Tiger: Running "pretty much destroyed my body and my knees"

[OutBackHack]

Last week, a girl, who's 20 years younger than me, said let's go for a run on the beach...I told her I don't run.

That's my thought on the subject.

[bscinstnct]

 

I be like,

 

Ya, just do it! Bring me back a six-pack ; )

 

 

[straightshot7]

You should have told her you can show her how to burn 500 calories indoors in just 3 minutes with you.

[Golfjack]

How can people deny that running hurts your body? Any exercise wears on your body. Even swimming. But that's probably one of the gentler ones where you can go hard but don't get punished on wear and tear as hard. We all love the sports that we love, wear and tear be damned. Runners will run, golfers will golf. There are plenty of golf related injuries as well. Running is pretty hard on your joints because of the high volume and running every day. It adds up. Even with the best form. Of course Tiger did other things to hurt his body as well. But running really didn't help his game all that much. For his career, if he ran less I would wager that he could have gotten a couple more prime years out of his body.

[spoonhead]

At 63, my real knee is in pretty rough shape. The fake one is going great. The fact is that my joints as a whole are poorly made.

On the other hand I have friends that have run their entire lives, and their joints are fine.

Its just the way your body is put together that ultimately determines your results. No doubt the other factors mentioned here are a big part of it.

Tiger is like Bobby Orr, his knees were going to be a problem the day he came out of the womb. I wonder it his father had arthritis later in life?

Someone must have seen the signs at some point and he was young and he ignored the signs and that's what young people do, that's life.

[grm24]

Tiger had benign tumors and scar tissue removed from left knee when he was 19 years old. He had knee surgery again on his left knee in late 2002 for benign cysts and fluid removal from inside/outside his ACL. Signs were there early.

[brew4eagle]

I run a lot and believe it is way better than not running. I also stretch way more when I'm in a pattern of routine running. When I get into lazy patterns and just sit on my *** all day I have so many more daily aches and pains. Then there's the indisputable cardiovascular benefits. Sure, there may be less load bearing exercises, but for me I much prefer running and my knees/joints are pain free. When it comes to running vs not running, that's a no brainer as far as which is better for you.

[Ferguson]

Let's get one thing straight.

 

Tiger is no Marty Liquori.

 

 

 

[jonsnow]

He's no Rosie Ruiz either...

[bscinstnct]

 

He no Tom Levy!

 

[ThinkingPlus]

It isn't safe.

[NoTalentLefty]

Walking is better and more natural.

[bscinstnct]

 

[brew4eagle]

Humans were built to run long distances, we've just become soft over the years

[Ferguson]

The posters on Tiger's wall as a kid:

 

 

 

 

 

[bscinstnct]

 

Oh yeah?

 

The first guy in history to ever run a Marathon fell over and died right after, you know ; )

[stlmatt]

I wish I could run like a gazelle, I cannot

 

[BlackDiamondPar5]

Sure and when life expectancy was only 35 it would be basically impossible to wear out a knee joint in one's life.

[brew4eagle]

Humans are among the best, if not the best, animal as far as long distance running is concerned.

[Ferguson]

Tiger is no Lee Majors.

 

 

[dalehead]

The humans who were built to run long distances weren’t built to live beyond age 40 and develop knee problems.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

And Ferguson is no Farah Fawcett :)

[brew4eagle]

Maybe I'll change my approach and take up smoking and drinking and quit running so I die sooner and don't develop knee problems. Would probably be more enjoyable.

[bscinstnct]

 

Ya, we are built for distance. But not for pavement ; )

[cardoustie]

Terry Fox - Wikipedia

none of the runners mentioned hold a candle to our own Terry Fox

stupidly when I was a kid and a die hard distance and cross country runner, I overslept and missed seeing him run by the end of my street

 

[BlackDiamondPar5]

Or just do more low impact exercise.

[cardoustie]

Sorry this jumps around a lot ….

Running, and associated injuries, is all about genetics baby. Just like any sport. Heck, I still know guys in their mid 40's that can go on 5 day golf trips and play 36 a day. That is hard core.

Some folks don't get injured and others do. Some super fit runners drop dead at 45, and some heavy smokers and boozers who never exercised in their life make it to 95.

For me, I love running. It was my sport before competitive soccer and before university and Am golf. I was at an elite level until I was 16, winning cross country events like a lunatic. Basically running 4 miles every morning before school and 4 miles afterwards. Of course I was a tiny lad and didn't grow till I was 17.5. I think I went into high school at 106lbs for the wrestling team. at a wee 4'11".

Nowadays, it kills my hips and feet (the tendon under my right ankle as I'm on the outside of that foot) but I still do 4 miles 2 times a week on my treadmill .. where I walk 1 min and run 2.5 mins. Even when I was a light 225lbs back in the day I could do 5 miles in just under 30 minutes, that seems unattainable now as my "walk run" program has me doing 4 miles in 42 mins

I will say I much prefer my elliptical nowadays and do also mix in my recumbent bike. The elliptical takes away the pounding of road work and minimizes foot issues

I blew disks out in my back when I was 37, a 5 mile run on beach sand in Myrtle Beach, 6 weeks after my appendix came out.. Beach running … that is hard work on soft surfaces !!!!

This article doesn't touch on it but the first thing my back surgeon said to me in 2004 when he looked at my MRI's, CT and x-rays was .. looks like you've been a hard core runner. Running is HARD on your lower back!!!!! But I think genetics for my family was also a massive factor

Believe it or not before I started running again I was dreaming about running !! (Say that in a Forrest Gump voice)

Anyways, I don't think anyone has pointed out that Tiger has an addictive personality and is all in on anything he pursues …… golf, weights, running. SEAL's, women, pain meds etc etc

[bscinstnct]

 

Wow, just had a flashback, I remember that as a kid, they showed his run on the news a lot.

 

Great timing to post that, especially now, to show just how much heart and sheer will is possible.

 

Seeing the opening of him running here really brings me back in time....

 

[bscinstnct]

 

You know TW is reading this thread and like,

 

what the heck is with these people ?

[Shilgy]

Thank goodness it’s a couple months before my next dentist appointment.