does it get better?

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Replies

  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
    A good 5k is one that you complete, feel like you gave your all, and didn't get injured.

    Great attitude. This is great advice.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    I can't go faster than 12 minute mile, I don't mind that at my current weight but when I was 123lbs and had been running miles and miles for over a year I thought it'd get faster! I know I'm not the slowest runner ever but I certainly am on the running circuit I do (there are tons of running clubs near me so everyone is really fast!)

    Yeah. I don't do running clubs much because my race pace is their recovery run.

    I quit going to mine. Their training pace is the same pace as their 5K and marathon pace. Clueless.
  • _Josee_
    _Josee_ Posts: 625 Member
    Its not encouraging to know that a good 5k is usually done in about 30 minutes...

    A good 5k is one that you complete, feel like you gave your all, and didn't get injured.

    I rarely agree with this weird apple loving guy... But he is right on that one! Very well said.
  • ianthy
    ianthy Posts: 404 Member
    Hi

    You have already been given lots of great advice.
    My suggestion is that you look at a range of different exercises and then decide what you like and don't like. During my weight loss months - exercise was critical and I had to find things that I enjoyed. If I really was not getting any enjoyment then I was less likely to do it. Also things that I could at different times of the year - I hate the cold so in the winter I am unlikely to powerwalk - time for more gym sessions.

    I really like the thought of running but prefer power walking and now that I am at goal I still prefer power walking, plus gym, kettle bells and Yoga/Pilates.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    I can't go faster than 12 minute mile, I don't mind that at my current weight but when I was 123lbs and had been running miles and miles for over a year I thought it'd get faster! I know I'm not the slowest runner ever but I certainly am on the running circuit I do (there are tons of running clubs near me so everyone is really fast!)

    Yeah. I don't do running clubs much because my race pace is their recovery run.

    I quit going to mine. Their training pace is the same pace as their 5K and marathon pace. Clueless.

    Yikes.

    Every time somebody breezes past me like I was standing still, I tell myself that they are doing fartleks and I am doing an easy run.

    The reality is that it is Sunday so they are probably on the last three miles of their long run, but it makes me feel better.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    If you hate running then don't do it.

    Find an exercise you actually enjoy and can stick to.

    For the record.. I hate running to so I don't do it.

    This! I run about once every 4 months, if I do it more often I don't enjoy it!
  • Saramelie
    Saramelie Posts: 308 Member
    Why would you do something you hate? Did you lose a bet?

    It was a bit ironic, sorry! It is really hard for me, but I don't totally hate it ???? I am doing it as a challenge, because I tend to always want to stay comfortable and staying comfortable at all cost got to 232 in the first place. I am signed up for a run mid-september and will be doing it.
    Thanks for your replies!
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    Why would you do something you hate? Did you lose a bet?

    It was a bit ironic, sorry! It is really hard for me, but I don't totally hate it ???? I am doing it as a challenge, because I tend to always want to stay comfortable and staying comfortable at all cost got to 232 in the first place. I am signed up for a run mid-september and will be doing it.
    Thanks for your replies!

    Good for you! If you can run a 5k distance and still hate it - find something that you can love to do. Every healthy adult should be able to run a 5k, but there's many other things to do. Bet you love it after you make it past a mile straight, though.
  • bidimus
    bidimus Posts: 95 Member
    I am 212 pounds, stated jogging about 2 months ago - training for a 5k in September. I am now doing 16 minutes straight, and... I still hate it!! I am really slow too I calculated that it would take me about 45-50 minutes to complete the 5k.... In will not give up, but can I expect to become better in the next 2 1\2 months? Also, is losing weight going to make it easier, or I am just naturally slow? Its not encouraging to know that a good 5k is usually done in about 30 minutes...

    10:00/mi? I've heard of those. Ya know, you're not too slow at all. I recommend a good read called "Running for Mortals" by John Bingham. (sp?) I've found that losing weight can make you faster but the real key is to stop watching how fast you are and instead focus on strength and form. Learn to run well and the rest will come in time.

    Push too hard and you could end up injuring yourself and lose your confidence completely. Slow down and enjoy the run. The first few months are hard. Try running in new places to keep it fresh. Run with some friends and hit a trail. Watch others and read up on various techniques and strategies.

    Most of all, relax and learn to enjoy the run first. When you line up at that starting line, you'll have already won.
  • SBRRepeat
    SBRRepeat Posts: 384 Member
    When I first completed C25K, my pace was a breezy 15 min/mile. And it felt like I was sprinting for my life in front of a hoard of angry villagers and a murderous T-rex.
    One year later (and 20lbs lighter) my comfortable "I could do this all day!" pace is FINALLY a smidge under 12 min/mi.

    I do a lot of fartleks and hill work because I have to run primarily on the dreadmill (shin splints and a bum knee) and those make things way more interesting. They're also what made me faster.
    But, I had to be able to run a mile first. That was the hardest part, being able to run a mile, then two, then 3.1 without stopping.

    Don't worry about your finishing time, just go out and do it and enjoy it. Before my first mini triathlon, I was obsessed with my time, until I fell on the bike course and derailed my entire day. I left the watch behind and just did what I could comfortably do on my run. I ended up setting painfully slow miles, but I still got my finisher's medal and didn't come dead last!
    I wouldn't have even been able to finish the swim, let alone the entire race, 3 years and 50 lbs ago!
  • vmclach
    vmclach Posts: 670 Member
    I can't go faster than 12 minute mile, I don't mind that at my current weight but when I was 123lbs and had been running miles and miles for over a year I thought it'd get faster! I know I'm not the slowest runner ever but I certainly am on the running circuit I do (there are tons of running clubs near me so everyone is really fast!)

    Yeah. I don't do running clubs much because my race pace is their recovery run.

    I quit going to mine. Their training pace is the same pace as their 5K and marathon pace. Clueless.

    Lolz basically. It's fun to go sometimes and mess with them. Be like "yeah, I'm doing an easy 6 maybe 8:30 pace.. I'm really sore"... Then just start busting out the 7:30s... turn it into a tempo. People dying racing. It's something I like to do every other month. I like to play "last one standing" ;)
  • homesbydavid
    homesbydavid Posts: 5
    I have run for many years and I have had a love/hate relationship with running. I hated to run when I found it painful. From my experience, and that of my running friends, it will get better as you train, and as your fitness improves. My current weight is around 188 (my goal weight is 170), but I have run a marathon at 230 pounds.

    Losing weight can make running so much easier. I currently run around 45 miles a week. I love it now that I’m in better shape. Last year, my resting heart rate was around 70, when I weighed over 210 pounds. The last two nights my resting heart rate has been 45.

    My advice is not to push too hard. There is nothing wrong with walking when needed. If you feel really sore take time off for a day or two, until the soreness disappears.

    If you decide you want to continue running, you may want to find a running group. Many cities have running clubs and some specialty running stores have free training groups. My club, the Montgomery County Road Runners, (just outside of Washington, DC) offer beginning runner programs. It is so much easier to run with other people. This past weekend, I ran 14 miles with a couple of hundred people training for a marathon. Many are first timers who are training for the Marine Corps Marathon this fall. Our pace groups range from 9 to 13 minutes a mile. There is nothing wrong with running slow. We have runners of all sizes and shapes.

    A race can be a great experience. Run the 5k and then decide if you want to continue running. Don’t let your speed discourage your training. Most people did not start out running fast. It takes time to train your body and your mind. I don’t care if you run slow or fast. You are a runner.

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