[samurai155]

Hey Revok, I know youre a preponent of long distance running and an aerobic base. Do you think it better to run every other day and do some sort of other training on opposing days? Or do you feel it is better to run every day? Im not a competitive fighter and am only interested in weight loss, fitness and health. I have been trying to run at least 5K or 3 miles 5 days a week and Im finding my knees are a bit sore. No injury or anything just sore. Previously I had been running every other day and found the soreness to be less in the knees, but I ran further distances, 6 miles or so. I was wondering if I could get the same heart and health benefits running every other day as opposed to every day. Any positive feedback would be appreciated. Thank you. Oh, by the way, Im 32 years old, 5'6" and about 200 pounds. Im very stocky with a little bit of a beer gut.

[Revok]

Of course listen to your body sooner than some bloke on the internet. If anything is giving you gyp, then by all means lay off for as long as necessary.

The only reason I chose to run LSD with heavy frequency (three days on, one day off) was because I got hopelessly addicted, and it was too hot in my garage to lift. Now that the summer's over and I have an aerobic base, I'm getting back to a more balanced routine and only running distance once or twice a week for maintenance.

I do think that aerobic ability responds well to high frequency though, so do try to get out as much as possible, but always remain mindful of injury. If that means running every other day, fine. And for fuck's sake RUN ON GRASS! I can't stress this enough - there's no bloody way I'd have put in 70+ miles per week on asphalt.

Also, cycling might be a smart alternative if your knees are playing up.

[jjj83]

I'm a former D1 runner. I'd keep it every other day, because of the knee pain. Too many runners have had it turn to bad injuries, because they abused it. If you perform the cross training that MMA workouts provide in its place during the off days, then that'd be the better route. Depending on what you do for the cross-training, you could enjoy the same benefits.

To note, grassy surfaces (if available) and after run icing will help, and could very well end the pain. In addition, if your shoes are more than 2 months old, get a new pair. That could be the problem right there for sure. Go after a name brand, and avoid the dimestore bargain types. If unsure of a brand, Asics are known to be very good, along with Reeboks. But if you've heard of the brand, and the shoe feels good, then that's most important. For the ice, try freezing a dixie cup of water. Then peel the upper edges so the ice sticks out further. You can use that outer ice part to rub on the knee.

[jjj83]

Originally Posted by Revok

RUN ON GRASS!

Dang, you beat me to it.

[samurai155]

Thanks brothers. Three days a week I do a PHA type workout, which done correctly elevates the heart rate. Sadly, there is nowhere to run on grass where I live, but I sometimes use a crushed gravel roadway and a treadmill. Like I said, Im not a competitve fighter, nor do I participate in an mma class, unfortunately. I do concur, that my cardiovascular activity should be more than three days a week. I do prefer running, and where I live in the northeast US the weather will soon prevent me from biking. Further, stationary biking to me is right up there with torture. More bang for the buck doing roadwork in my opinion. Thanks for the replies.