beginner running tips?

veronakings

hopefully you may be able to answer a few questions. (i searched the forum archive but couldn't find anything re: some specifics, so don't get on me for starting a new thread...)

okay, so i am pretty new to running. ran track, and played soccer for years and years, but i have really always hated running. i'm trying to get in shape for soccer, and I'm trying to get into it slowly so i don't get hurt, and don't start despising it. (i haven't played sports or ran for about 8 years) i am following a beginners running program. the program says never to run 4 days in a row. is this correct? when i was an athlete i ran 6 days a week for at least an hour a day if not much much more. these runs are 30 minutes each and alternate running and walking for the first month. i'm worried that if i skip a day i will just skip two then three then four etc.

second q: i'm running outdoors. i don't belong to a gym, and i really like to run w/ my dog and see the city. the only problem is that we live up north and the sidewalks are pretty scary. ice and snow covering the sidewalks, not very good visibility, etc. i'm worried about slipping and hurting myself. any tips for running in the winter in a snowy, icy city? the second part of that question is appropriate winter running gear? any advice? i have been running in tights, running shoes, and my winter coat (ha i know it looks silly).

AllOutof_Bubblegum

Have you tried the C25k app? It helps a lot of people build endurance.

Secondly, I don't know where you live, but I would be careful about running in a full winter coat. You can overheat very easily without realizing it, and get really sick/fall down and hurt yourself. Look into thermal under clothes with moisture wicking, and a good athletics zip-up or hoodie. The good ones aren't terribly cheap, but you get what you pay for; good quality is worth the price, IMO.

veronakings

i live in Minnesota, so winter norm is around 0-10. in January-feb we can be -10 to -30 with a windchill of -60 for weeks on end. lately it's been staying right around 19 at night when i run.

lishie_rebooted

1. If you ran track in HS, how are you new to running? That makes zero sense.
2. If you're a beginner, you shouldn't run 4 days in a row, it's a good way for an overuse injury. That's why c25k is every other day
3. run in the road with reflective gear and a headlamp and/or get yaktrak/kathoolas

lishie_rebooted

veronakings wrote: »

i live in Minnesota, so winter norm is around 0-10. in January-feb we can be -10 to -30 with a windchill of -60 for weeks on end. lately it's been staying right around 19 at night when i run.

Go to a sporting goods store and get layers so you're not running in a winter coat.

Stoshew71

First. Enter a race. 5K's are great for beginners. Racing will make you become addictive to running and make the training part of it more fun. C25K is a very popular training program for beginners. Hal Hidgon's website may have others. Second- yes, running 4 days in a row for a begginer is not very smart. Your body needs rest periods in between workouts and for a beginner starting out, you will need to build an aerobic base slowly. As far as running outdoors on ice, you can take old running shoes and turn them into screw shoes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us82woC7RMM

veronakings

@603 reader, yeah, new to running. i ran track but was a sprinter. i ran much more for soccer, but running wasn't the point, it was just what i needed to do to play well. when i say i'm new to running, i mean i am new to running as a sport on it's own.

BrianSharpe

As you can see from my profile picture I'm no stranger to winter running.

In terms of clothing the trick is layers and it involves a little trial and error. Right now, with the weather just below freezing I typically run in tights, a long sleeve running shirt with a mid weight half zip topped off with a lightweight running shell, toque & gloves (for wind resistance) When it gets really cold (it will get down to -40C here occasionally during winter) I'll add a lightweight merino wool base layer (legs & torso) and a polartec fleece top as well as a warmer toque and gloves. For really cold weather I also use merino wool socks but use my regular running shoes, when it's really slushy I'll use a pair of gore-tex trail shoes to help keep my feet drier. For winter runs you should feel a little chilly at the beginning, if you don't chances are you'll end up overheating.

There are a number of traction aids out there, I have Yak-Trax that I use a few times a year when it's really icy. Some people just get a handful of small machine screws at their local hardware store and screw them into the soles of their runners (very cheap but effective)

The magic words you said were "when I was an athlete"......when you're first starting out running you should take a day off between running days to allow you body to adapt to the physiological changes that are necessary to become an athlete again. On those off days you can cross train (weights, cycling, swimming, soccer practice etc) as you gain fitness you can increase the frequency and duration of your runs (I used to hate running to and started for the same reason you are....I wanted to get back into shape to play soccer. I retired from soccer a couple of years ago but I'm still (surprisingly) running as I grew to love it, with any luck you will too.)

