Holy shit! My calves could crack your skull open!

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

Why didn't anyone tell me running was this awesome!?

[NotPublished]

OH tell me they feel fine when you run your hands over your calves...

just tell me....

[Nast]

BECAUSE POWER WALKING

IS EVEN MOAR AWESOME!

[Dimocritus]

Pics or it didn't happen.

[Sir Squid Diddimus]

Pics or it didn't happen.

[P3nT4gR4m]

Running is a modern dilution of the ancient hunting instinct. For the authentic experience, at the end of your run, you should drive a javelin through the nearest herbivore. Bonus points if that happens to be Linda Mcartney.

[Triple Zero]

check my running mixes in the B&B subforum. I only started to like exercise when I could do it to my own soundtrack

[LMNO]

I used to enjoy running before my knees became piles of rusty wire.

[Richter]

I used to enjoy running before my knees became piles of rusty wire.

I use elliptical machines a good bit.  Lower impact 
One of my knees is already on borrowed time, so I'm not running for it's own sake.  Doing part of the workout on the reverse setting seems to  help mine. 

[LMNO]

I just do the bike these days.

[Suu]

Running is awesome until you tear something and it requires surgery, then it's NOT so awesome anymore.

[Triple Zero]

How to prevent rusty wires and/or the tearing of something? I am not only doing the exercise because I want a good body now, but also because I want it to be healthy later.

[LMNO]

Don't drink so much.

Wear decent shoes.

Stretch out.

Stop aging.

[P3nT4gR4m]

Running = Repetitively straining every joint and ligament in your legs and feet by slamming your whole bodyweight down on it over and over again. It will fuck you up - go figure.

If it's like any other exercise then alternating a day running with a rest day, so your body can repair the damage you've done to it will probably help.

Incidentally - running is a bog standard cardio workout which you can get from damn near any exercise - Is walnut cracking calves really worth a trip to an early wheelchair?

[Triple Zero]

LMNO, I got number two. Working on number one. Not sure about the stretching, I hear conflicting things about it.

P3NT well that's what the shoes help for, the difference was very noticable. Need to get new ones though. I already do the rest day thing anyway, I find the second day always goes worse , so I skip it.

And yeah, cardio. I'm going to a gym now, though not for long I think, so I can do different cardio's there. Running is just the easiest one to do without much extra tools except shoes (which are really important). It's also more fun, I hate the fact that you are on this elliptical thing and it somehow pretends you're making miles, but you're not going anywhere. I don't like the gym, I got the subscription cause my gf got one and I wanted to be supportive, so now I use it to train my upper body somewhat (it seems to work, even), and get ready for taking ju-jitsu lessons soon (monday I will have a tryout training yay). But all in all I will probably go back to running sooner or later.

Is it really that bad for you, though?