Running Again

[doc holiday13]

*skip to my latest post on page 3 for update**

I've finally started doing the thing I hate most. Running. Long story short i've had back issues for 20 years now.. Started with a herniated L4/L5 at 18 when I had a motorcycle accident. my left foot/ankle is functional but i don't have any touch/pain/temp sensory on the surface. I can feel pressure. I can say i've spent the majority of the last 20 years doing very heavy weight lifting and fitness. That time has been broken up with 1 year breaks in consistent As recent as 8 years ago being lumped into training with NFL and D1 college athletes.

However back when COVID hit, I did the opposite of a lot of mentalities. I took it easy, didn't get more fit. As a matter of fact I got really soft(for me) and now at age 38 i started falling apart physically. Pinched nerve in my neck killed my left arm and chest strength, threw my back out several times, completely tore my bicep tendon. I got fed up and started working out consistently now for about 3-4 months. I always discourage people from running. Running is very hard on your body if you're not in decent shape. I was getting all my cardio from doing 20 minutes at a shot of stair climbing at 70 steps/min.

Biggest issue i've run into though is that A) I sit in front of a computer screen 75-85% of my work day B) despite working out and having a stronger lower back I was still getting my lower back to get all kinds of twisted out of alignment. Regular stretching has helped, but stilll had ot be overly careful how I did things. Even a light jog could get my back feeling like its about to blowout and I'll walk like a gimp for a week.

Well, IMO, that ain't right that a 38 year old should have to be careful about how long he's standing/walking and bending. I'm gonna get hate for this statement, but I look at 55/60 year old Cam Hanes and think "is this guy some kind of machine?".. But no .. he's not; he just runs alll the time. So i've bitten the bullet and started running again. Combined with regular stretching I've not had issues with my back since i started running 3 weeks ago. Only run 3x week for 1 mile but its working my lower back in all the right ways.

Bottom line/moral of the story... Stay in shape boys and girls, even if its just stupid exercises you can do in your bedroom... You'll fall apart and age will catch up with you if you don't. And if you're in shape and get some sort of injury, workout whatever muscle group you can while you recover. Never get out of the habit or you'll hate yourself later. No excuses

 

[teamwhitebelly]

The motto I follow is to stay in shape vs. get in shape. As a 62 year old elk hunter I make it a point to do something everyday that will keep my body functioning come opening day of bow season. There is no off season for me and I incorporate weight lifting, rucking, daily 2-5 mile dog walks, ( 9yr,old doodle), Echo bike, and of course running March-Nov. Diet is a big part of this and keeping my bodyweight down as well as fueled is a must. If you want to make a big change in your life and health go all in and make it a lifestyle.

 

[4rcgoat]

It is easier to not get stuck,than it is to get unstuck.

 

[kodyshriver]

Congrats on getting back after it! Something to consider regarding running + back injury is your foot strike (I.e. landing on your heel vs mid foot vs forefoot). Landing on your heel causes a lot of stress throughout your mechanical chain which often causes issues in the lower back region. Having someone video you in slo-mo is an easy way to diagnose. Trying to transition from heel to mid can be a long slow road with hiccups along the way, but worth it in the long run (pun intended). Moderate heel-to-toe drop shoes (4-6mm, NOT 0mm minimalist shoes) can assist in the transition.

 

[judders87]

Working on running my first half marathon in May. It's great not feeling out of breath even when I'm tired as hell exerting myself

 

[Durran87]

It’s good to start slow, our bodies aren’t really made to run. Total your weekly mileage and don’t increase by more than 10%/week. It takes time to strengthen muscles, ligaments, etc.

 

[Loper]

Glad you are getting back into running!

There’s a lot of great advice that others posted such as foot strike, diet, exercising every day, starting easy/slow etc. The only thing I don’t agree with is the comment that we aren’t really made to run.

What I like about running is that it is one of the most simple and pure forms of exercise a person can do. You don’t need a membership, any expensive equipment, special attire, etc. You can do it practically anywhere and in my opinion there are very few excuses as to why a person can’t get off the couch and go for a run.

I used to lift and run relatively long distances pretty regularly and then I had kids and my schedule and priorities shifted. Due to this I didn’t exercise regularly for about 5+ years. When COVID hit, I kind of did the opposite of you and decided to turn the pandemic into an opportunity to get back into shape as I realized I had more time on my hands as I wasn’t commuting 2 hours a day to an office, I knew the biggest thing for me would be establishing a routine, so I committed to a goal of running just 1 mile a day everyday no matter what for one year. After a few months I increased it to 2 miles as I started to get in a little better shape. I felt that this was enough exercise to where I would get healthier, but wasn’t overly exhaustive to where I’d get an overuse injury.

