Is excess weight preventing improvement in running?

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TigerLily100
TigerLily100 Posts: 81 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all,

So I took up running a few months back and I love it BUT I am just not getting any better.

I am 46, 5’2” and 166lb.

Starting out I was so unfit 30 second running intervals with walking were hard and my heart rate peaked around 170.
I did progress to being able to run 2mins, walk 2mins x 10 totalling 40 mine plus 5 mins warm up and cool down - this in about a month.

But I cannot improve further, I have tried and tried. Both the legs and the lungs give out.
I am a good 3 stone overweight :(
Running is hard for me but it doesn’t stop me trying, but I am demoralised at a total lack of progress past 2 months.

Thoughts?
Do I need to shed some weight to see improvement? Would I be better going back to brisk walking? I ask this as I can brisk walk 10k no problem.

Thanks all :)
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Replies

  • TigerLily100
    TigerLily100 Posts: 81 Member
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Run slower

    I run at 5mph.....slower is a brisk walk.
    Can’t really get any slower.
    I did try 4.5mph, my brain and legs were so out of sync, couldn’t get any rhythm going at all - it was harder than 5mph.


  • SchweddyGirl
    SchweddyGirl Posts: 244 Member
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    Weight does have a lot to do with running and your speed. As you lose weight you will naturally get faster. However, as Toad has said you more than likely are going too fast. Your "run" portion of your runs should be a very slow jog.
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,978 Member
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    One of the biggest issues new runners have is going too fast. Even if you think you're already going slow, go slower. An established running program will help too. Couch to 5k is a good one.
  • TigerLily100
    TigerLily100 Posts: 81 Member
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    SchweddyGirl wrote: »
    Weight does have a lot to do with running and your speed. As you lose weight you will naturally get faster. However, as Toad has said you more than likely are going too fast. Your "run" portion of your runs should be a very slow jog.

    So if that’s the case and I am already a slow jog, maybe I do need to switch back to just brisk walking. I brisk walk at 4mph and jog 5mph
  • SchweddyGirl
    SchweddyGirl Posts: 244 Member
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    TigerLily100 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Run slower

    I run at 5mph.....slower is a brisk walk.
    Can’t really get any slower.
    I did try 4.5mph, my brain and legs were so out of sync, couldn’t get any rhythm going at all - it was harder than 5mph.


    My slow runs are between 4.5 and 4.7 on the treadmill right now. Another option is to do the intervals from the previous week and only increase intervals once per week. So do 2 x 2 Mon, Wed, and then bump up only on Fri. When you can get through all the running on Fri then do it on Mon and Fri....then when you can do that do it all three days.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    TigerLily100 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Run slower

    I run at 5mph.....slower is a brisk walk.
    Can’t really get any slower.
    I did try 4.5mph, my brain and legs were so out of sync, couldn’t get any rhythm going at all - it was harder than 5mph.


    Try 4.8 then? 2 months isn't really very long to see progress, but try mixing up your workouts instead of exactly the same interval times each time. If you run slower you can probably do 10-15 minutes without walking.
  • galengower
    galengower Posts: 25 Member
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    I found that once I lost a good 20lbs my distance improved considerably. My speed didn't improve dramatically, but I can keep up the same pace a lot longer than I used to, basically. My overall speeds on half marathons improved by a minute faster for each pound I lost. For longer distances, losing weight will definitely improve your time. There's a reason all the world's best distance runners have the appearance of a muscular skeleton.
  • pippywillow
    pippywillow Posts: 253 Member
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    I ran my first 5k at 280lbs (5' 6" female), it took 47 minutes, sometimes my run is about the same speed as my walk, right now I run about a 12 minute mile. It took a long time to get here. Seriously, slowing down works, work on distance, then the speed will come.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    Are you running on a treadmill? I can totally "run" 4 mph. And by run, it's more of a shuffle.
  • TigerLily100
    TigerLily100 Posts: 81 Member
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    BusyRaeNOTBusty wrote: »
    Are you running on a treadmill? I can totally "run" 4 mph. And by run, it's more of a shuffle.

    Yes all treadmill. I walk really fast, always have so 5mph is really only just breaking into a run.
    When I tired 4.5mph it was terrible, I could neither walk nor run......I basically stumbled it.
    5mph is definitely my natural gait that my body feels comfortable with.......or maybe it’s just habit and habit can be changed.
    I will give 4mph a go, just not sure how my brain will communicate that to the legs when it’s spent years briskly walking at that pace.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    My fast walk and my slow run are close to the same speed (but I don't use a treadmill). I'm hoping that the slow run will just get me used to the movement pattern and I can eventually speed up.
  • Avidkeo
    Avidkeo Posts: 3,190 Member
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    I agree with everyone above. Also, when you say your lune give out, are you wheezing or have a tight chest at all? When i started running I got to the point where I could run/walk 5km but could never run the whole thing cause wheezing. Fortunately I happened to be running with a friend who is a GP who suggested exercise induced asthma. Started using an inhaler, im now running around 8km without stopping. Granted I've also dropped 20kg since then as well but the difference in my running was instant. I think only a couple of weeks later I ran 5km without stopping
  • TigerLily100
    TigerLily100 Posts: 81 Member
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    Avidkeo wrote: »
    I agree with everyone above. Also, when you say your lune give out, are you wheezing or have a tight chest at all? When i started running I got to the point where I could run/walk 5km but could never run the whole thing cause wheezing. Fortunately I happened to be running with a friend who is a GP who suggested exercise induced asthma. Started using an inhaler, im now running around 8km without stopping. Granted I've also dropped 20kg since then as well but the difference in my running was instant. I think only a couple of weeks later I ran 5km without stopping

    Thanks, I do suffer from asthma and it hadn’t even occurred to me!
    My asthma is only triggered by certain things which I now avoid so it’s under control.
    Will take my inhaler before I run and see if I do any better
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
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    I can run slower than I can walk. Running is all about gait, and having both feet off the ground.

    Shorten your stride but keep your gait ‘running’.

    You should be able to hold a conversation and even sing whilst running. If you can’t, you are running too fast and won’t be able to build your endurance.

    Try and see how slow you can run - you can run on the spot so you can ‘run’ at any speed without changing your gait to a walk.
  • tirowow12385
    tirowow12385 Posts: 698 Member
    edited June 2018
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    What holds you back from running faster is your heart, your heart works harder with more body mass, the less body mass you have the farther and faster you are so yes your weight is preventing you from improving. Lose weight, you will get faster, overnight. Gain weight, your time will suffer. On top of that, you need to learn how to breathe and give your heart as much oxygen it can get during a run. Avoid smoking cigarettes.
  • MeganMcK11
    MeganMcK11 Posts: 117 Member
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    I feel like you are WAY overthinking this. I’m 5’0 and 221 and I am a very slow jogger. 3.5 mph is a super slow jog and almost a fast walk for me but I can jog longer at this slower pace. Worry about building up your endurance and then the speed will come. When I started jogging I started way too fast and had the same problem you describe of not being able to do it for long at all. Slowing down solved this. You CAN slow down.
  • VUA21
    VUA21 Posts: 2,072 Member
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    Partially, yes. A 10lb weight difference can add up over distance for a runner.

    I had the same issue until my University's running coach helped me out. If I want to increase my speed and time over a set distance and be able to run longer, SLOW DOWN. Slow your pace down and just focus on time spent running. Make sure your breathing is in check to the point that you can hold a conversation with someone. Speed will naturally come with consistent training (up to a point, that point is generally highly competitive times and of very little significance to 99.999% of people).

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