Hey everyone. I have been for 4 runs so far and I am completely new to it all, but most importantly stupidly unfit as well. I’m not overweight in the slightest so it’s not like I’m struggling that way, I have a tracker on my wrist to track my progress and on my first run it said I was going at a mile pace of 15 minutes per mile. So far I can’t even run a mile without stopping and the furthest I have got is 0.75 of a mile. After 4 runs my mile time is now down to 11:45 but I’m concentrating more on being able to run further for longer then I can build on my speed. Any tips or help appreciated, on a morning I cover 2 miles both running and walking
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Are you training for anything specifically, like an event? Or are you simply looking to gain some fitness through running?
If it's the former, there are 'beginner' training guides on this site that will give you a long term training plan framework to govern your progress. If it's the latter, then I think you should look walk/jog to a 5k/3m distance then gradually work on your pace ? Once you have managed to run that distance with less and less walking, your minute per mile pace will tumble. Gait analysis will help you avoid injury as you find your running form, some running shoes/trainers that ally to your gait are a must. You can seek assistance from a professional or talk to a staff member at a sports store ( a quick look online will sort you out)
Once you are up to a 5km/3 mile on a pace of around 10 min/mil (which for me is a brisk jog) and are doing that comfortably, you will have established an excellent platform from which to then decide how you want to progress.
For now, and the next few weeks, my advice would be to focus on just getting the runs in, three or four weekly if you can manage it, jog and walk, then gradually decrease the walking element as long as you feel comfortable (aren't screaming for breath or experiencing pain). Once you get to jogging continuously you will be in a good place!
Other things you can do to help are substituting a run for another activity, like a hill walk to focus on strength or another cardio activity such as swimming/cycling which will allow you to work on your cardio whilst exploring another range of muscular motion. Some basic resistance work such as lifting free weights or yoga will help develop upper body strength and stability (these will help you with your running form and posture). A couple of 20 minute sessions a week is a good start there.
Good luck!
It seems you're already doing things correctly, concentrating on building up the distance rather than worrying about how quickly you go. The more you run and the fitter you get the speed will improve.
Two things I'd perhaps suggest:-
- If you are able to, get a heart rate monitor. By doing heart rate zone training you make sure you're not putting your body under too much stress. It's one of the annoyances when you're trying to get fitter that you may push a little too hard and suffer an injury, which then sets you back.
But good luck and enjoy.All good advice ^^^^.
You might also want to consider joining a running club - running can be pretty boring if you're always out on your own, being in a club means you've got like-minded company and other people to learn from and share your running with. There's also a bit of "safety in numbers", especially at night and at this time of year.
A running club might seem scary to someone starting out, but they're usually very friendly an supportive, and glad to have new running buddies. If they're not - leave them and try a different club. Most will also let you come for a few weeks to see whether you enjoy it or not.
Im new to running. Well pretty much most forms of exercise bar a good long walk.
So I'm only running mainly for fitness and mental wellbeing. I'm doing couch to 4k which has been good in terms of slowly getting me going further, however i've noticed that towards the end of the run my inner calf (i think, however feels like the bone) really hurts and becomes difficult to walk on. The only thing I expected was the general aches that I have also been getting. I tend to run in the evening so thats no issue for the rest of the day but just want to check I'm not doing anything wrong and causing myself some damage.
TIA
Could it just be your calves developing, microtraumas etc...
Guarddog's point regarding your running gait might be quite important. A lot of people heel strike or over stride.
I'm relatively new to running.....about 3 months or so. I've always run a little - but now running regularly.
On Sunday I ran my 2nd 10k race- the 1st 3 months ago. It was horrendous. Dead legs from the onset and I absolutely struggled the whole way round and battled negative thoughts throughout. However, I beat my previous time by 9 mins and got my fastest 5km in this 3 month period. Despite this I'm finding it hard to celebrate these and focusing on how dead my legs were!
