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Yet another article on the dangers of running (too much). (Read 1029 times)

TeaOlive


old woman w/hobby

     Nothing tears up my knees quite as badly as ellipticals.  

     

    Yes, me too. 

     

    The damn foot pads on the ellipticals are way too far apart.  Wether I am walking or running my feet are

    never as far apart as an ellipticals foot pads are placed.  Which puts too much stress on my knees.

    steph  

     

     

    wcrunner2


    Are we there, yet?

      Ha! I quit my last gym because the guy working there told me this. I was angry that there was no treadmill available (there was quite a bad thunderstorm outside) and when I expressed my frustration he told me to use the elliptical, it's "better for you." When I said, "Sorry, not gonna cut it, I'm training for a marathon," he laughed at me and said "well, I'm sorry you won't be able to walk when you're sixty years old."  I suppose he never went through customer service training. Regardless, my new gym has tons of treadmills and no snarky employees Smile

       

      Edited to add: I obviously understand your post was a joke Wink

       

      I quit my gym many years ago because it was hurting my knees. The problem? They never changed the direction arrow on the track so I was constantly running in the same direction, not the best scene when you're running up to 14 miles on a 13 lap to the mile track.

       2024 Races:

            03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles

            05/11 - D3 50K
            05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour

            06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.

       

       

           


      Feeling the growl again

         not the best scene when you're running up to 14 miles on a 13 lap to the mile track.

         

        Ouch.

        "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

         

        I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

         

          I quit my gym many years ago because it was hurting my knees. The problem? They never changed the direction arrow on the track so I was constantly running in the same direction, not the best scene when you're running up to 14 miles on a 13 lap to the mile track.

          Georgie...!  When I was a teenager, I climbed up to the top of Mt. Fuji.  It takes some 5 or 6 hours to go all the way up; taking a brief "nap" break at 2 or 3 in the morning...and went on and climb to the top for viewing of the sunrise.  Of course, we go zig-zag going up; but come down straight!!  It takes not even an hour (it's more like 30-minutes if I remember it correctly...).  It's steep but, well, not too terribly dangerous (not too soothing, is it?).  If you're not careful, or if you're not strong enough, you may easily hurt your knees coming down.  But I would NOT classify that as "it's running's fault that I hurt my knees..."  I think your case is the same as this; it's not running that hurt your knee but the short track.  In other words, you most probably wouldn't have had the same issue if you did it on the flat trail.

             

             

            This is why when a runner goes in for a physical and has a resting HR in the 50s, they get to walk away with a 24-hr halter monitor.

             

             

            I'm currently shopping for a doctor who works with runners and endurance athletes -- precisely so that I can avoid this kind of nonsense.


            A Saucy Wench

              Yes, me too. 

               

              The damn foot pads on the ellipticals are way too far apart.  Wether I am walking or running my feet are

              never as far apart as an ellipticals foot pads are placed.  Which puts too much stress on my knees.

               

              Yup.  Stride is too long and too wide.  Just shreds my knees.  I have a teeny tiny stride length and regularly kick my ankle bone with the heel of the other foot on the way by. 

              I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

               

              "When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7

              wcrunner2


              Are we there, yet?

                ...I think your case is the same as this; it's not running that hurt your knee but the short track.  In other words, you most probably wouldn't have had the same issue if you did it on the flat trail.

                 

                That's why I specified the issue was not altering the direction arrow and running constantly in the same direction, not running 14 miles. I quit the gym, moved all my running outside, and had no further problems. While probably low by some of the standards here, I have over 73,000 miles logged and no knee problems.

                 2024 Races:

                      03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles

                      05/11 - D3 50K
                      05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour

                      06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.

                 

                 

                     

                wcrunner2


                Are we there, yet?

                  I'm currently shopping for a doctor who works with runners and endurance athletes -- precisely so that I can avoid this kind of nonsense.

                   

                  ... or one who is willing to do some research to understand the implications of running for her patients. I'm quite happy with my doctor though she is neither a runner nor an endurance athlete and her only other running patient retired and moved to Florida. She's a gem because she understands running's importance to me and is aware of it's effects on lower HR, BP, cholesterol, heart and lung size, etc. My only issue with her is she keeps wanting me to gain a little weight.

                   2024 Races:

                        03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles

                        05/11 - D3 50K
                        05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour

                        06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.

                   

                   

                       


                  Feeling the growl again

                    I'm currently shopping for a doctor who works with runners and endurance athletes -- precisely so that I can avoid this kind of nonsense.

                     

                    Yes, it's good to have a doc who "gets it".  After a few bad experiences I was impressed when the nurse or tech who took my pulse in the ER knew to ask about my athletic status before freaking out about a HR of 29.

                    "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                     

                    I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                     

                    Turbolegs


                       HR of 29.

                       

                      This is quite bada$$ ... have you gone even lower?

                       

                      MTA: Just googled and found out this on the Guiness Records so that makes my question moot ... "

                       

                      Lowest heart rate The lowest resting heart beat on record is 28 bpm (beats per minute) and belongs to the cyclist Miguel Indurain in (Spain) who was tested at the University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain, in 1995. The average resting heart rate is 66-72 bpm, with most athletes having 40 bpm. Indur?in also has a lung capacity of 14 pints (8 liters) and a heart capable of pumping 88 pints (50 liters) of blood per minute--double that of a normal healthy man.

