From: jea@lems.brown.edu (John E. Adcock)
Subject: Re: Running Question
Organization: LEMS laboratory, Brown University
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 18:14:07 GMT

In article <4160011@hpcc01.corp.hp.com> loftis@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Kirk Loftis) writes:

   From: loftis@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Kirk Loftis)
   |I was wondering which of the following is a better workout and causes
   |less wear-and-tear on your joints:
   |
   |1) Running smaller distances but at a harder pace
   |2) Running medium distances at a medium pace but sprinting for the last
   |   .2 mile
   |3) Running longer distances at a slower pace
   |Currently, I do (2) for a distance of about 3 miles. 
   |
   |- Sanjay

>>   My belief has been that if you run, not jog, there should be
>>   less damage.  Jogging involves too much pounding of the joints.  I

I have to disagree with this a bit.  I have a recurring running injury that
I can successfully avoid agravating by shortening my stride a little bit
and concentrating on a smooth turn-over. At least for me extending my stride
to a "running" pace creates a much greater impact when my feet hit the 
ground. I only modify my stride when I'm restarting running after a layoff
since that's when I tend to aggravate my injury.

>>   believe that running is smoother, less pounding, more efficient in the
>>   number of steps for distance covered.  

I've been told by more serious runner types than myself that a short stride
and quick turn-over is more efficient for longer runs and that a longer
stride is faster for shorter runs.  In the context of our conversation a long
run was something like 10 miles and a short run was probably like a 5k.
Granted our conversation was in the context of natural stride lengths, but I`d
think the principle would hold for running vs jogging.

>>   I would recommend a combination
>>   of intervals for speed and running hard/fast for whatever distance that
>>   is for you(this is aerobic).  Your number 2 is somewhat like fartlet 
>>   training.  Yet another philosphy.  

Somewhat like fartlek training except with fartlek or interval training its
fairly key to the training concept that you continue running after the
sprint(s).

>>   I do not recommend running slow, with
>>   a pounding fashion.  This is brutal on the body.  

I don't think anyone would recommend running or jogging in a pounding fashion,
either can be done smoothly or harshly.

>>	   What is running?  7min/mile would have to be upper bound,
>>   anything slower starts getting to be hard on the joints.

That sounds fairly arbitrary to me, also fairly fast for a casual runner. 
I'm not trying to flame its just that this doesn't jive with my experience.

To the original poster Sanjay:

If you are concerned about wear and tear I think one of the best things
is to find a good _path_ to run on and avoid running on pavement whenever
possible.  Besides a good running path will have all sorts of 
interesting people on it.

For gaining speed I don't think anything beats a good interval training
program.  
If you're more interested in burning fat/getting fit the length of your
workout is more important than the speed or the distance.
Any bookstore should have a decent book on running either for fitness 
or speed (I can't think of one offhand).

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  | John Adcock 		   	      	       jea@lems.brown.edu |
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