I do need to fuel at about 7/8k as I go light headed. I didn't think I was dehydrated, and I slept reasonably well (though I was so excited!). Could it be I went off too fast (though they were dead from the onset), am I doing too much? (spinning monday, rest tues, 5k and weights wed, 6k thurs, spinning sat, long run sun)...I'm 54 and have exercised for years.
TIA :)
https://forums.runnersworld.co.uk/discussion/348008/dead-legs
Good luck.
Debs, that's a fairly busy training schedule. Nothing wrong with that, but did you take any time off pre-race to make sure your legs were fresh for the start? For a 10k, I'd have avoided training / running for at least a few days beforehand. Racing a 10k is physically hard but if you're feeling the way you said from the outset then something was amiss. You were nearly a minute per km faster than your previous race, could your pace on the day have been over-ambitious? Obviously not horribly over-ambitious, because you finished and did it, but fast enough to make it feel like hard work?
Also, I find that some days are just hard work and some days are easy. No logic or pattern to it, it just happens. It's a bugger when it's a raceday, but just one of those things. Maybe that's all that happened to you?
BTW, a 9 min PB over 10k is amazing, well done!
I will certainly knock that class off as every Sunday is now long run day.
I ran the first 2k very fast...it was downhill, and again that's something I need to learn to control. Thank you for all your advice.
Hi Debs,glad my ramblings were useful. We've all done it, ooh a downhill, let's make up some time. Never really works. And yes, any strenuous exercise the day before a race will compromise the race a little. The Kenyans are famous for doing as little as possible the day before.
Still think smashing a PB by 9 minutes is incredible.
It sounds as though perhaps the excitement just got to you a bit and on the day the legs felt that. Plus if you went for it in the first 2K, with the help of a downhill part, it may just be that you were continuing to push yourself a touch too hard.
Races tend to be different to training, the adrenaline flows, you get caught up in the start and everyone rushing off as quickly as possible. It's very easy to get dragged along at a pace you wouldn't normally do. I try and make a conscience effort to not get involved in that, even letting people go by me, as I know I'll get quicker as the race develops.
As has been mentioned, feel a great sense of pride at taking 9 mins off your PB and revel in the fact you can do it in that time. And it won't hurt so much next time :-)
It's my long run on Sunday, I'm up to 13k, and I'm gonna practice pacing myself on that.
Thanks everyone!!
Hi. I'm 52, 178lbs and running as the getting fir part of the New Me campaign I started in October. I've just finished week 4 of C25K on a treadmill, but I don't think I run properly on those because I have a balance issue which means I have to hold on with 1 hand, so I want to move outside - especially now the days are getting lighter.
I have a target to complete a Parkrun at the beginning of April and I'd really welcome any tips about outdoor running.
If there's one available near you it might be worth while joining a running group. They're great in terms of providing mutual support on training runs as well as good socially.
Anyway, all the best with the New You.
the running group is a good idea - I'll see if there's one near me which caters for tortoises running through quicksand (roughly my pace) and find out when they run.
And a running group will have people of all levels. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised that there will be an element of the group who will make you look quite pacy in comparison
The breathing part will get easier as you build up your cardio-vascular fitness. So it won't always seem so hard and you'll find you'll have to work harder to get out of breath. The two elements that worked for me (as someone who never thought they'd be able to run any distance) were:-
- Heart Rate Zone training, whereby you have a heart rate zone you work within (mine was 129bpm to 145bpm). The idea being that once in that zone you stay in it. It reduces the element of overworking the body, so in theory you don't get so many injuries. But the more you do the more you have to work to get into the zone. It's frustrating at first but it's worth persevering with
- Don't listen to your breathing. I always hated hearing how heavily I was breathing as it gave credence to my mind saying how difficult it all was. And once that gets into your head it's a bugger to shift. So I wore headphones and listened to music. It took my mind off the running and the effort.
Good luck.