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Any brand new runners out there?
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Hi. Hope it's okay to start a new thread but it's kind of intimidating to join a thread that has a few thousand messages already on there! (Though I know everyone seems really friendly!)
Just wondered if there's anyone out there like me? I've just started jogging 4 weeks ago, determined to get fit and shift some weight. The first week of jogging (well, walking mostly!) I could only do about a minute before I had to walk instead and found it really hard. I got very down the second week; think I was expecting to suddenly be fitter and able to run much more but was unable to and was not improving.
Thankfully, there is some progress happening now and I can run just about half a mile before having to walk again and am really chuffed at my progress. I am in a Womens Running Network beginner's class with a very friendly and knowledgable instructor who is motivating me well. We meet on Sundays and I am going out twice a week in addition.
Anybody else with similar stories? I would love to know I'm not alone. All of the women in my group are ahead of my fitness, but I am catching up on some of them, thank heavens, presumably because I am going out in the week more than they are. I really need some inspiration and support from people with similar experiences.
Over to you ........
Just wondered if there's anyone out there like me? I've just started jogging 4 weeks ago, determined to get fit and shift some weight. The first week of jogging (well, walking mostly!) I could only do about a minute before I had to walk instead and found it really hard. I got very down the second week; think I was expecting to suddenly be fitter and able to run much more but was unable to and was not improving.
Thankfully, there is some progress happening now and I can run just about half a mile before having to walk again and am really chuffed at my progress. I am in a Womens Running Network beginner's class with a very friendly and knowledgable instructor who is motivating me well. We meet on Sundays and I am going out twice a week in addition.
Anybody else with similar stories? I would love to know I'm not alone. All of the women in my group are ahead of my fitness, but I am catching up on some of them, thank heavens, presumably because I am going out in the week more than they are. I really need some inspiration and support from people with similar experiences.
Over to you ........
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Comments
I was like you about three years ago - couldn't run to the end of my road (let alone back) but gradually built it up and have just completed my second marathon.
Mind you, I feel like I'm back to square one now - haven't actually stepped foot outside the front door in my kit since that mara! LOL.
How long did it take to get some improvement when you first started? I can see that I have progressed but I've signed up for my local Run For Life which is in July and I can't actually imagine running it, especially as I hear it's a hilly course. I suppose I'll just run/walk my way round.
Hope you can get the motivation to get outside this weekend. You know you want to........
Im new to running too but making progress, although I'm taking it really slow.
To start with, I honestly thought I'd be able to run for 3 minutes without a problem, that was a huge eye-opener, I have asthma but I wont blame that, but I still needed about 2 hours to recover! it was dreadful!
But then I found this website...
Now, I can run for the 8 mins walk for 2 mins (repeat 3 times) bit of the 8wk programme that Thomas2 above started with. It will take me a lot longer than 8 weeks though.
I dont care,, Im loving it. When I first stepped on my shiny new treadmill about 4 weeks ago, it was really funny, embarassing, but really funny to feel how much of my body actually wobbled. it doesnt do that now....much
I still havent done a run outside yet, but I'm hoping to do that once I can do the 10 min run walk for 30 seconds or so....
Like you, I cant wait to be able to do a 30 minute run!
The positive news for you though is that my longest run to date is 6.7 miles - I'm really really really really slow, but it's great now having the choice of doing a "long" run or just one mile. I've entered my first 10K at the end of this month and two more in September! I'm a bit worried that I'll be last in this first race, but a frist race is always a PB!!
I'd recommend to follow a run/walk schedule so that you can tick off your progress and keep a log - it's great to loook back and see how far you've come as it is soooo easy to forget that you couldn't run at the beginning!
Mowrie - get outside! The difference is amazing - I find i go much further because you are physically moving past something!
My next tip would be to try to do some of your runs with someone - trying to talk whilst running helps to regulate your breathing and makes sure you're not pushing yourself too hard - also another way of assessing your progress! time goes quicker too and the miles fly by before you've even noticed!!!
Try not to obsess about the actual distance covered/speed done - it doesn't matter and those things will come with time (I'm still trying to find them!)
Finally, do little and often to begin with - the regularity is better for building base strength etc than how far you go in any one run.
Good luck!!
Someone has to be last.
I have had that honour.
