pathetic running sessions + GERD symptoms

skyhowl

hello, i am not sure if this is going to be a long post but i will be talking about a few things on my mind, and i hope that i will find some helpful words from some of the members here on MFP.

first, i want to share my excitement for my 100th day of logging. i lost 12 kgs so far. and hopefully i will keep going.
so far, i've been depending primarily on my calorie intake to lose the weight. i do some exercise but not regularly. although i really really want to be doing this regularly. i just find it hard sometimes.
i was into a few different sports when i was young, swimming, table tennis and volleyball. but this kinda stopped in high school. and i didn't really do any kind of exercise until my first year of college. i started following some HIIT videos (videos were roughly 15 mins so it is not long). then i stopped again as i was very busy with college. and last year i graduated and started going to the gym for 3 months. i focused on doing some cardio (running, cycling) and some lifting. my program with lifting was so messed up, so i won't talk about that.
my younger sister never actually worked out in her entire life (and she is not really active either) and she went to the gym with me and i noticed that her record of running is higher than me.
i was already going to the gym for 1 month trying to break my record of running more than 2 mins without crashing and there she was in her first day at the gym running more than 5 mins and it was like nothing for her. i felt pretty bad about myself and i don't really know what's wrong with me. if i've been working for a month going to the gym 5 days a week and i can't run more than 2 mins, it is pretty pathetic.
once i started my Journey here, i also started running -instead of running indoor i opted for running outdoor which was much better for me-. i am using an app for 5k run to train myself.
it is going slow, but i would be doing more if it wasn't for my GERD. i suffered from GERD since i was a kid. but i didn't really talked about the chronic chest ache i had as a kid to anyone until last year and i went to the doctors and i found out it was GERD.
my symptoms are much better since i started dieting, i guess because i tend to eat smaller meals throughout the day. but i still suffer when running. in the middle of my last cardio session, my acid reflex/ heartburn was so bad that i actually tasted some of the acids in my mouth and i had to slow down a couple of times and walk instead until i was able to run again and not feel like throwing up. i feel like i can run more now "in terms of endurance" but my acid reflex ruin my runs.

i try not to eat 3 or 4 hours before running and it doesn't always help.

pomegranatecloud

Everyone is different. Everyone starts at different places and progresses differently. Focus on you and not comparing yourself to your sister or others. If you want to run further slow down. Most new runners run way too fast and as a result can't go very far. You may want to consider following a program like couch to 5k (it's probably similar to the app your using).

richardgavel

Define running? Are we talking near maximum effort or less than that? One thing that helped me build endurance was those short sets, maybe a min of running then a min of walking and repeat. I think you get better quicker with that vs just running non stop til you hit the point where you need to stop.

vespiquenn

Don't compare yourself to others. It is only doing harm when it festers like it clearly has. The same thing happened with my husband, who has not run since high school. He is 27 now, and he had far more endurance than me despite my training for months.

Instead of being negative about it, encourage her or stop going to the gym with her. But you aren't doing anyone any favors by being jealous over it.

Keep doing what you're doing and you will build endurance. Learning to run is a slow process if you don't want to be injured.

ETA: would taking an antacid before a run possibly help?

harmannijjer977

Just don't give up . I was once in his problem and i got up every morning and put in work . Stretch before any running is the best . Best of luck too you .

skyhowl

richardgavel wrote: »

Define running? Are we talking near maximum effort or less than that? One thing that helped me build endurance was those short sets, maybe a min of running then a min of walking and repeat. I think you get better quicker with that vs just running non stop til you hit the point where you need to stop.

i don't really remember the reading off the treadmill from last year and right now i run outdoor and i don't know what is my speed.
i start slowly to warm up (because i don't warm up before running) and then run as hard as i can take it until i get a heartburn. i follow an android app to couch for 5k run that let me start slowly of sets or running and walking. just like you mentioned.

like for example,
first week (30 secs running, 2 mins walking)x6
second week (1 mins running, 1.5 mins walking)x6
third week (2 mins running, 1 min walking)x6

i will try to push myself harder, maybe that will help.

skyhowl

vespiquenn wrote: »

Don't compare yourself to others. It is only doing harm when it festers like it clearly has. The same thing happened with my husband, who has not run since high school. He is 27 now, and he had far more endurance than me despite my training for months.

