Running and other Physical Activities

[Chessnut]

I, for one, enjoy running. I recently noticed that having leg pains while running is not a normal condition: I have been running with my heel striking the ground all the time, due to the horrible design of my footwear. I've ran in boots and several types of running shoes and always I've ended up in pain after around 5 kilometers. I've recently read a great deal on Chi running (I believe it has been brought up in the past) and also barefoot running, which I am very interested in doing. I've decided that buying running shoes again is a futile attempt to prevent injury to my legs and it is costly to constantly look for better options. Some guidance from Barefoot Ted piqued my interest, as his philosophy bears many similarities to nihilism.

I've also been interested in buying a pair of Vibram Five Fingers shoes for rougher terrain, but I realize the product has had increased popularity and I would prefer not to hop on the bandwagon, but I find the concept to be ideal for my circumstances. Does anyone have these or similar footwear?

Furthermore, I've increased my interaction with the "sheeple" and have joined a running group, intramural soccer team and partake in other running activities, such as parkour and manhunt. Anyone else do activities similar to these, and what would you recommend? I tend to avoid sports that require teamwork as it requires "groupthink" but I plan to just have fun, whatever that may mean.

I seem to engage in more "open" environments when it comes to interaction with people: I tend not to be walking in solitude in a forest or discussing/listening to music with fellow metalheads or any other stereotypical behaviours of metalheads. Can anyone else attend to this? Perhaps I am more hippie than metalhead.

Other relevant topics:
Boots
Non-meaningless social activities

[Circular]

There's nothing "hippie" about communication and openness - the sharing of ideas.

What's hippie is 10 guys sitting around a campfire, everyone having their own personal trip and reporting it out loud at the same time - with NO intent of actually sharing or communicating, the only motivation being the expression and and deepening of their 'own' trips.

A: "Man my memories are haunting me."
B: "Yeah, and that glowing spiral is fucking talking to me!"

Apart from the shared space and 'atmosphere', no real communication and no 'structure'. 'Individualism.' See the difference? Please note that the campfire was a metaphor.

I think team-sports are good for dissolving the unnecessary group-think and individualism. For a team to work effectively, group thinking has to be abandoned and a caste-like hierarchy has to be built. Everyone has their own function to serve, and no-one surely can (or should) be the 'goal making star'. That kind of thought is vital and constructive and quite the opposite of "group thinking" that supports equality.

Don't know about the running shoes. Avoiding an ideal solution to a problem because it's too popular seems rather childish to me. Originality at all costs, eh?

[Helmholtz]

There's nothing "hippie" about communication and openness - the sharing of ideas.

What's hippie is 10 guys sitting around a campfire, everyone having their own personal trip and reporting it out loud at the same time - with NO intent of actually sharing or communicating, the only motivation being the expression and and deepening of their 'own' trips.

A: "Man my memories are haunting me."
B: "Yeah, and that glowing spiral is fucking talking to me!"

Apart from the shared space and 'atmosphere', no real communication and no 'structure'. 'Individualism.' See the difference? Please note that the campfire was a metaphor.

I think team-sports are good for dissolving the unnecessary group-think and individualism. For a team to work effectively, group thinking has to be abandoned and a caste-like hierarchy has to be built. Everyone has their own function to serve, and no-one surely can (or should) be the 'goal making star'. That kind of thought is vital and constructive and quite the opposite of "group thinking" that supports equality.

Don't know about the running shoes. Avoiding an ideal solution to a problem because it's too popular seems rather childish to me. Originality at all costs, eh?

Agreed on all counts.

If the Vibrams bother you, just run barefoot on grass by the way.  As well, as long as you find a shoe with no arch support, the idea remains the same.  Vibrams are basically a foot glove, and lacking arch support means your foot muscles will strengthen themselves through practice.  That's the basic operating principle.

[bovine]

I seem to engage in more "open" environments when it comes to interaction with people: I tend not to be walking in solitude in a forest or discussing/listening to music with fellow metalheads or any other stereotypical behaviours of metalheads. Can anyone else attend to this? Perhaps I am more hippie than metalhead.

You mean you engage in genuine interaction? Blasphemy.

I like running too, but I'm not very into the "what shoe will optimize my miles per calorie" game that those companies have people playing. I just bought a pair of $40 Asics last week for my summer running and they're serving me well so far.

[Humanicide]

http://www.ligreenbelt.org/

This trail goes from the north to the south shore of Long Island. I hope to hike the entire thing (possibly both ways) this summer with a friend.

[Bereft]

I, for one, enjoy running. I recently noticed that having leg pains while running is not a normal condition: I have been running with my heel striking the ground all the time, due to the horrible design of my footwear. I've ran in boots and several types of running shoes and always I've ended up in pain after around 5 kilometers. I've recently read a great deal on Chi running (I believe it has been brought up in the past) and also barefoot running, which I am very interested in doing. I've decided that buying running shoes again is a futile attempt to prevent injury to my legs and it is costly buy constantly look for better options. Some guidance from Barefoot Ted piqued my interest, as his philosophy bears many similarities to nihilism.

I've also been interested in buying a pair of Vibram Five Fingers shoes for rougher terrain, but I realize the product has had increased popularity and I would prefer not to hop on the bandwagon, but I find the concept to be ideal for my circumstances. Does anyone have these or similar footwear?

