My Forum

Me too, Muzza.  I think I'll give this company a miss in the future.

I forefoot strike, but I don't find it puts any pressure on my calfs; I don't push off with my toe.  I keep my stride length short and cadence high.  Think road runner, a kinda circular motion with your feet - no pushing off with the toes - and this (I think) should take the pressure off the calfs.

I try to use the natural springyness in the legs/tendons to move me forward.  Maybe have a look at the Chi running style of running; it explains that the calf muscles are small and not designed to propell us forward the way some of us run.

A good book which covers this area in some depth (the area being family resentments against the running) is the Zen of Running.

I live with a runner though, so it doesn't apply to me, but when I wasn't a 'runner', yes of course I could get resentful about the time she spent running.  What I didn't realise was that although running isn't like work - it's not something that needs to be done to maintain the roof over our heads - but neither is sleep, but it's hugely important we sleep.  Running for many is just like sleep.  It mightn't earn us money, but it's just as vital.

Can you get up early and run so it doesn't infring on family life?

Maybe because running on the flat means we use the same muscles/movements extremely repetitatively that you find the variation of different muslces involved with hills easier to maintain?

Other than that, I dunno; I run a lot of hills (I live in a hilly area), but I can't say I find them exactly easy.

I'm just back in from one route and Mrs Easy is just back in from another.

I ran around town, thinking the heavily used paths would be better; they weren't and were mostly covered by compacted ice.  I did some hill reps up a lane which had very little snow/ice on it, but the rest of the route was a bit dodgy.

Mrs Easy ran around the country lanes and she said they were brilliant; which surprised me, since I would've thought they would be worse.

Just go out and be careful.  Short strides, run on the quiet roads - no headphones - and use off road shoes if you have 'em.