Endurance

I an 47, been running about 5km thrice to four times a week, for a year now.. No known heart or other condition. No pains, injuries. What I would like to know is, is it normal that I can only run continuously for about 8 min., after that I have to walk for a minute or two before resuming? At that point, depending on weather, my heart rate is 150-60. It drops to 110 within a min or . I see others, particularly ladies running for almost an hour without break, although they are much younger and run slower.

Comments

  • What kind of speed are your running at Rob?  Maybe you need to slow down just a little so you're not tired after 8 minutes?  Also part of it is mental, you just have to push through and keep going.  I use the 'baby steps' method where I tell myself I'll just get to a certain lamppost or something and then just before I get there I move the target a little bit further ahead.

  • similar to what TST says, if you know you can only run for about 8 mins, then try to run for 9 mins next time, and keep pushing the bounderies to get out of the comfort zone. Can you talk while running or not? if not you may be going too fast. to go further you need to go slower. You mention the ladies you see are running slower than you? If you have been running only 5km for a year then for endurance you need to start to run longer distances as well

    head on down to a parkrun too if there is one near you www.parkrun.org.uk

    you will be running with a lot more people and will be able to see what sort of speed other people do for 5k, and lots of people to ask for advice too! image

  • stutyrstutyr ✭✭✭

    As TST says, you probably need to slow down.  

    HR rates are unique to each individual, so impossible to tell anything from your figures without knowing your resting HR and your Max HR (NB not the 220-age guide for Max HR, but your real figure).

    However, as a quick test of the theory that you are running too fast, try keeping your HR around 140 for your next four runs. This may feel odd and awkward at first, which is why you have to try it for several runs.  I suspect by the fourth run you'll be able to keep running for at least 12 to 15 mins at a time.

     

  • Hi Rob,

    All the above is good stuff.

    I would just liketo add. It is important depending on your goal, to increase distance. Its hard work but is as important on improving longer distances than just shorter faster runs. Your times will be up and down, but try not to worry about that, time will improve at some stage. As those in giving up thhe booze have told me.

    Times will look after themselves as you increase distance.

  • I know when I started running after an initially easy phase I would suddenly feel that if I carried on I would die - experience has shown otherwise.  It is known as the 'terrible tens' or eights in your case.  It is quite common and you need to try and run through it if possible as previously advised.

    Good luck.

  • Hi thanks everyone..I will try to increase the time as suggested..to follow up on some comments,



    My testing hr is around 55 early mornings even lower, 48-50. I have never seen it beyond 172 though I never ran top the point of being scared of collapse.



    Thanks again
  • Sorry pressed reply too soon, not easy with phone browser..



    I don't run fast, certainly not like racing..I can still talk when I stop, it is just that I get a feeling I should stop, sort of gut feel. Perhaps as you said, I will gradually increase by one minute steps..



    I was trying to benchmark to see if my condition is abnormal bad for the age and health..
  • Firstly, are you sure you're 47 and 447? I've never heard anyone use thrice before outside of some crappy dickensian drama image

    Secondly, regarding your running, and don't take this the wrong way, but the letters HTFU spring to mind...

     

    ....and thricely....oh

  • Haha... forgive my bad English, not my native lang. image
  • thricely has become my word of the week image (had to google HTFU mind).

    Rob, a 53yr old newbie here, I live in a hilly area and until I became 'happy' taking walk breaks I struggled. As others have said, s l o o o w down, it will help you speed up image

  • Also... Max's Mum says 'can you still talk while running', and you say 'I can still talk when I stop': not the same thing. Sounds like you are going too fast even if you don't think it's that fast.

  • Yes, I will slowdown and see how that improves timing...
  • Running is about more then training the muscles and lungs.  Training your mental attitidue is the hardest bit in my opinion when you are starting out.  You have to keep pushing those barriers and doing a little more each time.  It doesn't sound like you really need those rests as you are recovering quickly so all you have to do is convince your mind that you are not giving in.

  • You are right...i discovered this recently..used to run around a certain park. Generally stop after 3 rounds. That place was blocked due to some construction, had to use a larger place..found that I still stopped after same three rounds...only much longer distance..



    It is good to try various things...right now taking a short break due to travel, keen to get back..
  • Today was the first day I tried your suggestions that is to slow down. Results are good image I could run for few more min. It was quite hard to slow, had to correct myself often, using speeding tickets image but I could sure see improvement.



    Thanks guys, shall continue to try this out..
  • BTW to our professor Johnny English, I ran a search on 'thrice' in Asian forums, mainly Singapore ones used by very young and also my age, there were too many results image look like it is archaic in US and UK but not so in Asia...



    However, thanks for the comment, interesting to learn some new stuff...
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