jack-squat to sort out your foot issues. It sounds like shin-splints could be your problem: here's a quick link: http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_report.cfm?Thread_ID=135&topcategory=Sports . A lot of times, if it's not shin-splints per se, it can be a muscle imbalance between the front and rear, so stretching and exercsing can help.

Anyway, you should definitely get professional advice, and prevent the problems rather than try to fix it after the fact.

Al

 

[GO!!!]

Look in the yellow pages under "orthoticist" - a maker of orthotics, and get fitted for, and buy a pair.

It was (and is) the very best 200$ I have ever spent.

I KNOW this works!

 

[Island Ryhno]

http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/28395.0.html

That's a thread all about orthotics that we had going on earlier this year.

 

[CdnPhoenix]

Alright, I have a problem that I sometimes develop while running a great pace. After running at a speed thats near sprinting from any where in the region 4-10 minutes my arms start to become really fatigued and go numb. This usually makes me slow down to a light job and just kills me when I see my best friend passing me (I have a reputation to uphold within my group of friends ). I'm thinking that it could be caused by the way I pump my arms, although I do not think that I pump them like a mad man I suppose I could be wrong. If it's not how I pump my arms, then what I want to know is, what other possibilties are there that could be causing this? And, how could I prevent this from happening?

 

[plattypuss]

Cdn Phoenix

I am by no means a medical doctor so take what I say with a grain of salt as just uneducated advice.  Overall I would say that the numbness may stem from your running form. Depending if the numbness is felt in your entire arm or from the elbow down, would indicate if you are too tight in the shoulder or elbows.  Keep your arms while running, at a 90 degree angle as much as possible and ensure your hands do not form a tight fist (ideally if sprinting they should almost be flat out).  The hardest part will be ensuring that your shoulders remain relaxed as many people have a tendency while running to bring their shoulders up and tense them up.  One thing to do while running is to occassionally allow your arms to go limp and sort of shake them out along your sides.  You will immediately notice whether your shoulders were tense and up, if you do this.

One other method is to start off at an even pace that you can sustain for the complete run rather than start off at a break-neck speed which you can only maintain for a short period.  This may also lead to your muscles remaining more "relaxed"

Other things you can do are to videotape yourself running to see if there is anything noticeable or go to a runnig room type store where they analyze your gait (usually for shoes) but if the person is experienced they may notice if your form bites.  As always see a doctor if it truely concerns you.

 

[REJ]

A trick (from the Running Room) to ensure relaxed hands and therefore shoulders is to cup pringles potato chips in your hands while you run. If you are relaxed enough, you won't break any. You can reward yourself with a mini chip-fest if you succeed! Depending on how tense you are, you may need to stock-pile some tins.

 

[StormTrooper]

I searched, but couldn't find an answer. My PT is coming up soon, so right now I'm mostly focusing on running. I was wondering if anyone here who runs on a treadmill could help me out. I just want to know what speed I should be running on that would equal to 2.4 km in 10 or 11 mins. Should I set an incline? Thanks in advance.

 

[Island Ryhno]

Your incline should be set between a 1% & 2% grade. The treadmill should also have a pace counter (it tells your average speed and you extrapolate the info) Each different type of treadmill has different levels of the same speed. If that makes sense, each treadmill is a little different, so try a couple of different ones if you can. I suggest a minimum speed of 7, more likely getting up to 8.5-9.0 range for the 2.4k time limit.  Good luck.

 

[Aper]

hey guys,

I tried to search this question before writting this, but found nothing. Here's my problem;

My BMQ is in 2 weeks, and im having trouble with running; My cardio is pretty good, but the only problem I have right now is my breathe limitations. It seems like I loose my breathe too early when running. I did suffer from asthma when I saw young, but I passed a test 6-7 months ago to make sure my asthma was ok, and the diagnosis was very good. In fact, my asthma lever is Very low, so thats not a problem. Perhaps, I don't have asthma symptoms when I finish running nor during my running. Any advices on how I can increase my breathe capacity ?

Thanks alot 

 

[Island Ryhno]

Umm, this may come as a shock but if you are losing your breath while running then your cardio is not that good. 

 

[Island Ryhno]

well i believe that is true only to a certain degree, i mean if your running at your top speed as long as you can just to push yourself that much further in the end, you will probably become Short on breath,   for instance i am a pretty damn good runner, but for the last minute or two of my run, i push myself as hard as i possibly can, which normally makes me become short on air, but not at a loss of it.

You know what? I have a super power, it's called "reasonable deduction."  I reasonably deduced from the statement " I run out of breath too early" that the poster meant - I run out of breath in a short period of time, i.e. I can't make it 5k or 3k or whatever the distance may be. So if it stated that "my cardio is pretty good" but you can't run 2.5k without running out of breath and stopping, then (and here is where my super power kicks in).....Your cardio is not that good.

