Novice here!

[Bender]

Not sure if I can call myself a 'runner' yet but working on it!

I am 36, two kids and need to loose the spare tire. Limited time to do so and not near a gym, so for some insane reason have decided on running (totally not me!) to help on that end and to hopefully get to the point where I don't have to worry as much about eating and more about living. Totally new to it though so advice would be great (or just support!).

Started yesterday with walking about 5-10 minutes to the ball diamonds, and then ran as much around them as I could, taking walking breaks as needed. Not sure how good/bad I did but I did it (didn't puke, but almost felt like it a few times). Doing the same this evening, and then will have to do it again early in the morning tomorrow or skip it totally.

I'm not good with the walk a minute, run a minute thing and I know it'd annoy me more than anything, so I figured I'd work up to doing the whole way around the diamonds which I mapped at about .89 Km. Then work up the distance from there, maybe add on to the route or just do it again, or both. That timing works well if I have to get up at five to get a run in before the dayhome kids arrive...

Few questions though...

Is there any bonus to doing the walk/run mode vs just building up? I mean I can do if if it's a lot better...
If I'm getting up early to go for a run, do I eat first? Just water? Or? Trying to loose fat here so avoiding the calories where possible while still eating the good stuff...

Anything else I should know? Doesn't help of course we're going out of town so it's going to be tricky to get in runs on the weekend, but planning to take the dog along and go somewhere and do something anyway.

Thanks,

Lana

[toobusy]

Few questions though...

Is there any bonus to doing the walk/run mode vs just building up? I mean I can do if if it's a lot better...
- at this stage, mostly personal preference. Some people like the structure, some don't.

If I'm getting up early to go for a run, do I eat first? Just water? Or? Trying to loose fat here so avoiding the calories where possible while still eating the good stuff...
- again, at this stage it is what works for you. Some can eat before, some find they can eat only certain foods, some can't eat at all.

Anything else I should know? Doesn't help of course we're going out of town so it's going to be tricky to get in runs on the weekend, but planning to take the dog along and go somewhere and do something anyway.
- don't forget to take a day off if you need it. As the distance builds, you may need the rest to prevent injuries.

Welcome

[VeloCarrie]

I started run/walk between telephone poles because I couldn't do run 1 minute, walk 1 minute!

After that, I started with a Learn To Run programme, because I really wanted to get running painlessly, it kept me on a goal to work towards and it kept me interested and not to drop out. I didn't go to the Running Room for it (I did the web clinic), but there are many programmes out there run by various stores or organization. A couple of my co-workers are doing the Couch to 5K programme. After I finished my LTR clinic and I was able to run 10 minutes straight, it lead to 5K, then 10K, then half-marathon, then . . .

[babysteps]

If you run a bit slower, so you don't feel like puking, and add in some more walking then you will last longer therefore run further and therefore burn more calories.

Personally, I would start with 3-4 loops around your route to get your distance up, which will mean more walking. But, less than 1km, as the route is now, is not going to burn a whole lot of calories.

Have fun!

ETA: Welcome!!!

[b_squared]

Welcome!

Running Is only insane to the outside world .... Once you are in the asylum it's completely normal

Have fun with it.

[Bender]

Well did the 'lap' again tonight, stopped less, ran slower but longer. Didn't feel as bad and debated going a second time around but the wind was brutal and I'm on 3-4 hours of sleep, so came back home. My running partner did better too, less jumping on me to say hi (darn golden!) and settled into the pace each time quite well.

Tomorrow's goal is to either do two laps if I can get out early enough, or push to only stop twice along the way instead of three times. Which is better than last night's 6-7 times with wheezing and hacking and multiple body slams by the monster dog so I'm happy with that. By the end of next week hope to be doing the whole loop, even if it's slowly... but we'll see. I'm sure going to BC and running there will be different too. One thing at a time, have to add in the second running dog too...

Lana

[babysteps]

That's great!

Wheezing and hacking makes me think you were going too fast. The fact that today felt better at the slower pace makes me think you are getting closer to finding your sweet spot! Keep up the great progress!

[Kelodie]

Don't push through the hacking and wheezing - just stop and walk a little. When you start running again, slow down. If you feel like slowing down goes against your comfortable running form (that's the case for me, there's a limit to how much I can slow down before my whole body starts to hurt from the "un-natural" running form), then it means you still need walk breaks. Walk breaks are OK, they don't make you a wimp.

Re: running with dogs. When we got our dog, we were all excited about running with him, but the truth is he is not a good runner. Our dog likes to smell everything and take his time and I was always pulling on his leash to get him to follow me. All this pulling caused an upper body injury for me before I decided this dog was not meant for running, at least not on a leash. These days, I go somewhere I can let him off-leash and it works better. He does his own thing while following me. When I want to run with him on a leash, I make sure I give him a walk before and when i'm ready to run, I give him a stick. This way, he has time to do what he has to do during his walk, and once he has the stick in his mouth, he's focused on going back home as quickly as possible.

Good luck and take it easy! If running is something you would like to do for a long time, you have to listen to your body right now to know when to stop pushing so you don't get hurt and/or start thinking that running is too hard and give up.

[dindin]

Lana, the walk/run thing annoys me, too. I have just started outdoor running too, and I just go at a good pace until I feel I *need* to walk rather than run. I don't obsess about timing...for me it'll be the thing that discourages me if, in say 3 weeks, I'm not doing 2:1 or something.

Also, I don't want to look at my iPod timer every 60 seconds to figure out when it's time to "switch." Too fussy!

I'm doing my third run tonight around a track and am aiming for 4 complete running laps around. If I have to stop in the middle of a lap to walk, that means it's NOT an official lap. So I'll walk as much as I need to, but I won't leave that track until I do 4 complete laps.

Let me know how it's going for you!

[Marg]

WELCOME!

[turd ferguson]

Welcome bender.

In my head, I'm picturing either a cigar smoking robot or Judd Nelson from The Breakfast Club.

[VeloCarrie]

Welcome bender.

In my head, I'm picturing either a cigar smoking robot or Judd Nelson from The Breakfast Club.

I pictured the robot from Futurama also.

[turd ferguson]

Welcome bender.

In my head, I'm picturing either a cigar smoking robot or Judd Nelson from The Breakfast Club.

I pictured the robot from Futurama also.

I'll bet he bought those for you. I bet those were a Christmas gift. You know what I got for Christmas? Oh, it was a banner ******* year at the old Bender family. I got a carton of cigarettes. The old man grabbed me and said, "Hey, smoke up Johnny." Alright? So go home and cry to your Daddy. Don't cry here, okay?

[killerbeetle]

Good job on starting running!

Like the others have said, the run/walk thing is personal preference. I like to ignore stop watches but I set personal finish lines, like the top of that hill or past that tree. I would imagine that setting times helps to keep you going and motivate you in a similar way. I'd say use whatever seems to work best but definitely don't run until you puke unless you want to hurt a lot the next day!

Quick question regarding the wheezing and hacking... Is there a possibility of exercise induced asthma? I found out about my asthma through running and if I don't take puffers I just wheeze and don't get very far. So if there's a chance then puffers help a lot.

[jzoom]

I'm a newbie runner as well. I didn't opt for the run/walk process. Instead, I just ran as long as I could and called it a session. It only took me a couple of months to get up to 45 minutes. It's still tough after 30 minutes, but I'm improving.

That said, I'm a believer in running a style you like and that works for you.