How did you ease into 5k running?

iKristine

oh I sweat buckets don't worry

btw did you say you have a ipod? i used to track everything on the nike plus system until i switched to my phones gps and urmm mapmyrun, im a numbers girl, i love figures i used to draw graphs check progress etcetc

btw, if your serious about the runnig you should probably think about treating yourself to a nice pair of shoes, yeah there are soo many different factions in the shoes thing but I went to a proper running shop and got video'd running on one of their treadmils and we discussed the correct shoes to help my posture and footfalls and stuff like that, and I was so glad I did as somebody who does have kneee problems does twist her ankle continuously etc i found it a great great help.

I do love running would love to keep up with your progress, its voyarisum hehe cant do it myself, so live vicariously through others keep it up

Yeah. I do have ipod. I found Endomondo for my droid, I was using google tracks before that. That has been a real life saver. Now I know exactly how far I went, how long etc. And can upload it to their site and get aggregate stats. I was a very happy girl when I found that!

A good pair of running shoes is on my list of must haves. Along with a HRM. But right now, I have some pretty good Merrils hiking shoes that have been good thus far. I just got past the blisters 2 weeks ago. Vaseline! Anyways, I will get some shoes int he next month or so. Thanks.

Carlton_Banks

I agree with what everyone that following a plan like c25k is the best way forward. I started back last Winter just running for fun 3 miles on the treadmill at the gym along with other cardio workouts. When the weather became nice in the Spring, I got a chance to get outdoors running and walking. I found a good place to run, there's a great 4 mile loop at a lake and park near my house. I started doing a 4 mile trail run a couple times a week when it started getting too hot. I increased my miles to a little over 5 by April. My spin class instructor encouraged me to join a group of folks from class to run in a 5k event last May. I started getting serious about my speed when she told me she could usually maintain an 8 minute mile pace. I ended up running the 5k in 22:50 that day in May. I try to log at least 50 miles of running each month now. When the weather is nice, I feel comfortable running 10+ miles at a 9 minute mile pace. I also do a lot of cycling, which probably helped me with my endurance and gave my knees a break from running. Make sure you get fitted for a good pair of running shoes. I worked on my running form this year as well. I feel more comfortable with mid-foot instead of heal striking, although I feel like I'm running slower at times when I'm not opening up my stride.

Gabriall

OH vasaline! seriously, was a better compound ever invented for running, i think not!

I never got the blisters thing, got lucky I guess don't blister at all, unfortunately I discovered that little vents in your sports bra which seem innocuous at first, become red blistered sore nasty vent shaped yuck after 10k or more. Also, metal back clips, the elasticated waste of your running trousers, the one time i wore a ruck sack to run the strapps rubbed on the top of my chest leaving sooo attractive boobage cleavage red marks..never did get the sore nipples thing, i think thats a man thing i dunno but im GLAD!

ooo did get the "My guts hate me" thing after long runs but a glass of red wine soon sorts that out its medicinal yanno

since then vasaline everywhere that could possibly rub before going out. hehe

Carlton_Banks

BodyGlide is a pretty good anti-chafing balm. It may be a little bit better for your clothing than Vaseline

flabulous4

I used the Get Running app for C25K and liked it, the voiceover is nice and encouraging! :happy:

iKristine

BodyGlide is a pretty good anti-chafing balm. It may be a little bit better for your clothing than Vaseline

I don't use a ton. just between the toes. I haven't anything weird happening there. =D Just putting that out there.....

3dogsrunning

People have pretty much given the same answer I would have - anything like the c25k program. Even if it is a matter of adapting it to what you can do now, maybe run 30 seconds, walk 1 -2 minutes. Just decreased the walks to 1 minute, then gradually increase the time.
I have coached a learn to run program (based on the same idea as C25k) and it works, it really does.

If you do decide to see a doctor about your knee in the future, I will pass on the same advice the head of our running group (a physician) gave to the running group - try to find one that is into sports medicine or even running if you can't get to a specialist. You will find many doctors will tell you to rest, when that isn't always just the answer. Yes, rest can work, and in a lot of cases, it is necessary, but not always. I suffered severly from shin splints at the beginning. Every doctor I went to told me to rest, no other advice. I would rest, run, and get shin splints again. Repeat. Basically, in the end, I went the route your friend suggested (I had no choice at the time, the running was required) and ended up running through them with lots of ice and ibuprofen. I may still not be running if I had just kept resting.

Body glide is my best friend. Like someone above mentioned, once I hit about an hour/10k, my bra starts to chafe. Body glide or vaseline is a life saver.

Good luck! Happy running. You can definitely be 5k ready by summer.

iKristine

People have pretty much given the same answer I would have - anything like the c25k program. Even if it is a matter of adapting it to what you can do now, maybe run 30 seconds, walk 1 -2 minutes. Just decreased the walks to 1 minute, then gradually increase the time.
I have coached a learn to run program (based on the same idea as C25k) and it works, it really does.

