From: wolf@prosun.first.gmd.de (Wolfgang Koehler)
Newsgroups: rec.running
Subject: Re: Alternatives to running with achey knees
Date: 16 Oct 92 10:18:55 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: GMD-FIRST, D-1000 Berlin 10

In article <mhart.719145610@blackjack>, mhart@blackjack.dt.navy.mil (Michael Hart) writes:
|> Some background:
|> 34 y.o., 225#, 6', not a couch potato, but not very athleticly (sp?)
|> inclined - say 40# overweight.

If you consider to do some more running workout, I would say up to 80#
overweight. It depends, of course, how your body is shaped, how thick
your bones are compared to the weight, etc.

Everybody has his own "optimal weight" that his bones and joints (knees) can easily manage while running some 100 mi/week.
But ...

|> 
|> About 12 years ago, while in the military, I began running, and 
|> ran every other day or so, about 1-2 miles, on a track.  That became
|> very boring, and I dropped it.
|> 

That's the point.
In these 12 years your whole motion apparatus decreased  permanently.
You should not try to get back to the previous status in some weeks,
The time scales for building up again are months and years !!!


|> Recently, I've decided to get back into it, after reading Jim Fixx's
|> first Complete Book of Running.  I started slow-
|> 1st week - walk 20min., walk 30 min., then twice of run 2 min, walk 4
|> 		for 30 mins total.
|> 2nd week - 4 days of run 2 min, walk 3, 30 min. a day.
|> 3rd week - (started this past Wednesday).
|> 	Youch!  My knees are killing me!  Generally sore to walk,
|> 	and I'm afraid to run for fear I'll really screw something up.
|> 	They've been getting progressively sorer for the last 
|> 	4 or 5 days.  Yesterday instead of running, I walked for 
|> 	20 minutes.  When I got home, I took an 800mg Motrin I had
|> 	left over from a previous muscle ache, and the soreness
|> 	went away completely.

I don't know this Motrin, but, generally, taking pills is the wrong way !
Try to improve your style, slow down, take better shoes, or even
take some days off, until the pain vanishes, but no pills !



|> 
|> So, my questions are:
|> 
|> 1) Is this kind of soreness common for beginners?  Can I expect it
|> 	to fade?  If so, should I refrain from running until it does,	
|> 	or press on with running?
|> 2) should I be extra cautious and perhaps find an alternative to 
|> 	running, like a Nordic Trak, stair stepper, or treadmill?
|> 	What is the conventional wisdom on these means of getting
|> 	aerobic exercise?
|> 
|> Any other suggestions, comments, etc. are greatly appreciated.
|> 
|> 
|> --
|> |   Michael G. Hart                   mhart@blackjack.dt.navy.mil    |
|> |--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|> |     You think _I_ speak for the government or the navy?  HAH!      |
|> | Aviation, computers, quality improvement, Northern Exposure, money |


The problem of many, many beginners (or restarters) is that the muscles and
cardiovascular system  are adaptating quite rapidly. But bones, joints and
sinew are not.
That meens you can easily overstrain them, because your heart and muscles
are already built up, but the joints are not.  

Generally, its a good advice to do other kinds of workout, like biking,
swimming or even a treadmill, if running is painful.


wolf

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    ... always look on the bright side of life ... (Monty Python)
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Wolfgang Koehler                               wolf@first.gmd.de
GMD-FIRST an der TU Berlin              German National Research Centre 
Tel. (Berlin 030/049) 6704-2650              for Computer Science