Starting Running

MissK

Hi I in the process of losing weight 0ne & half stone gone so far. Doing about a 5 km walk every evening. I want to step this up to a jog as my gold is to jog/run the mini marathon this year. I have still a stone & half to lose.

Has any one any tips on how i can get started in training for this.

Thanks

K

hunnymonster

get the correct shoes and start a run-walk programme (something like http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml) and visit the running forum under sports for lots of others doing similar things.
congrats n the weight loss.

Oryx

It sounds daft, but if you want to start running, just... start running. As part of your walk. Run for as far as you can, then walk a bit, run again, etc. Youll slowly build up the amount you can run.

And ditto on the shoes. Walking shoes or 'fashion' runners wont do.

BJohnson

I whole-heartedly agree with hunneymonster with the run-walk strategy. A find a lot of people try to run a full 5k all at once and get discouraged when they find it too tough. I usually recommend doing 1 min walk then 1 min of running, repeating for however far you want to go. After a week, take it up to 2 mins of running, keeping the walk break to 1 min. Each week, increase the running interval by 1 min, maintaining the 1 min walk breaks. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how good you feel and how far you can go using the run:walk method. A good analogy is with lifting weights - you might be able to lift a heavy weight ten times before you can't do anymore. If you only lifted it 5 times, took a break, lifted it another 5 times, took a break, and so on, you'd end up lifting it far more times than if you lifted without those rest intervals.

I also really like Hal Higdon's training plans. You can find one for 10k races here:

http://www.halhigdon.com/10ktraining/10kintro.htm

Keep it up!

Brian

littlebug

Hi, I'm at the same level. Serafijn just gave me a great link in my food diary for Couch to 5k.

I've also just discovered the fit4life programme which is aimed at everyone and anyone. I took the quote below from a blurb from the club closest to me. Someone might have a better general link but if you google fit4life and your town/ area you might find one close to you. I'm going to jump in next week and see how it goes:)

The Fit4Life programme is suitable for beginners through to regular runners. The emphasis is on meeting with people of a similar ability on a regular basis. You will be under the guidance of a qualified Fit4Life leader. Those leaders will set out a schedule suitable for your needs. The training nights will feature group runs, with each group composed of people with similar fitness levels. These groups will range in ability from complete beginners up to regular runners and they will each train at their appropriate level and abilities.

thirtyfoot

littlebug wrote: »

I've also just discovered the fit4life programme which is aimed at everyone and anyone. I took the quote below from a blurb from the club closest to me. Someone might have a better general link but if you google fit4life and your town/ area you might find one close to you. I'm going to jump in next week and see how it goes:)

Great suggestion. You will meet people of similar standard and mindset. The vast majority of runners improve more when training with a group, its just so much easier.

Here is a list of all clubs doing fit4life. Also get Evening Herald on a Thursday and there will be links to more and maybe some Meet and Train groups (similar to Fit4Life)

http://www.athleticsireland.ie/content/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/Fit4Life%20Meet%20n%20Train%20clubs%2008.pdf

accensi0n

Oryx wrote: »

It sounds daft, but if you want to start running, just... start running. As part of your walk. Run for as far as you can, then walk a bit, run again, etc. Youll slowly build up the amount you can run.

And ditto on the shoes. Walking shoes or 'fashion' runners wont do.

It really is as simple as this.

Like doing anything new, don't over complicate it! Stop planning and worrying about it, just go out and start it.

I truly sucked at running, started at the end of December. Started by doing a 3K loop. Run walk run walk run walk, then one day...ran the 3K without having to stop. I don't know if everyone has a 'click day' like me but on the previous run I must have stopped to walk about 4 times.

After that just keep adding a little bit of distance to your run and that's it.

Also, there's a running forum in the Sport section. Start a log.

Good luck.

Bog Butter

I have gained a lot from this forum so I would like to share my experiences of running as they may be of benifit especially for those want to loose the belly.

I'm in the process of losing weight. I'm 27 and 5' 11'' tall. I weigh 106kgs/16.5 stone. My BMI is in the low 30's so i'm classified as obese albeit at the lower end. Today though I ran for 46 minutes at 9.5 km per hour on the treadmill at 0 gradient.

So my point is that just because you're over weight does not mean you cannot run. I started off with a 5-10 min runs and gradually built my way up. So never be discouraged if your are gasping after your first run. Keep at it, gradually increasing the time spent running. Your body needs to get used to it.

Concentrate on the breathing, pleanty of deep breaths. Running, especially at start, requires a certain level of stamina so some breathing exercises are a good distraction from monotony and/or discomfort. I feel though they are especially important for the beginner who might feel out of breath while running. This relates back to my previous point on getting used to it: your body need more oxygen.

I start off with a 3/4 min jog then do my streches and then into running. I find I have a little discomfort at the start of my run but it gets easier as my body gets warmed up. This inital discomfort is slowing decreasing.

I am also doing some squats and lunges as well as press ups, sit ups, back streches. The squats and lunges though are great for my ability to run and I highly recommend them. And if you read any weight loss dicussion on this forum will notice that they are highly recommend as part of the overall weight loss regime in general. Bear in mind hear though they also require stamina and a little time getting used too.

You may find running gets monotous. If you focus your running, i.e have a plan, routine etc - record your time or even just distance. If you're running outside, pick out land marks as your end point, you may find you would like to continue, so pick another further ahead. A running partner helps, if you could find one that would be great. I like to mix up my cardio though, this stops me getting sick of any one thing. So I am now doing spinning and swimming as well as running. The swimming is excellent for sore muscles by the way.

Ádh mór!