Totally agree. I'm not skinny enough anymore to run and even when I was I didn't like it. It's monotonous. If you run slow enough to be able to have a conversation with a partner you're not getting much of a workout either. Running sucks.

After having ACL replacement many years ago I can no longer run much without swelling and pain in my right knee unless on a treadmill which is waaaaaaay boring.

If you replace "run" with "cycle," you get the argument most people I know use to justify keeping their bikes hung on hooks in the garage instead of taking them out on the road.

I'm somewhat surprised by the number of cyclists who say running is boring, pointless, hurts too much or just plain sucks. Besides the general benefits of cross training, here's something else to consider. There's always a chance you may be caught in a situation where you literally need to run to save yours or a loved ones life. Should that situation ever come for me, I would like to be at least somewhat prepared for the task at hand.

It's not necessary for everyone to be able to do a 6 minute mile, or run a full marathon, but being able to run for 30 minutes or more without stopping or walking seems like a nice think to be able to do should the need arise. My plan is to keep my running ability up well into my senior years.

People's bikes hang on hooks instead of getting ridden because they thought they could buy their way to fitness. It doesn't matter if you run, bike, swim, or hop on one foot--if you don't have commitment you don't get fit.

That's one of the most ******** things I've ever read on bikeforums.

You haven't been around long.
Anyhow, it is a valid point. IMHO

Yes, and we should all have nunchuck skills, bowhunting skills...you never know when they might come in handy and could save the life of a loved one...

A pistol would do just fine. No need to make it complicated.

I've done both for a few years, but In the last few months I've pretty much given up regular long runs (ie. ~10K). The fitness from doing both is great, but running on pavements does take a serious toll on hips, knees, shins, anckles, feet etc... after a conversation with an overweight athritis-ridden 50year old ex-runner I decided to give it a rest.

I've taken up squash instead - just as good if not better for fitness, and amazingly fun. I can't begin to explain just how engaging this sport is, even for a beginer.

It may be rare, but even in our modern civilized society people most certainly need to “run for their life” on occasion. I’m sure it happens somewhere in the US everyday. On 9/11 there were thousands forced to do so. It is no stretch to say that those who spent time conditioning themselves for running were better able to escape harm, or rescue others, than those who never did because they thought running was boring or hurts too much.

But the need to run need not have as noble a reason as saving a life. It could come in handy when chasing down someone who just grabbed your bike, or when trying to be the first person to get the $99 Plasma TV at 5am on black Friday. There also was the time I almost missed the ice cream truck and had to chase it down for 5 blocks on foot…

My point is that if you never run, eventually you'll never be able to.

I run more in the fall and winter, bike in the spring and summer. I am prone to injury when running so I usually need the warmer weather to heal from the running so I try to commute during the nicer weather. I am hoping to enter a triathlon in the next year or so I will have to add swimming a day or two a week as well.

Right on!

Squash, raquetball, tennis, football (and I don't mean the American version), ultimate... I enjoy these sports and they're great for cross-training. They also condition me to kick and hit things while on the run so that I can defend my family out in the wild.

Running is great for cross-torture.

Wuss

That was a joke btw. Since half of you seem to have lost your sense of humor.

I got a pair of those (actually, my gf bought 'em) and I think they're great. My running style had evolved over the past year to where I was doing more of a shuffle (more so than I had been able to do before) with nearly silent footfalls, and shoes like these seemed to be a natural progression. I'm not ready to do the Vibram Five Fingers, but even these are a lot nicer than the other shoes I have. Whenever I try to run in regular, thick-heeled running shoes now, it's like the heel gets in the way of my stride, and I have to work harder to get a nice landing on each step.

Now my shins don't hurt, and I feel pretty good after my moderate distances (no more than about 3-4 miles, no longer than 30-40 minutes).

You are what you eat. Oooh, did I type that?

You eat fat commuters?

Om nom nom, tasty.

I better start running before I get eaten too...

YMMV. Back when I was a serious runner I belonged to a couple of different running clubs. One of them had many seniors in it. By senior I mean people in their 60's and 70's. A lot of them did multiple marathons a year in different cities across the country. Some of them had only been running for 10 or 20 years. Other's 30, 40, or even longer.

edit: I do know people who quit running due to knee trouble. I also know of at least one person that quit cycling for the same reasons. I've witnessed 3 people crumple to the ground for no apparent reason while playing soccer. I just had a conversation regarding how tough soccer is on the knees with a coworker who gave it up in his 20's after facing his 3rd knee surgery. Yet I have another coworker in his 50's who has been playing it competitively since he was a kid. He plays in a "senior" league with other older guys, many of whom have been playing it for decades.

I've been running since I was in my early 20's. I'm 46 now, not fat, and the only problem with my joints that I've had of note have come from cycling, not running. I'm sure I'll still be running when I hit 50, still won't be fat, and still won't have arthritis.

I ran for almost two years and loved it, but my joints did not. I work standing on concrete every day for eight hours. Still, Hashing sounds like a hoot. If I ever get a sit-on-my-ass job then Hashing would be fun to get into.

nope

I feel like I should or something, but nope

Since when did half of the Commuting forum even have a sense of humor?

I don't run, but like Hardy, I feel like I should, for many of the reasons listed in the this thread. I tried running this past winter after I hung up the bike. The first time, I had very sore shins for several days after. The second time, I tried adjusting my stride, and the shin problem was reduced, but my left hip gave me grief, and ever since, it hasn't felt quite right. I gave up after that. Someday I'll try again. I'm actually getting envious of tri-athletes, but I also can't swim worth a ****.