 

[I_am_John_Galt]

hey guys,

I tried to search this question before writting this, but found nothing. Here's my problem;

My BMQ is in 2 weeks, and im having trouble with running; My cardio is pretty good, but the only problem I have right now is my breathe limitations. It seems like I loose my breathe too early when running. I did suffer from asthma when I saw young, but I passed a test 6-7 months ago to make sure my asthma was ok, and the diagnosis was very good. In fact, my asthma lever is Very low, so thats not a problem. Perhaps, I don't have asthma symptoms when I finish running nor during my running. Any advices on how I can increase my breathe capacity ?

Thanks alot 

Maybe you know this already, but there's a condition known as "Exercise-Induced Asthma" in which the individual functions normally most of the time, but develops asthma symptoms during periods of physical activity.  I attached an article on it but don't diagnose yourself with the internet (duh): if you are experiencing chronic problems go see a doctor!  HTH ...  ;D

http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/1999/11_99/lacroix.htm

 

[FITSUMO]

"My cardio is pretty good, but the only problem I have right now is my breathe limitations. It seems like I loose my breathe too early when running"  When you say you loose your breathe too early, do you mean that you are keeled over and unable to breath and have to stop running or are you breathing hard, HUGE difference.?

 

[Aper]

Ok guys, little update;

I am now able to run at my maximum potential. I had a couple of advices from some friends, and they helped alot. Exhaling when your left foot in on the ground helped alot, and timing your respiration and keep it constant helped as well. Keep focus, drink alot of water and make sure to eat before training to avoid cramps and deshydratation. 

And by the way, for those who said my cardio wasn't good, I guess you were wrong. But hey, it might had been true for another guy  :

 

[Island Ryhno]

You insinuated that you ran out of breath whilst running, that means your cardio is not good. Either you state you question more clearly or don't ask it and then give attitude when answered. BTW, if you exhale on the same impact pattern, you'll be prone to shin splints and other damage. But then your friends have all the answers and you didn't need advice from anyone on here anyway.  :

 

[GO!!!]

I am now able to run at my maximum potential. I had a couple of advices from some friends, and they helped alot. Exhaling when your left foot in on the ground helped alot, and timing your respiration and keep it constant helped as well. Keep focus, drink alot of water and make sure to eat before training to avoid cramps and deshydratation.  

And by the way, for those who said my cardio wasn't good, I guess you were wrong. But hey, it might had been true for another guy   :

Yup, you're a hero  :

Seriously though, if you follow that advice, of combining your footfalls and breathing, you will plateau in your running ability, and very quickly, because your feet can move FAR faster than your breathing will allow, unless you hyperventilate yourself, which is also bad - ask your friends.

A steady, deep rate of breathing will allow your running to progress, as the oxygen level in your bloodstream will remain available and constant, due to proper respiration, as opposed to declining, as it can if you breathe too fast. The most common method of regulating one's breath is to breath in through the mouth and out through the nose, which can be difficult at first, but bears fruit later on in trg.

 

[Aper]

You insinuated that you ran out of breath whilst running, that means your cardio is not good. Either you state you question more clearly or don't ask it and then give attitude when answered. BTW, if you exhale on the same impact pattern, you'll be prone to shin splints and other damage. But then your friends have all the answers and you didn't need advice from anyone on here anyway.  :

Hey, I only asked why was I runnig out of breath too soon. Yes it could have been true in many cases that the cardio was not good, but in my situation it wasn't. My bad if I asked the question in a bad way. I did ask my friends advices because you guys didn't gave me some. There was only one member here who gave me very good infos about the asthma problems that could occur during physical training. Oh and by friends, I though of members here as well btw.

GO!!!; Thanks for the advices, i'll try my best to follow them

Jaxson; Yes I agree. Alot of water + eating right before an exercise WILL cause cramps and stomach aches. I usually wait 1-2 hours before going out and running


Anyways, thanks to everyone who helped out, instead of pointing out stupid facts and making fun of me. I'll do my best to keep the advices given in mind during my next training.

 

[treas]

But here we go.

I am in Kingston, On.  I run at PT in the medium group and do fairly well.  On my own a few times a week I take myself out for runs.  I push the pace and run twice the distance.  I run up and down some pretty crazy hills (usually 3 good hills and 3 killers).  I increase my speed going up the hills and just let my body go (under control) when going down the hills.  I am a distance runner, but I can't increase my speed.  Slowly, I do see that I am cutting time off of my runs but for the most part I am still not where I wish to be.  Any advice?