I've recently become quite addicted to running, practically going at 5km almost everyday unless I have to wake up at 5am the next morning (damn early bird lectures). That being said, I realized that my running technique has been wrong all along. I learnt that heel striking can be bad for your knees, and it probably had something to do with the lingering acute pain in my knees that lasted for a few weeks until I stopped running temporarily.

So, I tried landing on the balls of my feet, and to my surprise, I didn't experience any pain in my knees after that, although my calf muscles were sore like a b* and completely wasted for the first few runs I tried with this technique. After the initial aches though, I realized I could run faster, and sustain my stamina longer with this technique.

But, just to make sure, am I on the right track? Also, does anyone else here who runs regularly have tips you'd like to share?

Have you checked out foot gloves yet? My nephew swears by them and says that his running related injuries have all but disappeared since switching to them.

I started running a few weeks back myself in a bid to get rid of my gut by summer, my legs don't hurt so much as my arse cheeks. I still find the hardest part of the run is the start, it takes me ages to warm up.

Well, I'm not a runner, though I do enjoy walking a lot. And there's one thing I can tell you: I consider Vibram FiveFingers one of the greatest inventions ever, and they can do wonders to your walking / running style. There's plenty of hardcore runners who do use them and are very enthusiastic about it; I'm sure you'll find lots of feedback on the net if you're interested. I find running in them quite enjoyable, but as I said, I'm more of a walking person.

The only thing is, they look pretty goofy, though I kind of like that.

I've never even heard of them, but thanks for bringing them to my attention. I'll look up for more info on them. I've also never heard of these too O_O. They do look rather unique.

I think they're called "shoes"





:D

Foot gloves is a generic term for FiveFingers and their knock-offs, I believe. Well, not really. This is what they look like. Conceptually, they are much closer to gloves than shoes.

They're a tad bit on the expensive side, but I might consider them for my first marathon. The problem with my current shoes (New Balance, courtesy of the army) is that while they do provide decent cushioning, they're quite heavy.

OMG, the man in the third picture down is hideously deformed!

Just to add something constructive to this thread, I did do a little bit of running when I was training for a boxing competition a couple of years ago (that I admitedly chickened out of at the last minute). I didn't do the balls of the feet technique at the time, but it sounds good, but probably harder to do at first. I remember one time after I had just started running regularly every morning I went to practice as usual feeling fine. Then our coach had us running up and down the gym (badminton courts :P). I started my sprint up the court, feeling really good and leading everyone. Then it came time to slow down and turn but, as a result of the lactic acid build up from all the running I had been doing, suddenly my legs would no longer follow my instructions. I ended up falling over very ungracefully, ripping my trousers, and feeling very foolish.

That they indeed are. Still, I think they're worth the extra money; I'm definitely buying another pair or two this year. But yeah, I hesitated a lot before my first purchase.

How lasting are they? Does the exterior underside padding wear out easily?

I have bought my first pair in May 2008, I think, and have used it pretty heavily since then in the late spring to early autumn season (they're useless in cold and in wet weather). It's the KSO model, which has one critical flaw: the strap on the side is inevitably going to break sooner or later (see the second picture on the wikipedia page I linked to, it's easy to see there); however, I reinforced the problem areas of the strap and they are fine now. The soles are still in a pretty decent condition -- they are a lot sturdier than they appear, even though they are very thin --, but the upper fabric is getting quite worn, which is why I'm buying a replacement this year.

I bought another pair (Classics this time) around May last year, and it's still in excellent shape.

Well, running will wear them out faster than walking, I suppose, so perhaps we're looking at a year to year and a half. The weak point is the topside, which is just simple fabric, nothing fancy at all; the soles can definitely take a lot of abuse.

* Get a proper pair of running shoes. They shoes must be light, fit your foot perfectly (no glipping, but no pressure either), and have sufficient padding. Air padding is generally considered to be best. Think about your body weight when you choose padding; if you're heavy you should get heavier padding, but if you're not you should certainly not get heavy padding in your shoes.

* Focus on developing a running technique that is fluent. If you smack the foot in the pavement every step, you'll eventually go numb under your feet. If you keep your legs too close together your thighs will rub and create sores. Make sure to use your arms and upper body properly too for balance, don't wave them around (like I've seen some people do). Just look up a couple of Youtube videos on running techniques.

* If you do it right, and you're relatively new to running, your calf muscle should be feeling most of the pain in the beginning, sounds like you are. You may get to a point where you get cramp tendencies in your calf way before you're exhausted, that's a sign that you need a good couple of days off to let your muscles regenerate.

* The ideal strain for improving fitness is 60% or more of maximum pulse during the whole run. That means you should try to keep your pulse above 120 bpm at all times. The session should last for 1 - 1 1/2 hours with this pulse.

* Oh, and strech properly. Do not skimp on this part, otherwise you're gonna run into a wall after 2-3 weeks. Stretch both before and after a session, and also in sessions if you need to stop for a while.

I've done quite a bit of running (and still do), so feel free to ask about other stuff.

Shoes don't last 2 years. At least not if you run daily.
No matter the brand or quality.

I run a few times a week and last Sunday I finished my first (official) halve marathon.
It's fun to train for something like that. Gives a lot of structure to train for instead of just running 5 or 10 km.