When someone finds out that I'm one of those crazy Ironman people, they often react by listing off all the reasons why such an endeavor would be "impossible" for them. I think for most people, it's a mixture of being faced with something that seems completely out of the bounds of normal, and a way to try to be complimentary. It certainly doesn't bother me, but it's an interesting thing how frequent the reaction is.
Of course, the main assertion is "I could never do the swim", and I was definitely someone who originally had the same anxiety. But people learn to swim all the time, and I think that most people, deep-down, know that with some effort, they could learn how to swim if they put their minds to it. Especially when the find out how much that wetsuit helps.
The next-most-popular response is "I could never do that much running". Again, I shared this same feeling, and not too long ago. But now my experience is so completely different from that, in every way, that I wanted to get it down on paper. Before I start, there's another great post on Running Safety on David Treadwell's. He and I have both gone through this transformation, and we talk, so I'll likely echo some of the same themes. And we aren't the only ones, I know quite a few people in this boat. It. Can. Be. Done.
All of this assumes you don't have a specific injury or structural condition that would present this. For example, if you don't have a meniscus in your left knee, that's going to be a problem. But "my knees hurt when I run" isn't going to cut it. You can get past that...
I had some running experience growing up. I did cross country in 7th and 8th grade but kind of hated it. I did track in high school, but was a sprinter. But even then I started having problems. My sophomore year I developed terrible shin splints and some knee pain. Then I discovered bike racing, and that was that.
Fast-forward to 2002, where I decided to run a half-marathon. I trained up, from scratch, for the Kirkland Half Marathon. I remember well how painful those first runs were - mostly aerobically. I worked up to a 10 mile run over about 6 weeks of training, but started developing knee pain at that point. I ran the race in 1:52, then laid comatose on the couch for the rest of the day (might have been several days). That was the last running I did until 2004, when I discovered triathlons. The next 2 years was a constant stream of running injuries - Achilles problems, calf problems, some knee pain. It seemed like anything over about 15 miles a week and I'd start having troubles. This continued all the way through my first Half Ironman in July of 2006. When I signed up for my first Ironman, my top goal was "stay healthy" - and by that I meant "no running injuries". Secretly I wasn't optimistic.
But I made it. I had to take a few weeks easy on the run due to a calf problem, but it didn't slow me down too much. But after Ironman Arizona, and especially after Ironman Canada in August of 2007, something changed. I'd paid my dues and become a runner. It still amazes me to be able to run long or fast and not worry about it - no aches, no rushing for the Ibuprofen and ice, no lingering fear of what might happen on the next long run. I now run between 30 and 40 miles most weeks, and have been injury free since before Ironman Arizona in April 2007 (yes, I'm knocking on wood). I've kind of fallen in love with running, and am still shocked by what's "normal" now. For example, I ran 10.5 miles this morning, and that's now something I can do without a second thought. I can easily remember being nervous to run 30 minutes more often than ever-other-day. I didn't think I could do it.
Here's what I've learned in the last 18 months...
- Patience. It takes a LONG time. My experience was that it takes about a year of measured, consistent running before your body will really be able to tolerate it. Your mileage may vary.
- Slow down. Until you're really confident that you can handle the running, speed work of any kind is just too risky. Almost all of my injuries resulted from going too fast, too soon. Just run at a comfy pace. It's tempting to go faster, especially as you get fitter. Let that happen naturally, but always feel like you're running easy. Run by time, not distance. At some point you'll be ready for more structured stuff like speed work (it took me about 14 months), but that's just not necessary for a long, long time. I did two Ironmans with almost zero speed work, and a 3:23 marathon with just a touch of it...I still rarely run faster than my marathon pace on training runs. Just take it nice 'n easy.
- Frequency, frequency, frequency. This is one thing that I really didn't understand when I started running. When I was getting injured, my sense was that I needed more rest between runs, so I would run less frequently for longer durations. This does not work. I'm now a firm believer that 5-30 minute runs beats 2 or 3-1 hour runs, hands down.
