Heartrate concerns. Should I be worried?

I'd love to know how the chi running goes.

Chi running was recommended by several people here, and I just got the book (I could have gone to a workshop but it sold out while I was dithering around about spending the $$).

I'm not a runner (yet) but the book is inspiring and makes sense.

I have never been a runner and when I started trying to teach myself (again) with the Chi Running book a year ago, I was 45 lbs overweight and had constant foot and shin pain.

Now I am comfortable running (at a slow pace) for 4-5 miles at a time every other day. I am still limited by feet and leg pain. I have yet come to the point where my cardio vascular fitness is forcing me to stop a run. Again, I am training, not racing...so I run a slow, comfortable, aerobic pace that I feel like I could run all day.

Based on my experience going from a cyclist to a runner, first thing I would suggest is to slow down. I know it's hard but you need to. I don't know how tall you are, but for short legged people like me, 7.0 mph on a treadmill is very close to a sprint! In the Chi running book, they will talk about consciously relaxing your leg from the knee down...so hopefully that will help with the pain. As I mentioned, I still have lower leg pain when I'm running, but it comes on further and further into the run each time (this is after a year of slow build, by the way). You want to be running at a pace where you feel like you can go longer than you need to - and then add distance (or time running vs walking). I would save challenging intervals until you get some base running under your belt. It'll be MUCH easier on your legs that way. Now I get pain at about 4 miles into a run. When I started, the pain happened almost right away. It gets better, but you need to slow down so that you can build the mileage that allows it to get better.

Some great advice here...but I also agree with your checking with your doctor, especially in light of your mom's heart condition. Glad you are going to do that just in case anything is amiss. Keep us posted!