Where to start?

[OfficerJen]

I'm new to running. In my head I love running, I ran when I was a teen and loved it then, but once I start to actually run, it isn't pretty.

Is there a thread in here somewhere for new runners?

Currently I am walking, then running, trying to increase the time spent running. I am doing it on the treadmill. I walk for 5 minutes (at 3 mi/hr) then run for 30 seconds at 6 mi/hr. I do this for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour depending on how much time I have (two kids, small business etc etc etc).

A few questions:

1) When will I stop feeling like I am going to drop dead?

2) How long should I go at this pace, then increase it?

3) Recovery? I've read take a break every other day, one day per week, don't take any break. Thoughts?

4) Any idea on form? Where can I read a good description on that, I've searched online, but you don't want to know what I found.


As a side note, I've looked at and tried the couch to 5k thing, but I wonder if they've taken into consideration, all body types. As in, someone carrying around a pre-teen in extra weight. I seriously cannot do it their way.

I've got the shoes. I love my Asics.

Oh, and HI! I'm Jennifer and it is my goal to get healthier, and eventually join the Military as an officer. Need to be considerably more fit to do that.

[Ironboy]

Although I'm not a fan of the Running Room per se, I think their Learn to Run clinic is a great place to start.

Camaraderie can go a long way to motivating you.

As for weight loss, many here (including myself by proxie) use Weight Watchers. Recommend by and for athletes because it doesn't sacrifice the fat/carb/protein ration to lose weight and take athletic activity into consideration (albeit, the level we are doing requires some modification of the program)

Welcome here. You've found a good home.

[BJH]

Welcome here.

One modification I would suggest for your workout is to reduce the run speed and try to lengthen the run intervals. If it is taking you 5 minutes to recover from a 30 second interval, then you are going too hard. Try 1 minute at 3 mph followed by 1 minute at 5 mph. And repeat.

[ROW]

Don't worry about speed right now. If you slow down your pace from the pace you are running it might help a bit. My opinion would be try walk 1 minute run 1 minute for lets say 20 minutes. 5 minutes seems to much for recovery time. Just remember to slow it down, its not about how fast you go.

[Irongirl]

Welcome here.

One modification I would suggest for your workout is to reduce the run speed and try to lengthen the run intervals. If it is taking you 5 minutes to recover from a 30 second interval, then you are going too hard. Try 1 minute at 3 mph followed by 1 minute at 5 mph. And repeat.

that's what I was thinking - but, I don't know treadmill speeds, so, I was afraid to comment....

your run speed should be a comfortable speed - one that you could carry on a conversation while running. If you read that and laughed.....like I would have when I started running...then, you are definitely running too fast.

Another incentive to start off running slower is that the slow running is what burns the most calories.

welcome to RM! how did you find us?

[jgore]

Welcome here.

One modification I would suggest for your workout is to reduce the run speed and try to lengthen the run intervals. If it is taking you 5 minutes to recover from a 30 second interval, then you are going too hard. Try 1 minute at 3 mph followed by 1 minute at 5 mph. And repeat.

that's what I was thinking - but, I don't know treadmill speeds, so, I was afraid to comment....

your run speed should be a comfortable speed - one that you could carry on a conversation while running. If you read that and laughed.....like I would have when I started running...then, you are definitely running too fast.

Another incentive to start off running slower is that the slow running is what burns the most calories.

welcome to RM! how did you find us?

What she said. Don't worry if, in order to be able to talk, you're going so slow you feel you could walk. You'll speed up as your endurance increases. Good luck.

[waynerdog]

1) When will I stop feeling like I am going to drop dead?

2) How long should I go at this pace, then increase it?

3) Recovery? I've read take a break every other day, one day per week, don't take any break. Thoughts?

4) Any idea on form? Where can I read a good description on that, I've searched online, but you don't want to know what I found.

First, welcome to RM Jennifer!!!

In response to your questions:
1) You stop feeling like that some day? Just kidding!!! It takes a little time. It comes sooner for some people than it does for others. But there WILL be a day, one day, when you wake up and you crave that run, not dread it. Just hang in there and it will come!
2) Do not, do not, DO NOT worry about pace right now. The more pressure you put on yourself, the longer it will take for that "drop dead" feeling to go away. Just get out there, put one foot in front of the other, and experience the discovery of why running is so wonderful. Learn the basics first, learn your body, and then think about performance.
3) Recovery - different people have different requirements. There are some people here on RM that can run pretty much every day. I can't run more than 4 days per week without risking injury. Others run once or twice a week. It all depends on what you want to do and how your body will react to it. Try different things and monitor your heart rate, your fatigue, and where anything is sore or hurting. Depending on how your body is holding up, you may be able to do more or need to do less.
4) Form - yes, you can do some basic things to improve form, such as make sure your arm motion is not across your body but as straight back and forth as possible, try to make sure your footstrike is mid-sole rather than on your toes or heels, etc. But the most important form thing you can do is find YOUR form. People are different. Do what is most comfortable. You can focus more on form when the need/desire for better performance is there later on.

