running without puking or passing out

[LizMoonstar]

how is it done? all the runners i've asked say i'm just being a wuss, but i don't think it seems right that you should *expect* to throw up and faint doing something your body's supposed to do.

i've never actually done either, but i've been pretty close. and running is the exercise that gets respect - runners are a snobby bunch - so i thought maybe there's a way around the sick feelings so i can get in on this.
thoughts?

[wildeyed]

1. Puking and/or passing out is bad.

Sometimes if I seriously exert myself after a period of inactivity, I feel a little woozy or nauseated. But it usually passes quickly.

Maybe start slowly and work up to something more strenuous? I dunno, I don't much like running either. You could always pick another sport ;)

[seemunkee]

2. How far, how fast?

Have you trained up to the speed and distance that you're trying to do?

[LizMoonstar]

4. any running at all bounces my stomach and makes it hurt.

(unless it's sprinting, which i'm good at but hurts after i stop.)
i don't even have a distance or speed goal. the last time i remember getting really uncomfortable was in high school, when we had to run for a track unit in PE, and they told us to do an 800m at an all-out speed rather than pacing yourself like we did for the mile. I thought i was gonna die. i haven't pushed myself that hard since, and i'm in worse shape now (no marching band, my preferred exercise, at private colleges, or after them, for that matter).






god, i wish i was a good enough musician to make it into a professional drum corps. i was definitely a good enough marcher. that would rule.

[MemphisTiger]

3. Running takes time to work your way up

It's not a matter of running for a week and being ready for a 5k it takes time. Be patient and don't worry about what other runners say, many of them are major snobs.

[GOPisEvil]

5. I get plenty of exercise and I don't run.

I only run when I'm being chased.

I use the elliptical trainers at the gym. Much lower impact, easier on the body, and a more targeted workout.

[LizMoonstar]

6. how tall are you?

how can i adjust those things for short stubby-legged me?

[GOPisEvil]

8. I'm 5'8". And people shorter than me use them all the time.

[MissMillie]

7. I never puke or pass out

And not all runners are a snotty bunch.

Check out my hero, John Bingham, at www.waddleon.com


For me, the run isn't really about speed (though I am slow enough to make people wonder whether or not I've dropped out of the race). It's about loving the run.

[politicat]

9. Try walking or biking instead.

I know lots of runners cheer the concept, but my physical therapist and I have had long conversations about running and how running on concrete in modern running shoes is not necessarily the best thing for knees and hips and ankles. (I am halfway through having both ACLs rebuilt and a bunch of other knee issues taken care of.) And it's definitely not good for you if it makes you woozy.

If running's not for you, don't do it. Walking for distance and endurance can be just as healthy, as is biking. My ancestors (genetically) were migrators, not sprinters. I will never outrun a saber tooth tiger, but when the famine comes, I can walk to where there's water and good grazing land. You might try assessing your own fitness needs in terms of your genetic makeup.

Find something you want to do that doesn't make you ill - that's the best advice there is.