Struggling to run

EstherZue

Hi all,

I am really struggling to do one of the most basic exercises – running. I was planning to run on 3 days a week for 45 min in the park outside. After 10 min I am close to collapse and have to stop because by knees get wobbly. My breathing is fine though – not out of control. I just literally feel too weak to continue.

It’s not because I’m unfit. I’ve been doing a bootcamp since March, 3 times a week, 30 min cardio and 30 strength, and I’ve improved my overall fitness tremendously.

So how come I can last through 1 hour really tough military exercises but if I have to run for more than 10 min I feel I’m collapsing. Any ideas on how I can last 45 min, i.e. improve my stamina?

Pebble321

It sounds to me as though you are going out too fast.
Try slowing down (even if you think you are already going slow - go slower!) and you will almost certainly be able to go further.
Once you have built up your endurance you can work on speed.
Starting out slowly lets your joints and muscles get used to the different activity without so much risk of injury.

You might also like to look at one of the interval run training programs like C25K, or the ones available through Runner's World or RunKeeper.

Flab2fitfi

You might also like to look at one of the interval run training programs like C25K, or the ones available through Runner's World or RunKeeper.

I was going to suggest the same thing. I've just started the C25K and its a great intro into running. you can get apps online that make it very easy both for android and apple - mine cost me £0.69 but here are also some very good free ones.

LindsayHowlett

At a guess I'd say you're possibly running too fast. It probably doesn't seem it but if you are pushing yourself to the max you will be exhausted in 10 minutes!!!! Slow down, work on your endurance and build speed later. This is a different kind of exercise to what you have been working on so uses different muscle groups, different breathing techniques etc!

Also maybe consider getting a couch to 5k programme to follow - you'll probably breeze the first week of it, but there's nothing wrong with starting slowly and building it up. If you go out at full pelt intending to run 45 mins you could well end up injured!! C25K is a great interval programme to build your stamina - when you can comfortably complete the 5k at a run all you have to do is work on improving your pace!

EstherZue

Thanks for your quick responses guys.

I checked the C25K program, it looks awesome. But seeing how slowly it starts I guess its no wonder I'm maxed out after 10 minutes. In the bootcamp we run 5 min through deep sand or sprint. So I guess my endurance level is really lame :laugh:

I really dont think I can slow down any more. Yesterday in the park a nordic walker overtook me :grumble:

Pebble321

Thanks for your quick responses guys.

I checked the C25K program, it looks awesome. But seeing how slowly it starts I guess its no wonder I'm maxed out after 10 minutes. In the bootcamp we run 5 min through deep sand or sprint. So I guess my endurance level is really lame :laugh:

I really dont think I can slow down any more. Yesterday in the park a nordic walker overtook me :grumble:

You might be surprised at how slow you can go if you put your mind to it
Try C25K and see how it works for you - I'm betting that a little bit of structure to build up your endurance will work wonders.

paulwgun

I did c25k in January and i run really slow, fast runners do 5k in around 20min my best time so far is around 45min but I have built up my endurance Sunday i ran 14.03KM in 2 hrs as a training run for a 10k race I'm doing this Sunday I'm still carrying a lot of weight but I'm hoping as i loose my speed will increase :bigsmile:
As previous posters have said slow down and if you find week 1 of C25K to easy maybe skip a week and remember to have recovery days between runs good luck :drinker:

melissa10666

don't worry i struggle with running too
why don't you try fast walking for a few weeks to build up strength in your legs then gradually start running:) x

militarydreams

Pace is key. Download a 180bpm metronome and strike your feet to that mid to fore foot. If you're tired then shorten your stride, if you're finding it easy then lengthen your stride. Better yet, buy a HRM and adjust your stride length to that. Don't overstride though, keep your landing foot under you.
Breathe into your belly, not your chest, your shouders and arms are a lot of weight to move
Don't bob your head around, it's a heavy old thing
Keep your arms low, soft and parallel with elbows at your sides, not swinging around wildly across your chest with clenched fists
Keep your body upright, don't lean forward too much
Brace your core muscles when you step up the pace, this area is responsible for transmitting strength to your legs
Keep your shoulders drawn back and don’t hunch over
Make sure your knees and feet are moving in line so that most movement is forward rather than up and down or side to side
Above all remember to breathe, cardio work is all about getting oxygen into your body

Running may appear basic at first but it is a sport of attrition and requires excellent form,

Best of luck

labtracks

I LOVE military dream's response! Many very good tips to think about... which I needed!
I just started running a couple weeks ago. I was going to start with the couch to 5K and downloaded some apps, but ended up taking a little different approach instead. Taking that concept, essentially run/walk... I have an hour long playlist of my favorite work-out songs and basically walk a song then run a song. Sometimes I get to run 2:30 and sometimes closer to 5 min, but the walk in between varies too and gives me just enough recovery to run again and the songs are invigorating. I notice a large improvement in just a few weeks building up endurance in my breathing. I'll eventually move to run 2 walk 1, but for now I run 1 walk 1 and I feel great when I'm done.

