Starting out - All advice appreciated

here_goes

I've been trawling this forum for a couple of weeks preparing for this. Lots of good advice for newbies from the experience posters. I hope to benefit from your knowledge:

33 years old
Stood on a scales last night for the first time in a while and horrified to discover 15st 13.5lbs. - 5ft 11" male.

Was always reasonably fit untill the last 12 months. Have noticably put on piles of weight. I am now making a concerted effort to shed this but need to have goals also. I know there is a 10 miler in Waterford in December which maybe is a reasonable goal? I went for a two mile run last night on the road- only walked a little bit of it and ran most. I joined a gym last night in addition.

All the tools are in place - now I need to use them!!!!

Need all the advice I can garner from you all. I am a recently quitted 20-a-day smoker also.

Training plans, reasonable goals and all other advice re diet/training etc genuinely appreciated.

nutzzz123

here_goes wrote: »

I've been trawling this forum for a couple of weeks preparing for this. Lots of good advice for newbies from the experience posters. I hope to benefit from your knowledge:

33 years old
Stood on a scales last night for the first time in a while and horrified to discover 15st 13.5lbs. - 5ft 11" male.

Was always reasonably fit untill the last 12 months. Have noticably put on piles of weight. I am now making a concerted effort to shed this but need to have goals also. I know there is a 10 miler in Waterford in December which maybe is a reasonable goal? I went for a two mile run last night on the road- only walked a little bit of it and ran most. I joined a gym last night in addition.

All the tools are in place - now I need to use them!!!!

Need all the advice I can garner from you all. I am a recently quitted 20-a-day smoker also.

Training plans, reasonable goals and all other advice re diet/training etc genuinely appreciated.

Im not qualified to give you training advice buddy so I wont, there are more qualified lads here that can help you with that. But I will say there is a 10 mile run in October 20th in Waterford and the Half Marathon is on in December 12th. But there are loads of online training plans. 1 ive used is Hal Higdons training plans and found the site very useful http://www.halhigdon.com/

good luck in your training and well done for taking the plunge

HardyEustace

Get some decent shoes.

Get some technical running gear, it'll make a big difference to your comfort levels.

Join fit4life, it'll probably start with a new group in September. Having a support network and people to train with makes a massive difference.

Tell as many people as possible about the race, it's harder to back out then!

Remember that your focus is to compete and finish the race - not to lose weight. Thus complete your training plan regardless of whether or not you've lost weight that week. Don't get into a cycle where you get pissed off because you haven't lost weight and then think "sod the race".

FPAON

As HardyEustace said get decent running shoes - not sure where you're based but I would recommend getting gait analysis done (lots of places around the country that do this). If you don't have the right shoes you could end up getting injured.

Hal Higdon's site has already been mentiond- you should also check out mapmyrun.com - good for seeing what distance you cover in a run and to keep track of your training.

I read a post on here recently that said that the biggest obsticle is the front door - get out and enjoy your running, don't be focussing on loosing weight as that will happen over time.

Finally fair play on giving up the cigs - I did the same myself a while back and got into the running and really enjoy it now.

bagus

Record your training in a log (e.g. a simple excel speadsheet).
The date, what you did (swim, run, bike), where, etc, ...

The longer you do this the better.
I have kept a log for the past 3 years and find it very motivating:

- If I have any gaps in my training log it really bugs me.
- I try and get each month up on the previous years equivalent month (getting harder every year).
- If I'm having a good month, it motivates me to drive on to make it my best month
- If I'm having bad month it motivates me to sort it out.

- If I'm nearing a milestone it drives me on (e.g. I have 950Kms completed y.t.d. on the bike, then I might do 50km that night instead of 40) etc....

