New to running - goals and questions :)

lindsayh87

I've always wanted to be a runner. I love the idea of just going out for a run to get in a good calorie burn and to clear your mind. In the past I have tried to "pick up" running and quickly gave up because my cardio endurance was awful and I was winded so quickly that I would give up. I even went out and spent a ton of money on good shoes and fancy running clothes thinking that would motivate me. After having kids - a jogging stroller. It all ended in quitting because I felt like butt when running! I've now completed a few rounds of insanity and I'm in much better condition! I went out for my first run last week with a goal of just running a mile (I know, seems like a low goal but I seriously didn't think I could do it!) and made it just shy of 3 miles before returning home! I was so excited about how good it felt that I then mapped out a 5k for my next run and made it though the whole thing without stopping. My mile splits were just barely over 10mins, it took me about 31 minutes to run it. (I'm certain to those of you who run regularly that's pathetically slow) I'm pretty hooked now though and look forward to every run! Questions are - should I keep running the same route and improve on time or is it okay to change it up? My current route includes a few steep hills. What type of goals should I set for myself? I have a polar HRM that I wore a couple times, should I focus on keeping my HR steady and go further distances for improvement or focus more on just being faster at one set distance? I'm not looking to start running marathons, but would love to run one of the several 5ks and eventually maybe even a 10k race they have in my area!

zdyb23456

That's awesome! It took me much longer to get to that point.

My original goal was to do 3 miles in 30 minutes or under. Once I reached that, it was about improving my distance and speed. I signed up for 5K and my goal was to run it in 9 minute miles. After that, it was an 8K race and I wanted to run it in 9 minute miles or better - I did it in 41 minutes and 25 seconds!

So I think you could pick a 5k race in the near future and focus on improving your speed.

kristinegift

lindsayh87 wrote: »

Questions are - should I keep running the same route and improve on time or is it okay to change it up? My current route includes a few steep hills. What type of goals should I set for myself? I have a polar HRM that I wore a couple times, should I focus on keeping my HR steady and go further distances for improvement or focus more on just being faster at one set distance? I'm not looking to start running marathons, but would love to run one of the several 5ks and eventually maybe even a 10k race they have in my area!

First of all, congrats on finally feeling up to the challenge of running! And getting in 3 miles on your first run is amazing!

Re: Same route or changing it up: I recommend changing it up. Map out some fun 1, 2, and 3 mile runs in your neighborhood that you can go between and mix-and-match. It will keep things interesting and prevent mental burn out.

Re: Goals: I think since you're just starting, your focus should be keeping a comfortable (see: conversational) pace. Don't try to speed through your run! Sign up for a 5k and see how that goes, and use a training plan to target a 10k for the late summer or fall. You've got this!

scottb81

What you should focus on now and for at least the next 3 to 6 months is just building a good aerobic foundation by running easy for progressively longer times.

Easy is with your heartrate at around 75% max and below. This is important. Running harder than this right now is not better.

Progressively longer times is to where a 1 hour easy run feels very relaxing and comfortable.

Don't worry about the pace yet. It will get faster on its own and there will be specific harder workouts later.

Don't feel you need to be running hard speed workouts now. Your bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles need time to adapt first. Easy running will do that for you.

Start out with 3 times a week and then move to 4 times a week when you feel able. More than that is better but carries a higher degree of risk of injury. So its probably better to wait until you have been running a while to add too much.

DeeTee68

scottb81 wrote: »

What you should focus on now and for at least the next 3 to 6 months is just building a good aerobic foundation by running easy for progressively longer times.

Easy is with your heartrate at around 75% max and below. This is important. Running harder than this right now is not better.

Progressively longer times is to where a 1 hour easy run feels very relaxing and comfortable.

Don't worry about the pace yet. It will get faster on its own and there will be specific harder workouts later.

Don't feel you need to be running hard speed workouts now. Your bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles need time to adapt first. Easy running will do that for you.

Start out with 3 times a week and then move to 4 times a week when you feel able. More than that is better but carries a higher degree of risk of injury. So its probably better to wait until you have been running a while to add too much.

Excellent advice thank you

lindsayh87

Thanks so much!! That all helps a ton!!

AllanMisner

In looking at running goals, people will go in one of two basic directions: 1) Running faster or 2) Running further. When I was running regularly, I went the second route, working up to marathons and eventually a 50 mile ultra-marathon. Speed was never my strong suit, but at a moderate pace, I could go and go and go.

You're early in your running training, so it is probably best to focus on one distance for a while and build good running form and an endurance base. I'd mix up routes, pace, and occasionally add a longer distance (4 or 5 miles), and see where you get the most enjoyment. Is getting PR on another 5K your thing, or would you like to manage a 5 miler? After you've done some training, you'll find your groove.

SueInAz

scottb81 wrote: »

What you should focus on now and for at least the next 3 to 6 months is just building a good aerobic foundation by running easy for progressively longer times.

Easy is with your heartrate at around 75% max and below. This is important. Running harder than this right now is not better.

Progressively longer times is to where a 1 hour easy run feels very relaxing and comfortable.

Don't worry about the pace yet. It will get faster on its own and there will be specific harder workouts later.

Don't feel you need to be running hard speed workouts now. Your bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles need time to adapt first. Easy running will do that for you.

Start out with 3 times a week and then move to 4 times a week when you feel able. More than that is better but carries a higher degree of risk of injury. So its probably better to wait until you have been running a while to add too much.

Some great advice in here. I'll add a little more:

More running is not better, especially early on, for the same reason as running faster is not. Run no more often than every other day and be careful of doing other high impact activities on the days between. I can't count the number of posts I've responded to where someone suffered pain or an injury due to this when they were new to running.

If you haven't been fitted for running shoes yet think about doing it soon. The wrong shoes can cause problems for you.

The easiest way to get faster is to run farther. As you add distance, keep to the 10% rule: don't add more than 10% distance from the week before. So if you ran 3 miles to 5K each day this week times 3 days you should run no more than 10 miles total next week.

You're doing very well for speed. I'm a bit older but running about that speed after 4 years of running. I'm also short so I'm sure I'll never be fast. There's a lesson in there... don't compare yourselves to others. Unless you have a goal to be an elite runner most of your racing is going to be against yourself, anyway, so only use yourself as a comparison.

Dianardh

Do what you enjoy and will stick with