December 2018 Monthly Running Challenge
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TimeToReduceFat wrote: »Any tip for beginner runners? I desperately need to get fit. Just climbing up a floor makes me breathless. Never been this bad.
Two years ago I was morbidly obese and couldn't walk to the mailbox without getting out of breath. A month ago I finished my first half marathon. You have taken the most important step by just coming here, asking for help, and resolving to change. Now take small steps towards your goal every day. You got this!
C25k is excellent but is best for people who have a base of being able to briskly walk 30 minutes at a time. If you're not there yet, get some good, supportive walking shoes and start walking. If five minutes is all you can do at first, do five minutes. Then more the next time. When you can briskly walk 30 minutes, you're good to start c25k. Rest days from walking/running are an excellent time to work on your upper body strength - I started by swinging around water bottles, then moved gradually to real weights.
Edit: just read that you already walk. Then you are way ahead of where I was when I started! I used the app on my phone when I started, strapped to my arm - no headphones involved.7 -
PastorVincent wrote: »Far warning - Indoor 5ks are harder than outdoor ones, IME.
Thank you for the heads up. I have a year long membership to the facility that is having the race so I will have the opportunity to run on the track before the event. Hopefully, that will help. My biggest worry is being slow and in the way of other people because it is a track. Unlike a road race where they can go past me and be done with me, on a track they will have to keep passing me.
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debrakgoogins wrote: »PastorVincent wrote: »Far warning - Indoor 5ks are harder than outdoor ones, IME.
Thank you for the heads up. I have a year long membership to the facility that is having the race so I will have the opportunity to run on the track before the event. Hopefully, that will help. My biggest worry is being slow and in the way of other people because it is a track. Unlike a road race where they can go past me and be done with me, on a track they will have to keep passing me.
just keep to the outside and you'll be fine. faster people on the left (typically)0 -
debrakgoogins wrote: »PastorVincent wrote: »Far warning - Indoor 5ks are harder than outdoor ones, IME.
Thank you for the heads up. I have a year long membership to the facility that is having the race so I will have the opportunity to run on the track before the event. Hopefully, that will help. My biggest worry is being slow and in the way of other people because it is a track. Unlike a road race where they can go past me and be done with me, on a track they will have to keep passing me.
Key for track running when you are not running to win overall is to stay to the outside lanes. Let the faster runners have the inside lanes and pay attention to who is coming up behind you best you can. On an indoor track, the runners do 15-20 min 5ks will pass those doing 30-50min 5ks MANY times, at least 10.0 -
TimeToReduceFat wrote: »Any tip for beginner runners? I desperately need to get fit. Just climbing up a floor makes me breathless. Never been this bad.
I am assuming you have the go ahead from your doctor to begin running. Mind you, I am an analyst and a researcher by nature. I study and research almost everything before I attempt it. If you are good to go, just walk to warm up, run a short distance then walk to recover, repeat, then do a walk to cool down.
This is my story. 27 surgeries after an accident, led me to believe I would not run again. I just ran my first mile nonstop last week. I attempted a C25K a few years ago but it was too much for me and I had to stop. I was out of breath quickly and felt pain in my knees and hips anytime I attempted to go from a walk to a run. I am not an expert by any means but I can share what helped me become a runner.
1) I got inspired to try running again after watching a documentary called From Fat to Finish Line on Amazon Prime. It isn't the greatest documentary ever made but it is inspiring and proves you can be any size or shape and still be a runner. Whenever I have a bad run, I watch it and it reminds me that everyone has set backs and bad runs. I could be running in the Florida heat overnight with alligators and cramping up like one of the poor women on the movie. What matters is listening to your body, making the appropriate adjustments, and not giving up forever.
2) I took everyones advice and I got fitted with running shoes at a real running store. Having proper support for my gait, pronation and stride made all the difference. Oh, and good socks. There is nothing worse than having your socks cause blisters or slide down your heels while you are trying to run.
3) I watched videos on proper running technique. Some might not agree with this but it helped me personally. I had my husband video tape me running so I could see what I look like then compared myself to the videos. I realized that had several bad habits that were causing my pain. My stride was way too long; I hunched my shoulders as I ran; I looked at the ground in front of me instead of looking up ahead of me; I was trying to run too fast; I swung my arms across my body instead of using them for forward motion. Once I started having better posture, keeping my head up and concentrating on having my foot fall directly under my body instead of way out in front of me, I could run without pain. I also realized that no matter how slow I thought I was running, I could always run slower which helped me build stamina. At first, when I was "fixing" my running style, it was exhaustive. I was constantly thinking about where my feet were falling...were my shoulders relaxed...slow down Deb, slow down...then it started to be normal. Now, I don't think about those things nearly as much.
