[gremlin]

Hi,

I started running about 6 weeks ago in order to keep me fit while waiting for my dodgy left shoulder to heal (and to keep my weight down) and found I quite enjoyed it. I do between 5 and 9 miles 2 or 3 times a week, depending on the conditions and it's all mostly off-road.

However, I've found that running seems to aggravate my shoulder problem and I've stated putting weight on! I'm guessing the added weight is improved bone density and increased blood volume but I'm suprised that my shoulder seems worse.  I would have thought that running would have improved things by increasing blood flow and keeping the joint moving?

Anyone got any thoughts apart from the obvious "Stop running".

[slackline]

This is the thread you're looking for (its in the diet, training and injuries sub-forum)

[iain]

I find that I hunch my shoulders a little when running and they can get very tight. I have to really focus on keeping the shoulders relaxed, which goes out the window as soon as I have to put any real effort in.
It's repetitive movement and if it's aggravating your shoulder by default then there's probably not much you can do.

As for weight gain I get the same if I haven't been running and start again. My best guess is that it's to do with increased glycogen/water storage, (although I may be talking bollocks) as well as some muscle mass increase.

5-9 miles after 6 weeks is pretty good though

[gremlin]

Just thinking about it iain, I think I may be doing the same thing with my shoulders and hunching them. I'll try to watch out for this and correct it.

The weight gain is a bit of a pisser in terms of climbing (I'm now nearly 13 stone) but I guess the benefits of good bone density and fitness can't be ignored. I'll just have to pull harder when I get climbing again 

As for the 5 - 9 miles in six weeks, I've got a bit of "previous" in that I used to do a lot of cycling 

Slightly off topic but has anyone tried the endomondo www.endomondo.com phone app for running/cycling? I really rate it. It tracks your workouts via GPS and gives you a nice array of stats online.

[Falling Down]

In my experience, the achey shoulder thing will pass in time and only come back when you do a really long run or startup again after a layoff.

There's a book called Chi-Running that's a good read when it comes to relaxing, posture etc.

[chris j]

I used to have a similar shoulder thing (poor posture / remnants of a rotator cuff injury) that maybe 4 miles into a run my left arm would go numb unless I made a conscious effort to keep the shoulder pulled back and not hunch. To give the stock answer here, yoga seems to have sorted it...

[chicane]

Endomondo is great been using it since feb - nice to see yourself improving. Challenge other users for added motivation, we have monthly mileage challenges at work and an ongoing 5k & 10k challenge. Has got me out running at 11pm at night in the rain on the last night of the challenge just to win.

[Plattsy]

Any difference in the shoulder after a road run compared to off road?
Also I would suggest dropping your distances a bit. It's a fair old increase in a short time especially if you haven't done it before/for a long time. You won't lack leg strength/CV but even still the new stresses applied to the body will require your body time to adapt and during which you should start to run more relaxed and be able to work on your posture.
Hope the shoulder gets better soon.
I found that I really started to shift weight when I was running 10 miles twice a week (road and off).

[gremlin]

Any difference in the shoulder after a road run compared to off road?

I'm not sure to be honest. I'll keep an eye on it and see if one affecting me more than the other.

Did 10k last night along the canal towpath making a conscious effort to keep my shoulders back and relaxed and things seemed not to bad afterwards.

[slackline]

I was able to run, but sadly i got injured. But im having fun reading your posts. thanks for sharing..

  ban the fucker.

[robertostallioni]

Lets not be so hasty Slackers.

Megan, 23?

 She's right in the middle of my target demographic. 

[becdent]

What trainers are you running in and how long have you had them for? If they are an old pair or 'well used' this can affect your running style and therefore your posture, plus shock absorption.

I run in salomon xt wings that are designed primarily for trails but have good cushioning that allow for some road running which you tend to have to do first to get you off road.

[SA Chris]

One does not run, one feels it is unbecoming.

[slackline]

I am not convinced humans are designed for running ...

Yeah, why bother chasing after fast animals when there are plenty of slow ones to kill and eat? 

[rginns]

I've been known to run Gremlin, but I don't particularly like it.. There are a good few 7 to 10k circuits around Brownstones, Cadshaw etc. Enjoy

[slackline]

Yep, sarcastic evolutionary observation is exactly what it was because we're not "designed" at all (I know you likely already know that, I was letting my pedantic side slip through again  ).

Bipedal beings will always be slower than quadrupeds (even Usain Bolt couldn't beat a cheetah, regardless of whether there were McNuggets at the finishing line).

