Running...

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  • Cmandy67
    Cmandy67 Posts: 108 Member
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    totally normal. the first mile sucks. forgot running past the neighbor's house when they're grilling - i want to steal their food and poke them with hot grill implements just for taunting me.

    LOL
  • zoom2
    zoom2 Posts: 934 Member
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    My first 2 almost always suck...sometimes enough that I want to quit. I wish someone would have told me about this DECADES ago. All the times I started running and quit before I covered a mile...I figured if the first mile was bad, then it would only get worse. Surprise!!! It took Couch-to-5k for me to learn that I am slow to warm up, but then it's golden. Generally 3 miles in is when I really find my groove.
  • outlaw5353
    outlaw5353 Posts: 50
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    ya im in the army and my first mile is always the worst then its when i can see the end of it i just wanna go walk to the end lol but just dont worrie u get that "second" wind u can run miles as long as u dont listen to your "wanting to quit demotivater"

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  • MireyGal76
    MireyGal76 Posts: 7,334 Member
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    my guess is that you probably don't warm up enough. try doing this warm up here http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/01/09/warm-up/

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFgu-tNAYgE

    Here is this warm up written out:

    2-3 minutes of jump rope (who cares if you mess up, push yourself!)
    50 jumping jacks (pull your shoulder blades back, extend arms and really focus on the movement)
    20 body weight squats
    5 lunges (each leg)
    10 hip extensions
    5 hip rotations each leg (like you’re stepping over a fence)
    10 forward leg swings (each leg)
    10 side leg swings (each leg)
    10-20 push ups (scale based on your level of fitness)
    10 spiderman steps (each leg)

    This ....

    Just sounds like you are going to 0 to 60 and not giving enough time for your heart and lungs to get moving....

    I'm notorious for doing this... I run at lunch and find the only "warm up" I do is the slow walk I stumble thru at I'm getting my running app on my blackberry loaded. Half a min tops! Then I start "slow" but am at tempo before the first minute is up :P

    I don't know that I could do the full warm up u posted (just based on avail time), but i'll see if I can incorporate some of them into my run tomorrow and see how it goes .

    I don't have much patience for a slow acceleration :P. so wish me luck!!
  • manderann
    manderann Posts: 189
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    I just got back from about a 3 mile run and it's the same for me. I only ran the first 0.7 miles and then walked for a bit, but I then I pounded out the last two miles and finished in a sprint. I think more of a warm up period would help.
  • zaithyr
    zaithyr Posts: 482 Member
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    I am just venturing into the area of running. I normally walk a lot but I wanted to add some running in. The other day I could only run for 30 seconds at a time before I felt like I was going to pass out. I hear about people running miles at a time and I am totally awestruck! Granted I'm way out of shape lol
  • StarkLark
    StarkLark Posts: 476 Member
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    I am just venturing into the area of running. I normally walk a lot but I wanted to add some running in. The other day I could only run for 30 seconds at a time before I felt like I was going to pass out. I hear about people running miles at a time and I am totally awestruck! Granted I'm way out of shape lol
    Yep, I know the feeling. Keep pushing yourself a little bit each time and you will surprise yourself :)
  • StarkLark
    StarkLark Posts: 476 Member
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    Does anyone else have a horrible time their first mile when running???
    It varies with me... I've definitely experienced the awful first mile, but other times it just seems to pass by without any problem. My guess is it just has to do with how well I warm up (as others have suggested).

    Now if I could just get my calves to stop cramping after mile 3 I'd be all set!

    I've tried many things... For example, on Thursday I drank around 1.5 gallons of water during the day, I ate 4 bananas and I stopped and stretched after mile 3 but by mile 4 my calves had almost quit completely. I finished at 4.5 m using some sort of weird waddle/fast walk hybrid that kept the cramps at bay for the most part.

    Anyone have any suggestions?
  • zoom2
    zoom2 Posts: 934 Member
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    Now if I could just get my calves to stop cramping after mile 3 I'd be all set!

