Are you wondering where your running knee pain is coming from? Let’s say you’re 5’8”, 150lbs, and you run a 10-minute mile. Over the course of a 3-mile run, your knees will experience a compressive load of nearly 3 million pounds.
Wait….what? Let’s calculate this.
For every pound of body weight, a knee experiences about 4 pounds of pressure when a foot hits the ground.[i] So, if you weigh 150 pounds, your knee experiences 600 pounds of pressure per stride. In addition, a person who is 5’8” and runs a 10-minute mile takes about 1,600 strides per mile.[ii] Do you see where we’re going with this?—
(150lbs weight x 4lbs pressure/lb) x (3mi x 1,600 strides/mi)= 2,880,000lbs in compressive load!
In truth, exactly how many pounds of pressure your knees bear during walking and running is uncertain. Some experts say that for every pound you weight, your knee experiences only 2 pounds of pressure per stride, while others estimate nearly 7 pounds of pressure.[iii] But what’s not up for debate is that your knees (and hips, and ankles) take a pounding.
That doesn’t mean running is bad for you! A good running program can actually help build muscles, support healthy bones, and strengthen joints. It might also boost your brain’s memory and executive function abilities.[iv, v]. Admittedly, not all scientists agree on that last point, but it’s what some of us tell ourselves as we lace up our running shoes.
Another bonus: a 3-mile run burns approximately 340 calories[vi], which is about the number of calories in a slice of apple pie!
So if you are ready to give your knees a challenge in exchange for some calorie-burning and added brain function, come join us for our Pi Day Run!
On April 8th, 2024, a total solar eclipse will sweep across North America, from Mexico to the Maine-Canadian border. For those who experienced the spectacular solar eclipse of 2017, this one will be similar, crossing the United States from west to east and passing through or near several major metropolitan areas. And while its path is quite different this time, Carbondale, Illinois, a reasonable destination for Chicago-area residents, will once again be on the line of totality.
Just a little background on eclipses: Lunar and solar eclipses are not uncommon – they each occur about twice a year when the moon is crossing the ecliptic, the path of the sun in the sky.
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