Question About When I First Start Running

OldAssDude
OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
When i first start running on a run, i feel a lot more out of breath for about 5 to 10 minutes. After that i feel fine, like i can have a conversation. I am assuming that it is just because my heart and lungs are adjusting to running, but just want to make sure that it's normal.

I am trying to learn this "perceived exertion" thing.

Is this normal?

thanks

Replies

  • Runaroundafieldx2
    Runaroundafieldx2 Posts: 233 Member
    It's just your body warming up.

    I'm the same then after about 7 minutes I'm fine.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    i feel like i've never run for the first mile or so. but then i can go for hours. i just have to get past the 'warm up'
  • Runaroundafieldx2
    Runaroundafieldx2 Posts: 233 Member
    pondee629 wrote: »
    Three stages of a run:
    Stage 1; Why, oh, why did I ever start this crazy thing? This stinks. Will it ever get any better?
    Stage 2: After getting warmed up, there, this is better, I can go on like this forever. La, la...
    Stage 3: Near the end, c'mon, (insert your name here) you got this, it's just about over, kick it on home!

    I dislike Stage 1 the most. Once I'm over that hump however...

    You have just described most of my runs.

    I scream like a looney at my self for the last mile or so of a long run :D
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    Duck_Puddle wrote: »
    Never trust the first mile. It’s a liar.

    This! That first mile is a liar!

    I'm pretty sure it has little to do with warming up and more to do with the way the body uses glucose. It takes a while for the muscle storage and liver to get the message that they need to start shipping out fuel. It takes about ten to fifteen minutes of moderate exertion, more or less. Once the system "boots up" everything feels much better.
  • keithwp99
    keithwp99 Posts: 83 Member
    You can start out with a 5-15 min walk as warm up to get your body ready for a run. I recommend this for new runners.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    From what I've heard it's normal. I feel like *kitten* the first mile, or 10 minutes or so. After that I feel a lot better. Even when I look at my heart rate graph on fitbit, my heart rate is higher in the beginning and then it goes back down and stays steady the rest of the run.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    also the longer distances i run, the longer uncomfortable stage lasts
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
    Duck_Puddle wrote: »
    Never trust the first mile. It’s a liar.

    Truth.
  • OldAssDude
    OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
    keithwp99 wrote: »
    You can start out with a 5-15 min walk as warm up to get your body ready for a run. I recommend this for new runners.

    i do always walk for a while before i actually start running on my long runs. Anywhere from a quarter mile to a mile depending on what course i do.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,743 Member
    It takes me about 2 miles before I'm fully warmed up. The first mile usually sucks, the second is a bit of a slog, then I can go a decent and comfortable pace. I don't worry about it.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Yes every type of that exercise has that rough warm up phase the first 5-10 minutes.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    Might have improper footwear.
    Perhaps you should buy another pair of shoes.
    JUST KIDDING!
    I am someone who, fortunately, does not have that problem.
    But everyone else i run with believes I start too fast. They all seem to need to work their way into a run.
    I suspect it has more to do with muscles than lungs.
    I think when your muscles are not warmed up they have to work harder and you feel that as huffing and puffing because the required exertion is greater as your lungs strive to supply more oxygen. Maybe your muscles aren't adequately perfused when you start so they get oxygen starved and that triggers your lungs to go into panic overdrive!
    Yeah, I have no idea....
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    Literally every run I've ever run, and I've been running 3-4x per week for four years now. The first mile is always the worst, and then I don't feel really great until about mile 3. I think this is one reason why many new runners struggle: they're not yet up to the distance where things really start to loosen up. It makes a real difference if/when you start doing longer runs. If you catch me around mile 7 or 8, I'm usually feeling excellent.
  • OldAssDude
    OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
    GiddyupTim wrote: »
    Might have improper footwear.
    Perhaps you should buy another pair of shoes.
    JUST KIDDING!
    I am someone who, fortunately, does not have that problem.
    But everyone else i run with believes I start too fast. They all seem to need to work their way into a run.
    I suspect it has more to do with muscles than lungs.
    I think when your muscles are not warmed up they have to work harder and you feel that as huffing and puffing because the required exertion is greater as your lungs strive to supply more oxygen. Maybe your muscles aren't adequately perfused when you start so they get oxygen starved and that triggers your lungs to go into panic overdrive!
    Yeah, I have no idea....

    hahaha. I have been thinking about another pair of shoes, but there is nothing new out that interests me enough right now. Maybe the Brooks Levitate 2's. I already have a pair of the original Levitate's and have almost 200 miles on them so far. They are one of my go to shoes because they have good cushion without feeling at all mushy. And even though they are pretty heavy, they don't feel heavy at all because of the springiness.

    I know what you mean about the muscles, and i am 61 so it probably takes this OldAssDude a bit to get warmed up. :)
  • OldAssDude
    OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
    apullum wrote: »
    Literally every run I've ever run, and I've been running 3-4x per week for four years now. The first mile is always the worst, and then I don't feel really great until about mile 3. I think this is one reason why many new runners struggle: they're not yet up to the distance where things really start to loosen up. It makes a real difference if/when you start doing longer runs. If you catch me around mile 7 or 8, I'm usually feeling excellent.

    That's a good point. The furthest iv'e run is 5 miles so far. Normally do 3 or 3.5 miles, and i run pathetically slow too. But i'm working on it. 3 miles is getting easier than it used to be.
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
    So normal, I always feel like stopping same giving up during that first mile and I regularly run 10 miles plus.
    The first mile is a battle of mind over legs, mind says yes, legs say no. And breathing needs to regulate.
    Then all of a sudden it's not so much of a struggle, then it even feels easy.
    One thing that's helped me with that first mile is regularly doing very short runs of just 1.5 miles as fast as possible. You don't have time to worry about it being hard, and are supposed to be out of breath
  • OldAssDude
    OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
    firef1y72 wrote: »
    So normal, I always feel like stopping same giving up during that first mile and I regularly run 10 miles plus.
    The first mile is a battle of mind over legs, mind says yes, legs say no. And breathing needs to regulate.
    Then all of a sudden it's not so much of a struggle, then it even feels easy.
    One thing that's helped me with that first mile is regularly doing very short runs of just 1.5 miles as fast as possible. You don't have time to worry about it being hard, and are supposed to be out of breath

    I don't think i'm near that level yet. My longest run is only 5 miles, and my normal long runs are 3 to 3.5 miles, but i'm working on it. My fastest mile (running the full mile) is about 10:00, but then i have to walk to catch my breath.

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