I can weight train easy but can't run for the life of me. Why?

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  • Childfree1991
    Childfree1991 Posts: 145 Member
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    blankiefinder wrote: »
    Is it just running, or is it all cardio? If it's just running (that's how I am), I look at it like, why can't I sing well like some people can? Maybe it's just not something I am meant to do well. As long as I can go on the bike, or elliptical, etc, then I don't need to run (unless the zombies attack, but I've already been assured that I can probably escape in the mass confusion before the running starts :D )
    I can bike fine. I can also swim fine and take brisk walks. It's just the running I struggle at lol...

  • Childfree1991
    Childfree1991 Posts: 145 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Thanks, guys. I'll take your advice. And it's just running I need to work at. One time I got my knee checked because I thought that might be the problem but that wasn't it either. I guess I'll start slower, even if it's turtle speed lol.
  • BigLifter10
    BigLifter10 Posts: 1,151 Member
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    kristinegift wrote: »
    If you burn out in 30 seconds, slow it down; you're probably going closer to a sprint than a jog -- and a jog is what you should be aiming for. Resistance and weight training isn't building the same capacities that cardio/running do, so you can't go from one to the other and expect the same results.

    Also if you're "burned out" in 30 seconds, it could be a mental thing, not necessarily all physical.



    Mental thing: I feel like this a lot about running. I want to enjoy it like I enjoy weights, but the fact is, I just don't. No matter what I do, every step I take when I jog/run is one step closer to being done with it. I look at it as monotony and I don't want to, I just do. Why it isn't like that when I walk? Don't know....but some people are just born runners and I would say I'm just not one of them. Maybe that is simply all it is for you? Good luck if you decide to make it work!
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    Turtle speed is good. You can always get faster when you are ready. If you go too fast and quite, well then thats game over all together.

    Running is very much a mental battle for alot of people. Ask yourself, am I actually tired/ can't do this or am I just bored with this? When I first started I would give out mentally way easier running than on the elliptical or bike. If it's a mental thing then maybe you can find a buddy to help distract you, listen to music, try to take your mind off of it (someone once suggested to me to count things on my run like mailboxes) or play a little I spy with yourself.

  • kjm3579
    kjm3579 Posts: 3,974 Member
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    Start by running down to the corner of your block. When that gets easy, run a little around the corner, then to the next electric pole, then to another landmark, etc. only moving to more distance when the previous one gets a little easy. That was how I started and one day I found myself running a half mile and then a mile and then.... this past year I completed the Broad Street Run in Philly (10 miles) and this year did a 5K on New Years Day -- I am still very slow but I'm working on building endurance for distance and letting the speed come up later.
  • akirkman86
    akirkman86 Posts: 89 Member
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    I also feel like running is very much a mental thing. If you have this idea that you "can't" run, it's going to make it that much harder. On days when I can't mentally get into it, it's way harder... and some days I can run 8+ miles easily. You definitely CAN do it... just start slow! C25k is a great program to get started with.
  • TiberiusClaudis
    TiberiusClaudis Posts: 423 Member
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    Like others, I recommend you start by walking. The rest will come. Like BigLifter, running isn't my favorite thing to do, but I do it outside, usually along the beach. Once you get reasonably good at it, your mind can drift and you don't really think about it. Having music playing also takes my mind off the boring aspect of it. Good Luck!
  • LisaGirlfriend
    LisaGirlfriend Posts: 493 Member
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    The running programs are good. I joined a running club many years ago and we started with 1 minute walk, 1 minute run, the entire 30 minutes... 3 x a week. The next week, we moved up to 1 minute walk, 2 minute run... then we kept building until we all ran a 5km race together. I couldn't run for the life of me either before that club. Now I run and walk for 20-30 seconds when I need to. Good luck. You can do it.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
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    Your pace is probably too fast.

    Slow down - even if it feels ridiculously slow. Then gradually add volume as you adapt.
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
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    Childfree1991 wrote: »
    Well, I can run but only 30 seconds tops even when pacing myself, then I'll immediately burn out. Yet I can do resistance training/weights for 30+ minutes without getting burnt out.

    You have muscles but you haven't developed a system to feed them oxygen properly to keep them going for long amounts of time. I used to be in the same position. I was twice as strong as my brother but we'd do hikes in Colorado and I had a hard time keeping up with him. That was an eye opener for me. I was missing something. It's like I had car that looked like a Ferrari but with a VW Beetle engine. It looked great but when you put your foot on the gas nothing happened.

    Read the first post in this discussion.
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1217573/so-you-want-to-start-running

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