Your Bones Aren't Smart

Your bones aren't smart, so you have to be smart for them.

Your joints don't naturally articulate in the correct way.  They just move and twist and crunch together however it happens when you throw your leg out there.

Be cognizant of how your posture and gait affects your joints.  Modify as you move to get everything working in the easiest way.  I'ts a mechanical puzzle, and the clues to getting it right are how your joints and muscles feel.

For example, I often get a dull pain in my right knee after about 45 minutes of running.  One of my solutions is to change the way I point my foot as I strike with that foot.  My right foot stike looks like this as I run:

Strike pointing towards 12 o'clock.
Strike pointing towards 11 o'clock
12 o'clock
1 o'clock
12 o'clock
11 o'clock
12 o'clock
1 o'clcok
12 o'clock
Repeat

Eventually I find a strike that reduces the dull knee pain.  Sometimes this can take a mile or more.  Usually it's pointing my foot at 11:58 as I strike, but not always.

You need to be the brains for your bones.

Traffic

There tend to be two philosophies for running with traffic.  One is "Own the road," and the other is to just be careful.  I am completely in the "careful" camp.

My number one rule is: If there is going to be a car vs runner accident, don't be there.

"Own the Road" runners like to be in the cartway, hold their line, and yell at cars who don't give them wide berth.  I find this frustrating, scary and dangerous.

Here are some of my rules.

• Run on the left, in to traffic (in the USA). You want to see imminent death with a clear eye.
• On rural roads, step off the road for oncoming traffic.  Pull up and walk if approaching a dangerous intersection.
• Don't always cross at the busiest place - for example, in small towns I prefer to run the alleys rather than the main streets, which allows for easier crossings one street at a time, rather than at four-way intersections.  
• If an oncoming car is preparing to turn left, assume cars behind will swing out around them into the pedestrian lane.  
• Assume every car is being driven by a 17 year old who is texting on her phone, while eating and crying.  It's up to you to get out of the way and not be an accident.  
• If something looks the least bit dangerous, remove yourself from that situation quickly.  
• Cars are big and heavy - they will win.

Wear something reflective.  At night wear a headlamp up front and a red flashy in back.

Wear the Wrong Shoes

Ten or twelve years ago I developed severe running pain in my lower calfs.  During my runs, a slow burn would develop, and I would sometimes need to walk because the pain was too much.  It felt like some deep down layers of ligaments were torn or damaged.  Those rubbery sinewy parts that don't heal.

I unhappily concluded that all those fatties at coffee hour who say "the body just cant take all that pounding," were right.  My 30 years of running was coming to an end.  I resolved not to waste money on a new pair of running shoes unless this pain would go away.

I tried to change my gait.  I rested.  I massaged, I tried to strengthen my calfs.  I stretched.  Nothing worked.  I was done.  My body was finally worn out.

Then, for some reason, I set out one morning with a different pair of shoes.  Not a new pair, just a different pair.  And joy of joys, the pain went away!  I discovered if I wore my other pair of shoes, the pain returned.

Well, that's a simple fix.  But there is a little more to it.

As the miles add up for you over the years,  swap out your shoes frequently.  And I mean frequently.  Right now, I own two pairs of Nikes (different models), a pair of Brooks, Fila and Saucony.  Each pair gives a totally different ride.  I seldom wear the same pair for consecutive runs.  My hypothesis is that this changes the stress points on your legs and back.  If you wear the same shoes always, then the same parts of your body are stressed, and will lead to repetitive motion injuries.

Your shoes aren't only for your feet - they affect your mechanics all the way up your ankles, lower legs, knees, thighs, hips and back.  And it is true what the fatties at coffee hour say about all that pounding.  So you need to change out your shoes to vary the pounding.

You are much better off buying two different pairs of off brand shoes from the department store for $60 each, rather than one highly engineered pair from the running store for $120.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.