Why I Stopped Running After 51 Years: A Goodbye to Running / by Phil Ringman

[Sparky]

I bet if we read through the past forums we would find allot of folks that have run in the past for fun, fitness or competition that have now taken up strength as their foremost health activity and are much better off. If I remember correctly from listening to a podcast or video I think even Sully used to run or jog back in the day for health and fitness. Not sure what he looked like back then but the dude looks pretty strong and healthy for his age. (Please do not put me in a BJJ guillotine when I finally meet you at a seminar)

Rip,

Back in the day when you were a younger gym owner and still learning much of what you know today for strength, did you ever jog or run or use sprints for conditioning or did you use other methods like the prowler or just strength train only? I wonder because of your age and the running boom that came in the 70's and early 80's. To me the running boom back then reminds me of the cross fit boom over the last 8 years. It was the new shiny thing back then and it seems to be again with "Ultra Marathon" running etc. . . Just curious.

[Pluripotent]

Was looking for a place to put this and might as well put it here, although it probably needs to be a sticky. Probably the best thing that the Onion ever put out. This is not satire, this is wisdom for the ages. Also, it seems like this transformation - if it happens at all, probably usually happens around 38 years old. Or maybe it's that if it doesn't happen by 38, it's never going to happen. But don't just read the headline. The entire article is a gem, seriously. Click on this and read the whole thing.

Open-Minded Man Grimly Realizes How Much Life He's Wasted Listening To Bullshit

[Sparky]

Was looking for a place to put this and might as well put it here, although it probably needs to be a sticky. Probably the best thing that the Onion ever put out. This is not satire, this is wisdom for the ages. Also, it seems like this transformation - if it happens at all, probably usually happens around 38 years old. Or maybe it's that if it doesn't happen by 38, it's never going to happen. But don't just read the headline. The entire article is a gem, seriously. Click on this and read the whole thing.

Open-Minded Man Grimly Realizes How Much Life He's Wasted Listening To Bullshit

Holy Cow that article is spot on. I think this makes author Douglas Adams (Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy) look like a genius as he wrote:
"“It is worth repeating at this point the theories that Ford had come up with, on his first encounter with human beings, to account for their peculiar habit of continually stating and restating the very very obvious, as in "It's a nice day," or "You're very tall," or "So this is it, we're going to die."
His first theory was that if human beings didn't keep exercising their lips, their mouths probably shriveled up.

After a few months of observation he had come up with a second theory, which was this--"If human beings don't keep exercising their lips, their brains start working.”

compare that to the article wherein it reads:
"Did you know that in my life I've listened to five days' worth of people talking about their furniture?" he added. "It's true. That's a trip to Europe right there."

[artgood]

I ran because I was a fat slob and needed to lose weight. I didn't know what else to do. Now, I live with chronic runners knee. I still run/walk 7 days a week for 75 to 90 minutes. I'm 5'7 and weigh 170. I want to get stronger (I believe my weakness is a direct result of running miles upon miles upon miles - it has broken my body down), but I refuse to gain a pound.

Not sure where to go from here.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I'd suggest a psych eval. Really. Stubbornly clinging to that which harms you has lots of names, some of them you'd recognize.

[Mark E. Hurling]

I ran because I was a fat slob and needed to lose weight. I didn't know what else to do. Now, I live with chronic runners knee. I still run/walk 7 days a week for 75 to 90 minutes. I'm 5'7 and weigh 170. I want to get stronger (I believe my weakness is a direct result of running miles upon miles upon miles - it has broken my body down), but I refuse to gain a pound.

Not sure where to go from here.

So stop. What you are doing is calorie burning to lose or maintain weight. Running is "supposed" to be for conditioning. If you need to lose or maintain weight, lift and find a conditioning activity that does not pound your joints. There's a lot of them to pick from.

[MAD9692]

this has to be a troll...right?

[Sparky]

I ran because I was a fat slob and needed to lose weight. I didn't know what else to do. Now, I live with chronic runners knee. I still run/walk 7 days a week for 75 to 90 minutes. I'm 5'7 and weigh 170. I want to get stronger (I believe my weakness is a direct result of running miles upon miles upon miles - it has broken my body down), but I refuse to gain a pound.

Not sure where to go from here.

How old are you and how big were you before the addiction of running came into your life? I haven't seen 170 lbs since I was 19 years old in boot camp almost 30 years ago. I am no Dr. or health care professional. Actually I am not good at anything and don't know much but I do know that being skinny does not mean you are healthy. If anything being skinny only helps those who carry your casket with a lighter load.

You need to strength train and eat enough good protein and carbs to grow correctly and have a good recovery. You do not have to use GOMAD and eat everything in site, just go slow with NLP and strength train, It just takes consistency and effort. Dump the cardio and lift weights only during your NLP. If you do that and follow the formula of Stress+ Recovery=Adaptation you can get really strong. If you keep walking or running like you do, your knee will not even have a chance to heal. If you are that addicted and cannot just lift during NLP then lift 1 day a week to start and rest the day before and the day after and maybe go up to 2 days a week. Either way however you are going to have to cut the cardio addiction loose dude.

Sparky

[Sparky]

MAD9692 i dont think hes a troll. Past posts show him as a runner just starting out trying ro learn and break the cardio addiction.
Sparky

[Suwannee Dave]

... I'm 5'7 and weigh 170. I want to get stronger (I believe my weakness is a direct result of running miles upon miles upon miles - it has broken my body down), but I refuse to gain a pound.

You are making the common mistake of confusing weight and body composition. If you stick with the program, you may lose some weight or you may gain weight, but what will change is your body's composition of fat and lean muscle mass.