Hi
I`m following the plan as advised on how to get your stamina and runnning ability up to scratch.
I am now up to 2 15 minute runs with a walk in between. Although I am dead at the end, truthfully I feel dead for the last 5 mins, I can do it. My question is how have other people made the transition to 30 minutes which seems impossible.
Incidentally I`ve noticed the comments from others regarding no weight loss and I have also been bemused by my exercise and diet making no impact
John
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not sure what the plan says, but there are two ways of doing it in my experience.
1) you can add another walk and then another run until you can do run walk run walk run.
You will then find that it easier to start extending the length of the first run.
2) you can go straight into extending the length of the first run. Say from 15 to 17, then to 20 etc - but gradually.
Re 1) above - there's nothing to stop you building up to doing considerable distances running and walking. Quite a few people do marathons like this.
Don't worry about your weight to start with. Make sure you've got enough energy and fluid intake for your running. When you start increasing the distance, and your muscles have developed accordingly, you will start noticing improvements in your physique.
hope this helps
Chris H
when we trained for the half-marathon last year we did the second method Chris suggests. We made a real effort to slow the first run but to make it longer and it worked. Once we could do the whole 30min really slowly we started running a little faster.
Hope this helps.
MJ
Oh and don't worry about the weight - once you're running for longer and eating properly, it'll sort itself out. There are lots of stories on here of people who have dropped 2 stones once they kicked their training into gear. The trick is to keep motivated - as long as you're enjoying what you're doing you shouldn't go far wrong.
John
Go out for a run, don't time it, don't measure it - just run. Take a left and then nip along a road you haven't been down for a while, cross the park, look for a friends car..... do anything but anything than think about what you've done and how far to go.
My experience was that after about a month I could easily run 5K and running was enjoyable. It is at this point you should buy your gadgets and start looking at training. Once you can run for 30 minutes you're motoring!!!! Good luck.
This is my first message.
I am a completely new runner and find this discussion very interesting.
I only run with my wife who took up running a couple of years ago and got as far as competing in 10k races. She let her running lapse and we are now starting together.
I'm not sure how committed I would be without her running by my side.
She gives me great encouragement even though I am sure that sometimes I slow her down.
So far I have been pretty happy with my progress but it's still very early days.
The one problem I have is some degree of pain in my shins. I think this is called 'Shin Splints'.
I look forward to many more conversations with you all.
Mel
Just to say don't worry about slowing your wife down. I run with my boyfriend who's a foot taller than me (so longer strides) and quite a bit fitter. I used to worry about slowing him down but, as he says, he wouldn't even go out if I wasn't there.
The company and encouragement is far more important than speed, especially when you're starting out. You'll soon find a pace thats right for both of you.
MJ
I'd stay clear of any supplement drinks - water is the best method of hydration. As for dead weight legs I'm afraid there is pain before gain. The sensation will pass once you're running regularly over 15 minutes which will be sooner than you think.
I use one of the Carbohydrate based drinks (currently lucozade sport, but I am switching to Isostar) and water to hydrate me, everything else is just a healthy diet
You complain now that you feel dead for the last five minutes, try looking back to when you started, did you feel dead then, and how easy did you manage to increase to the next step?
Did anyone else run into some strange comments from friends or family members when you told them you were going for a run?
My husband thinks I'm mad setting sights on next years FLM, and my inlaws are surprised to say the least that I am doing GNR this september.
I hope things continue to go well.
BECAUSE I CAN!
I started running about 2 months ago after a lay off of about 15 years! In the good old days I used to run 6K races every other weekend and the odd 10m and 1/2 marathon (never commited enough for the full marathon). The last run I did was the Great South Run about 15 years ago and completed it in 1:17 which I was really chuffed about. Anyway, I stopped running then.
Now I'm in my 40's, slightly overweight (80kg) and starting to run again. Being one of those foolish types, I quickly thought I could recreate the days gone by and was laid off for a couple of weeks with an injury - I was really annoyed with myself as it put me back just when I felt I was progressing but lesson learned!!
So, I'm back on track again now but still only run/walking 6k three times a week. It seems to be taking ages to get to the stage where I'm running a sensible distance without walking, but then again, when I look back to where I was a month or two ago, I've achieved quite a lot really.
Struggling a bit for motivation at the minute as I'm finding it harder than I thought I would but if I keep improving, I'm happy.
PS: It felt great to get out and run again after such a long lay off.
First point is that everyone is different - what works for one person won't for another.
Second point is that - regardless of your weight loss targets - isotonic / high carb / energy drinks are quite a good idea, especially in this hot weather.
As a general rule under normal conditions most people can run up to a 10K without water, up to half mara with just water and only need energy drinks beyond the half mara. That is because your body has enough glycogen to last for at least 90 mins (IIRC) and energy drinks are designed to replace teh lost glucose.
All these rules change in the heat. At the end of your run and especially in hot weather during your run it's vital that you replenish your fluids and stay hydrated. As you sweat you lose not just water but also electrolytes and essential salts and it's these that the energy drink helps replace. Replensihing your carb stores with an energy drink can also help ease muscle soreness the next day. Topping up fluids also reduces your bloods viscosity (the ease with which it flows) which can reduce pooling and associated muscle soreness if you sit down after excercise (at a desk or to drive home)
To quote someone "If your pee is yellow you're a silly fellow!"