Running Advice

flippy1234

Hi All,
As some of you may know from my posts, I have started a running program as my goal right now is to run a 5k race. I just started the Couch to 5k program. I am a 53 year old female in decent shape. So far my training is going well. Just started last week. I don't have great stamina but I know that I have to work up to that.
My question is, do any of you have some good advice for a beginner? Any tips are welcome. I am determined to do this. Thank you.

pomegranatecloud

Get fitted for running shoe.
Do a basic routine a couple times per week that includes glute and hip exercise to prevent common injuries.
Slow down. All new runners start out way too fast.

genpopadopolous

Good shoes!

And run slower than you think you need to. Slow and steady!

For me and my mind- I like running longer distances than I race at- my usual loop is 4.2 miles- that way the 5k distance isn't intimidating. Then it's a "surprise" when I am already almost done!

genpopadopolous

genpopadopolous wrote: »

Good shoes!

And run slower than you think you need to. Slow and steady!

For me and my mind- I like running longer distances than I race at- my usual loop is 4.2 miles- that way the 5k distance isn't intimidating. Then it's a "surprise" when I am already almost done!

Oh!

And- I recommend some cross training- couple days resistance training and a really good stretching routine to help keep you healthy. Hips and hammies get SUPER tight on me.

vespiquenn

The above covered a lot, and I agree that getting fitted at a speciality running store is one of the best things you can do to prevent injuries down the road.

Another thing is not to be afraid to repeat weeks on the program if necessary, especially as you get further in and the run times increase and the walk intervals decrease.

AllanMisner

The couch to 5K is a good program for most people, but your results may vary. Don't be afraid to adjust back or forward as your progress. Just don't add too much distance or speed in one go. A slow, steady progress will allow your body to adapt without injury.

Where and when possible, train outside. Running outside is very different from running on a treadmill. If you're training on a treadmill, put the elevation on 2.5 or higher. This will better estimate the effort of outside running.

Rest and recovery are very important.

Do some strength work to enhance your overall fitness and you'll be a better runner.

Allan Misner
NASM Certified Personal Trainer
Host of the 40+ Fitness Podcast

DebLaBounty

I’m 57 years old, and used the Couch to 5K program last summer. I liked it. I did have to repeat Week 5 because it took me a little longer to get the stamina but I did finish. As others said, run slowly for a while to avoid pain or injury. And don’t run more often than is built into your schedule. Your body needs the rest days.

I went to a running store. I tried on five pairs of shoes and the sales guy had me jog a few yards on the sidewalk so he could evaluate my gait. Best decision! I had no hip, knee or shin pains ever with the shoes I bought.

I ran a 5K race and was very pleased that I not only finished but did so with a faster time than I thought I would!

lfdlfd

Enjoy it, don't focus on finishing the 5k, focus on the improvements you make on every run. Remember that every time you lace your trainers up and get out there, you are lapping the sofa surfers. Well done you.

GOT_Obsessed

I am doing it too. (tomorrow is week 6, day 3)

I make a few comments in a notebook after each day's run about how it went. I look back at it to show myself how far I have come. It's great for keping me motivated.

dougii

Get fitted for shoes at a running store.
Go run.
Go slow.
Go run.
Walk. Run. Walk. Run.
Go run some more.
Enjoy!!!!

spiriteagle99

You'll hear it often, but it bears repeating, keep your pace slow and easy. You can go farther that way, with less effort. Don't worry at the end of the program if 30 minutes does not equal 5k. That will come with time and more miles.

Walk or do other cross training on the days you don't run. I find that walking loosens up my stiff muscles better than stretching does.

If you need to repeat days or weeks, do so, but don't be too afraid of sudden jumps in distance/time. You are capable of more than you think, and successfully increasing the distance is a huge morale booster.

kavahni

Speaking from the POV of a woman who started walking at 51 with a pretty broken down old body, and now in my 6th year of running.
1) Ditto shoes! Go to a small running store, not a big box. A good running store will take a ton of time. They’ll evaluate your gait. They’ll let you run around the block without freaking out about their precious shoes touching the dirty old ground. They’ll take back the shoes if they dont work out, even if you have miles on them (my store took a pair back after two months in the rainy PNW), and give you a shot at another pair. They will treat you like gold because they know you are. This is your foundation. Spend the money, and consider springing for Superfeet insoles.
2) Do these four stretches absolutely religiously after every walk or run. Religiously:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P0Sg1MHhmjY
3) Don’t run through pain. Stop, evaluate, assess.
4) Take at least one rest day every week.
5) Practice “quick feet.” Striding out doesn’t make you run faster, and only jars your joints. Keep your feet directly under your hips, and almost shuffle, with quick, short steps. Think “quick, quick, quick!”
6). Spend 1 minute each day belly breathing. Lay on the floor or bed. Put your hands on your belly. Breathe slowly and deeply, inflating your belly. Then, when you are out on a run, and you start to feel out of breath or tense, belly breathe. It makes an astonishing difference.
Take it easy and slowly. Use the wisdom that comes with age. And for inspiration, watch this short video. It was made 7 years ago, and these women are still at it: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ReYcQFaX07g
Blessings

PaytraB

I started running in my mid-50s as well. You can do this.
I used the C25K program. After completion, I could run 30 minutes but not 5K. It didn't take long to increase that distance to 5K.

