Running

[Bones]

Has anyone out there started running in the past couple of years? I know it sounds fairly specific but I'm looking for advice from anyone who's started off as a hopeless runner, not being able to jog to the end of the road and is now able to run 5 and 10k without any difficulty. I don't want to be able to run Marathons. Anything that uses up more calories than the body can store is lunacy if you ask me. I'd just like to be able to run reasonably well. I'm 42 now, I was always a sprinter in my younger days and I've always had a bit of a mental block about running any distances. I'm carrying a little extra weight (I'm 6ft 2 and 14 stone 12) but I see people out there twice my size running further than I can. Apart from the lack of ability to run distances I would say I'm reasonably fit. I just can't seem to get anywhere with running. Do I need to shed a few pounds and spend a few hours on the rowing machine trying to increase my VO2 Max before I try running, or am I just built for anaerobic exercise rather than aerobic exercise and should therefore just forget distances and train with short shuttle runs instead?

HELP! It's driving me insane every time I come back from a run that's turned into a walk.

[Slipper1]

I rather publicly couldn't run 200m at Christmas but now get out 4 times a week for anywhere between 5k to 10k a go. While my ultimate goal is the marathon, all I want to do currently is to be able to just throw on the runners and head out for an hour. 55 to 60 mins will see me through 10k now which I'm happy about. As a bonus I've shifted 4st in the process.

If you want any info, pm me your email & we can have a chat.

[Broken Wing]

I started running on January 26th. Before that I was doing 5 minutes on the treadmill as a warm up before lifting weights.

On January 26th I ran 3K on the roads and felt like dying. After that I focused on the treadmill in the gym running for 20 minutes and then pushing that to 4K and then trying to get the 4K time as close to 20 minutes as possible. Last week I went back on the road and found I could run at much the same pace as on the treadmill. This morning I ran just over 5K in 27 minutes. It won't win races but I'm happy with the results after just 2 months.

I'm 39, 6'2 and a stone heavier than you. 4 weeks ago I was over 17 stone but Slipper's food plan on RTE.ie/OT has helped me shift over a stone and I'm planning to drop another half stone. (Nothing fits but it's too soon to buy new clothes so I look like I'm wearing hand-me-downs and loving it. Thanks Slipper for proving that it can be done.)

I have an iPhone and a chip in my runners which allows the Nike+ app to track my progress and give me regular updates. I find it a very helpful motivator when the voice cuts over the music to tell me I'm half way there or have 2 minutes to go. It certainly helps drown out the voice in my head telling me to walk for a little bit.

[Bones]

Thanks lads. Good to know I'm not alone. PM sent slipper.

[Scott]

Started running a couple of years back (from scratch). Took a while (2/3months) to get any level of fitness. One thing I personally found was that i was not able for road running or hills. Had terrible trouble with knees and back but after i switched to flat level grass i have never looked back. I just do 5 to 8k 2/3 times a week.

Best advice i ever heard for anyone starting running was from Eamonn Coghlan on the radio one day - just 'run' at whatever pace you can manage (even if that is just above walking) for 10/15 mins for a while then bring it out to 20mins then begin to increase the pace. It's all about getting the heart rate up at a constant level so running to fast then stopping & starting not really do anything for you.

For about a year i always used http://www.mapmyrun.com It's cool to be able to see how you are progressing

good luck

[Peg Leg]

I drive

[ellandleinster]

Has anyone out there started running in the past couple of years? I know it sounds fairly specific but I'm looking for advice from anyone who's started off as a hopeless runner, not being able to jog to the end of the road and is now able to run 5 and 10k without any difficulty. I don't want to be able to run Marathons. Anything that uses up more calories than the body can store is lunacy if you ask me. I'd just like to be able to run reasonably well. I'm 42 now, I was always a sprinter in my younger days and I've always had a bit of a mental block about running any distances. I'm carrying a little extra weight (I'm 6ft 2 and 14 stone 12) but I see people out there twice my size running further than I can. Apart from the lack of ability to run distances I would say I'm reasonably fit. I just can't seem to get anywhere with running. Do I need to shed a few pounds and spend a few hours on the rowing machine trying to increase my VO2 Max before I try running, or am I just built for anaerobic exercise rather than aerobic exercise and should therefore just forget distances and train with short shuttle runs instead?