AllOutof_Bubblegum

603reader wrote: »

veronakings wrote: »

i live in Minnesota, so winter norm is around 0-10. in January-feb we can be -10 to -30 with a windchill of -60 for weeks on end. lately it's been staying right around 19 at night when i run.

Go to a sporting goods store and get layers so you're not running in a winter coat.

This. Also, try running later in the day, if you can, during the "warmest" (relatively, lol) part of the day, after the sun has more chance to kick the chill. They say 3-6pm is the warmest time of the day, generally.

Stoshew71

A couple of links you may find useful as a beginner:

So you want to start running:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1217573/so-you-want-to-start-running

20 things I wish I’d known about running when I started
(from the prospective from a woman)

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/BerryH/view/20-things-i-wish-i-d-known-about-running-when-i-started-103936

lishie_rebooted

AllOutof_Bubblegum wrote: »

603reader wrote: »

veronakings wrote: »

i live in Minnesota, so winter norm is around 0-10. in January-feb we can be -10 to -30 with a windchill of -60 for weeks on end. lately it's been staying right around 19 at night when i run.

Go to a sporting goods store and get layers so you're not running in a winter coat.

This. Also, try running later in the day, if you can, during the "warmest" (relatively, lol) part of the day, after the sun has more chance to kick the chill. They say 3-6pm is the warmest time of the day, generally.

I always heard 11a-2p.
Plus come winter, the sun is setting... I'd rather run in full dark than dusk during the winter

veronakings

BrianSharpe wrote: »

As you can see from my profile picture I'm no stranger to winter running.

In terms of clothing the trick is layers and it involves a little trial and error. Right now, with the weather just below freezing I typically run in tights, a long sleeve running shirt with a mid weight half zip topped off with a lightweight running shell, toque & gloves (for wind resistance) When it gets really cold (it will get down to -40C here occasionally during winter) I'll add a lightweight merino wool base layer (legs & torso) and a polartec fleece top as well as a warmer toque and gloves. For really cold weather I also use merino wool socks but use my regular running shoes, when it's really slushy I'll use a pair of gore-tex trail shoes to help keep my feet drier. For winter runs you should feel a little chilly at the beginning, if you don't chances are you'll end up overheating.

There are a number of traction aids out there, I have Yak-Trax that I use a few times a year when it's really icy. Some people just get a handful of small machine screws at their local hardware store and screw them into the soles of their runners (very cheap but effective)

The magic words you said were "when I was an athlete"......when you're first starting out running you should take a day off between running days to allow you body to adapt to the physiological changes that are necessary to become an athlete again. On those off days you can cross train (weights, cycling, swimming, soccer practice etc) as you gain fitness you can increase the frequency and duration of your runs (I used to hate running to and started for the same reason you are....I wanted to get back into shape to play soccer. I retired from soccer a couple of years ago but I'm still (surprisingly) running as I grew to love it, with any luck you will too.)

thanks!! super helpful!

williamwj2014

Initially you won't be actually "running" (you'll be walking more than you run) but my advice would be to find trails which aren't going to be covered in ice so you don't slip and fall. As someone suggested, go to a sporting goods store to find layers for the cold (trust me, they won't be the warmest things ever but once you get running and warm your body it won't matter) Many follow the couch to 5k plan which has you running every other day but I personally thought it was stupid to follow that plan and did my own thing but I would recommend you using the Couch to 5k plan since it's pretty reliable for many people and many here seem to have success with it.

As for not dreading it...you will dread running in the beginning, trust me. There is no way of making it fun at first and the first few weeks will be hard but you have to stick with it. I have the belief that if a person wants something bad enough, they will go after it. The question is, is how bad do you want it? Stick with it and watch how much it pays off..you will be so amazed at how fast you improve.

Also..diet is key!!! Diet will help you improve in your run so cut out the fast food/microwave stuff.

veronakings

thanks everyone for your advice. this is all great advice!!

BrianSharpe

I actually forgot one really important thing......keep your stride short. Your forward foot should not extend very much beyond your hips unless you want to land on your butt.