Re weight, I am a lifetime Weight Watchers member, and I concur there is lots of info about WW on here. Great way to lose the weight and keep it off!

[VeloCarrie]

My first "running" anniversary is in May! I swear by the Learn To Run clinic put on by the Running Room. I took the web clinic though, because of my busy and ever-changing work schedule. I did all my runs on my own and was completely faithful to it and it progresses well, without feeling like you were going to die.

Good luck and welcome!

[scrumhalfgirl]

Great advice here! One other suggestion I would add is that if you're following a program like Couch to 5K, you can always repeat weeks as well to make the progress more gradual.

As well, if you are trying to lose weight, walking on your non-running days is a great way to burn extra calories, while allowing yourself to recover.

[chunkymonkeymelonhed]

Welcome to RM Jennifer! Glad you joined us. You will find LOADS of support here.

Keep at it!!
Slow and easy at this point. Give your body lots of time to adjust to this new thing you're making it do! You will see improvement, it DOES happen.
I started running exactly 2 years ago, a learn to run 10K program. The first couple of months were really hard. I was lucky that I started running with a friend and we were able to keep each other motivated.
Do you have someone you could run with?

[Darth Tater]

Hello and welcome here!

While some have touted "run 1, walk 1" I don't think there's anything wrong with a more gradual approach. I followed a somewhat modified plan that took 13 weeks to get from walking to 30 minutes continual running. Something like this:

Three times a week:

Week 1: 6 x (Walk 4, Run 1)
Week 2: 6 x (Walk 3, Run 2)
Week 3: 6 x (Walk 2, Run 3)
Week 4: 5 x (Walk 2, Run 4)
Week 5: 4 x (Walk 2.5, Run 5)
Week 6: 4 x (Walk 1.5, Run 6)
Week 7: 3 x (Walk 3, Run 7)
Week 8: 3 x (Walk 2, Run 8 )
Week 9: 3 x (Walk 1, Run 9)
Week 10: 2 x (Walk 3, Run 12)
Week 11: 2 x (Walk 2, Run 13)
Week 12: 2 x (Walk 1, Run 14)
Week 13: Run 30 minutes!

As noted above, the running should be at an easy pace - the speed can come later, after you've built up a base. You don't want to injure yourself. Once I got up to 30 minutes running three times a week (which I did for a few weeks, if not months), it was then time to add more time/mileage. It is suggested that you don't add more than 10%/week by several articles I've read. I'd believe it, as I think I injured my Achilles by pushing too much mileage and too much speed last year. Live and learn! Recovery is important - the plan I followed was (I felt) very conservative.

The drop dead feeling goes away with time - no predictions on when from me! I still have runs where I feel like that, but it tends to be the speed work.

As for form, just don't run like Phoebe from Friends!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_0Ta_DIWuU

[ultraslacker]

I agree that most people think they should run fast, so they go faster than their bodies are ready for, and burn out quickly. Go slower than you think you should, and you will be able to go longer. Then as your length builds up and your body adjusts, you can play with pace.

I remember when I was just starting out, I was at the gym with a friend and I set my treadmill to the pace that I was settled on at the time. She decided that was WAY too slow for her so she sped hers right up. Guess who lasted longer? And guess which one of us is still running today? ;)

As for rest, it's really individual. My body really likes rest days, and some of my best training has happened with 3 days of running per week (longer but fewer runs). Other people like to run every day. Just remember that it's during the rest periods that your muscles rebuild, and strengthen themselves; so you need that rest time. Experiment with it and see how you feel.

And welcome to RM!

[toobusy]

I dont run at 6mi/hr, I am much closer to 5mi/hr. Dont worry about speed, we have more fun at the back-of-the-pack.

[freddybeachpete]

Hi OfficerJen,

Welcome to RM. You've already received plenty of good advice. I just wanted to commend you on your goals - getting active and becoming an officer. Way back when (1977 to be precise), they were my goals too and they were both well worth the effort!

[OfficerJen]

Holy Cow!

What a wonderful thread to come back to this morning! I was wondering if anyone would respond!