                      I dont sweat. I ooze liquid awesome.

                      Turbolegs


                        Some wiki info ...

                         

                        Average resting heart rate is correlated with age:[4]

                        MenAge
                        18–2526–3536–4546–5556–6565+
                        Athlete 49–55 49–54 50–56 50–57 51–56 50–55
                        Excellent 56–61 55–61 57–62 58–63 57–61 56–61
                        Good 62–65 62–65 63–66 64–67 62–67 62–65
                        Above Average 66–69 66–70 67–70 68–71 68–71 66–69
                        Average 70–73 71–74 71–75 72–76 72–75 70–73
                        Below Average 74–81 75–81 76–82 77–83 76–81 74–79
                        Poor 82+ 82+ 83+ 84+ 82+ 80+
                        WomenAge
                        18–2526–3536–4546–5556–6565+
                        Athlete 54–60 54–59 54–59 54–60 54–59 54–59
                        Excellent 61–65 60–64 60–64 61–65 60–64 60–64
                        Good 66–69 65–68 65–69 66–69 65–68 65–68
                        Above Average 70–73 69–72 70–73 70–73 69–73 69–72
                        Average 74–78 73–76 74–78 74–77 74–77 73–76
                        Below Average 79–84 77–82 79–84 78–83 78–83 77–84
                        Poor 85+ 83+ 85+ 84+ 84+ 85+

                         

                        MTA: I would think a good percentage of quick marathoners (<3:30) would have their  resting heart rates in the 40's so not sure why an athlete at 26-35 would have a RHR of only 49-54 .. shouldnt it be lower? Wiki probably isnt the best source for such info but nevertheless ....

                        I dont sweat. I ooze liquid awesome.

                        zonykel


                          Resting HR can help you determine if you are getting fitter. But you can't necessarily compare resting HR among different people to make that determination.


                          A Saucy Wench

                            This is quite bada$$ ... have you gone even lower?

                             

                            MTA: Just googled and found out this on the Guiness Records so that makes my question moot ... "

                             

                            Lowest heart rate The lowest resting heart beat on record is 28 bpm (beats per minute) and belongs to the cyclist Miguel Indurain in (Spain) who was tested at the University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain, in 1995. The average resting heart rate is 66-72 bpm, with most athletes having 40 bpm. Indur?in also has a lung capacity of 14 pints (8 liters) and a heart capable of pumping 88 pints (50 liters) of blood per minute--double that of a normal healthy man.

                             There you go spaniel, you coulda tried for the World Record.

                            I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

                             

                            "When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7

                            LedLincoln


                            not bad for mile 25

                              Some wiki info ...

                               

                              Average resting heart rate is correlated with age:[4]

                              MenAge
                              18–2526–3536–4546–5556–6565+
                              Athlete 49–55 49–54 50–56 50–57 51–56 50–55
                              Excellent 56–61 55–61 57–62 58–63 57–61 56–61
                              Good 62–65 62–65 63–66 64–67 62–67 62–65
                              Above Average 66–69 66–70 67–70 68–71 68–71 66–69
                              Average 70–73 71–74 71–75 72–76 72–75 70–73
                              Below Average 74–81 75–81 76–82 77–83 76–81 74–79
                              Poor 82+ 82+ 83+ 84+ 82+ 80+
                              WomenAge
                              18–2526–3536–4546–5556–6565+
                              Athlete 54–60 54–59 54–59 54–60 54–59 54–59
                              Excellent 61–65 60–64 60–64 61–65 60–64 60–64
                              Good 66–69 65–68 65–69 66–69 65–68 65–68
                              Above Average 70–73 69–72 70–73 70–73 69–73 69–72
                              Average 74–78 73–76 74–78 74–77 74–77 73–76
                              Below Average 79–84 77–82 79–84 78–83 78–83 77–84
                              Poor 85+ 83+ 85+ 84+ 84+ 85+

                               

                              MTA: I would think a good percentage of quick marathoners (<3:30) would have their  resting heart rates in the 40's so not sure why an athlete at 26-35 would have a RHR of only 49-54 .. shouldnt it be lower? Wiki probably isnt the best source for such info but nevertheless ....

                               

                              Mine isn't anything like Spaniel's, but it's pretty cool to be "off the chart" in a good way.  My lung capacity is off the chart, too.

                               

                              Yeah, the phlebotomist almost disqualifies me for blood donations each time.  She jokingly tells me to run around the building a couple of times first to raise my heart rate.

                              LedLincoln


                              not bad for mile 25

                                I have printed out a copy of this and whenever I get that comment about my knees I give it to them to read.

                                 

                                I've highlighted this sentence:

                                 

                                "Runners' initial disability was 16 years later than nonrunners,'" Fries said. "By and large, the runners have stayed healthy."

                                 

                                MTA: I see that Nobby already posted a link to that Stanford study. I should read the whole thread before replying.

                                 

                                Pretty hard to prove causation, but no question about the correlation.  I choose to believe the causation is there.

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