Shin splints, I guess?

[The Mad Monk]

PARKOUR!

[Lorizael]

My solution to this problem last summer was to just stop working out. Once, I tried to go to the gym at the university, but apparently only students get in for free and not faculty.

[Broken_Erika]

You could always try these

[Dinner]

I should stop running for now? Blargle. Not a member of a gym, but might have access to UMD's gym soon. No neighborhood pool, but there might be community pools. Will check out. Shoes, yeah.

Remember the old parable of the doctor. A patient walks in and says "Doctor, it hurts when I do THIS!" so the doctors says "Don't do that."

Seriously, if it really does hurt then something is wrong so don't do that. Often, especially if we are out of shape, as many, if not most of us are as we approach middle age, then you have to work your way up to things. Yes, when you were 18 you were a track and field champion but now you are 35 and you last regularly ran 15+ years ago so now you are starting over. You have to build up your tendons and muscles again so that they are used to it and can take the beating. If you jump right in and try to pick up where you left off in high school then that is just asking for an injury.

We all crawl before we walk, we all walk before we run. If you are put of shape, like most adult 1st welders are... Then it is time to start at the bottom and work your way back up. It will take effort but your doctor will thank you, your girlfriend/wife will suddenly find you more sexy in a few month, and best of all you will be improving your own health so that you live both longer and in better health. Now, if only I would start taking my own advice.

[Dinner]

Yeah, I'm running on concrete.

Avoid that if possible. Dirt is best, degraded granite trail material is almost as good, hell, even asphalt has a slight amount of give but concrete has no give. At all. The best possible running/jogging surface is one of those cork or threaded rubber tracks. You see a lot made from old car tires which are firm, have good grip, but also have a nice but of give and bounce so that it is not hard of knees or other joints.

Of course, this all depends on you having one near you and that isn't always the case, but, usually you can find a dirt trail. No matter where you are there is always dirt, right? Jog on anything other than asphalt, your knees, back, and shins will thank you. Also always have newish running shoes. Seriously, with in six months the cushion on even the best running shoes is compressed and no longer ideal. This is especially so if you are a large or tall man so two pairs of shoes per year with regular use should be standard.

[Lorizael]

Solid advice.

[ricketyclik]

I agree with most of Dinner's advice, with this exception: it's best to run on uneven, soft surfaces. He got the soft part, but not the uneven.

Many shy away from uneven surfaces, because of twisted ankles, but think of it this way. If every footfall is slightly differently angled from the last, the muscles, tendons and ligaments get used more thoroughly, resulting in better exercise. A predictable, repetitive footfall results in the tendons and ligaments being strong for that action, but not for others, making them very strong at that, but not at variations, particularly when they're unexpected. It's this that causes the twisted ankles when an uneven surface is encountered.

I used to run a lot, placing well in district cross country events, fun runs and the like. I once covered 40 kms there and back, with a rise in altitude of 3000 m. Admittedly it took me 12 hours, and the there part (uphill) was mainly walking.

I pretty much gave up running 20 years ago, due to knee wear. Walking's better, in the long run. As Dinner said, swimming is excellent, especially if you mix up the strokes.

[ricketyclik]

At least getting old beats the crap out of being old.

And being old beats the only alternative.