Mowrie - take it outside whenever you can - I was worried about it at first, about what people would say, but s0d them! You may find it a bit harder on your body at first (especially if running on roads and pavements - they are very unforgiving!) but I find the changing scenery makes the time go so much quicker than on a treadie
My story....I'm over 40, very overweight (lost a couple of stone last year, but around 4 more to go). I'm kind of new to running - this time round anyway. I started taking it more seriously around 6 weeks ago, after entering 3 R4Ls (this is kind of an annual thing with me - enter R4Ls, build up to run/walk 5k, give up again - been doing that for over 10 years now!).
This time is different though, I really have been bitten by the bug, and am loving every minute of my runs (never really felt that before), in fact I missed my Wednesday session and I felt like I was going through some kind of withdrawal!!
6 weeks ago, I started at jog 2 walk 2 for 20mins, have increased that to run 5 walk 2, doing 5k in around 36-37 mins.
As well as the R4Ls I've entered a couple of 3.5 milers in June and July, am looking at 10ks for August/September and have entered the GSR (10 miles) at the end of October!
Still trying to get to that seemingly impossible milestone of the 30min continuous run, but had a major breakthrough today - went on my treadie, and just decided to keep running as long as I could and did 22 1/2 mins (previous best was 15 mins a couple of weeks ago).
Soz for v long post
Jen :-)
Lots of people on here for support and invaluable help, welcome to the funny farm.
I decided to start running a few weeks ago now - I do a lot of swimming, yoga and gym activities but fancied a change. It's nice to get outside and run as the weather improves (hopefully!) and also meet new people in the area at the running club I've been going to.
I've hurt my knee, however, but yesterday I had video gait analysis done and have a brand new pair of trainers so I hope to get back outside next week.
Hope your running is going well x
Had a bad session on Sunday where I felt I was walking more than running. Had a better one on Tuesday and going out again tonight.
Does anyone have some advice as regards beginning in a different way to the suggestions in the training info on here? The lady who is taking us out on a Sunday is encouraging us to run as long as we can and then walk to get our breath back and off to run again. That's how I'm doing it in the week too so I've no idea how I'm doing as relates the run 5 mins/walk 2 mins or whatever system. Am I better off following a training plan like that or just running until I need a break? I really couldn't say who long I'm jogging for before taking a break not wearing a watch but is usually about 0.3-0.6 of a mile (I've measured in the car!!!!).
Thanks again.
The idea of a formal training plan is to avoid overdoing it and getting injured.
You don't have to stick to a plan.
Just don't over do it.
To reduce the risk of injury:
Do as much as you can on soft surfaces - grass, mud, leaf mold.
Do most of your training at a pace at which you can hold a conversation.
Do not increase the total amount that you do by more than 5mins or 1/2mile per week, up to about 10miles. Then do not increase by more than 10mins or 1mile per week up to 15miles (and so on)
Take rest days between the training days.
If you do a brisk 5min or more walk, then walk easy to get your breath back, before you start jogging, it will make the jog easier.
It warms up the legs, revs the heart and lungs, and makes jogging seem like an easy option (brisk walking is hard work)
You seem like an old hand compared to me! I ran for the first time this week (apart from bit of treadmill in the gym) - running with a friend and we've entered a Race for Life at the end of July. We've trained twice this week and I found it HARD! Following the RFL run/walk training and those 2 minute stints are the longest 2 mins of my life!! I'm breaking it down and doing a mix of one and two minute runs with walking in between - so might take longer to get to the length of time the plan says to do, but I figure better to take longer & not die in the process.
I'm determined to stick at it & keep telling myself it must get easier - that's right isn't it?? Training with my friend is great - makes all the difference.
Big David - great advice! This forum is fab.
It's also great to hear how everyone is making progress - gives me hope!!
If you are finding it hard, try and slow down.
Beginners tend to go too fast to start with, then complain about being out of breath.
The brisk walk suggestion will help with that too.
To give you an idea of just how slow I was going:-
I walk at around 15 min miles
the slow run I did yesterday works out around 13:20 min miles
my average speed before on the walk/run was around 12min miles (so deffo running too fast for me to sustain it)
Happy running everyone :-)
Jen
I'm 46 and at the moment I weigh nearly 20st, so I'm not going to over do it. I am hoping to do the Leeds Half Marathon next year though, so that is one thing that pushes me on when I feel like quitting.
