aTm_bomb said:

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What sort of changes in your health have you seen? Lost weight? Leaner frame? Bp? Cholesterol?

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I have lost about 8-10 lbs, currently 195. I have noticeably leaned out. I am seeing the curvature around my core region. My blood pressure was in the upper 130s for years and now it is around the mid 120s. I have not checked my cholesterol which always been healthy.

I have been doing 5 miles a day (25 miles a week) for a week and a half now. Is this too much? I dont think Ill go beyond this but I said that about 20 miles per week, too. Im concerned about wear and tear on my body.

Nosh said:

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I started running about a month ago. The last time I ran regularly was sprinting in HS 20 years ago. I usually lift about 4-5 days a week but never do any cardiovascular work.

As a new challenge I started running. I jog around a local park and started with 1 mile. I would alternate jogging and walking each side of the park. After 2 weeks I could jog the whole mile without stopping and also determined that 1 mile wasn't enough so I started running 2 miles. After 2 more weeks I have bumped it up to 3 because 2 wasn't cutting it.

Now I'm running 3 miles a day (5 days now) and am already thinking I want to do 4. It's weird because 6 weeks ago I hated any thought of running. I would get off work and just want to go home and relax. Now I get off work and can't wait to go run. The other morning I took my dog to the park and it was hot and humid. My response was that I wanted to run in that hot mess! I'm glad I started a month ago.

Am I losing my mind? I think I enjoy running! It's so weird! I think I'm a runner now.

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My wife says she really enjoys running. I'm not to that point yet.

Nosh said:

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How long should I keep my shoes? Is there a mileage I should consider buying a new pair?

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Way too many factors for anyone to answer. Your weight. Shoe brand. Neutral or stability. Some people are just rougher on shoes than others. Running style (heel strike, etc.).

The only real way to tell is when your shins and knees are just a little more sore than normal after a run. But even that can be misleading if you've been off for a few days.

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My blood pressure was in the upper 130s for years and now it is around the mid 120s.

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Over what? It is the bottom number that is actually more important. I don't need to know but you do.

Since when is the bottom number most important never heard that before?

abacavir said:

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Since when is the bottom number most important never heard that before?

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The diastolic number (bottom) is the pressure as your heart rests or relaxes. If your heart is not relaxing sufficiently, it probably won't last long.

Not saying ignore the top number; probably more precisely saying BOTH numbers are important. Saying "120 or 130" isn't a reading, and "135/100" is a bit of a problem that needs to be treated. With some people, it may be worse (or take longer to correct) than, say, 160/90."

Old MASH episode:

Frank Burns: "He's resting comfortably. No trouble."
Hawkeye: "Frank, his pressure is 80 over 40. If your pressure was that low you'd be no trouble either"

My BP is in the 120/80 range everywhere but a dr. office. There it jumps to 140/90 everytime.

Lower number fluctuates between 67 and 90. Ill check it again this weekend.

texagbeliever said:

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There is no better time to start running then summer in Texas!

Once you get into a rhythm it is always enjoyable to see improvement. I would encourage some light stretching in your warm up and good long stretching (after hydrating!) post run. I recently cramped up while stretching post run and my back sidelined me for a week.

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What kind of stretches would you recommend for warm ups? Would you do them cold or a lite jog and then stretch? I've been running more and normally just take off from my front door...

Also, what type of stretches for after runs?

Nosh said:

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I have been doing 5 miles a day (25 miles a week) for a week and a half now. Is this too much? I dont think Ill go beyond this but I said that about 20 miles per week, too. Im concerned about wear and tear on my body.

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Like just about everything else with running, the answer is going to be dependent on the person. The goals you are trying to achieve are going to be a driving factor and how much time you have available for it is going to big as well. Following the general guidelines of not adding mileage too quickly and making sure to do the right things to take care of your body while adding mileage really allows you to add as much as you want - or have time for.

I think that the wear and tear on the body is a very real concern. I do, however, always love the concern that people seem to have for my knees when they hear that I run. It almost borders on virtue signaling at times.

At a more near term level, I know that when I don't do the right things to take care of my body that I feel the miles quickly, but if I do the right things, then I don't have the aches and pains and that sort of thing. How that plays out over the long haul is TBD, but I'd rather run now and see how the super long term plays out.

Everyone is different, but I know that works well for me is dedicated maintenance hours that are 10 to 15% of my weekly mileage. So, if I am running 50 miles in a week, I know that I need to do at least 5 hours of dedicated stretching and yoga that week and really strive to get that number closer to 8 hours. Increasing mileage increases the need for the maintenance work. That maintenance work is separate from any stretching immediately before and after runs. That type of thing is where the amount of time available for this running thing really starts to become a factor.

I've found stretching after a brief warm-up jog to be helpful...leg swings (front to back and right to left), wall stretches, heel and toe walks, high knee raises among others. Post-run stretching I've ignored for years, but now realize it's absolutely necessary, along with foam rolling. I'm a big fan of The Stick, it feels more effective than foam rolling, it's a little easier to do, and it's very portable.

These guys have great videos on warm-up, pre and post run injury prevention, training plans and advice, all things running:

The Run Experience

About 3 weeks ago I bumped up my daily routine to 5 miles. The only problem is, I miscalculated. I was actually doing 6.6 miles a day. The loops I thought were 2 miles were actually 2.3 and one stretch that I take was another mile (who counts the distance from your house to the park where you run?). Total distance has been about 33 miles a week.

The summer running hasnt been bad at all. Im sure to finish my run well before 11 am depending on my work schedule. I sweat buckets and it can get hot, but it has been rather enjoyable with a morning breeze thats cool.