    I've tried many things... For example, on Thursday I drank around 1.5 gallons of water during the day, I ate 4 bananas and I stopped and stretched after mile 3 but by mile 4 my calves had almost quit completely. I finished at 4.5 m using some sort of weird waddle/fast walk hybrid that kept the cramps at bay for the most part.

    Anyone have any suggestions?

    Just a guess, but I wonder if you're overdoing it on the hydration. If you're flushing out too many electrolytes that could be the cause of your cramps. Cramping 3-4 miles into a run is definitely NOT normal. And drinking too much water is actually more dangerous than not drinking enough. Hyponatremia can be deadly.
  • StarkLark
    StarkLark Posts: 476 Member
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    Now if I could just get my calves to stop cramping after mile 3 I'd be all set!

    I've tried many things... For example, on Thursday I drank around 1.5 gallons of water during the day, I ate 4 bananas and I stopped and stretched after mile 3 but by mile 4 my calves had almost quit completely. I finished at 4.5 m using some sort of weird waddle/fast walk hybrid that kept the cramps at bay for the most part.

    Anyone have any suggestions?

    Just a guess, but I wonder if you're overdoing it on the hydration. If you're flushing out too many electrolytes that could be the cause of your cramps. Cramping 3-4 miles into a run is definitely NOT normal. And drinking too much water is actually more dangerous than not drinking enough. Hyponatremia can be deadly.
    Interesting. Thanks for your reply. I should also add some more info... the water intake was over the entire day (up at 7am) and my run was at 10pm. I've never run 4.5 before but I feel like if I didn't have cramps I could probably manage at least another mile or two. It's frustrating when you have the energy and will to keep going but your legs just say NOPE! :smile:
  • zoom2
    zoom2 Posts: 934 Member
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    Also, when you say cramping do you mean sudden, no-go, massive muscle spasms or simply really painfully tight calves. I've dealt with both and they are definitely not the same thing. I've seen people talk about cramping when they really mean miserable tightness that goes away with slowing down and stretching. True calf cramps can actually make a person lose control of his/her feet (I've dealt with this towards the end of all 3 marathons I've run and during a duathlon...made changing from my bike shoes to my running shoes in transition really impossible when my foot got stuck in a pointed position). True muscle cramps are pretty much the same sensation as labor contractions...like a freight train smacking into the muscle and eliminating all normal muscle function until the cramp subsides. When a true cramp hits one can usually see the muscle visibly moving under the skin...it would be kind of cool if it didn't hurt so goddanged badly!
  • StarkLark
    StarkLark Posts: 476 Member
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    Good questions. I don't mean massive, no-go muscle cramps. Definitely more like really painfully tight with occasional one second involuntary contractions in my calves. Hard enough so that if I don't slow down and or dramatically alter my stride it would soon get to "pointed-position" feet.

    I keep telling myself it's because I'm pushing my own limit, but it's always just my calves. Feet and upper legs are good... lower back is fine. My energy is low at that point but I want to keep going and my calves quit.

    When it comes to running my calves are my Achilles heel... wait, what?! :laugh:
  • zoom2
    zoom2 Posts: 934 Member
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    Try slowing down...maybe 30-60 seconds/mile. It may just be your calves, now...but if they are tight, they threaten to bring the rest of you down. In HS I would get horribly tight calves that felt really rock hard. In reality it was most likely a doing-too-much-too-soon thing. I was one of the very few track runners who didn't also run XC, so I was trying to catch up in terms of mileage and pace with people who ran almost year-round. My calves would get really tight and I'd end up with horrid shin splints.

    If you slow down you will almost certainly find that you can run further before tiring, too.
  • sarrah_n
    sarrah_n Posts: 192 Member
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    100% agreed. i run 4 miles twice a week and another longer one, around 6-8 miles. everytime, i hate the first mile. second is better, but by mile three, i fucking adore it.

    i used to think that whole "runner's high" thing was a silly concept, but im now a believer.

    SPOT ON! The first 2 miles make me feel like I'm starting all over again... all of that work down the drain. But by the time I hit mile 3 I've gotten back into the groove and it feels much easier.

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