I was consistent everyday for about 6 months and then one day i had too much to drink and the next morning I was so hung over I didn’t wake up and run. I had a lot of things to do that day and I ended up not running and broke my streak. I was so mad at myself for missing a day and not reaching my goal I decided I wasn’t going to drink for the rest of the year so that it wouldn’t happen again. As it turned out after I completed my 12 months of consistent running, I had a few drinks, but what I discovered is that I really didn’t have a desire to drink anymore. I really enjoyed, and got more gratification out of, feeling healthy and having a clear mind in the morning. Additionally, I realized that the exercise helped me deal with stress way better than alcohol, No alcohol meant fewer calories from both the beer and also just eating junk when drinking. After my 12 months of running I began getting back in the gym and lifting weights. Then about 6 months ago I decided to keep up the momentum and got serious about my diet. I cut out a ton of processed and packaged foods and mostly just eat fruits, vegetables, and meat. Now I consistently exercise and eat well which has led me to arguably be in the best shape of my life.

I know the above story is long winded but I just wanted to provide my personal example as to how having a consistent running goal started a domino effect and has been favorable for me.

Oh and one other thing I’ve found extremely helpful in keeping my back healthy is standing while I work. Like you I work at a desk all day long. A few years ago, I raised my desk up with cinder blocks (looks absolutely terrible) and since doing so I haven’t had the back pain that I previously had. I have a stool that I’ll sit on for about 30-60 mins intermittently out of the day, but for the most part I’m standing on one of those gel pads.

 

[snowymtnwolf]

Yup. Stand up desk. Takes about 2 weeks (in my case) to get use to standing up all day.

Then when I would sit during meetings, I’d be all jacked up when it was time to leave meeting and stand up.

Stand up desks for the win !!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[doc holiday13]

Yup. Stand up desk. Takes about 2 weeks (in my case) to get use to standing up all day.

Then when I would sit during meetings, I’d be all jacked up when it was time to leave meeting and stand up.

Stand up desks for the win !!!

My day job is to do office renovations and I'm not even giving customers an option to not have Height Adjustable Table (HAT) cubicles. I've made it standard. My boss finally got available funding allocation to let me convert all the desk in my office. So I'll be able to start working from the standing position soon enough

As an update, I'm doing consistent 9:15 minute miles. I don't run outside so this is just treadmill metrics.

BUT my fitness level is getting good. Last monday I killed 2 deer about 3 minutes apart. They died about 150 yards from the nearest road. Carried them(one at a time) on my shoulder to the road for pickup and didn't feel like I was going to have a heart attack or die from lack of oxygen. And I didn't feel like i was working overly hard at trying to pick them up

 

[funkafied]

Stairmaster is awesome for a hunting-specific addition to a cardio routine as well!

 

[Yoder]

Im 49. I've tried to start running twice in the last 5yrs. I got up to 8 mile runs the first time. I had nagging foot pain for years that I tried to ignore. The 8 mile runs made it impossible ignore anymore. I ended up getting foot surgery to fix my fallen arch. Now I have a metal plate and some sscrews in my foot. It took about 4 months before I could walk on flat ground and 8 months to where I could hike again. After a year I started running again. I was doing the stair climber and hitting the gym so I was in decent shape. I ran a total of 20 miles the first week. My shins and knees were so jacked up I could hardly walk. I started rucking with a 50lb pack instead and it's been way better. I love running. I'm going to try one more time. I think my biggest problem is flexibility. I'm going to try the knees over toes program and drop 20lbs. If that doesn't work I'm done with running.

 

[Felix1776]

I've really been itching to, not just lose weight, but get fit again. Getting back into running has been on my mind a lot, but I think I'm just too heavy still to start doing it. Last time I did any real running, I was around 205-210. Currently 250. I've got a bad lower back and an irritable right knee. Just seems like a bad idea at my weight. I think I'll just keep doing the elliptical, treadmill, and hiking until I drop 25 or so.

 

[nodakian]

I wish I could get back to running more. Ankle injury in 2021 caused a reduction. Back has been jacked up since I was 20, although core exercises have helped with that. In 2022 something on my left knee just started hurting, but only after running. Strange situation. Now I run a mile or two once per week (at 7:10-7:20, speed is still pretty good for an old fart), half hour on stair machine (80 spm) and treadmill at 4 mph/10% incline at least 1x/week each, and often a weighted hike. Lately I've added a 25 pound pack while on the stair machine and treadmill.

The point of all this is to say I've had to (slowly, begrudgingly) come to terms that my weeks of running 20+ miles are probably over. However there are still ways to stay really cardio fit without the impact of running, and they translate well for hiking and hunting.

Good luck on your journey to better health.

