Advice on re-starting running

k-a-t-e

I have been running on and off for about a year but haven't done any regular exercise of any kind for about nine months so am not in very good shape. I now want to get back into but want to do it the 'right' way. Previously I would just get up and go - never did any further than 1 mile. Can anyone give me advice about:

a) the idea of setting a pace of being able to talk and run at the same time;
b) the ideal distance to start off with.

The last time I went running was with a friend who could talk and run and I just couldn't get enough air in. Should I be setting off at a pace I can continue at for a long time no matter how slow it is? I seem to get to a point where I just stop, and when I do I'm not out of breath, my legs dont feel like they've had a workout on the otherhand if I do make myself work I feel sick after. It seems to be an all or nothing thing with me and I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.

I am 25 years old, non-smoker, weigh 9st ish, height 5'4'', diet not that good, veggie.

Apologies for the length and ramble of this post, thanks in dvance for any advice.

Kate

Patto

Buy a heart rate monitor. At 25 your max Heath rate is about 195 (that can vary from person to person but go with it for now).

Jog at a very slow pace until your heart rate rises to between 140-150. If your HR goes above 80% max which is 156 in your case then walk until your Heart rate goes back down to 120, then start jogging slowly again.

Go for as long as you can, you should be able to manage 2 or 3 mile jog walks within your first 2 weeks. You may even manage 2 or 3 miles right away if you are used to walking long distances regularly.

Build up your distance and jogging walking cycles slowly, you should be jogging 3 or 4 miles without any walking within 4 to 6 weeks.

ali.c

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

You should check out the above running/walking. I started it a while ago, anyhow if the beginning weeks are too easy for you you can start with a later week.

olaola

When I restarted myself, I could barely run for 2 mins at a go.
Now I can easily do 30 - I don’t have that much time in the gym to go longer.

I don't have any particular advice, other than - just keep at it! There were times when I felt a little queasy after the treadmill, but I haven't felt like that in months. I found breaking the 10 min/2km barrier was a big step. Once I got that far, the progress seemed exponential. Since I only have about 30 mins to give to cardio a day, I try to do sprints near the end. I find it easier to push myself if I know there are only 2 mins left on the clock!

Best of luck btw! You'll be hooked by your improvement!

k-a-t-e

Thants for the advice and support - am def going to get off my arse and do something. Went walking today, not strolling a proper walk and didn't really feel out of breath so am going to try a run tomorrow and see how I go. Thinking about going swimming on Friday too, I find that good cos knowing that if I stop I drown is a good incentive to get to the other side:D

xebec

ali.c wrote: »

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

You should check out the above running/walking. I started it a while ago, anyhow if the beginning weeks are too easy for you you can start with a later week.

I've used the couch to 5k as well and it worked for me. But I had more of a mental block to running rather than lack of fitness, so it was good to set and achieve goals. Haven't moved on too much from this, but I do 5k or more a few times a week now as part of my general workout.

SarV

Hi guys,

My first post! Totally empathise with re-starting training, did the same myself last year after a full 3month break while i was backpacking. The most important thing is patience, you have to believe the progress will come but dont rush it or get frustrated if its not instantaneous.

I change my workouts month to month, and year to year I change the focus of my training, from cycling to running, fitness classes, weight training. That may sound ridiculous and erratic to some people, but it works for me, i just love all aspects of fitness so i really like giving something a proper go for anything up to 12months. So last Easter i started running, and went from being a dog-walker with a spring in her step, to someone who lives for her 6am runs, sprints included!

So my advice is that you set a challenge every week, and judge your progress on performance in this challenge, almost as if you had a race or competition to plan for. Think logicaly about when you can fit this fitness challenge in (work, socialising etc) and plan for it, build up to it, log your progress. On a Sunday night I might say to myself, I'm going to do a 10k run in x time, or I'm going to do a weights session and squat Xkgs, then build my week around it, while still doing my regular routine of course. Just being aware that one of the days I'll challenge myself more than any of the others and naturally the following day is my rest day. Each week the challenges get harder, and the training and workouts in general keep improving.

Again all of this is what works for me and suits my personality, but feel free to comment (criticise even?!)

Best of luck