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Comment by pengaru | Hacker News Reader

> I have been exercising my entire life and running is the only activity that routinely gives me injuries that last for nearly a year

What are you doing, running ultra-marathons?

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No, probably more dumb in the "man-up" sense: running immediately after waking in below freezing weather while it's still dark out without warming up or wearing warm clothes. I felt superhuman and that feeling is addictive.

Perhaps that is why running injuries are so common ? You can't keep pushing yourself to deadlift more, for example, without it being painfully obvious your form is not right. And you just know that the person looking back in the mirror should not deadlift 315 lbs. But with running there is no obvious indication and the environmental factors keep changing. Then you're spending months stiff and in pain. You feel 20 years old one week and 90 years old the next.

I've written a couple of reasonably well-received guides about running in a New England winter. As you've clearly learned, such activity is its own specialized thing, requiring its own habits and preparations even beyond running the rest of the year. My guides focus mainly on situational awareness (e.g. always knowing your escape route around piles of snow if a car comes along) and gear. You've identified a couple of gaps (e.g. the winter-specific dangers of running in the early morning) and reminded me that those guides are generally due for an update. Thank you.