Hey guys I'm looking for a bit of advice on my starting running. I'm 22 years old and have a 2 year old and a 5 month old. I started the gym about a month ago. Never really doing any exercise my hole life. Except horse riding. Well iv fell in love with the treadmill and I set it on fat burn programme with steep hills and on the flat I jog 5 mins and 3 min break walking up another hill then run another 5 mins. This prob sounds silly but when I first started I was amazed that I could run 3 mins.. I currently have a pain in my shin that is making me limp . I have been running through the pain thinking it's just my body not used to running but decided to rest my legs now see if it will go away. I go to the gym around 5 times a week and will do my fat burn programme each time for a warm up. Sometimes even returning to the tread mill for a 5 min run before I leave. Well I want to be able to run longer without the break in between. Other girls at my gym are running when I get there and still going when I'm leaving. I know I'm unfit and havnt ran ever. But I want to know what to do so I can run like them eventually. I am 5 ft 3 and 11 stone so a bit over weight but iv been this size all my life and even with eating good and my recent gym addiction I'm not losing weight. I'm destined to stay like this. But I will not let it stop me run
I have fell in love with running and I would LOVE to be able to go running around a nature trail or the park but atm I'm too embarrassed. Any advice and help would be really appreciated and I look forward to making friends !
Katie
Comments
Firstly, you are not destined to be any weight. While weight loss is hard it can be done. The good news is that the more you get into running the easier it will be to control and lose the weight. A cursory look at your BMI puts you middle of the overweight bracket with a bit of work to do there but you are certainly not alone in this respect. I have just come back from injury and have half a stone minimum to lose!
I think most people advocate a run walk program such as the couch to 5k app. This helps beginners build up a decent fitness level to allow them to run for about half an hour non-stop. It is my opinion that the real changes will start to show when you have conquered 20 minutes plus running in one go.
The pain in your shins could be a number of things, but the most common cause is shin splints. Simply put, this is stress on areas of your lower legs that haven't had this sort of work before causing pain. It is often related to your feet having to make movements that they should not make or aren't used to.
The first thing to look at is your foot wear. You need to get your running gait analysed and get you into a decent pair of runners. The difficulty here is that the range can be confusing and the shop assistant will likely guide you to the ones he/she thinks are good. I'd recommend somewhere like Sweatshop. Not because I think they have a special level of expertise, but because they allow you to go back and swap a pair you don't like within 30 days even though you have used them. This is extremely useful because your trainers will most likely be the biggest investment you make in your running!
One last thing, some may disagree, but for me, if you are really going to enjoy running, get outside and do it properly. Treadmills are a poor substitute. It will also mean you aren't looking over your shoulder at others wishing you were as good as them.
This battle is only with yourself!
yea i agree with Medi
get yourself to a proper running shop (i use Run and Become) it makes a massive difference!
there will be a local ParkRun near you im sure - get yourself down to them (5km timed runs on Saturday mornings) the people are all really friendly and will help you keep training
P.S just watch you dont do too much too soon a C25K plan would be super to get your body used to running
SNB
Im going to predict that if you do get your gait analysed they will tell you that you over-pronate ........ maybe everyone should just always assume they overpronate and be done with the gait analysis.
You say that about running for 20 mins straight I would love to be able to do this but I need to know how lol the personal trainers at my gym do not do cardio only weight lifting ..
And like I say I'd love to get outside and run but I am too shy and embarrassed atm and looking over my shoulder on the treadmill seeing other girls running like pro's just gives me inspiration and desire where as running outside and seeing people walking their dogs and staring at me struggling etc just makes me want to go home and cry. Lol so it's tread mill for me until I can feel good about my self enough to run outside. I also get very paranoid etc.
Sorry I don't understand C25K ? And things like that I am literally brand new to this kinda stuff
Thanks again ???
The thing is that if she is getting shin splints there is a good chance she does. Admitting that we do try and stuff people into a shoe that keeps the foot dead still and we should be allowing for some mild pronation of the foot it can put strain on tendons in the lower leg if you are consistently running on a collapsed and weakened foot.
Effectively it transfers the weight of every impact through weaker supporting tissues rather than the ones designed to take that impact.
I'd add that I spent a lot of money trying to figure out my best shoe configuration. I've done bare foot right up to motion control and have found a neutral/mild minimalist shoe with a sport orthotic is the perfect combo (Nothing else comes close) but that took a lot of reading, trying shoes and seeing a physio to work out.
C25K
Couch to 5 km. You can download the apps for most phones
I don't understand lol I just get on the treadmill and try to run .. This is the type of stuff I need help with .. I havnt got anyone to explain things like this to me
Katie ???
day 1 - run for 3 minutes walk for 1 ... repeat until totally pooped
day 2 - have a rest day
day 3 - run for 3 minutes walk for 1 ... try get 1 more cycle than 'day 1' (if u managed 10 3 minute runs try get 11 this time etc)
day 4 - rest day
day 5 - run for 3 minutes walk for 1 ... try get 1 more cycle than 'day 3'
sometimes we gotta look horrendous to improve - i was sick twice on Saturday at my local ParkRun and still was 1min 40seconds outside my PB
SNB
When i run my 5 mins and walk for 3 run for another 5 i feel like i could do that all day but i only have treadmill on 5.7 walk speed.. If that makes any sence and i run on 10.0 speed .. So pretty big change
walk as fast as you can that allows you to recover ... you know what i mean?
