Running Used To Be Very Painful
I had an interesting 15.5km long jog this morning.
There was this huge tree that had fallen from Bishan Park, right smack onto the pedestrian road on the park outskirts. Not sure when it fell but it was about 6am when I saw it and I hope nobody was hurt. It then started to rain pretty heavily about 4-5km into my run; the kind of rain that keeps pounding into my eyeballs, disrupting my vision and threatening to dislodge my contact lens. There was also this ghostly wail of a voice that made me jump out of my skin which turned out to be this stealthy cyclist with an umbrella trying to get me out of his way.
Dude, if you are reading this, please install a bicycle bell. I don’t get frightened easily but that was mighty scary. On another note, you have awesomely oiled gears. I had NO INKLING that you were behind me.
Despite dealing with the above, the jog was extremely comfortable. I risked not bringing any fluids along for such a long jog but I didn’t need any in the end. Not that I was drinking from the rain or the flooded drains like some savage but I didn’t sweat much due to the cold weather. Like an over-clocked CPU with good cooling, I guess my bodily engine also enjoyed the dropped temperatures and my timing and level of post-run-panting proved it.
I enjoyed the jog immensely and was reminded of how painful it was to jog/run long distances back in 2009 when I started it all. During runs, I would start to experience sharp jabs of pain from plantar fasciitis in my left sole, right knee aches and the biggest ailment any runner will face; the nagging mind telling me to stop.
“Stop. The pain is so sharp. Stop. Your legs are tired. Stop. Go home.”
So what changed?
3 things: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, training knowledge & Vibram Five Fingers.
The book gave me purpose and with purpose, comes joy. The knowledge allowed me to embrace safe & productive things like training in heart rate zones. The Vibram Five Fingers simply allowed me to run like how humans were made/designed to; pain free.
I may have started quite late on this journey and still have a lot to learn but I am pretty sure I have a long and enjoyable road ahead; preferably with bell equipped cyclists and upright trees.
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April 22nd, 2011 at 1:05 pm
Keep it up Kris!
I am starting to keep a healthy lifestyle by running too. Took part in 2 runs and I am damn proud of myself.
May 9th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
@THB: Thanks! I hope you stay fit too!
May 31st, 2011 at 4:39 pm
Hi there! I’ve enjoyed your blog post with regard to barefoot or rather minimalist running. I’m a runner too although I’ve kind of slackened off on the excuse of injury. I do enjoy running since young but I seem to have worn my knees off
My knee cap areas get inflammed easily one day after my runs, even 2.4km runs, and after numerous visits to sports clinics, physiotherapy, xrays (which says my joints are fine), I am starting to feel resigned that my days of running are limited. Nowadays, I have to ice my knees after runs to reduce the risk of inflammation.
Back to my point, I’ve read alot about barefoot running and Vibram and it seems to help alot for injuries like yours. But I’m sceptical if it can save my knees too. Do you think it may help?
June 2nd, 2011 at 5:24 pm
@Zhen Yuan: Do note that I consider myself an amateur runner and do not have the medical expertise as well. So with that in mind, here are my questions & advices.
Have you ever considered taking supplements like glucosamine which is said to help rebuild cartilage and reduce joint pain? I’ve read of claims against this but there is little risk if you keep to the recommended daily intake. A brand I tried before is GNC’s Tri Flex Sport.
Have you looked at how you are landing with each step while running and jogging? If you tend to land on your heel, it may be the cause of your problems from the start. Switching to a forefoot/midfoot strike will reduce the impact to your knees but I’m not sure if it can reverse the damage to your knees over time. Do get your health back and maybe you can try exploring minimalist shoes/barefooting.
June 10th, 2011 at 3:52 pm
Hi Krisandro,
Thanks for your reply. I did try glucosamine but they are of not much help. Recently, there is also an article that implies that doctors prescribe glucosamine with the knowledge that they are more or less a placebo effect. And when it comes to pain, a placebo effect can do alot to calm nerves literally.
I am in the process of buying a pair of VFF Komodo sport online. Wish me luck. Maybe I’ll be a convert.
By the way, I do land on my heel. Has been doing that since 13 but nowadays, worn out knees are giving me problems. There is a possibility that my running stride has changed over the years but I have not had it observed professionally at sports clinics, etc. All the doc told me was to strengthen the muscles around my knee because he suspects the muscles gave way after they got tired and the rotation of my knees then slip, causing inflamation.
June 10th, 2011 at 4:25 pm
@Zhen Yuan: I admire your persistence in running despite the pain. I want to share an article on shoes VS barefoot with you. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/are-we-built-to-run-barefoot/
I don’t think you need a professional to look at your running stride/gait form unless it’s minute changes tt needs to be made. Just remember to not over-reach when running so you minimise the need for a heel landing. And trust me, when you start running in VFFs or barefoot, a heel strike will give u loads of pain.
Good luck with ur buy! Do transition slowly or else other injuries will come.