Do not in these early stages worry at all about the pace you are running at - it is perfectly fine to run at a pace you could walk at. You are building up your endurance at the moment, and once you reach the point where you have the endurance to run for 3 miles or so without walking, then you can start to think about pushing yourself to include small bursts of faster running if you want to, as a way of improving you speed overall. It is however not compulsory - there is no minimum speed limit for running! Some of us will always run slower than others....:-)
Timkins, you're right about training with a friend. There's a group of us who meet on the Sunday and at least 2 of us try to meet in the week so we are not running alone. Usually though, I'm at the back and the other(s) are in front of me!!! Still, I'm doing things at my pace.
I'll try really really slowing down and see what happens with the talking. It feels like a snail's pace anyway but if I can't talk, perhaps I can slow down even more.
Can I join in - I've been running for about 15 months - but really, really struggled. I'm really pleased to see I'm not alone! That phrase "there is no speed where I can hold a conversation" struck a cord.
I spent the first 8 months doing the run/walk on a treadmill - at 4.5mph, thinking that was slow - I plugged away but it never got any easier. Managed to push myself to 30 mins after about 5 months, but it was always a desparate struggle.
Thinking there must be something wrong with me, I took myself off to a sports science lab at a local University. A wonderful chap spent 40 mins explaining what I was doing wrong - by running too fast for me my heart rate went sky high straight away and I was running anearobically. You have very little capacity to improve your anearobic capacity - which is why I was seeing no improvement.
He told me that to improve I had to stay aerobic - using heart rate as a tool (i.e. keep it to 70% of maximum tops).
Off I went to buy a HRM and followed his instructions to keep my heart rate low. My max is around 204 bpm, so I decided to keep it to 165 (or I couldn't run at all!). I found I could run at 3.8mph for 12 mins before my heart rate hit 165. I walked for a couple of minutes until it was back at 145 then ran again - 5, 4, 3 mins, whatever - doing 40 minute run / walk sessions four times a week.
Within four weeks the 12 mins had become 40 mins before getting to 165 bpm - it was unbeleivable, and it was comfortable.
I'm now trying to increase the speed little by little, and it's a struggle - 4mph seems to be a real plateau for me.
So - sorry for long post - but the moral is running at a slower speed is just SO important - and although you feel daft you can run at walking speeds! I must admit at the moment I can only do it on a treadmill - outdoors I just can't stay that slow.
Good luck everyone - and enjoy.
Do as much walking as you can fit in to your week.
It will increase your stamina, and general fitness. Honest!
I've just started to try and run. I've been walking between 2 and 4 miles (between 40 and 80 minutes) every other day for a few weeks and starting to attempt to build in some jogging into my walks. I find it difficult to actually push myself to run, but once I've started I'm ok for about 90 seconds befre I feel the need to keel over!
My main problem is trying to find a route without too many hills (the first big one is right outside my door! so I walk up it as a warmup and carry on walking for about 10 minutes- mostly to get out of the village and out of sight before I set myself a-wobbling).
Should I increase the distance I'm walking before trying to run or is it just a case of getting myself used to the extra exertion?
Any advice would be greatfully received! Thanks.
That should work.
Allybee
You should only need between 5 & 10 mins of walking that is either brisk, or uphill, so that it gets you puffing and panting, and well warmed up to be ready to jog, but have a gentle walk to get your breath back before you start jogging.
You don't need to start on the fast stuff until you can do 30mins or more without having to walk.
I ran again on Friday (after work - my friend & I glanced smugly at all the people sat outside the pub as we went out!!) and it did feel a bit easier. We're following the RFL run/walk plan & apart from a longer walk in the middle, I managed the run 2 walk 2 x 5 that we were supposed to do. The 4 min walk in the middle really helped actually (and kind of follows Big David's advice too). I am really chuffed that I managed 2 minute runs - small progress but still progress! And I have concentrated on keeping going by slowing it down.
Even though we didn't stick relgiously to the plan (although we did the overall amount of running for the first week, just with a bit more walking in between) we're feeling positive that we kept going. Still not sure I'll be able to run the whole 5k at the end of July but I'm going to try & even if I don't I hope I can run a decent chunk of it.
It really helps to read the stories on here, of people who started out like me & have made really good progress. Thanks to everyone for the advice & support!!
Off out again tomorrow lunchtime & looking forward to it.
Timkims - it sounds like you're doing really well. Isn't it amazing how nice a 2min walk feels after running? You'd never be able to convince a non-runner that 2mins could make so much difference!
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