Instead of being negative about it, encourage her or stop going to the gym with her. But you aren't doing anyone any favors by being jealous over it.

Keep doing what you're doing and you will build endurance. Learning to run is a slow process if you don't want to be injured.

i do not discourage her at all. i just feel bad about myself, i even went to the doctors and kept researching because it feel like something wrong with me. but you are right that this is not doing anyone any good.
my problem now is more about the difficulties with my GERD symptoms. it is holding me back.

skyhowl

vespiquenn wrote: »

Don't compare yourself to others. It is only doing harm when it festers like it clearly has. The same thing happened with my husband, who has not run since high school. He is 27 now, and he had far more endurance than me despite my training for months.

Instead of being negative about it, encourage her or stop going to the gym with her. But you aren't doing anyone any favors by being jealous over it.

Keep doing what you're doing and you will build endurance. Learning to run is a slow process if you don't want to be injured.

ETA: would taking an antacid before a run possibly help?

when i went to the doctors last years they prescribed some medications. i took it for awhile but it didn't help at all. so i stopped it. but i didn't take any medication since i started here on MFP. i will consider going again to the doctors to see if there's something that could help.

vespiquenn

skyhowl wrote: »

vespiquenn wrote: »

Don't compare yourself to others. It is only doing harm when it festers like it clearly has. The same thing happened with my husband, who has not run since high school. He is 27 now, and he had far more endurance than me despite my training for months.

Instead of being negative about it, encourage her or stop going to the gym with her. But you aren't doing anyone any favors by being jealous over it.

Keep doing what you're doing and you will build endurance. Learning to run is a slow process if you don't want to be injured.

i do not discourage her at all. i just feel bad about myself, i even went to the doctors and kept researching because it feel like something wrong with me. but you are right that this is not doing anyone any good.
my problem now is more about the difficulties with my GERD symptoms. it is holding me back.

Would something like an antacid before runs help, maybe like Tums? I have small bouts of acid reflux, and technically have GERD, but not bad. Sometimes slowly drinking room temperature water has helped as well settle it down.

jgnatca

Try this, seriously.

http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/run-walk/

It pays to learn to run with your body, respecting it's limitations. You will enjoy yourself more.

jgnatca

Some acquaintances of mine who suffer from GERD take Pantoloc. You might ask your doctor about it.

http://www.medbroadcast.com/Drug/GetDrug/Pantoloc

skyhowl

jgnatca wrote: »

Try this, seriously.

http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/run-walk/

It pays to learn to run with your body, respecting it's limitations. You will enjoy yourself more.

i am reading this now

jenilla1

Ask your doctor if you should try an elimination diet (search online) to see if there are certain foods that are causing or exacerbating your GERD. I suffered with debilitating digestive issues (and anxiety that developed because of it) for over a decade before I found a doctor who was willing to do something other than throwing ineffective medications at my symptoms. I've been symptom free and loving life (for several years now) ever since I found out what was causing my problems and permanently banned them from my diet. It can't hurt to try...good luck!

As for the running: if you are crashing that hard just minutes in, it's likely you're simply running too fast. Slow down! Who cares if you're super slow? Shuffle if you have to until you build up endurance.

thunder1982

I am a slow but steady runner. If I push myself harder I'll burn out fast.