Best of luck with it. Stick with the training and you will be amazed what you will achieve in a year.

misty floyd

Quit the snacks. Just because your training now, don't be fooled into thinking you can eat what you like (I'm not assuming you think like that). A good diet with some training and the weight will fly off. I hate it when people say 'a moment on the lips is forever on the hips' but there is something good in that. A galaxy takes about 4minutes to eat and to burn off similar calories takes...I don't know.....25mins of running? I stop myself and think about what I'm doing when it comes to tea breaks in work or when I go to the fridge. Its just not worth it.

I've been training hard for the last few months and the weight is coming off slowly. It wasn't until I kicked the chocolate bars and rubbish out (only the last 2 weeks mind you) that I'm getting real payback.

If you have a bad day and pig out. Don't beat yourself up over it. Just get going again and learn from it.

Well done on qutting the smokes. Best of luck.

here_goes

If only to confirm that I am a novice, what is "gait analysis".

FPAON

I didn't know what gait analysis was 12 months ago either . Here is a bit of info on it:
http://www.irishfit.ie/gaitlab.html
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gait_analysis

One place I can recommend to get it done is http://www.amphibianking.ie/
No association with them - just a satisfied customer!

If Bray doesn't suit there are lots of other places around the country that do it.

DJ Dodgy

here_goes wrote: »

If only to confirm that I am a novice, what is "gait analysis".

This was a new one on me too. If you look at running shoes some are identified to help a particular way of running (Pronator or something). I think it is to do with the way your foot falls/turns as it lands when running. I was in Elverys in Galway and they did it for nothing for me. I had to put on white socks on my stocking feet, run for a minute on a thread mill while they filmed it. They then played it back to the moment each foot contacted the floor and told me what to look for in a shoe.

I'm 3 months into running after hating the idea of jogging all my life. I'm 37 and smoked for years until about 6 months ago. Not an expert on jogging but strongly recommend you listen very carefully to pains in chest or upper arms, or stitches. A check out from the GP would be advisable.

Hang in there. Might be worthwhile looking at an 8km halfway between you target and now. Just to get something on the board.

here_goes

Thanks for the advice folks. Keep it coming. Glad to know that there have been people in a similar state to me and they followed up with success. Heading off for a run now.

happy_73

If you're around 16 stong you'll have moobs (I KNOW I had them when I was 16 stone!).

Use undershorts to prevent thigh chafing and vaseline on the nipples to prevent them from bleeding. Nothing will turn you off running more then burning thighs and bleeding nipples!!!!!

Also +1 on getting a pair of good runners, go to a good running store (likes of John Buckleys in Cork) and have a chat with the staff. They'll take a look at your feet and recommend a pair for you... not going to get that in Lifestyle and the likes.

Fair dues to you for starting and good luck with the training! And enjoy it!

S

Carb

misty floyd wrote: »

A galaxy takes about 4minutes to eat

You're obviously not trying hard enough.:)

DJ Dodgy

Carb wrote: »

You're obviously not trying hard enough.:)

It's unfair to put a newbie under pressure early. Let him start at 4 minutes a Galaxy and build it up gradually

happy_73

I think 4 minutes for 1 pound of choc is fairly fast myself

DJ Dodgy

I had the worst run of my 3 months on Saturday and was thinking of this thread in terms of perfect guidance in terms of what not to do.
1. 3 glasses of wine night before,
2. two chesse burgers night before (blamed Dervla O'Rourke who had just said on the radio that the first thing she did after her 4th place finish in Final was go for Big Mac Meal.
3. Poor sleep.
4. Ate big breakfast at 9.30 before starting run at 11am.
5. Little or no prehydration.
6. Hot day.
7. Annoyed at myself about 1-5 above so tried to push myself.
I made 2.5 mile point in PB 25. 30 and then completely blew up on the way back. Finished 57.30 after having to stop 3 times.
Promised myself I'd write down my stupidity on this thread next chance I got.

aero2k

happy_73 wrote: »

have a chat with the staff. They'll take a look at your feet and recommend a pair for you... not going to get that in Lifestyle and the likes.

Just in the interest of fairness, I was in Lifestyle in Blanchardstown last week and the guy there was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. I suspect he's a one-of....