Find shoes that are fit properly for your feet. A good Running Store is helpful for this. Good shoes make a world of difference when you're spending that much time on your feet, pounding pavement.

Run slow. When you start to breath heavy and your feel uncomfortable, slow down. You'll feel as if you can't run slower but you can. Speed will come later.

Keep at it. You can do this and it's an enjoyable exercise regime. I hope you stick with it.

Philtex

I agree totally with the 'run slow' advice. During C25K if you can run any slower, you are running too fast.

I sort of agree with the shoes advice. You should have comfortable running shoes, but you don't need to spend $150+ at a running store when you are first starting out.

I totally disagree with 2.5 elevation on the treadmill, or trying to avoid the TM. I use the TM when it is too hot or too cold, in my estimation, and I always run with zero incline. I find it serves the same purpose and results as running outside.

My best advice is to have fun. Run however makes you enjoy the experience. You are running for you, nobody else.

lulalacroix

I just finished C25K a couple weeks ago. My advice is to run slowly. Don't be worried about repeating a day or even a week. And stretch after every run.

Lastly, enjoy your run. It just gets better!

mabearof6

Take the time and get properly fitted for running shoes. The proper shoe makes a world of difference! Also track the mileage on your shoes, so you have a good idea of when to replace them. I also recommend not automatically buying the same shoe when you do replace them, Models change all the time and it can affect how they feel on your foot.

Build slowly, and most importantly enjoy!

stanmann571

My C25K advice for beginners, is Always do at least 5K... That means walking further in warmup/cooldown.

It also means more time out on the road.

The other good advice is good. Run slow, get fitted for good shoes, etc.

If you really like your shoes, buy a couple pairs, because styles change, and it can be frustrating to get refitted.

Tacklewasher

I started C25K Jan 2017 at 51. I've done a lot of 5K's a couple of 10K and plan on a half this year.

All of the advice above is spot on, especially getting proper shoes for your gait.

One thing to add, I'm really enjoying Saturday morning Parkruns, so if there is one in your area, join up. It's a free, timed 5K that happens weekly. Not a regimented thing at all and is set up for walkers as well so don't feel like you will be holding people up if you can't run the full 5K and need to walk some of it.

lporter229

There is a lot of good advice posted here. I also wanted to add that you should not expect every run to be better or faster than the last. Everyone, even the most experienced runners, has bad days. If you have an off day, do not let it get you down. They happen. Just accept it for what it is an keep moving forward. Good luck!

ColleenRuns

I am a coach with the Women Run/Walk Memphis program, which trains beginners to run their first 5K using the Couch to 5K program.

The most important things we emphasize to our beginner ladies is to get a HIGH QUALITY pair of running shoes, fitted by experts used to fitting runners for shoes. This means seeking out the specific store (or stores) in your community that cater to the serious runners in your community. These stores (and we are NOT talking about places like Academy Sports, Dick's Sporting Goods, etc!) hire TRAINED INDIVIDUALS - usually experienced runners - who will spend quite a bit of time with you, finding out what your needs are, looking at you run/walk, maybe even putting you on a treadmill to see how you run. My local running store doesn't have a treadmill, but the sales people sometimes take you immediately outside the store to run a bit on the sidewalk. They will even examine old shoes of yours, if you bring them in, as the wear on an older pair of shoes tells them alot about what you need in a running shoe.

These specialized running stores carry many, many different types of shoes -- and as it turns out, no two people have the exact same needs in a running shoe. You and I might both have "neutral" feet, or "overprognating" feet or whatever -- but the best shoe for me is not likely to be the best shoe for you. These folks are trained to find the BEST shoe for YOUR PARTICULAR FEET, and they take all kinds of variables into consideration as they do this: 1, your walking/running gait, 2, your running experience (or lack thereof, as expert trained runners tend to have different needs from beginning runners), 3, the "type" of foot you have (neutral, overprognator, flat footed, etc), 4, the WIDTH of your feet, 5, whether you have any special considerations (for example, bunions, or a chronic capsulitis problem, or plantar fasciatis), 6, what kind of surface you plan on running (city streets, or wooded trails, etc), 7, the wear patterns on older shoes that you might bring in (I highly encourage you to bring in an old pair of shoes when you go get fitted for this reason)... and there are probably other things they take into consideration as well.

