Sometimes I think we all get a bit carried away with this running "thing" - as though the act of running exists as a separate entity to everything else in the World - so we are either running or we are not. But what we are really doing is doing a form of cardio exercise. Some people choose to do their cardio exercise on different kinds of machines in a gym - but the form we choose is the act of putting one leg after the other out on the road. Now what is important during this form of exercise is that our heart rates are elevated - it doesn't really much matter the manner in which we get our hearts rates elevated - so long as we do so for 150 minutes per week??? (according to the American Heart Foundation)
So the next time - you get a sore ankle , run out of breath, have to wait for a traffic light - worry not because your heart will stay at an elevated rate for at least a minute or so ( I am so fit now that it is only about 30 seconds for me now ) - and the purpose of your cardio workout has not been in any way "ruined"!!
Written by
Bazza1234
Graduate10
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It is something about my "fitness" that I have noticed . I can't really say that I can run much faster than when I started 3 years ago - nor am I much "stronger" in terms of distance ( although I do run/walk distances these days that I could not have believed possible 3 years ago.) But my recovery rate heartwise does seem to me to be very fast -- I don't actually know if it is any faster than others , I suspect it may be - but I have done quite a bit of run/walking over long distances which is really just a form of interval training.
So true, I have a great bike in the shed that I can use anytime and today on a rest from running day, I went for a 5k stroll, very relaxing and managed to nosey around my area too, better than sitting down anyway. Even when we might be injured and resting from our passion "running", there are lots of exercise options
For someone with mental health difficulties it might be improvement in mood and symptoms, for someone concerned about osteoporosis it might be the bone strengthening high impact etc etc.
I agree with you Bazza, just yesterday I said the same thing. It's pretty hot and humid here at the moment, not very nice for running and it would be easy to just not go out. All the way round my very slow 5K yesterday I was thinking to myself "thank goodness I only do this for exercise and not for fun/PBs" Of course those things are part of it, but not the main reason.
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) - and the purpose of your cardio workout has not been in any way "ruined"!! 
Woo hoo we are running 
We need you!
Hungry legs, not so hot dawn(ish) running.