 

[mtwarden]

I started running late in life (50's); never was a runner previously. Running on trails I'm 99% sure is what hooked me- running on roads or a track I'm pretty sure it would have been short lived. Started our running/walking, eventually shifted to all running, distances and times slowly increased and then started dabbling in mountain races (eventually racing at ultra distances). Never was overly competitive, but I definitely saw improvements on races I repeated. Having a race in the future insured that I was going to put the necessary time/effort in before hand.

While races were a motivator, what was a lot more enjoyable was planning long runs in the mountains either solo or with a small group (fortunate to live in a place where a lot of folks shared this same interest). I've run (with a small group) the Rim to Rim to Rim in the Grand Canyon, a full traverse of Joshua Tree and a ton of other memorable runs here in Montana across various ranges.

A couple of years ago my wife brought home a small dog. I started taking the dog with me and found it better for him if I hiked vs ran. I now have pretty much permanently switched to all hiking, there are times I get the bug to run, but hiking has been a solid replacement. My mileage is about the same at the peak of my running "career", just takes longer. I still plan out a lot of different longer outings, just hike them vs run them.

I've found moving (running or hiking) in the outdoors is the key to my physical and mental well being

Keep moving.

 

[jlw0142]

Just signed up for my first marathon in March. Been listening to/watching/reading David Goggins' material for years, and just recently bought and read Cam Hanes' book...that finally threw me over the edge. His daily routine is INSANE. I've been into fitness for a while now, but I decided to really change my life and reach a new level. Like those guys say, its not about being them. Its about being the BEST version of you, and you can't be too healthy for western hunting. Gonna try for 50 miles in May and we will see what happens from there. Stay hard

 

[doc holiday13]

*update*

Now that i'm almost 2 months out from my OP, I'm still running. Its mostly mental because I'm on a treadmill. I've started lifting heavier with complex Olympic type lifts and doing yoga 1x weekly. High rep exercises seem cumbersome and tedious and I think I have some good years ahead of me for being stronger than the average man. Overall everything is super positive. Amazing how much fitness effects your overall feeling physically AND mentally

 

[Kgreen5]

Just signed up for my first marathon in March. Been listening to/watching/reading David Goggins' material for years, and just recently bought and read Cam Hanes' book...that finally threw me over the edge. His daily routine is INSANE. I've been into fitness for a while now, but I decided to really change my life and reach a new level. Like those guys say, it's not about being them. It's about being the BEST version of you, and you can't be too healthy for western hunting. Gonna try for 50 miles in May and we will see what happens from there. Stay hard

Listening to Goggins and Cam will make you want to do crazy stuff! I've have a 50k next weekend, marathon in March and a trail marathon in April. Kicking around the idea of a 100 miler in October

 

[jlw0142]

Listening to Goggins and Cam will make you want to do crazy stuff! I've have a 50k next weekend, marathon in March and a trail marathon in April. Kicking around the idea of a 100 miler in October

Dude, go for it! I want to work my way up to 100 miles within the next year but I'm gonna see how my 50 miler goes first. Pretty awesome to see the community of badass people that Hanes and Goggins have built. Hope your upcoming runs go well, and I say you go after that 100 miler!

 

[lamarclark09]

Thanks for sharing your story with us man! And yes I also run and do some light exercises to keep myself fit. I am not a gym freak but in order to keep my body working properly I know I can’t let it sit and rot.

 

[Marbles]

With just starting back into running, walking will help significantly. On days you don't run, walk. If you want to build distance running, build distance with walks first. Stay slow, consider a heart rate monitor and stay in the lower zones for almost all running. Keep your feet under you (don't let your feet hit the ground in front of your knees). Humans are built to run, probably the greatest endurance animal on earth even if we are slow.

My back started bothering me at 21, I spent a lot of time stretching, but rucking for hunting started improving it a few years back. Your back pain has a key difference as it involves nerves (mine was only my lower backp). My back stopped being a problem 2 years ago. After years of reading I finally took the advice I did not want to believe applied to me and decided to move, pain be damned (this applies to about 80% of lower back pain in the US). Shortly after that, I moved, it sucked and my back hurt, but I refused to slow down and refused to change how I carried boxes to accommodate the pain (I was using good ergonomics from the start), I did use Tylenol and Ibuprofen, fixes nothing, but helped my soft mind get through the pain. I would also walk and intentionally swing my hips, which hurt, but the stiff gimp walk never helped and I think making the muscles contract and relax worked out the spasms. That was the last week I had pain that degraded my quality of life.

Anyway, congratulations.



Side note:
People with pain that radiates down their legs (rather than just being in the lower back) should see a doctor, particularly if it lasts for longer than 2 months. People who are concerned or uncertain, should also see a doctor for an individual assessment regardless of the nature of their pain. Grit your teeth is not safe for about 10% of lower back pain, and questionable for another 10%.