Where do I go now?

[Deleted User]

I've been training for around 3 months on a regular basis, loosing around a stone in the last month and a half, and now running 5-6.5 miles 3 times a week, at around avg 10.15 pace. I feel comfortable, I'm enjoying it, I'm not feeling too tired when I get home and its all working...

so the question is do I now try longer runs, (subject to the +10% guide a week), or faster, or more? or start getting into the training more seriously (intervals etc)? Should I join a running club?

My goal is to loose another couple of stone, I'm booking in for a couple of 10K's in may and june, and generally get fitter.. Male 42 16 stone.

any ideas?

Hog-mouse

You can increase the distance of one of your runs - obviously on the day that you have most time. You can use the 10% guide if you like though it is not the only way to increase distance, it's easiest to follow.

Running faster? Well intervals or reps will help with the weight loss and getting fitter quicker though I'm worried about it with your weight. You can of course go to the gym and do intervals on any piece of equipment or with weights rather than run. This will remove the risk of injury from impact of running.

Really it all depends on what you want out of your running. Not everyone wants to run far or fast. As you say your main motive is to lose weight and get fitter, then as above, throw in some other exercise.

If you want to get serious about running and not xtrain then joining a running club and doing a variety of different workouts will see you fit.

[Deleted User]

What do you want to do?

Are you booking in the 10k's because you really want to do well over that distance, and increase your speed, or are they a stepping stone to longer distances?

Not everyone wants to do races - some just run because they enjoy it. If what you are currently doing achieves for you what you want then you don't need to feel under pressure to change it.

Most runners will probably run a more varied training programme than you currently do. Typically a longer run at the weekend, a shorter fairly fast "tempo" run (10k race pace) and a speedwork session, with some other fairly steady running similar to what you currently do in between. They would vary the distances and efforts depending on the distance of their target race, and where they were in the build up to it.

But really it is up to you for you to decide what you want to get out of running.

[Deleted User]

The 10Ks give me something to guage myself against, but overall I'm enjoying the acomplishment of longer distances, and the fact I feel healthier, and I am loosing weight. I'm a scuba diver, and I dive most weekends, so weekend training is difficult. I am looking towards the marathon next year, but have no real target, apart from improving running a few 10Ks and possibly a local 1/2 and staying injury free.

 Wayne

[Deleted User]

Well, then I'd either suggest with sticking more or less with what you are doing for now - you are enjoying it, losing weight, getting fitter, and are injury free - you should continue to see steady progress for a while yet.
Or tweak your training & gradually lengthen one run, and shorten one run (but go harder - as a rough guide the kind of pace where you could grunt one or two words, but not have a full conversation - you should be able to keep the pace going for the whole run, and feel as if you have worked hard, but not be totally wiped out). If you want you could introduce a speedwork/interval session. A simple way to do this is if your watch has a countdown timer, set it to beep every 2 mins (or other interval). Run one of your usual routes, but go pretty hard until the watch beeps, jog recovery until it beeps again - repeat until you get home. Any other running should be steady and not too long. Changing to these more focused sessions should see faster improvements in time, but whilst some people relish the challenge etc. some find it takes the enjoyment out of going for a run.