I take it you've read Born to Run. If not, you should pick it up. It covers a lot of what you brought up in your post and happens to feature Barefoot Ted. I've never been good at (or fond of) running, but this book has convinced me to at least try not to completely suck at it. After my first short barefoot jog, with a constant focus on not using a heel-strike running gait, I'm feeling my calves for the first time in ages.

I'm also looking at getting a pair of Vibrams for running and various other activities. After trying on a pair and hearing high praise from friends, and basically anywhere they're mentioned, I think I'll take the gamble on a pair of Sprints or KSOs. I'll post my feedback if it happens within the next couple of weeks.

Good luck with your pursuits and sorting out your leg pain.

[Conservationist]

What's hippie is 10 guys sitting around a campfire, everyone having their own personal trip and reporting it out loud at the same time - with NO intent of actually sharing or communicating, the only motivation being the expression and and deepening of their 'own' trips.

Apparently, I came here today to read this

It's true. Communication is actually anti-individualism. Talking about oneself while pretending to communicate is very hippie/liberal.

[Scipio]

Basketball is an excellent form of aerobic exercise that I enjoy; especially if you can play fullcourt.  It also helps to develop muscle coordination and teamwork.  The latter depends, of course, on who you're playing with, but even a 2 vs. 2 game can foster it. 

As for shoes:  the only input I have is to say that I've had bad experiences with NewBalance shoes.  I bought a pair on recommendation of my father and I can't count the number of times I've slipped(even on dry asphalt) with those shoes.  They're comfortable, but the traction is atrocious.

[My AIDS, Your Arse]

http://www.mediafire.com/?40myjyng4dg

I thought this was of interest. This e-book offers a contrary opinion and a case against long-distance/endurance running for regular exercise.

I like to think of it as a "paleolithic" exercise routine.

[Chessnut]

http://www.mediafire.com/?40myjyng4dg

I thought this was of interest. This e-book offers a contrary opinion and a case against long-distance/endurance running for regular exercise.

I like to think of it as a "paleolithic" exercise routine.

Thanks for this book. Although the book reads as a gimmick, the little portion regarding ATP, energy, protein, and carbs was useful information, assuming it is accurate, but it does make sense. Anywho, this link likely disproves those arguments regarding long distance running -- It's completely obvious why marathon runners have atrophied muscles: the extra weight of muscle is not effective at long distances.

Anyway, I did a 2.5k barefoot run about a week ago. Had a pebble lodged in my foot. Other than the pain on the bottom of my feet, it was a very enjoyable run. By this one run barefoot I was able to nearly perfect my gait and it made me realize that the cause of my heel-strike was indeed from my shoes. I'm going to try to buy a pair of durable wet shoes, as Vibram Five-Fingers are unavailable in my area. I'm looking forward to running again without the use of over-engineered footgear.

I await your response, Bereft! By the way, I would recommend a pair of Five-Fingers Bikila over Sprints or KSOs, they were made just for runners. I believe they have higher durability and minimize abrasion between the skin and the footwear.

[Forza Romana]

Instead of running, I always enjoyed biking. But at the moment I have a knee that is giving me problems. On my way to work I was struck by a small suv and I slammed my knee of the street. Yes it was painful, but I still went to work.

I have learned how important it is to stretch you muscles anytime you use them for a long period of time. At work I cart around pallets close to 1000 lbs up to 2000 lbs. I truly wish I could do this for a longer season. This is a great way to stay fit and stretching those muscles.

The way i view running is like car shocks. The knees are going to take a lot of the brunt of impact when hitting the curb. But at the same token, when biking you use you bike more then you knees.

[Chessnut]

Update: I've been limiting myself to 5k runs and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) sprint routines so I limit muscle atrophy. I've noticed that my runs are much easier and painless now that I have switched from over-engineered shoes to wetshoes (removed the soles and the ripped out the padding). I've also noticed a general increase in strength in my feet. Before actually getting shoes, I did a lot of 5-8k runs on various terrains, including cobblestone, which actually felt good after a while. Once I return to school in two months, I plan on beginning some weightlifting, including deadlifts, benchpress, squats, cleans, pull-ups, etc.

I've also noticed that through HIIT I've lost quite a bit of fat. Sadly I'm not that big of a guy, so I'm definitely looking into some foods that increase my caloric intake (oatmeal, multigrain bread) or gainer shakes.

[Cargést]

Eat eggs, butter, and cheese like a motherfucker.  You'll put on weight quickly (I did, until I hate a wall around 11 stone).

[Bereft]

Forgot about this thread.

I await your response, Bereft! By the way, I would recommend a pair of Five-Fingers Bikila over Sprints or KSOs, they were made just for runners. I believe they have higher durability and minimize abrasion between the skin and the footwear.

I did end up buying some KSOs and use them for pretty much everything - short runs, HIIT, gym, kettlebell training etc. No problems so far, except the cumulative aroma of sweaty feet which I've taken measures to combat. I probably wouldn't run over a few kilometres at a time in them, but lighter people might be able to get away with it. Running on flat concrete is a bit harsh though. No durability or abrasion issues yet apart from some minor chafing on the heel.

I'd recommend against gainer shakes as most of them are just loaded with various sugars. Just find a good brand of whey protein concentrate and create your own shakes with fruit, honey, oats, yogurt and whatever else is handy (or is that what you meant by "gainer shakes"?). It's cheaper, healthier and tastes better than most of that formulated crap. Great for downing some quality calories between meals.