4) I researched the documentary I had watched (remember, analyst) and found out they offer a free a program called Fat to First Mile. It is similar to a couch to 5k but less agressive and designed for the absolute beginner. There is a great support group on Facebook and you can sign up to have a running mentor. My running mentor is an ultra marathoner and triathlete. She's wonderful. Every Sunday, they have a live question and answer forum on FB as well. Ryk, one of the runners from the documentary is the person who answers questions live. I found this program to be a great way to break into running since I wasn't physically prepared to tackle a couch to 5k. If you feel like you are struggling, you can always repeat a week until you feel comfortable then move on to the next week.
5) I downloaded an app that let me preprogram all of my intervals so I didn't have to watch my phone to know when to run and when to walk. It is one less thing I have to worry about when I run. There are several different apps that do this. The one I use is called Seconds Pro.
6) I just started doing it.
Then, I found this group who are amazingly supportive and helpful. You can do this! Go for it!!!9 -
Thanks for the lotion and face tips!!! I took screenshots so i wont lose the info! I have some oil of Olay but my dd took it. I'll look at the clinique. I don't think I've ever used it. I love nutrigena (sp) products, but found out the euclyptis (sp) uh cmon, im in bed already, tired got my soft and warm kitty. Not looking it up.... Euclyptis irritated my skin. I use the hotel lotion on my face but its even drier in the morning.
Dh is being nice. I think hes stoked for Hawaii. Or is batshit taper crazy with his first full Saturday. Anyway, he'll buy me expensive lotion
@Elise4270 As a modern man hopefully I'm allowed to chime in on this topic
I personally use cooking oils. A mix of extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil works best and is multi-purpose - add a couple of drops of your favourite essential oil to get your preferred scent. (I keep a few so mix and match according to mood/time of day)
Add a little water, and massage into skin as a great moisturiser.
Add lemon juice for a facewash.
Add good quality honey and some epsom (magnesium) salts for high quality exfoliant.
Add chicken, seasoning and heat for great dinner!! (probably minus the essential oils though)
Even buying organic, it's much cheaper than buying dedicated products of similar quality, plus you can be a lot more confident about what you're actually putting into/onto your body.
Haha! I love this! My daughter uses coconut oil. I forgot that was even an option. Thanks!!!!2 -
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This morning called for 2.5 miles. I bundled myself and the dogs up for the 23F/-5C temp and headed out. It went really well, though my hips were a little tight/sore at first. I didn't worry about keeping my HR down like I did last time; this time I just tried to keep my breathing in check. This resulted in my average HR in the bottom of Zone5, whereas on Sunday it was barely into Zone4. I could actually tell the difference. Today was a little faster, a little harder.
Just before the end of my run, I started feeling some pain in my achilles. Never felt that before! I'd actually watched a video earlier about foam rolling it... so I did so when I got home. O.M.G. I also found a really nice knot in my quads that took my breath away. I really need to do that more.
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debrakgoogins wrote: »
i actually like the treadmill. i like to watch movies and run. preferably action movies like the latest marvel movie0 -
@TimeToReduceFat if you're already walking but climbing one flight of stairs makes you breathe hard, perhaps you could try walking faster. I obviously have no way of knowing what you're walking is like but you want to walk fast enough that your heart rate increases. No need to go so hard that it hurts, but push yourself hard enough that it's actually a cardio workout. This builds up your heart and lungs while getting your joints ready for the rigors of running.
Power walking, or fitness walking, is a fantastic way to get into running. It's how I started. I was power walking for a few months before I started running and it really worked well to get me ready for running.
And when you start running, go SLOW and take as many walking breaks as you need. That's where we all started.
@rheddmobile you're 50?!?! I would have guessed mid to upper 30's. Seriously.5 -
debrakgoogins wrote: »
I am having a tough time with figuring out if I agree with this list. I mean... indoor track is definitely the bottom. I often had the choice at my prior job of indoor track or dreadmill, and I choose dreadmill every time.
