I LOATHE RUNNING!

Youknow, for far too long now the army doctrine has been"run till ya puke, then swallow it, and run some more".

every mondaywe have 10 or so km runs around the base(usually with interspersed"last man to the front"windsprints")....now i don't usually complain...usually i soldier on.

But i got to chatting with some medics....

The problem presented here is that excessive running for those who haven't extensively trained for long runs(like me, for example*cough*)it is detrimental to their health....i won't go into specifics as to why unless someone asks me...but basically running long distances(especially as the army does it)isn't healthy for the troops.

i understand having combat marches every tuesday and thursday and circuit training on wednesday....but it's killing the squadron.


Anyways, i just wanted to vent and hear some of yous guyses opinions. I know alot of you are PT gods and can share in some tips.

Anyways, although i ain't built for running(6'2'' 240 lbs), i want to know some tricks and tips during runs to keep me comfortable.....the only problem persisting is i get real short on breath about 5 minutes into it and continue that way until 2 hours after cooldown.


opinions and help would be nice.

thanks

put your mind somewhere else. like replay a movie in your head or something. 

quit the army. shove that uniform right up your DS's ass and leave.....teach uncle sam to want you.

But really though, you make a good point on health, but im not to sure the army wants people to be in the best of shape, i tihnk they want people to be able to endure the harshness that is your training and combat. Its not hard to see that its unhealthy and possibly dangerous, so i think they have a vague idea of what they are doing.

yeah for your size it can be very bad for you.you can "wreck" your knees and puts alot of stress on your feet,knees,hips,etc.thats the only reason i dont like running,high impact. but i still do it. you can get shin splints,tendinitis, and other things.

Edited by youm0nt

Butch wrote: How is running long distances (you said 10K or so) bad for you? You will be surprised how fast you get in good shape. If you are in a battle and have to run a kilomter or 2 you will be appreciating all that distance running you trained with.

when they take people who ran/walked maybe 1-2 miles a day, and put them into that kind of stress, it doesnt do a body good. Take this for example, a guy is over heating, its best to cool him off, right? Yes, but not with a cooler full of ice water all at one time. That can and most likely will give him convulsions, and cause the need for hospitalness(i dont know, leave me alone). The same goes for running, you dont emerse yourself into 10 km of running, you do it gradually, and you give your body time to rest, if you wanna get healthy and in shape.

EYES wrote: Take a few asprins/advils before you run. It'll help your body ignore some of the pain. Some of my team-mates did that before every practice and they said it worked great for them. I only tried it once though because I like to do everything naturaly. It seemed to help me work out better and I didn't get as tired. Works good. Might be bad for you though. I don't really know.

No. Never take Advil or any other Ibuprophin before you run. That is one of the worst things you can do.

When running, keep your spine in like with your hips and keep your hands down by your waist. Your hands should be loose like you're holding a rolled up piece of paper in them. Just bring your legs straight up. They'll go out by themselves.

When going up hills, keep your head down, shorten your stride, and pump your arms more. But keep them down at your waist and your hands loose. Keep the same speed you were going at the whole time. Don't speed up or slow down on a hill. The key is to use the same amount of energy the whole time.

When going down hills, keep your head down, leave your arms and shoulders loose, and let your weight carry you. Don't bunch your shoulders. That will cause you to lose energy you could be using for other things while you run.

While you're running, keep a steady breath. Don't breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth or any of that crap. Take a breath for two steps and let it out for two steps, all the while breathing through your mouth.

It's easier to run with people. Learn to pace off of them and your run will be easier/more enjoyable.

Those are just some tips that will help. I'll post more later when I think of them.

i don't like to run, for my excersise i like to walk, 5 to 6 miles a day is my llimit any more than that and i get really tired, i'm alittle overweight so runnings not fun, but i like walking.

and it's not good to to over exert(sp) yourself as it sounds like your doing, but stick with it, don't quit something you started, keep it up, and thanks for serving our country.

i actually like to run

Right!

While i admire the fact that you assumed i am some idiot in basic....you are completely wrong.

i graduated basic training a year and a half ago....And just so you know, your overgloryfying it.

Basic training is actually a cakewalk compared tosome of the courses i've been on(like SQ)...

My point being,i did my runs and passed everything....i was merely pointing out the fact of how the doctrine isn't healthy for the troops.


if you think running is the greatest thing in the whole world...then run run run. but when you go to pick up your rucksac and a full combat load and your weapon...not to mention rations...we'll see what wins....strength or some sort of running god...cuz i assure you it's not the runner.

anyways, you were wrong to assume that i am some FNG. You might wana drop that kind of assuming thinking.

now go back and read the post again....then talk.

eh, i ran cross country in 7th and 8th grade, as well as track in 8th, even though im slow.

lets just say that my knees and ankles are terrible now.
I run like half a mile and my knees will hurt for hours.

I think i have tendinitis in my elbow too(unrelated to running)

and......when I run, my shoulder starts to ache for some reason....

my joints=teh sucks.