Based on my own experience with running, this doesn't surprise me. I've been a runner for about 5 years and am currently running about 40 miles a week. I actually find that I'm in better health now (e.g. fewer injuries, better mood, don't get sick) than before I started running.
As long as you do are disciplined with your training, your body can adapt to handle the stresses of running:
- Increase your mileage gradually. Most experts agree no more than 10% increase per week.
- Get adequate nutrition, hydration, sleep. Runners need a little extra calcium and iron than non-runners. Also, you can expect to burn about 100-125 calories per mile, so you want to make sure you are eating enough.
- Wear shoes that fit. Your feet actually swell a little bit as you run, so you generally need to buy running shoes that are one size bigger than your normal shoes. Your shoes should feel comfortable - it's ok to be picky and try on a lot of pairs before you find ones you like. Also some people need to buy gel insoles or arch supports to get a better fit. If you're not sure, you can go to a running store and ask for help.
- Run with proper form. The way I describe it to new runners is that proper foot strike feels a lot like jumping rope. You want to be light on your feet, hit the ground mid foot and be springy (not stiff) in your legs, and kick back. If you're not sure, try running barefoot somewhere safe like on a grass soccer field - this will force you to run properly.
- Allow for some rest days in your schedule, and take a few days off if you find yourself having pain that doesn't go away, or if you have pain that affects your running form. Don't run if you have a chest cold or fever. Be smart and go easy if you have other conditions like asthma or allergies. If you're not sure, see a doctor.
Anecdotal evidence--after a childhood bout of rheumatoid arthritis (or rheumatic fever, perhaps), one or the other knee would hurt all day roughly once a month--a deep and tiring pain. After I took up running in college, this went away. Post hoc, propter hoc? Dunno; I run because I enjoy it.
Get fitted for shoes by a specialty running store. You're not a busty woman, but if you were, I would tell you to invest in a sufficiently supportive running bra. (Title IX Sports, title9.com, has a whole line of extra-supportive athletic bras, culminating in their "Last Resort Bra" for the uber-busty.) The rest of your kit isn't worth worrying about, as long as you aren't too uncomfortable.
For help getting started, check out coolrunning.com. They have articles and forums especially for beginners. Their "Couch to 5k" program (http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml) is pretty good, and refined by lots of feedback in their forums. The forums are awesome -- in their "Newbie Cafe" you'll get moral support from other beginners and great advice from experienced runners.
For someone starting out, I'd recommend looking into a store where they are serious about running shoes: I have in mind ones in the Washington, DC, area--Racquet & Jog, the Adams-Morgan Fleet Feet, Pacers--but I've seen comparable ones in Milwaukee and Philadelphia. Such stores will have knowledgeable sales staff and often will offer training programs pointing toward some races.
Something I posted a few days ago bears repeating: Running trails and running clubs are disproportionately populated with people who are more resistant to injury. Lots of people quit running out of frustration with injuries. I had a two-year love affair with running that kept getting interrupted by shin splints and sore knees. (Cue the "you're doing it wrong" folks. I paid careful attention to my form and did my best to learn from, to choose one example from many, Evolution Running.)
There's no way you can create an adequate control group for middle-aged long distance runners. You'd have to find people who had proved their ability to withstand high mileage running in their middle age and then quit for reasons unrelated to injury.
These days running is still my favorite form of exercise, and I no longer have problems with injury, but that's because I gave up running long distances at a steady pace. I'm either run/walking with my girlfriend or doing solo fartlek sessions of no more than five miles total. I could certainly achieve higher mileage, but pushing the injury envelope longer seems worth it. When your study group is middle-aged long distance runners, you are perforce excluding people like me. How do you exclude people like me from the control group?
As long as you do are disciplined with your training, your body can adapt to handle the stresses of running:
- Increase your mileage gradually. Most experts agree no more than 10% increase per week.
- Get adequate nutrition, hydration, sleep. Runners need a little extra calcium and iron than non-runners. Also, you can expect to burn about 100-125 calories per mile, so you want to make sure you are eating enough.
- Wear shoes that fit. Your feet actually swell a little bit as you run, so you generally need to buy running shoes that are one size bigger than your normal shoes. Your shoes should feel comfortable - it's ok to be picky and try on a lot of pairs before you find ones you like. Also some people need to buy gel insoles or arch supports to get a better fit. If you're not sure, you can go to a running store and ask for help.
- Run with proper form. The way I describe it to new runners is that proper foot strike feels a lot like jumping rope. You want to be light on your feet, hit the ground mid foot and be springy (not stiff) in your legs, and kick back. If you're not sure, try running barefoot somewhere safe like on a grass soccer field - this will force you to run properly.
- Allow for some rest days in your schedule, and take a few days off if you find yourself having pain that doesn't go away, or if you have pain that affects your running form. Don't run if you have a chest cold or fever. Be smart and go easy if you have other conditions like asthma or allergies. If you're not sure, see a doctor.
Many people now believe that humans are specifically evolved for distance running: http://www.philly.com/philly/health_and_science/20090720_Bar...