I have been an athlete my whole life, and I never choose run-of-the-mill sports 
I competed internationally in gymnastics until I was 16 and had a back injury, then I continued coaching through college (and before I had kids I could still do skills up to level 8 or so). I went to college on a track and field scholarship, but I was a pole vaulter and triple jumper primarily (plus some sprints and relays) I also did a very successful stint on the swim team as a diver.
While all of these sports were great and formed my chidlhood, they also left me with life-long injuries
After my second son, I worked really hard to recover from SPD during pregnancy, and made a goal of running in a marathon. I did that in September 2008, worked really hard doing core strengthening, light weights, lots and lots of cardio (running and spinning), etc. I got my body fat percentage down to 19%!
I felt--and looked!--great! Hence baby #3 conceived just a few months later 
So now baby #3 is 6 months and I've been struggling with getting back into regular workouts. I keep trying to run, but old nagging injuries are plaguing me. My hip (an old labrum tear that I had florouscopy on), my knee (an old flap tear in my meniscus), my pubic bone (SPD again)... I also have had a few bouts of mastitis that force me to take 2-3 weeks off each time.
So I'm thinking that maybe my body just can't handle the miles of impact anymore. Maybe I just need more time, but there's a part of me that's gearing up to facing the possibility of admitting that maybe I just can't be a runner anymore.
One of my coworker's wife is a walker, she does half-marathons at like a 12 minute pace, walking the whole way. He said that she switched to walking because of nagging injuries, and that she's found it to be much easier on her joints but still great for fitness.
Has anyone here switched to walking? Any tips/tricks/suggestions? Do I need to read up on it, or do I just...start walking? I have spent years learning about running form, breathing, shoes, gait, etc. Is all of that the same/similar in walking? I don't mean to sound stupid...but do I even need new shoes?
What about hand weights, walking poles, etc...do you suggest anything like that? I truly don't know! I haven't even googled to see if there's a walker's equivalent to Runners World
The Air Force marathon is in September, and I have all intentions of competing, run walk or crawl.
I competed internationally in gymnastics until I was 16 and had a back injury, then I continued coaching through college (and before I had kids I could still do skills up to level 8 or so). I went to college on a track and field scholarship, but I was a pole vaulter and triple jumper primarily (plus some sprints and relays) I also did a very successful stint on the swim team as a diver.While all of these sports were great and formed my chidlhood, they also left me with life-long injuries
After my second son, I worked really hard to recover from SPD during pregnancy, and made a goal of running in a marathon. I did that in September 2008, worked really hard doing core strengthening, light weights, lots and lots of cardio (running and spinning), etc. I got my body fat percentage down to 19%!
I felt--and looked!--great! Hence baby #3 conceived just a few months later So now baby #3 is 6 months and I've been struggling with getting back into regular workouts. I keep trying to run, but old nagging injuries are plaguing me. My hip (an old labrum tear that I had florouscopy on), my knee (an old flap tear in my meniscus), my pubic bone (SPD again)... I also have had a few bouts of mastitis that force me to take 2-3 weeks off each time.
So I'm thinking that maybe my body just can't handle the miles of impact anymore. Maybe I just need more time, but there's a part of me that's gearing up to facing the possibility of admitting that maybe I just can't be a runner anymore.
One of my coworker's wife is a walker, she does half-marathons at like a 12 minute pace, walking the whole way. He said that she switched to walking because of nagging injuries, and that she's found it to be much easier on her joints but still great for fitness.
Has anyone here switched to walking? Any tips/tricks/suggestions? Do I need to read up on it, or do I just...start walking? I have spent years learning about running form, breathing, shoes, gait, etc. Is all of that the same/similar in walking? I don't mean to sound stupid...but do I even need new shoes?
What about hand weights, walking poles, etc...do you suggest anything like that? I truly don't know! I haven't even googled to see if there's a walker's equivalent to Runners World
The Air Force marathon is in September, and I have all intentions of competing, run walk or crawl.