But outdoor track? I can not think of a time when I would be outside and choose to run a track over trail/road.
So I guess the list for me is Trails->Road->Dreadmill->Netflix.
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i actually like the treadmill. i like to watch movies and run. preferably action movies like the latest marvel movie
It would be so convenient if I liked running on a treadmill. I have one at my office, one in my home and a host of them at my gym. I am super new to running. I can't seem to find a pace on the treadmill that is comfortable for me. Running on the roads, I can adjust my speed on the fly and run at a comfortable pace. On the treadmill, it feels awkward and I feel like I am stomping along. Higher incline and faster speed has helped but it just never feels natural to me.
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PastorVincent wrote: »I have been going without my boot for a large part of the days since Friday. I'm supposed to have it on until my appointment Thursday but I couldn't resist. I can really feel the loss of muscle and am just now starting to walk without hobbling.
I will say this knowing very well that I will be ignored, and a hypocrite - Cut it out! Follow your doctor's orders so you do not make things worse.
I appreciate the concern. I'm only taking it off when I know it won't be stressed. When I shovel or go up and down stairs, it's on. At night when I sleep, it's on.
Walking around doesn't hurt at all, it's when I try to point my foot down that I can feel it. I think that's expected. I'm really looking forward to talking to the surgeon Thursday and finding out how I get from here to running trails again.
I did have a scary thought yesterday as I walked to the mail box... When I do start running in, it might be a good idea to start on a treadmill or indoor track rather than risk an injury slipping on the ice. I shudder at the thought!
44 days to running (not that I'm counting...)6 -
Didn't get out last night as something I ate disagreed with me and I didn't want to risk aggravating it.
Today is my regularly scheduled running day though. Gonna try for 3km (2 miles) along the street that goes crazy with Christmas lights.5 -
Trails > paved trails > roads > sidewalks > grass > indoor track > treadmill.
Treadmills scare me.5 -
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PastorVincent wrote: »I think you missed beaches, boardwalks, and shopping malls.
I live on a beach, with a boardwalk. I don't run there. Too many tourists in the summer and freaking cold in the winter. Shopping mall floors are treacherous. I once had a spectacular blow out while walking in super cute boots in the mall. If anyone caught it on camara, I am certaing they won the $10k on America's Funniest Home Videos at my expense. I am forever traumatized.3 -
debrakgoogins wrote: »PastorVincent wrote: »I think you missed beaches, boardwalks, and shopping malls.
I live on a beach, with a boardwalk. I don't run there. Too many tourists in the summer and freaking cold in the winter. Shopping mall floors are treacherous. I once had a spectacular blow out while walking in super cute boots in the mall. If anyone caught it on camara, I am certaing they won the $10k on America's Funniest Home Videos at my expense. I am forever traumatized.
when i was in santa monica, the boardwalk was so busy, i don't know how people run on it. even earlier in the morning
and packed on each side with homeless, some of which were fine and some of which made me a little uneasy2 -
PastorVincent wrote: »
Our boardwalk is great to run on unless it's dewy, in which case it's slicker than pig poo. There's a thin film of green algae on top which picks up the water and is lethally slick. My worst wipeout ever happened on the boardwalk - husband and I were sprinting for a fast finish and I caught my toe, slid must have been 30 feet flat on my belly, came to a stop right in front of two women and a very concerned dog who licked me all over.
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rheddmobile wrote: »...a very concerned dog who licked me all over.
I would regularly go belly sliding on the boardwalk for this.8 -
debrakgoogins wrote: »
Ah ha! Another non milk drinker! Yuck. I hadn't even thought about that being a potential punishment of hell.
And everybody loves @7lenny7 he's just awesome. 3 -
I didn't get out last night. My hands felt like I had bricks of ice instead of hands. Painfully cold. I ended up turning on our heat at home. It zapped my energy to be so cold all day.
Today I have gloves and a fleece blanker at work because my office is ice cold.5 -
debrakgoogins wrote: »PastorVincent wrote: »I think you missed beaches, boardwalks, and shopping malls.
I live on a beach, with a boardwalk. I don't run there. Too many tourists in the summer and freaking cold in the winter. Shopping mall floors are treacherous. I once had a spectacular blow out while walking in super cute boots in the mall. If anyone caught it on camara, I am certaing they won the $10k on America's Funniest Home Videos at my expense. I am forever traumatized.