The good thing about running like this in the winter is that it helps you develop a mid-foot strike.

veronakings

oh yeah. i am running so carefully w/ this ice!

anyone run with a dog? i'm getting my 1 year old weirdo cattle dog mix used to it slowly and he absolutely loves it. i can definitely see improvement in his behavior when we run together. we were already walking about 25+ miles/ week, but just doing the short runs have totally chilled him out.

stealthq

williamwj2014 wrote: »

Initially you won't be actually "running" (you'll be walking more than you run) but my advice would be to find trails which aren't going to be covered in ice so you don't slip and fall. As someone suggested, go to a sporting goods store to find layers for the cold (trust me, they won't be the warmest things ever but once you get running and warm your body it won't matter) Many follow the couch to 5k plan which has you running every other day but I personally thought it was stupid to follow that plan and did my own thing but I would recommend you using the Couch to 5k plan since it's pretty reliable for many people and many here seem to have success with it.

As for not dreading it...you will dread running in the beginning, trust me. There is no way of making it fun at first and the first few weeks will be hard but you have to stick with it. I have the belief that if a person wants something bad enough, they will go after it. The question is, is how bad do you want it? Stick with it and watch how much it pays off..you will be so amazed at how fast you improve.

Also..diet is key!!! Diet will help you improve in your run so cut out the fast food/microwave stuff.

Yes ... and maybe no.

You can make it more enjoyable in the beginning with music, or listening to books, or if you like that sort of thing (I do) there's a Zombies, Run C25K app. The story isn't the most exciting, but it's more interesting than a regular C25K app - at least for me.

Another thing I wanted to suggest. If you already have some fitness remaining from your athlete days, starting with Wk1, session 1 might be too boring. You might want to test yourself and just see how long you can do a really slow jog without tiring out. Then jump in at the Wk before the sessions start requiring the time you jogged just to make sure you don't overreach.

If you're now pretty sedentary, start at the beginning. Not worth risking an overuse injury to speed things along.

CodeMonkey78

603reader wrote: »

veronakings wrote: »

i live in Minnesota, so winter norm is around 0-10. in January-feb we can be -10 to -30 with a windchill of -60 for weeks on end. lately it's been staying right around 19 at night when i run.

Go to a sporting goods store and get layers so you're not running in a winter coat.

^^ This.

And this:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1217573/so-you-want-to-start-running/p1

lishie_rebooted

BrianSharpe wrote: »

I actually forgot one really important thing......keep your stride short. Your forward foot should not extend very much beyond your hips unless you want to land on your butt.

The good thing about running like this in the winter is that it helps you develop a mid-foot strike.

Super happy that I've been working on my cadence. Saved me this AM and had one of my quickest cadence runs this morning in the snow!

veronakings

stealthq wrote: »

Another thing I wanted to suggest. If you already have some fitness remaining from your athlete days, starting with Wk1, session 1 might be too boring. You might want to test yourself and just see how long you can do a really slow jog without tiring out. Then jump in at the Wk before the sessions start requiring the time you jogged just to make sure you don't overreach.

If you're now pretty sedentary, start at the beginning. Not worth risking an overuse injury to speed things along.

i am having a really hard time gaging my fitness level. i walk and bike to commute (no car), and my job is fairly active (lifting, walking around all day,etc.). i have no problem walking for hours at a time, or hiking, or biking across town, but i haven't really tried running. i haven't done any "extra" exercise for quite a while.

_nikkiwolf_

veronakings wrote: »

oh yeah. i am running so carefully w/ this ice!

anyone run with a dog? i'm getting my 1 year old weirdo cattle dog mix used to it slowly and he absolutely loves it. i can definitely see improvement in his behavior when we run together. we were already walking about 25+ miles/ week, but just doing the short runs have totally chilled him out.

I don't run with a dog myself, but I recently stumbled over this: http://www.poochto5k.com/
It's like C25k, only for dogs
I don't think there's an app to go with it, but they seemed to have lots of general info on running with dogs, so maybe you'll find some useful hints about how to best train your dog to run with your there.

hill8570

If you're trying to get in shape for soccer, and not just doing running for running's sake, why not run in snowshoes instead? I'd kill to live in a climate where I could snowshoe out the front door instead of driving for an hour to get into the mountains.