Running....

[ctyguy]

I started to run at about 3 months post-op give or take a few weeks. Im not looking to be a competitive runner, far from it ! I just want to have options for aerobic exercise. I belong to a gym and I go there a few times a week and get on a stepper or a bike to mix things up some, thats the key to good aerobic conditioning. Just running will ultimately end up with dimished returns because your body acclimates to the activity and becomes more efficient at burning calories (i.e. less calories which is NOT what most folks are looking for).

My suggestion would be to start by doing a run / walk combo. Get a heart monitor so you can keep tabs on your heart rate and start out by walking for two minutes and then try a slow jog for 1 minute. Ten cycles of that will give you your 30 minutes of recommended aeorbic activity. Once your ok with that then bump up the jogging to 2 or 3 minutes, thats how I got started. I was freaked about my heart rate (still am some). I try to not let myself get above 145 bpm, once I get to that threshold I will either slow down or walk for a bit till my bpm are down some. If you take that approach you might suprise yourself and end up running more than you think your capable of.

Good luck !

 

[SumoRunner]

Here's a well tested beginners training plan. A lot of people on weight watchers do this one with great success. Couch to 5K

http://www.c25k.com/

 

[MaryC]

My husband was telling me tonight about this 20 year study on running. I'm an occasional runner.....just 2-3 miles at a time. Guess I'd better get it going again!

Chris
--------------------------------------
Running Over 50 Cuts Death Rate in Half
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Byron Richards, CCN


EMAIL PRINT RSS SHARE A 20-year study has shown that running has profound health benefits, cutting the rate of early death by more than half. Researchers found that running slowed cardiovascular disease, cancer deaths, cognitive decline, and poor immunity. The runners experienced no more wear and tear to their joints than non-runners.

At the beginning of the study, with most participants in their 50s, they were running four hours per week. Twenty years later they averaged 76 minutes per week and still felt running helped them maintain their obvious higher quality of health.

Running turns on various genes which are associated with conditioning your body?s energy systems to work better, including the metabolic use of fat and sugar. I have previously reported that this may have been a key turning point in evolution and that we are ?born to run.?

This new study can help create on renaissance in health in the over 50 crowd.

 

[Guest]

if a person hasn't run as a young person and developed certain leg and ankle and foot muscles, that they would want to have excellent shoes, maybe run on a softer running track, and build up slowly and gradually.

For you real runners, does that sound correct?

I did not run until I was 28, got hooked, and here I am 20 years later. If you are thinking of running, start slowly, wear the right running shoes, and pay attention to aches and pains. Two a days are not for beginners. I have never done a two a day, lucky enough to do a one a day. I see runners pushing their kids in those fancy strollers, I'm lucky I can push myself along.

Walk/runs are fine, as your body develops the lung capacity and your heart gets stronger, increase the distance. If you are going to run on a track, change directions after every fourth or eighth lap(if you are running more than 8 laps), running in the same direction and longer than a couple miles, stresses your inside knee. I took breaks from running on the concrete roads by switching to the high school track for one of my marathons, switched direction every 8th lap(a 16 mile run in November in Dallas). One long run weekend, we had ice in Dallas, I went to the fitness center at work, propped my water bottle on the treadmill, warmed up, set the speed I wanted to run at and watched the Steelers and Eagles game.

 

[mntbiker]

Hey cooker,
Although I ran prior to surgery it had been many years. I now do three runs a week, five miles each.

A couple of suggestions:
1) Go to a good running store and invest the money in proper shoes.
2) Run on dirt trails wherever possible. (Everything is better when you do it in the dirt)

Aside from that go have fun.

 

[Debbie]

cooker

cooker

Cooker, your walk/running 4 miles a day?? That is great!! Keep up the great work. I like to encourage everyone that is NOT an athlete around here that you can do more than you think. It take some discipline, and some work, but you can do it and whatever you do it gets easier and easier the more you do it. I have rode over 100 miles in the past month or so on my bike and I NEVER would have thought I could do this before surgery. The more you do it the easier it gets!!
I take 1 mile at a time! Debbie

 

[Susan BAV]

Tom, do you mind if I interrupt? (Good job with the four miles, btw ...)

Thanks Louise !

Also, although I've ridden my exercise bicycles well over 10,000 miles over the past several years--and worn out two of them--but I have done it without much tension applied (which can hurt my knees), it's clearly not the same as riding an actual bicycle. Good job, Debbie !

 

[psalmist]

Hey,
Great to see you step it up. I have began running also. I jog/walk 3 miles a day about 5 days a week. I have ran it all the way a couple a times. I know that I am not back to where I was before surgery. It was much easier for me before surgery but I am getting better. Rock On you crazy chimp!