Another thing I like about this decision is that it has led to other good decisions. I used to not eat fruit, but now I eat at least 5 servings a day of fresh fruit. I already eat a load of vegetables and salad a day.

On a negative side, I have noticed developing pain in my lower back and from the arches of my feet back up my heel and midway up my calve in the evenings. If I stand up to walk after sitting for more than 5 minutes, I look like Im walking on hot coals! Maybe its my shoes. Whats the usual schedule for rest or time off? I usually run mon - fri and take two days off.

I love how I feel! Fall running is going to be great!

Nosh said:

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On a negative side, I have noticed developing pain in my lower back and from the arches of my feet back up my heel and midway up my calve in the evenings. If I stand up to walk after sitting for more than 5 minutes, I look like Im walking on hot coals! Maybe its my shoes. Whats the usual schedule for rest or time off? I usually run mon - fri and take two days off.

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I'm a novice runner and have been trying to research how to structure time off and rest days. I see that there are a lot of differing opinions. It just depends on a lot of personal factors. If you're body is showing you signs of aching/pain, then you might be overdoing it. 5 days straight can work for some but not others (especially novices like myself). The biggest factor that I struggle with is the intensity of each run and how I spread those out during the week. I already consider myself slow so it is really hard for me to slow down even more...so I naturally probably run too hard day after day...which causes me pain and has likely been the source of me injuring myself in the past...and sidelining me from running.

Nosh said:

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About 3 weeks ago I bumped up my daily routine to 5 miles. The only problem is, I miscalculated. I was actually doing 6.6 miles a day. The loops I thought were 2 miles were actually 2.3 and one stretch that I take was another mile (who counts the distance from your house to the park where you run?). Total distance has been about 33 miles a week.

The summer running hasnt been bad at all. Im sure to finish my run well before 11 am depending on my work schedule. I sweat buckets and it can get hot, but it has been rather enjoyable with a morning breeze thats cool.

Another thing I like about this decision is that it has led to other good decisions. I used to not eat fruit, but now I eat at least 5 servings a day of fresh fruit. I already eat a load of vegetables and salad a day.

On a negative side, I have noticed developing pain in my lower back and from the arches of my feet back up my heel and midway up my calve in the evenings. If I stand up to walk after sitting for more than 5 minutes, I look like Im walking on hot coals! Maybe its my shoes. Whats the usual schedule for rest or time off? I usually run mon - fri and take two days off.

I love how I feel! Fall running is going to be great!

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Stretch more. Try to increase your core muscles and secondary muscle strength. It sounds like tight quads/hamstrings that your calves/lowerback are having to stretch to overcompensate and are being strained. Just a guess off the little info provided.

Nosh, invest in good shoes. It will cut down on your soreness and pain. I used to get by on crappy Nike's but now I won't run if I'm not in my sauconys. Mix in some yoga or light Olympic lifting and you'll see great improvement.

Stretch a lot too. Running a/o stretching reduces your flexibility and you need to work on that to avoid more pain.

Full body stretches or more focused on the back/legs?

Great suggestions. My wife is always trying to get me to do yoga and stretch more, so Ill start doing that. I dont stretch at all and I should. Im also going to start lifting weights at planet fitness. Nothing too heavy. Also, how do you know that running shoes are "good"? Are these good? I dont trust anything other than Saucony for running. I dont believe in spending an ungodly amount of money just to go hit the sidewalk for a run.

Saucony S20419-3 Men's Breakthru 4 Running Shoes

Running shoes are extremely dependent on finding the right "fit" for your foot structure and gait. A perfect shoe for person A could be the wrong shoe altogether for person B. A good running store is your friend.

I'm not sure what you consider an "ungodly amount of money", although the fact that you're using Saucony shoes shows that you are probably in the right ballpark. If you're going to put hundreds of miles per year on your running shoes, quality matters both for your joints and your pocketbook ("saving" 60 bucks on shoes that fall apart twice as fast and leave you injured is not a deal).

The shoes that seem outrageously priced compared to other quality running shoes (e.g., Nike Vaporfly 4%) are lightweight racing shoes that are not designed or intended to be used for everyday training

Thanks for the feedback! I just dont believe I have to spend $100 or more for shoes just to go run 6 miles a day. Do you trust sites like runrepeat? They seem to have good feedback on most shoes.

https://runrepeat.com/

Nosh said:

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Thanks for the feedback! I just dont believe I have to spend $100 or more for shoes just to go run 6 miles a day. Do you trust sites like runrepeat? They seem to have good feedback on most shoes.

https://runrepeat.com/

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I just don't know that you can get much information out of other people's reviews of shoes that aren't built for your feet.

The running schedule you describe is not modest--many people run marathons with only a few weeks above the ~33 mile mileage you are describing during the course of their training plans, and most non-elite marathon runners run less than 1,500 miles per year (which is where you would end up if you are putting in that mileage faithfully.)

If you said that your feet didn't hurt and you don't care at all about getting faster, I wouldn't worry about the shoes, but as you're describing quite a few aches and pains I would try to eliminate that factor from the equation by getting a properly fitted running shoe first.

You should also be aware that you are going to need to change shoes every ~500 miles or so even with the "right" shoes, so you are looking at four new pairs of shoes per year if you can and want to keep up this pace.

Agree with this.

And you can go into a running store and tell them a budget, nothing wrong with that. They will work with brands that fall within that budget.

After that, you can just search the internet for deals because, as Yokel said, you will need to replace your shoes a few times a year with that mileage. I saw a site posted here where you plugged in your desired shoe and it showed you the sites with the lowest price, you could also sign up for email notifications if any sites fell under a threshold price. I'll see if I can find it.....

shoekicker.com