SNB
Sorry, yeah that was in reply to Mr I.
Gait analysis is usually done in a shop on a treadmill, they film your feet as you run and see whether they move in certain directions. It is reasonably common for people to pronate i.e. the arch of their feet to lower allowing their foot to roll inwards. This is a normal movement but if it happens too much it can cause pain. Some shoes are designed to support the foot and reduce this movement.
The gait analysis is done free and you are under no obligation to purchase afterwards.
I'm not a fan of shoes that control your natural foot motion too much, however some people find it is necessary for them to run.
Yes snb thankyou ill give it ago today let you know how I get on with that .
One of the girls at the gym leaves the tread mill running . Runs to the toilet runs back and jumps straight back on! My jaw is on the floor when I see her run. This is my goal. A big one lol but I want to be like her
Why would you want to be like someone who leaves the treadmill running while going off to the toilet. Who does that? What a waste of electricity for a start. Secondly it could be dangerous. Thirdly does she do it so she can say 'Oh look Ive run 10k today .... even though 3k of that I was sat on the toilet'
Cant stand knobjockeys who set the treadmill to superfast, then stand there straddling it while its whirring away, giving it the big-I-am.
Totally agree, people looking for machines cant use them because some girls away to drop the kids off.
running outside is more fun anyway
SNB
I'd love to be able to run outside just need to booste my confidence first
Katie, rather than trying to compare yourself to some gym bunny why not set yourself a personal goal and do something worthwhile with it?
Sign up for one of the 'Race for Life' runs or similar in about 3-6 months, raise a bit of cash for charity and come home with a medal around your neck. People will be so supportive of it once they see you putting the effort in.
And those people you are worrying about judging you, the reason they are doing that is because they are trying to come up with the excuses for why they don't get off their backside and get themselves fit and healthy.
In six months time you won't be around long enough for them to make any judgment anyway, by the time they look up you'll be down the road!
i'm saying obviously she can run so why is she not outside
dont see the point in running 10 miles on a treadmill once your at that standard
i understand why you dont want to run outside but even then nobody really cares how slow you are or if your walking.
when i was training for my marathon i was overtaken by a 60+ woman walking home from Tesco with her shopping - she didnt know id already run 20 miles and i was suffering big time! for all she knew id just started and was going at snails pace
all im saying is the quicker you train outside the more you'll enjoy it
SNB
I want to do something similar but smaller lol easier!
Any ideas of websites where I can find these charity runs. I watched one on the telly a weight loss programme I used to be fat or something similar and they ended up doing a triathlon and when it came to running they ran the whole dam thing even though still hugely overweight but fit! Inspirational
If I signed up to one of these could I possible post on here for small donations ? I don't know alot of people where I am living and don't have any social networking sites so wouldn't make an awful lot
They do a charity walk in my area but as I don't drive I walk an awful lot and living in the country with a double buggy I'd call my self a pro at walking haha I want to challenge myself!
I think it's more jealousy I have of the other girls really haha.
I'd rather take my dog for a run through a nature trail then run staring at myself in a mirror in a gym yes.
So here is my goal! (Thanks to you guys I finally have my own goal not copying 8 stone runnerholics lol)
I'm going to sign up for a charity run (easy one lol)
Train on the treadmill for this maybe try get outside more towards it to get used to running on outside terrain then once o have done the charity run ill make myself run outside all the time !
Does that sound like a good goal for a beginner ?
Cancer research race for life. Usually a 5k walk/run. No pressure and no fund raising limit. If you manage £30 that would be fine.
Give yourself 3 to 6 months to train for it and go for it. You can fear failure, but use it as motivation not a reason to not give it a go!
Other runs can be found using Google and there is an article on the main page of this site about 5k runs.
The alternative is the entirely free park run. Which you can sign up to and run whenever you like, open to all abilities and usually a very friendly and supportive bunch! If you want to see what it's all about, I'm sure they'd love you to volunteer as a race day helper
My fundraiser? i'm not even sure the page is still live! i did the marathon in 2012 but RW (Runners World) wont let me change my name so the link is still posted lol
some people do donate on here although not many
because we dont know where you live i dont know how to go about charity runs for you ... just google 5k races near ********
SNB
Medic is worth listening to
Cheers SNB
treadmills are usefull if the weather is horrendous though although i like running in rain and wind because i love the looks of 'is that 18st guy crazy'!!! and also i find it easier to breathe
SNB
* and yea just set your first goal to jog 30mins without stopping that will pretty much complete the 5k race too
SNB
Iv looked on race for life and the only 5k race that is close enough for me to attend is 29th of June
Do you think this is do able for someone like me? I want to run the whole thing I don't want to have to walk
I will be doing it on my own aswell so no support etc will either give my confidence a kick in the shins or a huge booste lol ..
What ya think?