# Runners, Bike Riders, etc. How often do you run? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 31, 2007, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/runners-bike-riders-etc-how-often-do-you-run/406177 "2007-05-31T11:38:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/runners-bike-riders-etc-how-often-do-you-run/406177/21 "2007-06-01T03:26:13Z")
[QUOTE=kidchameleon] have worked up to 9 mph for 8 minutes and 8.5mph for the last 2.. [/QUOTE] Yowza. I’m in decent shape, but… Yowza. No way I could pull that. I’ll go ahead and claim it’s because I’m 40. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/runners-bike-riders-etc-how-often-do-you-run/406177/22 "2007-06-01T03:30:04Z")
[QUOTE=NurseCarmen] Yowza. I’m in decent shape, but… Yowza. No way I could pull that. I’ll go ahead and claim it’s because I’m 40. [/QUOTE] I’m mid-thirties, that would kill me. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/runners-bike-riders-etc-how-often-do-you-run/406177/23 "2007-06-01T11:03:41Z")
I run 2.5 miles at lunchtime. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/runners-bike-riders-etc-how-often-do-you-run/406177/24 "2007-06-01T11:28:59Z")
When I was cutting, I ran every other day. I haven’t really decided what my new exercise program will look like (I’ve been ill and unable to work out), but I think I’ll start at two runs and three sessions of weightlifting per six-day period, and work from there. ---
**Author:** ![Emilio\_Lizardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/runners-bike-riders-etc-how-often-do-you-run/406177/25 "2007-06-01T12:43:04Z")
[QUOTE=NurseCarmen] I don’t bike on weekends much, kids, ya know? [/QUOTE] I commute to work daily on my bike (about 5 miles round-trip) plus on weekends I attach the trailer to my bike and take the twins, now three, for a ride. There is an extensive trail system here in the Maryland suburbs of DC, and we stop occasionally at various playgrounds along the way. I love it because I get to ride and spend time with the kids, the kids love feeling the wind in their hair and getting to play, and my wife loves having some quite time to herself Saturday mornings. Everyone wins! ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/runners-bike-riders-etc-how-often-do-you-run/406177/26 "2007-06-01T13:29:14Z")
Okay - here’s a question to see exactly how stupid you are about your workouts. When something hurts - like my foot and knee do today - do you try to convince yourself that they aren’t bad enough that you can make it through your normal workout, or do you decide taking a day off won’t be the end of the world? 😛 I must admit, my answer might have been different at 27 or 37 than it is today at 47. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/runners-bike-riders-etc-how-often-do-you-run/406177/27 "2007-06-01T13:31:58Z")
[QUOTE=Dinsdale] Okay - here’s a question to see exactly how stupid you are about your workouts. When something hurts - like my foot and knee do today - do you try to convince yourself that they aren’t bad enough that you can make it through your normal workout, or do you decide taking a day off won’t be the end of the world? [/QUOTE] Depends on how much it hurts, where it hurts, and why it hurts. DOMS doesn’t stop me. ---
**Author:** ![Atrael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Atrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atrael)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/runners-bike-riders-etc-how-often-do-you-run/406177/28 "2007-06-01T15:18:25Z")
[QUOTE=Dinsdale] Okay - here’s a question to see exactly how stupid you are about your workouts. When something hurts - like my foot and knee do today - do you try to convince yourself that they aren’t bad enough that you can make it through your normal workout, or do you decide taking a day off won’t be the end of the world? 😛 I must admit, my answer might have been different at 27 or 37 than it is today at 47. [/QUOTE] Like **PriceGuy** said it depends. Since I’m just now getting back into running, I’ll tend to skip a day if something is hurting. My hip will occasionally ache enough to make me limp for a couple of hours in the morning. Usually after a bit harder run the day before. So then I’d skip my run the next morning if it hurt. I’ve run enough to know that skipping a day now will save me 3 or 4 days when I aggravage it by continuing to put stress on it. When I was in better shape, I’d tend to ignore the little aches and pains a bit more, I knew that once I got going they’s smooth out and I’d be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/runners-bike-riders-etc-how-often-do-you-run/406177/29 "2007-06-01T16:39:32Z")
