Ok... so... I tried running yesterday... after my second one minute period (with one minute in between), my shins were in pain again.

However... I spent the rest of my 30 minutes averaging at 3.5 mph walking... with the occasional 4.0 mph. And... while I wasn't getting the stitch in my side that I associate with running hard... or the out of breath feeling... I could still feel the workout.

So... I want to run... but I feel as though I can't. I don't want to get myself dependent on ellipticals or other machines... because there are many times where they just aren't available... and so I want something like running that I could go out and do almost anywhere.

But... the pain in my shin just isn't worth it.

So... what are benefits of running compared with speed walking? I still sped walked around 2.2 miles in the 30 minutes... but... yeah.

you burn about the same number of calories speed walking (about 5 mph) as you do running if you go the same distance. running can seriously worsen knee problems so if you have knee problems you probably shouldn't be running anyways. you could always just try doing a "boosted walk" which is basically a light jog for awhile.

I think only someone who is extremely tall or has a really long stride would be able to walk at 5mph, most average people are jogging/running at this point, hence why the calorie burn would be the same.

There are many many benifits to running, but the bottom line is if it hurts you then you shouldn't be doing it. That's not to say you can never be a runner. I walked off many of my lbs and didn't start running until I was in the 180s, so just keep walking and see how it goes.