I can't do WW, I have Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, which means that I need to basically cut out carbs (I know, I know), or at least minimize them, and pair them with proteins. No sugar, no HFCS, no white stuff, no fake sugars either. I can handle stevia. PCOS is annoying. I can quite literally eat what I want and weight the same, or I can limit calories and work my butt off and weigh the same - unless I cut the carbs. I am insulin resistant. Cutting the carbs forces my body to access the stuff thats stored. Once the PCOS is gone (its a double edge, the more weight you carry, the more out of whack your endocrine and metabolism gets, the reverse is also true though as well) weight will always be an issue for me, but I will take a look at WW then to help maintain, or loose if necessary.

So, I'm getting that 6/mi is a bit too fast. Ok, I will take it down a few notches. I was aiming for doing 3 mi in a half hour, or 1.5 mi in 15 minutes, so I figured that it was the most logical way to achieve that.

I found the board by googling "running forums". I tried the running room forum, but it was very quiet. I like this one, seems that most of you are Canadian. As am I.

I found a really neat link with a bunch of videos (its on one of my support boards for PCOS, that talks about form etc, I have to watch them) with tips on form and preventing injuries.

I really appreciate all the input here, so so so much. I've been trying to run for years, and apparently I'm trying to go way to fast yet again. Patience was never a strong suit. I mean, I would get all gung-ho, then hurt myself.

I'm hoping that my being involved in this forum, will inspire me and let me learn from your experiences and pick your brains. I am SO glad that I found this forum!

[toobusy]

So, I'm getting that 6/mi is a bit too fast. Ok, I will take it down a few notches. I was aiming for doing 3 mi in a half hour, or 1.5 mi in 15 minutes, so I figured that it was the most logical way to achieve that.

It is one way to do it - but you may find that you will improve faster by slowing down. Once you are comfortable with the distance when running, you can work on getting faster. or so they tell me.

[redhead]

So, I'm getting that 6/mi is a bit too fast. Ok, I will take it down a few notches. I was aiming for doing 3 mi in a half hour, or 1.5 mi in 15 minutes, so I figured that it was the most logical way to achieve that.

Hi Jennifer,

When I started running in 2006 I too started the Couch-to-5K program. I found it a bit frustrating because when I'd read "Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) ", I figured that it meant "Jog 1/2 mile in 5 minutes", thinking that must be the standard beginner's pace (10 min/mile or 6 mph). The very best I could do at the time (at an all-out effort) was 0.4 miles in 5 minutes (12:30 min/mile or 4.8 mph).

It's no wonder beginner runners get confused by the Couch-to-5K program. When you read the workouts (for example)...

Week 4
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes)
Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)

Week 9
The final workout!
Congratulations!
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then
jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).

... it does tend to make you think that after 9 weeks you should be able to “jog” 5K in 30 minutes. I've been running for 3 years now and I STILL have yet to hit that target in a 5K, LOL! For me, 6 mph on the treadmill is speedwork (not a “jog”), LOL!

As others have said, slow down, as much as you need to. Running can be (and should be) enjoyable enough to make you become addicted to it. THEN you can start trying to work on developing a quicker pace.

For some of us a 30 min 5K continues to be an illusive goal, but that doesn't stop us from getting out there.

No carbs! That has GOT to be rough. I feel bad for you.

Good luck Jennifer.

(I think we need a “Slow Lane” on RM. We have “The Speed Zone”.)


PS. To be fair the C25K does state,
"Run for time, or run for distance

There are two ways to follow this program, to measure your runs by time or by distance. Either one works just as well, choose the option that seems easiest for you to keep track of. If you go with the distance option, and you are not using a track to measure the distances, just estimate. It's not important to have the distances absolutely exact."

... but some of us don't read all the fine print.

[OfficerJen]

Wow. I am totally misinformed then.

The one guy I talked to at the recruiting office told me that I should be able to run a 5 K in 30 minutes, at a minimum before I even think about doing the basic training. I can do most of the basic fitness test, except for the pushups.

I want to be in the best shape possible. I've already got the weight to loose, that is enough of a hurdle.

Now I'm cheesed at them, because I've been aiming for a goal that is likely unreachable for several years. Geeze, was this guy a gazelle or something?

[redhead]

Wow. I am totally misinformed then.

The one guy I talked to at the recruiting office told me that I should be able to run a 5 K in 30 minutes, at a minimum before I even think about doing the basic training. I can do most of the basic fitness test, except for the pushups.

I want to be in the best shape possible. I've already got the weight to loose, that is enough of a hurdle.

Now I'm cheesed at them, because I've been aiming for a goal that is likely unreachable for several years. Geeze, was this guy a gazelle or something?