At any rate, they look at ALL these things, and then will bring out two or three model shoes that they - in their expert opinion - believe will be BEST FOR YOU. They do NOT bring out the shoe that is on sale this week, or the prettiest pink shoe in their inventory. They bring out the shoes that they honestly believe will fit YOUR FEET and YOUR NEEDS the best.

They will allow you ample time to try the shoes on, and even let you go outside to run a bit in them.

They will bring out more pairs of shoes if it is needed, but (at least in my local community) they are so good at what they do that they seldom need to bring out more than three pair before you find a pair that fit so good that they feel like they were built especially for YOUR feet.

Even so, true runners stores will offer a return policy -- usually you can return the shoes in 30 days even if you ran in them -- and get your money back, or trade for another pair of new shoes.

That is a liberal return policy that few other types of shoe stores will offer. These running stores offer such great return policies because they are not trying to make a sale for a single day. They are trying to create a dedicated, returning customer who will come back time and time again, even if their prices are slightly higher than amazon.

You will find that these are also the stores that sponsor (usually free) training groups for runners, and provide support for the local running club races. They do this at their expense, because at the end of the day, these specialized stores for runners ARE part of the local running community.

Contact the local running club in your community, and they can tell you who these stores are. And they can give you other good advice, too, possibly including information on free training for beginning runners in your area.

(BTW, if you are in West Tennessee, you will find two such stores in the Memphis area -- Breakaway Running and Fleet Feet. In Jackson, Performance Running is every bit as good as the stores in Memphis.)

---

Here's the thing: Your feet will make or break your running experience.

If you run in the wrong shoe for your feet, you run higher risk of pain when you run (not only pain in the feet, but things like shin splints, knee pain, hip pain, and even back pain can all be the result of running in an ill-fitting pair of shoes).

PLUS, if that were not bad enough, you run a much greater risk of PHYSICAL INJURY when you run. Mostly because you will be running in pain - a pain that would be preventable if you were just running in the best shoe for YOUR feet.


That is why I have spent so much time talking about shoes, and getting sized up for the right pair for YOUR feet.

Do NOT worry about what color the shoes are, or the style. Go to any race in your local town -- you will see all kinds of different color and style shoes, and the color of the shoes almost never matches the color of the clothing the experienced runners are wearing.

I do know of some runners who buy their shoes first, and then buy a running outfit to match their shoes. Since they realize how important shoe fit is, but still want their shoes to match their clothes.

But these are mostly new runners. Folks who have not been running more than a year or so.


Older, more experienced runners long ago abandoned the idea of matching their running clothes to the color of their running outfit. This is, in great part, because you will replace your running shoes long before you wear out your running clothes.

And it is in part, too, because - as you will soon grow to appreciate -- there are NO fashion police patroling the local foot races. People wear what they need to be comfortable and safe when they run. Let the fashion police patrol elsewhere.

Meghand4

You've got a lot of great advice here. I'd echo the proper fitting for shoes. It makes all the difference. And your socks - make sure they are not cotton but are moisture wicking, so you avoid blisters. Also, if you have an ache or a pain, please don't ignore it. Discomfort is ok, pain is not. If you experience pain, get to the bottom of why and fix it because I can assure you that it does not go away. One more thing - everyone advises you to slow down. This is very true, but how slow? You should be able to hold a conversation with someone while running. Another good indicator would be by your heart rate. You can find a wrist based no name brand heart rate and activity monitor in the stores cheap now a days.

Find your local running club and join it. It will be the best thing you ever did!

ColleenRuns

Some other advice from a coach who works with beginner runners:

1, NEVER WEAR COTTON when you run! Not even your undergarments or socks. Cotton retains moisture, and you will sweat when you run. This can cause you to be cold in winter, hot in summer, and run a greater risk of chafing any time of the year. Wear moisture wicking clothes whenever possible, or at least something that is NOT cotton.

2, If you are blister prone, socks matter as much as shoes. I am blister prone, so I wear a special type of sock that is especially designed to minimize blister problems. They cost $30 a pair, but I do races as long as 100 miles, and since I am blister prone, such specialized socks are the difference between running in comfort and running with blisters burning my feet. 5K runners don't need $30 a pair socks with specialized blister proof technology built into them, but they do need a good, moisture wicking sock. Your running store can help you with this - they all carry high quality socks for runners.

3, IF YOU ARE FEMALE, GO TO A PLACE THAT FITS WOMEN FOR BRASSIERES, AND GET A HIGH QUALITY SPORTS BRA THAT IS SPECIALLY FITTED FOR YOUR BODY.

The running stores MIGHT be a good place to get a sports bra like this. I say MIGHT because I have found that (at least our local) running stores carry the latest and greatest from running companies like Under Armour or Nike, but they don't carry bras that are manufactured by bra makers outside of the sporting industry.