I grew up on the sore next to a major board walk. During the offseason, people would regularly run/walk on it. Yes, there was a horrible cold wind off the ocean, but it was well lit, level, and patrolled by police so people liked it. I was not running outside of school practices at that age so I never ran there, but we hooligans did walk on it often. Some of the arcades and such would stay open year round. 0 -
run the year organizational team thread can be found here --->
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10710465/2019-run-the-year-group#latest
Please feel free to add your ideas. I'm just trying to get the ball rolling on this.4 -
12-1 7k easy
12-2 10.5k slow
12-3 7k recovery
12-4 rest
December Total: 24.5k
December Goal: 100k
Next year when you pop in here claiming your December 2019 mileage, what accomplishments will you have made?
Run at least 4 5k races.
Get under 30:00 and a PR for 5k.
Average at least 135k per month, which would put me over 1,000 miles for the year.
Scheduled rest day today. Didn't have to dodge the snowflakes.
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One of my "jogger" friends sent me this
I laughed at her and kept running down the park trail.7 -
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I read up to page nine, I swear I’ll catch up before the end of the month! Today was going to be my first run since last Wednesday after spending the weekend cleaning and finishing the move out of the old house, but I realized that it would be smarter to skip today and run tomorrow and Friday instead, with the 10K + 5K on Saturday. I’ve been averaging about 10 miles a week for the last six weeks, with my highest week at 13.26 miles when I ran my last 10K two weeks ago. Saturday’s races are going to top 9 miles combined, so I think doing two short runs this week rather than three will be best. I haven’t figured out a good run by the new house under 3.5 miles but honestly in this cold I don’t know that it’s worth it to spend a half hour getting dressed for less than a 5K.
So instead of running I tossed on a Fitness Blender video and did an upper body dumbbell workout, my first strength workout in a couple of months! For the next two weeks my goal is going to be three days running, two days core or upper body workouts. I did a lot of Fitness Blender videos last winter and really enjoyed the variety. I never did many of their dumbbell workouts as I preferred a more straightforward progressive program once I got into lifting, but considering how badly my strength training has stalled, I think that this will be a good way to ease back in.
And on that note, I requested a tour at the YWCA down the street. I’d hoped to buy a barbell and rack this winter but with the new house, I think a (partially subsidized by insurance) YWCA membership will be a better bet. Plus membership is 70% off this week and I’m given to understand that December is actually a good time to join a gym as there tends to be a lull before January hits.
2019 Accomplishments: I’d like to run a 10K (or greater) every month. I’d like to rebuild my strength training practice and learn the major barbell lifts. And if it’s in the cards, I’d like to run a sub-30 5K and sub-60 10K. Here’s what I’m looking at for races:
January 5: Polar Dash 10K
January 26: Securian 10K
February 16: Half Fast 10K
March: Get Lucky 14K (16th) or Hot Dash 10M (23rd)
April: Earth Day Run Half Marathon, St. Cloud (20th) OR Get In Gear Half or 10K (27th)
May 4: Door County Half Marathon, Peninsula State Park, WI (if no half in April)
May 23 (est): ESTRS Lebanon 10K
June 1: Hospital Hill Half Marathon, Kansas City
June 13 (est): ESTRS French 5K
July 11 (est): ESTRS Lebanon 7MI
July 17: Torchlight 5K
August 1 (est): ESTRS Hyland 4MI
August: Undecided 10K
September 9 (est): Sioux Falls Half Marathon
October 5: TCM 10K
November: Undecided 10K or Half
December: Undecided 10K
A big question mark for me is when to plan my first half of the year. This year the weather didn’t break until late April, which would make doing a half in April or May pretty hairy. I think I’ll see how my mileage looks over the next couple of months and make a call then. If I’m running at least a ten-miler more weeks than not over the winter, I think a half in early spring would be doable.
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I have new running shoes! I already mentioned before, I have three pairs I will retire soon, so I ordered three new pairs, and they arrived yesterday. So prepare yourselves for lots of shoes pictures this week
The first ones I tested are Merrell Bare Access Flex Knit. I tried them out tonight. They are on the minimalist side, but the sole feels a bit stiffer/more solid than for the other pair of Merrells I own (Road Glove Dash 3). Not 100% sure yet what I think of that. But I like the soft upper material.
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2.12. - 14.7km run
4.12 - 5.9km run8
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