If you do decide to see a doctor about your knee in the future, I will pass on the same advice the head of our running group (a physician) gave to the running group - try to find one that is into sports medicine or even running if you can't get to a specialist. You will find many doctors will tell you to rest, when that isn't always just the answer. Yes, rest can work, and in a lot of cases, it is necessary, but not always. I suffered severly from shin splints at the beginning. Every doctor I went to told me to rest, no other advice. I would rest, run, and get shin splints again. Repeat. Basically, in the end, I went the route your friend suggested (I had no choice at the time, the running was required) and ended up running through them with lots of ice and ibuprofen. I may still not be running if I had just kept resting.

Body glide is my best friend. Like someone above mentioned, once I hit about an hour/10k, my bra starts to chafe. Body glide or vaseline is a life saver.

Good luck! Happy running. You can definitely be 5k ready by summer.

Thank You. I mean it.

Wilmingtonbelle

Wow, thanks for your post and the great replies! I've been seriously contemplating running now I'm down 40 lbs. I've been working out 4x week on an elliptical at progressively tougher programs. I'm concerned because I several years ago I tore my gastrocnemius. It took months of rehab to walk right and the muscle cramps up at weird times, locking up so I can't move until it relaxes. I'm going to give running a try as you've inspired me

gashinshotan

I just forced myself to run! I started from one mile downhill 5 weeks ago and just finished a 9.4 mile run last night (stopped at 8.6 miles briefly for water - a big mistake cuz I drank too much) last night half of which was 30-45 uphills.... your body is far more capable than than what your mindthinks you can do!

3dogsrunning

your body is far more capable than than what your mindthinks you can do!

So true. That is what I love about running. There is nothing like doing that extra bit that you didn't think you could, whether it is an extra 30 second interval or an extra 5 miles or faster pace.

brenpope

I too am doing the couch to 5k podcasts on Itunes, it is a fantastic program. I am one of the people who never thought I would even think about running never mind attempt it, although it is only on the treadmill, not outside yet. I started out doing only 5 second intervals, and could only do 2-5 second sprints, now am up to 15 minutes. The first time I did this was a very emotional moment for me because I felt like I had come a very long way in 6 months. Good luck with your journey, I think you can do this!!

its_betty

If you are doing the couch to 5k (or any beginner program), the best advice I've heard is SLOW DOWN. If it's too hard to run 60 seconds, go slower. If you can walk faster than you can run, so be it: run slowly. Worry about speed later.

For me, a huge part of doing a beginner running program was getting my body used to the higher impact (over walking), as well as upping my cardio capacity. I figure that my body wasn't ready to go fast until I'd been going slow for at least 2 or 3 months: then I started to think about speed.

spikedrubyshoes

Congratulations for deciding this is the way you want to go. Like may others have already posted I started off by doing the C25K.
It's a great way to get started but to be honest I wasn't at first able to keep up with the pace the program was setting. It took me longer than the 10 or 12 weeks that the program is so needless to say keep at and move onto the next week when you're ready.

The first time I "ran" a 5K I did it in 46 mins. The next year I did it in 34 minutes.

I learned through the experience that I'm not trying to run 9 minute miles but to just accomplish the mileage. This past year for my birthday I ran a 10K event and then walked a 5K event with my husband in the morning. That evening I performed about 3 hours worth of belly dancing and enjoyed every minute knowing I had the stamina to do so.

Good luck on your journey...and don't forget to stretch after your run!

LuLuRunner1

I've been walking a trail that is up and down hill. I started jogging down hill, then I added the straight-aways. A few weeks ago, I just started running, telling myself when I get to the next point, I'd walk, but then when I got there I would tell myself that I'd just run down the hill and then stop, then I'd bet myself that I couldn't run up the hill, etc. Before I knew it I had finished the whole 2 mile track.

I've been running on the treadmill lately in addition to the trail. Yesterday, I got on my treadmill and started running and actually was smiling! I made it 3 miles in 30 minutes & even was able to increase my speed from 6.0 to 6.3

I always say that running is psycho. I have to psych myself out when I run. I bet myself that I can't do it and then I just do it.

iKristine

Thanks everyone for the great responses and words of encouragement.

robotaffliction

I also highly recommend the John Bingham books: I, too, went from not being able to run a block to running my first marathon within a year (never having completed a 5k!), and it was all thanks to Bingham's "Marathoning for Mortals." http://www.waddle-on.com/

If you're having knee/form problems, I highly recommend going to a running store like Fleet Feet and have your running shoes fitted. They'll watch you run (just a tiny bit, don't worry) and recommend what kind of shoes you need based on that. My knee problems were solved once I got stability shoes.