If you are overweight, or you are older, or you have had breast cancer -- you might do best if you go to the best local bra store in your community that fits ladies for all kinds of bras, and not just sports bras. If you don't know where this store is in your community, contact a hospital or outpatient facility that does breast mammograms. These folks are used to dealing with breast cancer patients, all of whom must be individually fitted for bras. Find out where they send their breast cancer patients to get fitted for a bra, and that will usually be the best place for you to go to get yourself fitted. Even if you have never had breast cancer.

In the Memphis community, a store called A Fitting Place is really good at individually fitting women for any kind of bra they might need, including but not limited to sports bras. Yes, they fit ladies who have had breast cancer. But they fit ladies who have never had the cancer, too. Runners like me, for example. They carry an assortment of sports bras in their inventories, and they carry a much wider range of sizes than you will find at a dedicated runner's store.

Regardless of where you go, ladies -- a well fitting, supportive sports bra is the second most important thing to wear when you run, right after your running shoes.

I cannot emphasize this enough. But if you wear an ill-fitting bra for a run or two, YOU will emphasize this even more than I do! OUCH!

ColleenRuns

You do NOT need fancy running watches to be a runner! I have run full marathons (26.2 miles) with nothing but a cheap, WalMart wrist watch. Those fancy, $200 to $600 watches are only needed by the elite runners and triathelon athletes. We normal folks -- the 5K'ers of the world -- do NOT need those fancy, expensive watches.


The best way to run is to LISTEN TO YOUR BODY the entire time you are running. It really will tell you everything you need to know to keep safe, and at the same time, run your best race.

1, Keep your running pace at a moderate speed. How do you know when you are running at a moderate speed, one that is perfect for YOU? Listen to your body. It will tell you.

Unless you are an elite, trained runner who has run for many years, your best pace will be one where you run as much as you can, and walk as much as you need to.

And how do you find (and then keep) that pace?

Listen to your body.

Can you sing as you move your body along?

If so, then you are going to slow. Speed it up.

Are you going so fast that you are out of breath, and can't get out more than just a few words because of your "huffing and puffing"?

If so, then you are going too fast. Slow it down. It might be time to consider an interval of walking. But at minimum, slow your pace down.

If you try to use one of those "canned" paces like Jeff Galloway teaches (the ones that a fancy runner's watch will try to make you conform to), you will find that the "one size fits all" approach probably is not optimum for YOU.

How do you find the BEST pace for YOU?

You will toggle between being able to sing when you run, and being "huffy puffy." If you get going so fast that you are huffing and puffing, slow it down. When you've slowed it down to the point you could actually sing, then speed it up.

Eventually - maybe after a few months, maybe not until a year or more after you begin to run -- there will come a time when you will learn what your body can do so well, that you will learn the pace you can sustain for many miles non-stop without having to toggle between singing and "huffing/puffing." You will, at that point, begin your run at a controlled pace, and be able to keep it for the entire 5K.

But that takes time, and alot of practice.

In the meantime, you can use the sing to "huffy/puffy" toggle to keep you within YOUR safe pace for the duration of the race.

And remember -- it is YOUR RACE. You do NOT have to run/walk anybody else's pace. Only your own.

Every 5K I know of will keep the Finish Line open until the last runner/walker crosses the finish line. Unless you are competing in one of those (very rare) 5Ks that put a time limit on the race, you will be OK, no matter what YOUR pace might be.

And don't worry about being the last person to cross the Finish Line. I am a very slow marathon runner. I've been the last one to cross the Finish Line lots of times. It's OK. I did my best, and I finished my race.

As long as you did not quit (unless you get injured, of course), you can stand tall at the end of the race. You did your best. YOU ARE A RUNNER/WALKER !

gexking

if you get shin splints use a single ice cube from the tray and melt it to water on each shin after your run. It brings down inflammation quick.

girlinahat

the whole pronating/overpronating thing is beginning to be seen to be more a marketing ploy than anything else....have a look at videos of Haile Gebrselassie running and then explain WHY overpronating is supposedly a bad thing....

still worth getting fitted for shoes. A good running store will be able to advise on the different shoes manufacturers make for different surfaces. But comfort will be key. And probably going a half or full size larger.

MeanderingMammal

girlinahat wrote: »

the whole pronating/overpronating thing is beginning to be seen to be more a marketing ploy than anything else.

I'd agree, it's become a bit of an article of faith, and to be honest I don't think it's necessary for C25K runners, at least in the first six weeks. If anything I'd say it's the wrong thing to do, as gait will improve fairly rapidly.

There's a bit of an industry around C25K, and if anything the insistence on gait analysis is a barrier to entry.

flippy1234

Oh my goodness. Thank you all! Such great advice!