December 2018 Monthly Running Challenge

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  • TimeToReduceFat
    TimeToReduceFat Posts: 127 Member
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    rheddmobile wrote: »
    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.

    Thank you



  • TimeToReduceFat
    TimeToReduceFat Posts: 127 Member
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    7lenny7 wrote: »
    @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.

    Thanks for the tip
  • TimeToReduceFat
    TimeToReduceFat Posts: 127 Member
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    dreamer12151 wrote: »
    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. :/

    Welcome! And great on you for wanting to make a change!!

    I've been running for about 5 1/2 years, and still consider myself to be a beginner. My friend started me off on a run 2 minutes, walk 2 minutes for 20 minutes, 3 times a week. I kept at it until I felt better at it, increasing my run minutes, eventually cutting down the walks, until 1 day, I just ran. That's MY story in a nutshell.

    Several people, both here & in my personal life have gotten amazingly good results with the CT5K (Couch to 5k) programs, like others have said. I was so impressed with their results that I started using the CT10K when I started training for that.

    I agree with the others: REST days are a MUST! Even if you think you can do more, rest. Your body will thank you. Go slowly at first. Yes, kinda goes against what you want to do, but building up a good base is important! Get some good shoes. No, not talking about a new pair of Walmart shoes, but go to a running store, get fitted. THAT was possibly 1 of the things that has helped me the most. I started in a pair of Walmart tennies (nothing wrong with them, they just ain't made for running!) and ended up making my knee issues worse, and I had to take a few months off running per the doctor. Set a goal for yourself. Small ones are great (eg: run 3X this week, once I make 10 miles, give myself a pedi) for me, I entered a 5K 5 months after I started running. (When the idea hit me, I had to google how long it even was!) I picked one that meant a lot for me and my goal was to cross both lines. I wasn't fast, I didn't care. I accomplished my goal!

    And don't be afraid to talk to people & ask questions. There is a lot to learn, and as you get going, there will be more, too.

    Good luck to you, and hope to see you posting!

    Thank you
  • TimeToReduceFat
    TimeToReduceFat Posts: 127 Member
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    debrakgoogins wrote: »
    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!!!

    Thank you for the tips
  • TimeToReduceFat
    TimeToReduceFat Posts: 127 Member
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    PastorVincent wrote: »
    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. :/

    Start with walking, then move to vigorous walking, then SLOWLY transition to walk/run.

    Also, most importantly, check with your doctor to make sure you do not have a heart condition or other medical issue.

    Mainly, start with tiny baby goals and slowly build.

    Thank you for your response & the headphone suggestion.

  • Machafin
    Machafin Posts: 2,988 Member
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    Dec. 3rd - 6.7 miles
  • AmyOutOfControl
    AmyOutOfControl Posts: 1,425 Member
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    PastorVincent wrote: »
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    I love Joes NB Outlet! I always find the best deals on this site.
  • dreamer12151
    dreamer12151 Posts: 1,031 Member
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    @ddmom0811 Thanks! It was a crazy morning, for sure! lol Yes, I'm in Sarasota, suffering the ups & downs of this crazy weather - 40's one morning, 80's the next! The picture is from last month ago when I was back home in Wisconsin - moving back there in April!
  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,033 Member
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    PastorVincent wrote: »
    Another trick for tracks is to carry pennies. Drop a penny each lap, and when you run out stop. Though 177 pennies would be a lot to deal with :)

    I fear I would have a spectacular crash attempting to get just one penny. Too much to think about - I'm a chew gum or walk but never both kind of girl. I literally plan on two weeks of training before my big race just to learn how to drink on the run without breaking my leg or someone elses. I think I would set MapMyRun to alert me at the end of each mile (or five if I ever get to the point where I nonchalantly run miles in multiples of 5). That way, I can just run and not worry about pennies, indoor track rash, or going viral for the video that would result if anyone watched me attempt it.
  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
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    debrakgoogins wrote: »
    PastorVincent wrote: »
    Another trick for tracks is to carry pennies. Drop a penny each lap, and when you run out stop. Though 177 pennies would be a lot to deal with :)

    I fear I would have a spectacular crash attempting to get just one penny. Too much to think about - I'm a chew gum or walk but never both kind of girl. I literally plan on two weeks of training before my big race just to learn how to drink on the run without breaking my leg or someone elses. I think I would set MapMyRun to alert me at the end of each mile (or five if I ever get to the point where I nonchalantly run miles in multiples of 5). That way, I can just run and not worry about pennies, indoor track rash, or going viral for the video that would result if anyone watched me attempt it.

    That does not work on many indoor gyms where there is no GPS signal though. Outdoor tracks, sure, or if you have a foot pod, but most do not.
  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,033 Member
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    PastorVincent wrote: »
    That does not work on many indoor gyms where there is no GPS signal though. Outdoor tracks, sure, or if you have a foot pod, but most do not.

    For the love of Jesse Owens, running indoors is clearly going to be a pain in my...quads.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
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    @7Lenny7: I like the idea of adding a fall trail race - I’ll pencil the Surly Loppet in. We’ll see how the ESTRS races go but I am excited about trying out trail racing - the dates are up on their website now and registration opens on January 1. I know you said these have sold out before so I’ll probably register for the first couple and then see how the May one goes before registering for the later ones.

    I was talking to my husband last night and he suggested that we pencil in the Grand Tetons Half from Vacation Races as a possible alternative to the Kansas City half - he grew up in Wyoming and has been wanting to take me to visit for years. That would be a pretty amazing race, but I’d definitely want to figure out some way to train for the difference in altitude.

    That is very good to know about Team Ortho. It’s too bad because I have no problem with the idea of for-profit races, which is what I assumed these were (clearly they’ve changed their marketing), but obviously you shouldn’t pretend to be raising money for charity if you’re not actually doing it.

    @Elise4270: I was considering the Get Lucky in particular because I’ve seen a bunch of people wearing the jacket at other races this fall so guessed it was pretty good quality. I wouldn’t feel good being a walking advertisement for an organization like that, though, so Hot Dash it is! Unless you’ve heard anything about Twin Cities in Motion, Lenny?

    @eleanorhawkins: Is this the one you like? I will definitely check that out! I decided to start with a short video to ease back in, but if anything it was a little too fast paced.
  • PastorVincent
    PastorVincent Posts: 6,668 Member
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    debrakgoogins wrote: »
    PastorVincent wrote: »
    That does not work on many indoor gyms where there is no GPS signal though. Outdoor tracks, sure, or if you have a foot pod, but most do not.

    For the love of Jesse Owens, running indoors is clearly going to be a pain in my...quads.

    I have the Garmin Footpod, and once I got it properly calibrated it works very well for this kind of thing. Also for all the normal Garmin stats/tracking without any GPS signal. I mostly use it when running dreadmill, but it is always on my shoes so Garmin uses it for some extra data (stride rate/etc) on my outdoor runs too.

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