Running Is Evil

Running seems to be one of the most effective and popular ways to lose weight and stay in shape. For me, it is one of the few ways that I can get my heart rate up so that I can get a good cardiovascular workout. However good running may be for my heart and my waist, I know that running destroyed my body! I ran competitively for 7 years and now, 15 years after my last race, I am still suffering from the effects it had on my body.

FEET
I have horrible foot pain just about everyday. It does not surprise me that after spending 7 years running on roads, asphalt tracks, sidewalks, and just about any other hard surface provided at indoor track meets, that my feet took a beating. I had to have surgery on my left foot to correct the damage caused by running, and I also have constant bursitis on the balls of both feet. Not to mention, the damage done, even though it is fixed in one foot, still bothers me if I wear heals too long, jog too much, or just wear any shoes for too long. I have had fractured and chipped bones in my feet from all the running I have done and I still feel the pain.

ANKLES
My ankles are weak from the multiple times I sprained them on the cross-country course. My ankles have been sprained so many times that now I sometimes twist my ankles while just standing in one place. I have even sprained my ankle sitting in criss-cross position. While running tends to strengthen the muscles in the ankle, the holes and rocks in off-road running tend to be a hazard. Not only is it painful and annoying when I sprain my ankle at random times now that they are so weakened, but all the twisting has caused problems with the nerves in my ankles. I have been told by doctors that my ankles do not protect themselves from sprains because I have lost the reflex that most people have. I have lost most proprioception in both ankles so my body does not react to the twisting until it is too late to protect myself from the sprain.

KNEES
My knees are even worse than my feet and my ankles. During the 7 years I spent running hardcore, my knee caps continuously dislocated. Kneecaps can dislocate in runners because running develops the hamstrings more than it develops the quadriceps. This imbalance can cause the kneecap to get off track. All the times that my knees caps dislocated I developed scar tissue and weak knee tendons. I had to have surgery on both knees to repair the tendons and scrape out the scar tissue. This was just as painful as it sounds. Now my knees are still weakened and I have the tendency to dislocate them while kicking, twisting, or sometimes just standing up. This is painful and usually means I am not moving to well for a week or so. Also, there are days when my knees will just throb if I walk too much on hard surfaces or even if its just a cold, wet day.


I am not anti-running. I still run when I am not in too much pain, and I think running is a natural human activity. I AM anti-treadmill because there is nothing healthy or natural about running on a treadmill. Running is a great workout, and a great conditioning tool. I just think that people should know that running is not always a good thing and that anybody should proceed with caution before beginning a running regiment.