After 21 years I'm done running

Good hard power yoga and you'll be running again. Trust me it works.

Super Jay Five wrote:

When you ONLY run 80% effort you NEVER do hard running so you NEVER get injured. 80% (no more and no less) is the only sustainable level of effort.

I don't get injured. I don't train your way. I don't agree 80% is the only sustainable level of effort. What the heck is 80% supposed to mean anyway?

jono wrote:

Super Jay Five wrote:

When you ONLY run 80% effort you NEVER do hard running so you NEVER get injured. 80% (no more and no less) is the only sustainable level of effort.

I don't get injured. I don't train your way. I don't agree 80% is the only sustainable level of effort. What the heck is 80% supposed to mean anyway?

Four out of five days, I guess.

Thanks for the laugh, I didn't think of that one.

Another one would be running 160 mpw hard instead of 200?

Bummer, dude.

Same kind of thing hit me when I was only 17 years old. Haven't done any serious running since (53 years old now). I do a fair amount of strength training, playing sports (soccer, ultimate, basketball...), hiking, etc. So, I am in better shape than 99% of folks my age. There are alternatives to running.

But you are right, we are all mortal. We all deteriorate even though that is hard to imagine for most 23 year olds.

Best of luck. Do us a favor and come back on here a year from now and tell us how you're doing. I'm betting that you will feel great once you find other activities that work better for your 35 year old body.

jono wrote:

Super Jay Five wrote:

When you ONLY run 80% effort you NEVER do hard running so you NEVER get injured. 80% (no more and no less) is the only sustainable level of effort.

I don't get injured. I don't train your way. I don't agree 80% is the only sustainable level of effort. What the heck is 80% supposed to mean anyway?

What I mean by 80% is 80% of PERCEIVED EFFORT! Many people seem to judge their level of effort by the amount of TIME it takes to go a certain distance. In other words when they go for a run they say they are aiming for 6 minute miles. The problem with that if that takes 90% or 100% of their EFFORT to do that they WILL burn out or get injured. My theory is the next time they go for a run, DO NOT LOOK AT THE CLOCK, only feel the PERCIEVED EFFORT! If you feel like you are going over 80%,dial it back. What I find is when I only go at 80% effort I am as fast (or faster) but use LESS EFFORT!

Cut your legs off and become a blade runner

Not sure why you're getting so many hateful replies (actually I do know - it's letsrun!), but I thought I'd add some perspective as one who has been in a similar situation.

After 22 years of running, I had a knee cartilage injury that I feared would spell "the end". I actually went to three sports medicine/orthopedic doctors looking for solutions.

The first doctor told me to hang up my running shoes, that I was done and dumb for running so long.

The second doctor basically told me the same thing.

The third doctor had actually worked with professional and Olympic athletes (on top of having been a college athlete himself), so he understood having a passion for a sport and wanting to continue. He said we could do a surgery (microfracture) and that the rehab would be very long and difficult, but would allow me to run again. I said, sign me up. I'm still rehabbing, and it HAS been hard, but when I start running again, it will all be worth it.

My point is this: ask yourself how much running means to you. Are you willing to go through surgery and rehab to continue? If so, explore that option with a like-minded doctor and go for it.

If you decide running is not worth it, then move on to something else. One choice isn't better than the other - only you can decide what's right for you.

Lots of runners have their running ended by injuries. Just do a search of this site - there are tons of threads about it.

I'm actually in a similar boat. I've been running for 2 + decades and have a knee injury that has probably spelled the end for me. I personally know 6 former runners who have had their running ended by various injuries. Of course I never thought it would happen to me. Well, gusss what?

It's a hard thing, and it takes a long time to really move on. I'm still struggling with that myself. There are days when it really feels like my life is over. I'm experimenting with other forms of exercise, but I know none of them will ever do what running did for me.

Oinkus,

some hopefullness for you: I fell once and sheared the cartilage on my femoral condyle. I'm not sure where your cartilage injury is but I also had microfracture/debridement surgery (along with lateral retinacular release). It was a long road back and I couldn't run consistently for an entire year afterwards. HOWEVER, 4 years later, the knee does not bother me at all, my times are faster than they ever were, and I was able to run 70+ mpw with no problems last spring.

of course I fell again in July and partially tore my achilles and I am in a boot so there's that but there is hope.

EPOpian wrote:

Oinkus,

some hopefullness for you: I fell once and sheared the cartilage on my femoral condyle. I'm not sure where your cartilage injury is but I also had microfracture/debridement surgery (along with lateral retinacular release). It was a long road back and I couldn't run consistently for an entire year afterwards. HOWEVER, 4 years later, the knee does not bother me at all, my times are faster than they ever were, and I was able to run 70+ mpw with no problems last spring.

of course I fell again in July and partially tore my achilles and I am in a boot so there's that but there is hope.

Thanks, EPOian! (Great name, by the way!). My injury was on the medial femoral condyle, and surgery was about 7.5 months ago. Not running yet, and it's frustrating at times wondering when/if I can run again. Good to hear it took you a year and that you got back to the level you did. Very hopeful! My doctor and physical therapist are confident I'll get back.

Sorry about your most recent injury! Must be frustrating after such a great comeback. Be strong - the same patience and determination that got you through the first injury can get you through this one, too.

Big Cow wrote:

Lots of runners have their running ended by injuries. Just do a search of this site - there are tons of threads about it.

I'm actually in a similar boat. I've been running for 2 + decades and have a knee injury that has probably spelled the end for me. I personally know 6 former runners who have had their running ended by various injuries. Of course I never thought it would happen to me. Well, gusss what?

It's a hard thing, and it takes a long time to really move on. I'm still struggling with that myself. There are days when it really feels like my life is over. I'm experimenting with other forms of exercise, but I know none of them will ever do what running did for me.

Yes, there are hundreds (maybe thousands) of posts on Letsrun and Slowtwitch about running injuries but practically none have simple, cheap SOLUTIONS. Two rules that make a MAJOR difference in my opinion to make running safer and easier are #1 NEVER run at more than 80% perceived effort! #2 MOVE YOUR HEAD BACK an inch (or more)when you run! These two simple rules will reduce STRESS (the main cause of injuries) by a HUGE amount very quickly and easily.