HELP! It's driving me insane every time I come back from a run that's turned into a walk.

I'm 47 and started a couple of years ago and cannot live without it now. Scott's advice from Eamonn Coughlan is spot on (wish I'd known it when I started). If you start at a comfortable pace for say 15 mins you will be amazed how long you can run for. I tend to run for about 45 mins to an hour and take it very easy for the first 15 mins. Even then I find the first 15 very tough and could quite easily give up there and then. But after 15 or so mins I have usually got into it. Tend to run then at a pace of about 11kmh which I find comfortable. Any faster and I burn out and funny enough if I go slower I find it more tiring.

I also started off on the treadmill in the gym but then a few years ago entered a triathalon and started road running which I now prefer.I also find that I run quicker than I do in the gym. I would also advise trying to vary your route. Good shoes are essential (another point I didn't appreciate when I started with my Dunnes runners and ended up with terrible shin splints). Music also helps.

[Slipper1]

I was passed out by walkers when I started 'running'!

[Mika]

I've started this week and am finding it tough going, I've become an avid walker over the last 3 years when I decided not being able to keep up with my kids meant I had to do something to shed the weight and get a bit of fitness. I can walk comfortably for hours but the 10 minutes running I've managed a few times this week has nearly killed me! But I'll stick at it and hope it gets easier.

[Grumpy Old Man]

I was passed out by walkers when I started 'running'!

When you started running it was more akin to standing, or, more precisely, leaning.

Not that I'm in any position to talk!

[Lar]

I am very proud of my leaning.

[Slipper1]

Ran my first 10k race today (well 9.5k).

Only decided to do it at 7am this morning so the preparation wasn't ideal but finished mid way through the field at 55.19mins, i'm more used to nice flat tarmac paths so i was delighted with the time as it was one of the 'Urban Trail' series, so lots of different terrains, through forests, over ditches and the like. Really hot though, didn't like that.

[ellandleinster]

that's a great effort over different terrain

[tones]

A good way to build up running distances is to break it up e.g run for 2 mins then walk for 30 seconds and continue this for 20/30 mins. Next time you run, increase the time you run or shorten the rest time or eventually both.

Fartlekking is also a very good method to use and is very effective in getting over the mental barrier - here's a link of a basic sample
http://www.rugby.org/articles/rugtrain.htm

Will get further info and come back with more detail - in work at the moment

[alterego]

A good way to build up running distances is to break it up e.g run for 2 mins then walk for 30 seconds and continue this for 20/30 mins. Next time you run, increase the time you run or shorten the rest time or eventually both.

Fartlekking is also a very good method to use and is very effective in getting over the mental barrier - here's a link of a basic sample
http://www.rugby.org/articles/rugtrain.htm

Will get further info and come back with more detail - in work at the moment

If you're running on the street then streetlights can be useful distance measures/reference points for this type of training, as well as interval training,

[tones]

Here is a few useful websites. The first helps you build up from little to running to specific targets. Building up distances was something I found difficult until rugby training began to involve 40/50 min runs where I surprised myself by achieving the distances/times. So, like you, alot is mental.

The second link is a good measurement tool if you don't have an iphone.

As stated above, Fartlekking is a great way to build up tolerance to distances and boredom.

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
http://www.walkjogrun.net/
http://www.rugby.org/articles/rugtrain.htm

One other thing I would advise, is record your times & distances and even the breakdown of running to walking so you can track your improvement - again a key thing to beat the mental block.

Hope this helps.

[Donny B.]