CarsonRuns

Pace is key. Download a 180bpm metronome and strike your feet to that mid to fore foot.

I can run at a sub 6 minute pace or a 10+ minute pace at 180 bpm. Turnover (BPM) =/= pace.

militarydreams

Pace is key. Download a 180bpm metronome and strike your feet to that mid to fore foot.

I can run at a sub 6 minute pace or a 10+ minute pace at 180 bpm. Turnover (BPM) =/= pace.

You've taken a single sentence out of a paragraph, read the rest of it for context. Pace is a factor of both turnover and stride length, I believe I made that fairly clear.

CarsonRuns

Pace is key. Download a 180bpm metronome and strike your feet to that mid to fore foot.

I can run at a sub 6 minute pace or a 10+ minute pace at 180 bpm. Turnover (BPM) =/= pace.

You've taken a single sentence out of a paragraph, read the rest of it for context. Pace is a factor of both turnover and stride length, I believe I made that fairly clear.

I read the entire post and I still don't believe you were clear nor completely correct. Not to mention, your cause/effect relationship is flawed.

Pace is not a byproduct or factor of either turnover or stride length. Stride length increases or decreases base on your pace, not the other way around. Pace is determined by effort, and therefore perceived effort is the best way to manage pace. That is why one of the most common recommendations made to new runners it to run at a "conversational pace". This takes all the counting and thinking out of it. If you can talk, you are going at an easy effort. As you become a more proficient runner, you discover other paces that you can run when you need to. These, again, are measured by effort, not by stride length or steps per minute.

Honestly, I try to stay away from even discussing stride length, because I think too many newer runners want to go fast, see "increase your stride length" and start reaching like they are in Monty Python's Ministry of Silly Walks. This leads to injury, not faster running in the majority of the cases.

militarydreams

Look up the word pedantic. Pace is determined by effort? What is effort? What are you doing to put more effort into the exercise? I'm guessing you're either increasing your strike rate or your stride length.

As for the ministry of silly walks... tell that to a sprinter.

Anyway, I'm glad someone got some use out of my comment before it got trolled :drinker:

NoxDineen

If you have an iPhone I recommend the app iSmoothRun. It's $5 or so but I've bought about 10 running apps and it's my fave. It lets you set up custom interval workouts, so you can make couch to 5k workouts, and you can also set a target pace for the intervals (it uses the accelerometer in combination with the GPS to tell your cadence and pace).

Like you I didn't think I could go any slower, but when I started using iSmoothRun and it started telling me to slow down I did just that (and since I was thinking about my pace/stride more my shin splints disappeared too, yay!).

definitelyval

Like a lot of the others, I'm doing the C25K to get my running up to "speed". Another thing that helped me was to correct my running form! Man, I was doing ALL the wrong things and as soon as I looked ahead, shortened my stride, and slowed down, I felt MUCH better during the longer runs. Seriously, I'm only on week three, which the longest running interval is three minutes, but it's a breezy three minutes since I'm running properly. Good luck!

CarsonRuns

Look up the word pedantic. Pace is determined by effort? What is effort? What are you doing to put more effort into the exercise? I'm guessing you're either increasing your strike rate or your stride length.

As for the ministry of silly walks... tell that to a sprinter.

Anyway, I'm glad someone got some use out of my comment before it got trolled :drinker:

I don't need to look it up. I've been called a lot of things before, but I don't believe I ever been accused of trolling before. I wish I had had time to be more thorough on my first post, but I just didn't. Anyway.

Yes, pace is determined by effort. How much force is applied to the ground through the muscles of the leg, foot and probably a bunch of other places too. You increase the force (effort) and the length of ground that is covered in each step increases. We are calling this stride length and yes it does increase as your pace increases. My Monty Python comment was in reference to those runners who reach intentionally with their front foot, resulting in a heel strike, not a sprinter, whose form is still essentially the same as a distance runner with the mid to forefoot striking the ground first under the body's center mass. You made this point in your post, which I completely agree with.