As far as exercising with pain, I tend to follow my doctor’s advice which is “If it hurts, stop”. I’m 37 and things just don’t heal as fast as they used to. I’ve done some stupid stuff when I was younger that resulted in nagging injuries lasting for years and it’s just not worth it. Older but wiser. I do however have a pretty good feel for the difference between a sore muscle and more serious problems (joint pain or whatever). Example, if I go for a long run after a layoff, my legs will probably be stiff the next day, but I know that I can (and probably should) at least go for a walk, do some light stretching and so forth to stay limber. If I’m doing pushups and my elbow is suddenly in pain, I need to stop immediately and let it rest for however long it takes to feel better (this happened recently, I’ve just learned to accept that overdoing it may result in having to do something else for a few weeks while parts heal, and it’s better to avoid that problem in the first place). ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/runners-bike-riders-etc-how-often-do-you-run/406177/30 "2007-06-01T16:44:33Z")
As far as exercising with pain, I tend to follow my doctor’s advice which is “If it hurts, stop”. I’m 37 and things just don’t heal as fast as they used to. I’ve done some stupid stuff when I was younger that resulted in nagging injuries lasting for years and it’s just not worth it. Older but wiser. I do however have a pretty good feel for the difference between a sore muscle and more serious problems (joint pain or whatever). Example, if I go for a long run after a layoff, my legs will probably be stiff the next day, but I know that I can (and probably should) at least go for a walk, do some light stretching and so forth to stay limber. If I’m doing pushups and my elbow is suddenly in pain, I need to stop immediately and let it rest for however long it takes to feel better (this happened recently, I’ve just learned to accept that overdoing it may result in having to do something else for a few weeks while parts heal, and it’s better to avoid that problem in the first place). ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/runners-bike-riders-etc-how-often-do-you-run/406177/31 "2007-06-01T16:54:37Z")
Depends on the pain. When I’m running, round the 10-15 minute mark I sometimes get mild lower abdomen cramps or else a very strange feeling that I really have to pee. Both go away within a couple minutes if I just run through it. Sharp pain, “hot” pain, or joint pain and I stop. I’d rather be out of commission a day or two than the weeks I’d have off if I pulled something or worse. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/runners-bike-riders-etc-how-often-do-you-run/406177/32 "2007-06-01T17:10:07Z")
I guess for full disclosure I should reveal that before I ran I did a lot of martial arts including full contact sparring and striking, grappling, and NHB-style competitions. Fought for over a year with bone chips in my L wrist, and despite repeatedly hyperextending my R big toe. Amazing what you can do with tape, wraps, and a high pain tolerance! So I have a little experience in the difference between discomfort and injury, as well as the residual benefit of arthritis to remind me how stupid I was. :rolleyes: Like I said, May was a good month in terms of both number of runs and total miles. So I have no qualms about taking today off. June will undoubtedly be a lighter month anyway, as I’m taking a couple of 4-5 day vacations this month. ---
**Author:** ![SlowMindThinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@SlowMindThinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlowMindThinking)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/runners-bike-riders-etc-how-often-do-you-run/406177/33 "2007-06-01T22:14:07Z")
I used to run 6 days a week, and lift three. Over the last few years, I picked up swimming, so I decided to start triathlons. My schedule is now Swimming: 2-3x a week, depending on the pool schedule Running: 3-4 times a week, one day speed work, one day distance Biking: 2x a week at best. Easily my weakest event. Sometimes I commute by bike. This summer I hope to bike to work 4 days a week. Lifting: 2x a week [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/runners-bike-riders-etc-how-often-do-you-run/406177.md?page=1)