Sorry, I wasn't speaking for everyone. Just because I can't do it doesn't mean you or others can't. I simply meant, in the beginning, slow down to a pace you can handle. You may surprise yourself at how fast your fitness improves.

[Scotty]

While everyone else has jumped in with advice on the running and the weight control, I found my self drawn to the following...

Oh, and HI! I'm Jennifer and it is my goal to get healthier, and eventually join the Military as an officer. Need to be considerably more fit to do that.

...and it is likely the only topic I feel smart enough to comment on.

I joined the military in 2001 and grew to quickly hate PT and running. Then I joined here in '05 and learned to love running and PT...

So, I think you have the right order, learn to run and love it first, then join.

If you need any help with the military questions PM me.

Congrats and welcome to the site.

[eme]

While everyone else has jumped in with advice on the running and the weight control, I found my self drawn to the following...

Oh, and HI! I'm Jennifer and it is my goal to get healthier, and eventually join the Military as an officer. Need to be considerably more fit to do that.

...and it is likely the only topic I feel smart enough to comment on.

I joined the military in 2001 and grew to quickly hate PT and running. Then I joined here in '05 and learned to love running and PT...

So, I think you have the right order, learn to run and love it first, then join.

If you need any help with the military questions PM me.

Congrats and welcome to the site.

I agree with what Scotty said above. I have been in the CF for over 15 years (non-commissioned) and I too learnt to love running well after I joined the military.

As far as the pushups go - every morning and evening (when you get up and before you go to bed) just try to do as many as you can (even if you only start with one) and work your way up from there. You will see an improvement.

Good luck with your goals and welcome to RM!

[CAW]

Wow. I am totally misinformed then.

The one guy I talked to at the recruiting office told me that I should be able to run a 5 K in 30 minutes, at a minimum before I even think about doing the basic training. I can do most of the basic fitness test, except for the pushups.

I want to be in the best shape possible. I've already got the weight to loose, that is enough of a hurdle.

Now I'm cheesed at them, because I've been aiming for a goal that is likely unreachable for several years. Geeze, was this guy a gazelle or something?

I was going to weigh in on this one...but I see Scotty (my hubster) has already been alerted to this thread.

BTW...Scotty only just beat the 5K in 30 min barrier since he found RM...not before he joined. So don't worry about the time factor so much. Recruiters say all sorts of stuff that once you are in the military for a while you realize is not always true.

So...my advice...

For one, redhead must have been living in my head recently, because they said 100% what I was going to.

Secondly, get all the info re: The CF you can from current serving CF members (there are a few here on RM)...more specifically, if you can find someone in the trade that you are interested in joining, you'll garner even more info. Not only will the info you gain from current serving members allow you to make the best decision for trade selection possible, it will also help in the selection process with the recruiting office because you will be showing that you are serious and have a vested interest in your future.

Lastly...WELCOME!!! And good luck!

Oh...and I've been running since '05 and still haven't broken the 30 min 5K barrier....it is a goal I hope to achieve at some point...in the meantime I'll just keep one foot in front of the other.

[Scotty]

I agree with what Scotty said above. I have been in the CF for over 15 years (non-commissioned) and I too learnt to love running well after I joined the military.

As far as the pushups go - every morning and evening (when you get up and before you go to bed) just try to do as many as you can (even if you only start with one) and work your way up from there. You will see an improvement.

Good luck with your goals and welcome to RM!

eme has a good strategy there. Pushups will develop much faster than the running, but will likely plateau quickly. But that plateau should be at a level above what you need to do.

As for the running on basic training. The will push you to be fast on basic but endurance not speed is the real main requirement.

There are a lot of late nights, long hours, and stress. If you have physical endurance you will have mental endurance. A leader is much more valued for being able to keep going, keep focused, and be able to look after themselves and their soldiers than being able to run a sub 25 minute 5km. (Though being quick does help at times )

So be consistent, be honest about your training, and build endurance. Speed will come.

[BJH]

So, I'm getting that 6/mi is a bit too fast. Ok, I will take it down a few notches. I was aiming for doing 3 mi in a half hour, or 1.5 mi in 15 minutes, so I figured that it was the most logical way to achieve that.

It is if you are fit enough to do it, but not everyone is.

First goal is to run 3 miles. Next goal is to run 3 miles faster.

Actually, the first goal for many people is to walk three miles, which you can already do. Then you want to travel those three miles faster so you increase the speed by challenging but managable increments for challenging but manageable intervals.

[anners]

welcome

i just wanted to pipe in that when i started running (20+ lbs heavier), i ran about 4.5 mph. my speed improved naturally as my endurance improved.

in fact, i go back to 4.5mph when my fitness level is not so good...like it is now

good luck and keep us posted!