- Run properly. You can learn to run in a way that's easier for your body to handle. Running frequently will help you develop good habits (it is a coordination skill, after all), but the more you can use your muscles and tendons to absorb shock (versus your joints), the better off you'll be. A book that really helped me focus on some of these things is Chi Running. There is an entire Chi Running groove that I never got into; I think I only read the first few chapters of the book, but the principles there were very helpful to me, so I can't comment on that stuff. But I do know the main premises - good alignment of shoulders, hips, knees, and foot strike below your center of mass is critical to running safely, along with running relaxed. I used to be a heel striker. Besides the injuries, you could see it on my shoes' wear patterns. I'm now solidly a forefoot striker - totally different wear pattern. Not only is it more efficient, but it means I strike the ground with a flexed knee and ankle (that's good). My experience here is that trying to change your foot-strike is the wrong way to do this; proper foot strike is a side-effect of the alignment form I mentioned above. When I'm running well, I feel like I'm running almost totally from my knees down, very little upper leg motion in front of my body. This isn't what's really happening, but it feels that way to me. [UPDATE: I forgot to mention cadence. Taking faster, shorter strides will make it almost impossible to heel-strike. Start out feeling like you're taking baby steps, never letting your forward foot get much in front of your body]
- Get the right shoes. Go to a running specialty store and have them watch you run and help you with shoes. I'm also running with orthodics from a PT, so look into that. I think they've been helpful and have considered weening myself off of them, since they were designed when I ran differently. But it's a risk thing - I'm running well now, so why change? Also, remember that more expensive shoes aren't necessarily better - it's all about what your biomechanics need, not about the hottest thing on the shelf. Once you find a category you need - stability, motion control, neutral - you'll have several price and style choices.
- Run outside. I think the physics of running on a treadmill is different and I really don't like it - the fact that you don't have any momentum changes how you strike and push off. If I have to, I'll do it, but I run outside whenever possible. This means running in all kinds of weather and light-conditions. Fortunately, with some simple cold-weather gear, you can run in just about anything, fairly comfortably. Running in pouring rain really isn't that bad, I swear. Basically, if it's not a safety issue (slush and ice is the worst), I'm out there.
- Watch out for cars and dogs. It seems like motorists are even less aware of runners than cyclists. Particularly when crossing an intersection or driveway, check to see if someone's turning into it. I've had a fair number of dog encounters as well. The key is to remember that aggressive dogs and running don't mix. If a dog is unhappy with your running by, STOP RUNNING, cross the street, and keep facing the dog while you move away. He'll likely lose interest. If he charges you, hold your ground and start yelling - I've had Cujo coming at me full bore, then stop dead in his tracks when I squared up to him. If you have water with you, a squirt of water will stop most dogs cold - at least long enough to get out of their territorial range.
- Ramp up slowly. Take your time. Start with 3 20 minute runs in a week. After a week or two, add a forth, then maybe a fifth one. Then make one 30 minutes, and another 25. Then make the long one 40 and the other one 35, you get the idea. Before long you'll be well on your way.
- Positive attitude. This is something that's completely anecdotal, but I've experienced it, and observed it. If you think you're going to get injured, you probably will. You're going to have some aches and pains along the way, that's normal. When you do, just deal with them (ice is magic) and then get back out there as soon as you can. I've had more than a few injuries that never seemed to really clear until I just started running again.
- Stretch. Stretch after you run. It doesn't have to be a big deal, but spend a few minutes on your quads, IT bands, and hamstrings. It'll make a huge difference in your recovery and help you avoid injury.
- Enjoy it. I can not overstate the enjoyment I get from running, now that I'm on good terms with it. I look forward to all my runs - even the 2+ hour ones. There's a lot of wild life out early in the morning - turtles, birds, etc. - and you get to see them before the people scare them away. You get to run on quiet streets (night running is fun actually) and learn the ins-and-outs of your neighborhood or town.
If you are patient, it's doable, and the rewards are huge. If you do it right, you'll get faster to boot. This will happen completely naturally. You'll notice your normal loops don't quite take as long as the used to, even at what feels like an easy pace. If you let this happen, it'll give your body plenty of time to build that durability that's critical to running injury free.
Alright? Now get out there!
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Here's my best effort at a foot-strike illustration. Not every step is perfect, of course. On the left, I've got a fully extended knee and my heel looks like it'll hit the ground first (note it's often really hard to tell from stills). In any case, this is a classic heel-striker pattern. In the middle, notice that my right heel is still off the ground and both knees are bent, and I'm leaned a bit forward (it's down hill, which makes a smaller lean). The final picture is a better one, near impact. If you imagine where my forward foot is, it's pretty much vertically right in line with my shoulders, and left hip, and I've got a good forward lean going on as well. I finished both my Ironmans with no knee, or lower leg issues whatsoever. Sore yes, injuries, no.
LATER Update:
Saw this picture on the IMAZ coverage from this year. This guy won the thing. Where do you think his foot will land!?!