I was training for a 12km race this year. My program had a mix of long and short runs. Short you ran faster and long you ran slow. While I ended up being injured for my 12km race I did a 8km a coupe of weeks prior and saw my training pay off in 2 ways. 1) my average pace was faster than when I originally started the program and 2) a person I knew who took off in front of me when I had caught up later decided I was going to be a good pacer for her. Everytime I caught up she took off faster until the last 1km or so, I caught up and kept going past her. I didnt see her again.

When I do group runs I always let the pack sort itself out as people get settled in. I'll pick the person in front of me and aim to keep up with them. If I happen to overtake them then I find the next person in front of me and do teh same thing. Sometimes I never overtake them but they help me keep my pace up.

I originally started with the couch to 5k app you mentioned and that was a great tool too. It pushed you a bit more each time.

I have also found a running partner and we kinda complement each other. She takes off but cant run a km without stopping. I push her to try run further each time without stopping and I find just having that faster person with me I run faster even though I consciously try not to push myself too hard as I know I'll burn out too fast.

richardgavel

skyhowl wrote: »

richardgavel wrote: »

Define running? Are we talking near maximum effort or less than that? One thing that helped me build endurance was those short sets, maybe a min of running then a min of walking and repeat. I think you get better quicker with that vs just running non stop til you hit the point where you need to stop.

i don't really remember the reading off the treadmill from last year and right now i run outdoor and i don't know what is my speed.
i start slowly to warm up (because i don't warm up before running) and then run as hard as i can take it until i get a heartburn. i follow an android app to couch for 5k run that let me start slowly of sets or running and walking. just like you mentioned.

like for example,
first week (30 secs running, 2 mins walking)x6
second week (1 mins running, 1.5 mins walking)x6
third week (2 mins running, 1 min walking)x6

i will try to push myself harder, maybe that will help.

"Running as hard as I can"...I think that is the problem. Between walking and maximum intensity is a wide range of effort levels you should be exploring. In fact, for most runners, a majority of their mileage is at a very low intensity pace, say 3 out of 10.

skyhowl

richardgavel wrote: »

skyhowl wrote: »

richardgavel wrote: »

Define running? Are we talking near maximum effort or less than that? One thing that helped me build endurance was those short sets, maybe a min of running then a min of walking and repeat. I think you get better quicker with that vs just running non stop til you hit the point where you need to stop.

i don't really remember the reading off the treadmill from last year and right now i run outdoor and i don't know what is my speed.
i start slowly to warm up (because i don't warm up before running) and then run as hard as i can take it until i get a heartburn. i follow an android app to couch for 5k run that let me start slowly of sets or running and walking. just like you mentioned.

like for example,
first week (30 secs running, 2 mins walking)x6
second week (1 mins running, 1.5 mins walking)x6
third week (2 mins running, 1 min walking)x6

i will try to push myself harder, maybe that will help.

"Running as hard as I can"...I think that is the problem. Between walking and maximum intensity is a wide range of effort levels you should be exploring. In fact, for most runners, a majority of their mileage is at a very low intensity pace, say 3 out of 10.

Thank you for your help

skyhowl

jenilla1 wrote: »

Ask your doctor if you should try an elimination diet (search online) to see if there are certain foods that are causing or exacerbating your GERD. I suffered with debilitating digestive issues (and anxiety that developed because of it) for over a decade before I found a doctor who was willing to do something other than throwing ineffective medications at my symptoms. I've been symptom free and loving life (for several years now) ever since I found out what was causing my problems and permanently banned them from my diet. It can't hurt to try...good luck!

As for the running: if you are crashing that hard just minutes in, it's likely you're simply running too fast. Slow down! Who cares if you're super slow? Shuffle if you have to until you build up endurance.

i will be searching online for that. it would make life much easier if my doctors would do anything. unfortauntly my doctor isn't that good and even last year they recommended to stop "workouts" that makes stomach muscles work hard like ab workouts. which for me is not a solution to my problem. they would probably recommend to stop running and try other cardio exercise. i will try to suggest that diet after i've done some research and see what i can do. thank you for your help.