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Evening all!

Tubal-cainTubal-cain ✭
in Beginners
How are we? I'm a beginner at running, having ever liked running long distances and avoided at all costs mainly throughout life. I'm now recovering from a traumatic brain injury which has ended my career and changed my life, and got in pretty poor shape since. I'm trying to increase my overall health without abusing my body via martial arts and fighting which was my previous go to cardiovascular activity. Last week I decided I was going to run three miles, well...run walk as much as possible just to get around the route. Well in the event, I jogged the whole way round. Albeit slowly (11:16 p/m) so I have run three times since, generally getting quicker each time. I have therefore taken the decision that I should run. Does anyone have any advice on how not to feel like I'm going to die for the duration of every run? I have noticed days of poor hydration make it harder, also morning runs without dinner the previous night make it awful too. My brain injury causes dizziness and loss of balance if I'm not on form, so it's important I work with it not against it. Should I stick with 5k and keep trying to improve my time? I feel exhausted at the end. I'd like to run further and complete a 10k this year. Any help/ advice is most welcome. Apologies for the extraordinarily long winded post.
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Comments

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    My advice would be to take it steady. Don't try and get faster every time. Just run at an easy pace until you get used to the distances. Have a look at beginner 10k plans if you want to run further but the key is to not try and do too much too soon.



    Is your name a reference to the villain in the Matt Hilton novels?
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  • Tubal-cainTubal-cain ✭
    Hi MIllsy, thanks for replying. So stick wih 5k for now until I feel less like a fish out of water?



    I'll definitely check out some 10k plans, I'm taking it fairly easy, only running three times per week. If I start getting niggles I'll cut one out or something.



    No, my name refers to a biblical character, a descendant of Cain said to be the forefather of metalworkers and smiths.
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  • booktrunkbooktrunk ✭✭✭
    Build up the distance but keep the runs comfortable, don't try to run faster each time, going slower is usually the key to building up your endurance and distance and then start trying to add speed, I'd not worry about trying to run fast for the next few months, just go out running comfortable,  and increase the distance gradually, running is weird, it doesn't necessarily get that much 'easier' but you can run faster, or go further in the same time... but it's not necessarily easier just you get more for the same perceived level over time.
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