Today, I passed a milestone – almost literally. Since I started keeping track on April 22, 2007, I have run 1,000 miles. 1001.87 to be precise. That first recorded run was 5.5 miles at a 12:00/Mile pace. Today’s was a 4.66 mile run at an 8:19/M pace.
That’s only about 250 miles per year. Averaging less than 5 miles per week during that period, I certainly haven’t been one of the most active runners. But, I’ve been slogging along and have really come to enjoy the activity more and more over the years. I’ve gone through a few long stretches of inactivity from injury and then some drop offs due to not wanting to bother with cold weather. Either my body is getting more used to the activity or I’ve been lucky, but the last couple of years, injuries haven’t been a huge factor. (Knock on wood.)
Like any other exercise, it can be a bit of an effort to get going, but in the middle and after I’m finished, it’s a good feeling. I remember trying to run a couple times over the years before 2007, but I always ended up feeling miserable and basically hating it. Pacing made all the difference. I’d just had no idea what speed I had to go if I was going to sustain the runs for any distance. Knowing people who ran a lot made all the difference – my wife and her sister, most notably. In the past several years, I’ve run 4 half-marathons and a variety of 5ks and 10ks.
Hopefully, I can keep it going. I’m not a speed demon by any stretch, but I like the fact that I can run a lot faster and further now than I’m pushing 40 than I ever could as a younger man.
That’s about 20 miles per week, if my head calculator is functioning.
What are doing to protect you knees?
I know some guys in the 60s who wish they’d taken more precautions.
I know other guys in the 60s who are still running.
That’s pretty impressive.
I’ve been on again-off again running pretty similarly to you. I’m a treadmill jockey in the winter, in fact I’ve put so many miles on my treadmill that I had to replace the tread.
Of course I’m no expert, but my feeling is that “real runners” put in too many miles on consecutive days, resulting in injury. Coming from weight lifting, you always give yourself a rest day after a heavy workout. Yet runners go right back out the next day and run some more.
If you only run every other day, it is really hard to put in the mileage that “real runners” put in, but I think that long term you will be in much better shape.
So… maybe 5 miles a week is a little low, but not by that much. If those 5 miles were on my treadmill’s interval program, you’d be in pretty good shape, believe me.
1,000 divided by 4 years of 52 weeks = 4.8 miles/week.
As far as my knees, I think I’m helping them by switching to the Vibram Five Fingers. They’re supposed to approximate barefoot running but provide some protection to the bottoms of your feet. That sort of footwear shortens your stride and causes you to land further up on your foot. With regular shoes, the tendency is to land on your heel which drives the impact straight up into your knee.
There’s a debate going on as to whether minimalist footwear is a fad or a Good Idea. I haven’t seen anything too conclusive on either side. Mostly people with pre-conceived ideas, cherry picking whatever they can find to support those ideas. After about two months with the VFFs, my own experience is positive so far. But, the longest run I’ve done with them is about 5 miles.
confirmation bias
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias
http://www.skepdic.com/confirmbias.html
I was just about to ask about footwear and Vibram. I’ve been running on the treadmill all winter (not nearly what you’re doing; more like 1.5 miles a day 2-3 days a week) and I’ve been doing it barefoot after reading “Born to Run.” Wearing shoes was giving me shin splints all the time. Barefoot feels much better, but I’m getting blisters on the soles of my feet. I think I’ll go get a pair of VFF to see if it helps.
I had problems with blisters going barefoot also after reading Born to Run – I think I mentioned that Amy & her sister did the website for that book? Anyway, that led to a brief e-mail exchange with the author who suggested a different way to think about running.
He suggested thinking about running in terms of lifting your foot up rather than striking it down. It’s all part of the same motion, but for me, I think it’s helped me make my stride a little smoother. It didn’t help with the blisters too much though.
Congrats. I ran the mini for the first time last year, and it was the first time I ever had become a regular runner. The longest run of my life before last spring was a 5K, and I generally hated every step. I’m doing it again this year, and if I stick to my training schedule perfectly I will end up running 250 miles from February through early May. Assuming I follow course with last year, then I probably won’t run again after the mini until 2012, getting my cardio from bicycle or elliptical. I figure that is a good compromise.
Like you, Doug, I have come to enjoy it. One day last March or April, I was doing one of my long Saturday morning runs. It was a sunny day with the temperature in the mid 40s, and about a mile in, I thought to myself, “this is a perfect day for a run.” And then I thought to myself, “two months ago, I would have disagreed that there is such a thing as a perfect day for a run. “
Good job, John!
I logged 80 miles one month while training for (I believe) my first half marathon. It was too much. My body just wore down. I think I’ve had more success when I hit something like 50-60 miles per month. Between 20 – 50, I seem to maintain my level of training pretty well. And, under 20, I seem to lose ground that I have to make up again.
That’s awesome, congrats!