Hi Bones,

Only seeing this now but wanted to comment cause I was was in a very similar position to you, except I was a lot, lot heavier.

I initially lost a lot of weight by eating better, cutting down on the gargle and walking 4-5 miles every day. However much as I enjoyed my walking I felt like upping the ante a bit so in February last year I took up running. At first, I just ran the first part of my walk, through a few fields, probably about five minutes, but every day I kept the running going a little further and further and in a few weeks I was running the whole park, about 1.5 miles I guess.

I made a few mistakes along the way, including running in ordinary runners instead of proper trainers. With my feet in bits, I invested in a decent pair of Asics (you don't have to go too mad, they were only €50 in Lifestyle) and I still have them. I also ran too much on concrete and found it easier on the joints when I ran on grass where possible. Icing of ankles and knees straight after runs was another thing I learned to do to ease the stiffness.

Anyway, I borrowed my sister's Garmin watch and started mapping how far I'd run and I was amazed at how quick I started building up the daily mileage from 2 to 3 to 4 to 6 miles per day. Every time I expanded my run, it was tough initially but I got a great buzz from being able to do the extra distance and then being able to exceed it again. My very nice sister got me my own Garmin watch for Christmas, which is a great motivator to keep the pace up. I was running 8.2 miles a day up until a few weeks ago, but have had to drop back down to a six mile route because I've recently started a course and time is a bit tight. I still work around it though to get my run down either first thing in the morning or when I get home from college.

I celebrated my year anniversary of running by doing a personal best of 76 minutes for the 8.2 mile route (9.17 mile average). Not Carl Lewis I know, but I'm still a big lad so that was fast for me.

The running does get kind of addictive. I'm not going to tell you I love running, but I do love getting my run done and in the rare event that I miss a run, I genuinely don't feel as good about myself. It's much nicer eating my dinner after I've done a good run. Anyone who knows the lazy fecker that I was before can't believe I have to get out for a run every day now.

Anyhow enough about me. My advice would be this.

Start off walking for the first couple of weeks. No shame in it, just get yourself used to walking 4/5 miles every day at a decent pace (should take between an hour/hour and a half depending on how quick you go). Walking is also terrific exercise btw.

Then when you're comfortable with that and have a nice route picked out for yourself, (a local park would be nice if convenient) start running for the first five/ten minutes of your run. Don't worry too much about the time you run, probably best to pick out a point in your walk that you want to get to and keep running until you get there. Then finish your walk as normal. The next day, do the same and then when you're a bit more used to it, try extending your distance a little bit each time, again finishing your walk as normal each time. I know Eamonn Coghlan knows more about running than me, but I genuinely wouldn't advise running yourself to exhaustion when you're starting. Running for 15-20 minutes might be nothing to him, but if you haven't been running before, it's a bloody lifetime. It's painful and pointless and will only reinforce your negative feeling towards running.

The big thing is to set yourself a reasonable target and then achieving it. Don't worry about times or anything like that at the start because the main thing at this stage is building up your running stamina. And the most important thing is your BREATHING. I know it sounds obvious, but where I was going wrong for years was I simply wasn't getting the air in and out of my lungs quick enough, so I'd get out of breath, get a stitch and have to stop and feel like shite. So, at the start really concentrate on getting your breathing right. Once you get the hang of it and you're not panicking about having to stop, you'll find your distances increasing very quickly. Keep going with your run/walks as long as you need to but you'll be surprised how quickly you say 'feck it' and just start running the whole of your route.

Once you know that you're confident you can run the distance then you can start timing yourself and trying to beat personal bests to keep it interesting. I'm not into the whole racing/marathon thing but if that's your bag then more power to you.

I also took up doing some weights in the gym, but I can't stand treadmills cause they're so dull and would gladly take an 80 run in the park over 20 minutes on the treadmill.