Being able to hunt and track prey that are faster than us, but high in nutritional content was useful in our ancestors time on the savannah's, and its unlikely that the prey of choice would have been the cheetah's ancestors, more likely the slower wildebeest ancestors.  But they could still have out run us so some ability to move quickly on two feet would have conferred a greater reproductive success, but then so also would communication and team work in hunting (which favoured larger brains and the development of language/communication).

Anyway, its all conjecture.

I too don't see much point in running, cycling is far less damaging to the body (although Australopithecus or any early Hominids won't have had access to these).

[slackline]

 

I think the long-distance aspect is more probably a useful trait/ability with regards to tracking injured animals over long-distances.  But its a complex trait and one that, like climbing, can be trained and improved over time.  Also I'm not so sure it actually has a high-degree of heritability which is required for natural selection to have an effect. 

[SA Chris]

Being able to hunt and track prey that are faster than us, but high in nutritional content was useful in our ancestors time on the savannah's, and its unlikely that the prey of choice would have been the cheetah's ancestors, more likely the slower wildebeest ancestors.

More likely they hunted something like the cow's ancestors, as a wildebeest can also outrun a human. Before they realised that it was easiest just to fence the great grandcows in and kill them at will).

(yours pedantically )

[slackline]

Cows and wildebeest are ungulates and likely shared a common ancestor. 

Domestication of animals and farming in general both were great steps forward.

[Barratt]

Slightly off topic but has anyone tried the endomondo www.endomondo.com phone app for running/cycling? I really rate it. It tracks your workouts via GPS and gives you a nice array of stats online.

Haven't - but just registered and downloaded the runkeeper app. Free and looks good, will report back after a few miles of use.

[JonI]

Interesting article here:

http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/Nature2004_EnduranceRunningandtheEvolutionofHomo.pdf

But does it really matter?  Human beings don't seem to be particularly well designed for climbing either...

[psychomansam]

i run, but i'm not proud of it, largely due to being naturally shite at it. I blame being 15 stone...

Tend to run about 5 to 9 miles once a week, or twice if i have to, normally just run for about an hour. There's a nice run out of llanberis up the fields through deniolen past the slate, down through the quarries and back again, which i'm trying to motivate myself to do now, but i'm still in bed and feeling lazy.

I've just bought some off road running shoes to mix things up a bit, I do enjoy it to some degree but basically use running as a last resort when i can't find owt else to do/don't have time. Quite fancy running a half marathon then a marathon somewhere.

One of my aims this year is to get a road bike. Technically i could just keep using my hardtail on the roads but you feel like a reet twat when road bikers go past, and you obv can't go as far. I know if i keep running too much i'll just get injured...

[SA Chris]

Cows and wildebeest are ungulates and likely shared a common ancestor. 

Not really. Domestic cows are purely bred from wild beasts of Eurasia. No ungulates outside this area were involved. Although if you wanted to stretch the facts you could say all mammals share common ancestry. But that would be daft.

[slackline]

Not really. Domestic cows are purely bred from wild beasts of Eurasia.

I spy a contradiction...how do these ancestors to cows that hail from Eurasia get to be hunted on the African savannah grasslands (which is where I was proposing human ancestors evolved, likely somewhere around the Rift Valley).

Although if you wanted to stretch the facts you could say all mammals share common ancestry. But that would be daft.

No it wouldn't, its precisely why they're all mammals!

Anyway, its getting silly and waaaay 

[gremlin]

What trainers are you running in and how long have you had them for? If they are an old pair or 'well used' this can affect your running style and therefore your posture, plus shock absorption.

I run in salomon xt wings that are designed primarily for trails but have good cushioning that allow for some road running which you tend to have to do first to get you off road.

Salomon Speedcross 2's which are a similar thing to yours I think.

[SA Chris]

I spy a contradiction...how do these ancestors to cows that hail from Eurasia get to be hunted on the African savannah grasslands (which is where I was proposing human ancestors evolved, likely somewhere around the Rift Valley).

Do I contradict myself? Very well, I contradict myself.

[slackline]

Do I contradict myself? Very well, I contradict myself.

Contradiction was the wrong word to use.

[SA Chris]

Are you being condescending?

[slackline]

Not intentionally.

[SA Chris]

It was a setup.

You are meant to reply

"Are you sure condescending is the word you want to use?"

[Jaspersharpe]

Don't be so smug.