So you want to start running

YC1995

Super helpful - I love that for absolute beginners the recommendation go and jog for 10 minutes. Do it again tomorrow. And then again. If you can't carry on a conversation while running, you're going too fast. Build <10% a week. Go slow. Avoid injury. If you are human, you are built for running.

I've never loved running. Haven't done it in years. Now motivated to try again.

shanaber

@yc1995 - there is a great monthly running challenge group if you want to come and join us. We have beginners to elites with lots of great discussion, support and fun!
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10761981/september-2019-monthly-running-challenge#latest

firef1y72

debrakgoogins wrote: »

I know this is an old thread but I have running questions and this was a great read. I have just started running again after many, many years. I am doing the Fat to First Mile program so I am truly starting out slow. I did good running out on the roads/trails for my first three run/walks.

I am working power restoration and will be in 17/7 work rotations for the next few days. Today was the first day I had to run on a treadmill. On the roads, I feel like I get an easy rhythm and the time goes quickly. On the treadmill, I felt like I was plodding along, heavy footed and never got a good rhythm. I tried going super slooooooow, slower than my walking pace, but that just made my knee and hip hurt. I am keeping my shoulders back and relaxed, not hunching. I'm trying to keep my footfalls under my body. My reality is that I am stuck with treadmill runs when I am working storm restoration so I have to figure this out. Any suggestions to make it feel more natural?

It could be that treadmill running just isn't for you. I've been running for 3 years but it's only been in the last few months that I've managed anything over a mile on the treadmill. When running outside it's so much easier to fall in to your own rhythm, on the treadmill you're forced in to the treadmill's rhythm. Maybe play around with speeds for a bit, I've found I am much closer to my outside gait when running at a faster pace on the treadmill which is also great for my speedwork

Try and concentrate on form, my trainer gets me to practise the peeling my foot off the floor even when walking, it really does lower the impact (I'm a long distance runner so it was really important to get rid of that heavy footedness). You really should barely be able to hear your steps and after a while it starts to become second nature

spiriteagle99

pridesabtch wrote: »

Great read. I’m coming back to running after 4 years of being a (career induced) slug. I’m really a biker, and ran as cross training. I mostly did 5ks, but ran the occasional 1/2. I can still run a 5k, but holy hell is it slow. I’ll stick to 5 & 10ks for a while. I know speed comes with miles, but what are some drills I can do to improve my cardio/speed. And how many miles/wk should I start with?

Until you build your base, you shouldn't do a lot of formal speedwork. It requires a good warm-up and cool-down. However, you can do fartlek runs, where you just speed up for a short bit, then slow down, then run moderately hard for a bit, then recover. You can go mailbox to mailbox or block to block, as long as it's fairly short and you are varying your paces as you go. A variation is to warm up with a couple of miles, then run 50-100 m. hard, accelerating to a very fast pace, then decelerate to an easy jog again, recover, then run another hard 50-100 m. Do 5 of those. On another run do 6. Build up to 10. Running hard for a short distance isn't usually enough to strain the muscles and tendons, but helps you work on turnover and form.

jdenbeaux

My age is 55, and I’ve been a runner, running coach and general athlete my whole life.

Your post is awesome, and I’m glad people are responding and hopefully being motivated, but I have not found more miles to be the best approach for me.

Leads to injuries.

I’ve adopted the ‘run harder, run less’ approach and dropped my training (during late spring summer and early fall - I live in a very northern latitude) to 400s and less on a track.

It’s worked really well for me.

I suspect that beginning runners need miles, but at what point of experience and age/fitness do you support the ‘run harder/run less’ approach to training. If you do.