So that's my story and I hope it's a help to you. I used to get pissed off when people banged on about running but I genuinely have never been as fit in my life, not even when I was a kid. If you can get into a habit of having a solid run every day, you'll find any extra weight will drop off and you'll feel fantastic.

Oh and obviously have a good stretch before and after your run, especially those pesky hammers.

Anyway hope this helps and if you want any other advice feel free to PM me. If you do get into it, let us know how you get on, cause I'm sure other people are in the same boat and could be encouraged by your example.

Best of luck with it and if you want to do it you'll do it, cause if I can, anyone can!

[claire_m]

I'll just echo the others really. Firstly, congrats on taking the decision to take up running, that's the first battle won. Secondly, get a decent pair of running shoes. They don't have to cost the earth, but asics, brooks and saucony are all good brands.

Build it up gradually. don't go out there thinking you'll run a marathon in the first week! I've had a lot of problems with my legs (from my hips down - I have an intermittent problem with my ITB, my knees, my shins, my heals and I've had a terrible problem with my peroneal). I won't (and can't!) run without orthotics in my shoes.

I walk home from work every day, which takes about an hour. I have a base level of fitness, but it's not great. When I started running again a few months back, I jogged for a minute, walked for a minute and repeated this until I'd jogged for 10 minutes. I then increased my jogging gradually. You'll know your limits, and don't try and do too much too soon.

I've just taken about 6 weeks off running and I'm back into it. Last night I ran 4 sets of 8 minutes. In between, I stretched, did some squats, some lunges, did the plank (that nearly killed me!) and finished off with more stretches.

If you're out for a length of time, I'd recommend taking an ipod (or similar!), a bottle of water and I always take jelly babies (or similar!) and reward myself with a jelly baby after each 5/8 etc min jog.

I find weight baring exercise quite tough (just because I'm quite injury prone), so will be introducing swimming and cycling into my work outs.

You'll find that when you're exercising, you'll want to eat healthier too - you don't want to undo all that work you're doing! It's a lot easier this time of year as well - the weather's nice and you want to be out and eating salads (or at least I do!). I live near a park and there were so many joggers out last night! I also find that once I get passed that initial 10 minutes, I can run a lot freer, but don't push yourself too far too soon. Maybe sign up for a 5k to give you some motivation and finally enjoy it!

Good luck

[Broken Wing]

I was browsing the Irish Times site on Saturday when I came across a piece titled "Running Stories". Thinking it might contain motivating anecdotes similar to this thread I clicked it. Turns out it was Roisín Ingle's piece but I read it anyway (and yes, there was the obligatory broodcast). The main points were that she ran to music but only ran to music she liked and found she was liking the music less so she tried running to short stories and found it much more distracting from the actual running.

On Sunday evening I went for a run and decided to give it a go. I've been listening to Lars Brownworth's 12 Byzantine Rulers podcast so I started my run listening to his lecture on Julian. I was half way through the one on Zeno when I realised I had run 4.8K instead of the intended 4K. On top of the extra distance my pace was the fastest I've run on the road so far. I didn't get out for a run this morning but I will be listening to a podcast instead of music next time I do.

[Scott]

I was browsing the Irish Times site on Saturday when I came across a piece titled "Running Stories". Thinking it might contain motivating anecdotes similar to this thread I clicked it. Turns out it was Roisín Ingle's piece but I read it anyway (and yes, there was the obligatory broodcast). The main points were that she ran to music but only ran to music she liked and found she was liking the music less so she tried running to short stories and found it much more distracting from the actual running.

On Sunday evening I went for a run and decided to give it a go. I've been listening to Lars Brownworth's 12 Byzantine Rulers podcast so I started my run listening to his lecture on Julian. I was half way through the one on Zeno when I realised I had run 4.8K instead of the intended 4K. On top of the extra distance my pace was the fastest I've run on the road so far. I didn't get out for a run this morning but I will be listening to a podcast instead of music next time I do.

because it's true

Always listen to Off The Ball when out running