Comment by WalterBright
3 hours ago
I've been running 3x a week for over 40 years now.
* about 4 miles
* I don't run for time, just a trot
* not training for anything
* drink a full glass of water beforehand. If sweaty outside, two glasses
* had some pain in my hips and knees. Switched to a ball-strike rather than a heel-strike. Pain went away. (you can feel the difference in the impact on the knees and hips)
* don't run downhill
* the big toe joint hurts and has gotten large making it hard to find shoes that fit
* don't run when not feeling well, or there's ice
* I feel weird when I can't run for some reason
* It feels good to run, and I like the results
When I started running, I hated it. I had to force myself to do it.
A funny thing happened after about a year. I realized I was looking forward to the run, and missed it when I wasn't.
But it took a whole year :-/
I did similar for about 25 years. I had one injury from overtraining (I basically ran 20 miles every Sunday morning for 6 months, in addition to two shorter runs each week) that ended up plantar fasciitis and I had to take 4-5 month off.
I stopped doing that sort of weekly long run after that and did a lot more in the 6-10 miles range.
Then during and immediately post-COVID shutdowns, I just started running every time I felt stressed about something, and I started to neglect all the other holistic movements that complement running.
This ended up leading to a weird twinge in my hip that 2 years of focused strength training hasn't eliminated. Doctor says there is nothing structural but I don't run any more and I miss it often. There is a flow state I seem to get in somewhere just under to just over an hour in to a run.
The only other time I ever get in to that wonderful flow state is every once in a while when playing guitar, but it's rare.
I does feel good to run, and I miss it.
> weird twinge in my hip
Could be arthritis.