 

[Debbie]

Run in

Run in

Cooker, I want you to start the Friday run-in! Can we start this Friday?? I'm sure you'll get several people intrested. I will be logging in my bike miles, did 7 miles today! Debbie

 

[tprice54]

Cooker, all good suggestions here to start running. Walk/run until you feel the need to run the whole way. Get good running shoes, no they are not all the same. The harder the surface you run on, the greater the chance for injury. The coach to 5k plan works great! Now, get out there and get started!

 

[Gnusgal]

All these suggestions to start a "run-in" or whatever remind me of something we do at my school (Elementary). The PE teachers have us "Walk Across America." At the end of each month the teachers and students report the number of miles they walked that month. The PE teacher then calculates it and lets us know how many miles we walked together and which state capitals we've visited. It's fun for the kids and has motivated me to at least contribute a mile or two each month. If we did one, I'd participate but have to walk and not run.

 

[Cooker]

Cooker, all good suggestions here to start running. Walk/run until you feel the need to run the whole way. Get good running shoes, no they are not all the same. The harder the surface you run on, the greater the chance for injury. The coach to 5k plan works great! Now, get out there and get started!

Thanks Tom ....saw this while I was still cooling down from my morning w/r ... Thanks for the information and encouragement! ... sidebar ...

 

[Superbob]

Ah, I can see it now -- soon The Chimp will be fretting about his mile splits, and counting the days to his next 10K race, or maybe the Marine Corps Marathon, and subscribing to Runner's World.

Superbob has been there, done that. It is a positive addiction (on the whole), so good luck.

 

[Cooker]

Ah, I can see it now -- soon The Chimp will be fretting about his mile splits, and counting the days to his next 10K race, or maybe the Marine Corps Marathon, and subscribing to Runner's World.

Superbob has been there, done that. It is a positive addiction (on the whole), so good luck.

Forget the cover of the Rolling Stones LOL LOL .... Look for this mug on the cover of Runner's WorldView attachment 6102

 

[Cooker]

Cooker, I want you to start the Friday run-in! Can we start this Friday?? I'm sure you'll get several people intrested. I will be logging in my bike miles, did 7 miles today! Debbie

Hi Debbie ... Thanks for the great idea!!! ... I have been in contact with one of our runners and he has agreed to start and manage the thread ... There are many true runners on VR and I'm sure they will participate and encourage all of us, regardless of the exercise we choose!!

 

[Debbie]

cooker

cooker

Thanks Cooker, I'm really looking forward to this, I know this will be an extra add encourgement for me and for all the newbee's trying out some sort of exercise program!!
For all the newbee's
I started daily walking at 6 weeks post-op
Did my first 5k brisk walking no stopping at 11 weeks
Did my 2nd 5k brisk walking at 16 weeks improved time by 5 min.
Started riding my bike at 4 months post-op
In the last month have rode over 100 miles
I ride adout 5-8 miles every other day
I have never done an exercise program in my life
If I can do this you all can too!!!
Happy exercising Debbie

 

[Gnusgal]

According to the Wii I "ran" 1.5 miles today. That is, I ran in place for 10 minutes and that's what the Wii equated the milage to be.

I like the idea of keeping track of our running/walking. Where do I sign up?

 

[Leeroy996]

You want to work out with full statistics of your workout and have some fun. Check this out. http://www.tacxvr.com/

And these are fantastic for swimmers. http://www.endlesspools.com/index.html

 

[BillCobit]

Hi Scott

There will be a gathering of heart patient runners near Cleveland in October. Plans are shaping up for a social event the day prior to the Tow Pathath run. That's not so far from you. I've been to two of these events and they are a lot of fun (a rare opportunity to see runners laugh and smile ). The more, the merrier, so please consider joining if you've got the time.

Cooker, I started running in middle age after I became a heart patient, but before my surgery. I'm still not any good at it, but started out as you and others have - walking & light jogging - the same approach I still use when I am now faking my way through long course triathlons . But it's good stuff. I hope you can stick with it and get the satisfaction that we other runners get. BTW - you should see the enormous amounts of food I can consume .

One of my favourite documented instances of a runner laughing and smiling:
http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/ironman/video/wisconsin2002/gollnickinterview.wvx

 

[tprice54]

Chrating our course

Chrating our course

SO...I was thinking about starting a mileage challenge, Cooker throw down style...and charting our way across the U.S. It is an old runners challenge, many across the U.S. foot races have been held over the centuries....we could use I-90 from Boston to Seattle at 3044 miles or I-40 from Wilmington, NC to Barstow, CA, 2560 miles. Keep track of your walking, running, swimming, biking miles each day, and we will post up once a week...thoughts?