How to Start Running • Hacker News Board

Re: How to Start Running

#161

Post by notacoward » Sun, Apr 03, 2016, 11:10 PM UTC

msellout wrote: post #158

msellout wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> (1) ... Contrary to the article, many people do need to fix their "natural" form I'll second that. I'm not a natural athlete. I have very poor kinesthesia (our 6th sense). I accidentally walk into doorframes as I try to pass through. It wasn't until my wife told me that I realized my originally learned running pattern was bad for my joints.

I'm curious about the downvotes. Is it in poor taste to share personal experience? Perhaps I should clarify: I used to step too long while running, landing on the heel. With shorter strides, I feel much better afterwards.

I think your comment is exactly what we need more of in this thread, because it represents the most common kind of experience. All of the data I've seen indicate that overstriding is the most common problem new runners face. This aligns well with my own experience talking to others about running. It comes up so often that I'd say it's the #1 thing separating those who stuck with it from those who didn't.

When people first start to pick up speed, they naturally tend to increase stride before they increase tempo. I think it comes from their experience with walking. Whatever the reason, it turns out to be a dangerous tendency that even runners far more experienced than me have to fight sometimes (and some lose). As more people hear that, fewer will become injured or discouraged. Hearing it from people who they can identify with, who haven't been elite athletes since junior high, is most helpful.

Re: How to Start Running

#162

Post by cafard » Sun, Apr 03, 2016, 11:44 PM UTC

It seems to me that a lot of the discussion is in the manner of "what programming language to teach first", and that here as with programming the main thing is to start.

I would boil down my advice to a couple of points. First, get good shoes. If you are a beginner, go to a store where the staff is gaunt. (I think of the Pacers stores in the Washington area.). You can count on them knowing something about running and shoes. Second, listen to your body. Don't try to run through an injury. If you are running in hot weather, be very aware of how you feel. Never hesitate to stop and walk back if something isn't right.

Beyond that, I would quote Joshua Slocum (http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/6317/pg6317.txt): "To young men contemplating a voyage I would say go." (And of course, I include young women.)

Re: How to Start Running

#163

Post by xiaoma » Mon, Apr 04, 2016, 6:34 AM UTC

notacoward wrote: post #159

xiaoma wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're attributing malice that just wasn't there. The anecdote was meh, not the person or the drive behind it. Honestly, I find your personal attacks and comments about how you believe I perceive myself to be the only nasty behavior on this thread. > If you don't care for my anecdote, fine. Your own's even less relevant to most people. I disagree. Maybe this analogy can make where I'm coming from clearer: There are c…

Besides the fact that data (which I have cited and you have not) beats any anecdote, your analogy is awful. For one thing, since I happen to know people in the tree business, I can assure you that the pros use equipment the amateur isn't likely to have. It's a different activity. Second, people are broadly similar when it comes to how their bodies will handle tree planting. There's no huge difference in speed and res…

Yeah, it was to help others avoid injury. I really do think that the biggest factor is taking easy days as well as easy weeks.

>"They're ill served by your willingness to hold forth without benefit of relevant experience or familiarity with the actual science of the matter."

This is really rude and makes more uncharitable assumptions.

The fact is I have helped a lot of friends and family members of various ages and sizes get into running without injury, and to go through marathon programs in some cases. While I've read more books and journals on running than most people ever will, I don't think trading links to them with angry people on the internet is productive. Have a good day.

tldr; Take easy days. Take easy weeks. Listen to your body.

Re: How to Start Running

#164

Post by neilsharma » Wed, Apr 06, 2016, 5:52 PM UTC

rsync wrote: post #138

neilsharma wrote: post #116

I've been running about 8-10 miles/week for 15 years now, but have never been able to expand beyond that very much without excessive knee pain, foot pain, and muscle loss (I weightlift a lot too). There was a period of about a decade in which I had to wear custom-molded graphite orthotics (~$300) during most of my waking hours because my feet were supposedly "flat". Two podiatrists said that I'd need to wear them the…

"After a few months, I started wearing shoes without arch supports to force my feet to adapt. Managed to get rid of my foot pain within 2 months :)." This demonstrates a truism that we should all become familiar with: If you brace a body part, the body part being braced will become weaker. Orthotics are a brace that hold up the arch of your foot. Your arch will get weaker. "Sprinting any amount hurts, and I have to a…

I've heard about heel vs midfoot vs toe striking and have been making a conscious effort to midfoot strike when I jog or toe strike if I take large steps. I don't understand how shifting weight off the heel is better on the knee, but I'll try anything -- personal anecdote or not. Thanks for the suggestion!

Re: How to Start Running

#165

Post by eapen » Tue, Apr 12, 2016, 8:31 PM UTC

ak217 wrote: post #124

dennisgorelik wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> wear good earbuds Is there such a thing as "good earbuds"? Earbuds, as anything else, quickly accumulate dirt. I do not like the idea of sticking dirty things inside of my ears.

The earbuds that Apple ships with their newer devices are very high quality. I think they've set a new standard with those. By the way, I'm talking about earbuds, not in-ear-canal earphones. I don't like those and I agree they get gross. They also block out far too much ambient noise to be safe when running.

How do you prevent it from falling off? I am on a quest to find something that is comfortable (ideally around the ear) and won't slip out. I would also like something thing so I can put on a headband and cover my ears in cooler weather without crushing the bands into my skull.