As for pace being impacted by cadence, studies have shown that this just isn't really the case. Most runners maintain between 160-180 steps per minute, regardless of pace. Is cadence important? Absolutely. But for proper running form, not for changing, finding or maintaining proper pace.

militarydreams

As for pace being impacted by cadence, studies have shown that this just isn't really the case. Most runners maintain between 160-180 steps per minute, regardless of pace. Is cadence important? Absolutely. But for proper running form, not for changing, finding or maintaining proper pace.

Once again, if you read my post you'll see that I explicitly said to fix your strikes at 180 per minute... I actually said to use a metronome which couldnn't be any clearer :laugh: Once the form is correct you can increase stride length and once again... I explicitly said to keep your landing foot underneath your body and land mid to fore foot.

Saying strike frequency isn't important to finding proper pace is a silly thing to say in a thread where the OP is a begginner. Bottom line is this SPEED = STRIKE FRQUENCY X STRIDE LENGTH. You've already said you can vary the frequency from 160-180, I simply said to fix it at 180 to simplify the equation with a constant over time. Now then, tell me again why stride length isn't a factor of speed/pace? How does cause and effect come into it?... or was that just trolling? :laugh:

Just to close another couple of doors that seem to be bothering you:
Pace - The rate of speed at which a person, animal, or group walks or runs
Factor - One of two or more quantities that divides a given quantity without a remainder. For example, 2 and 3 are factors of 6; a and b are factors of ab.

For the final time, when you put more effort into a stride, you'll push yourself forward further per stride and.... increase your STRIDE LENGTH. Ta dah :yawn: You're still hung up on taking one sentance out of context so we're back to your original (and might I say flawed) argument now :laugh:

CarsonRuns

Once again, if you read my post you'll see that I explicitly said to fix your strikes at 180 per minute... I actually said to use a metronome which couldnn't be any clearer...

I did read your entire post. I agree that foot strike should be at 180 per minute. My point all along is that this is not a function of PACE, but rather a function of FORM.

Once the form is correct you can increase stride length and once again... I explicitly said to keep your landing foot underneath your body and land mid to fore foot.

As I stated before, and I'll state again. Telling any beginning runner to increase their stride length is a slippery slope that could lead to reaching (yes, I see you said to maintain a landing point center on the torso) stride that promotes a heel strike. Why not just say "run faster and maintain 180 steps per minute"? Let's not over think it.

Saying strike frequency isn't important to finding proper pace is a silly thing to say in a thread where the OP is a begginner.

No, it isn't silly at all. Again, proper strike frequency promotes proper form, not proper pace.

Bottom line is this SPEED = STRIKE FRQUENCY X STRIDE LENGTH. You've already said you can vary the frequency from 160-180, I simply said to fix it at 180 to simplify the equation with a constant over time. Now then, tell me again why stride length isn't a factor of speed/pace? How does cause and effect come into it?... or was that just trolling? :laugh:

Okay, no. Not trolling. I disagree with some of the points that you make and I'm trying to explain why. If I was trolling, I'd resort to name calling and all other manner of debauchery. But, I digress. Again, my point about stride length is that it increases as pace increase. We agree on this. Pace increases because of the effort the runner puts forth. As I wrote above, telling a runner to increase their stride length to go faster, I feel, is a dangerous way to go. As for your formula. What is speed measured in? Strike Frequency per foot?

Just to close another couple of doors that seem to be bothering you:
Pace - The rate of speed at which a person, animal, or group walks or runs
Factor - One of two or more quantities that divides a given quantity without a remainder. For example, 2 and 3 are factors of 6; a and b are factors of ab.

Okay?

For the final time, when you put more effort into a stride, you'll push yourself forward further per stride and.... increase your STRIDE LENGTH. Ta dah :yawn:

Isn't this what I said?

You're still hung up on taking one sentance out of context so we're back to your original (and might I say flawed) argument now :laugh:

Quite the contrary. I think we have covered a whole lot more than that one sentence, which I did read fully and take in context. You can call my argument flawed if that's what you want to, but I think I have expressed it clearly. Maybe some of it is semantics. Some is opinion.

Bottom line for me is this:

1. I am not going to tell a runner that changing their strike frequency is going to change their pace, because it won't.
2. I am not going to tell a beginning runner to increase their stride length to run faster, because I think it has the potential to create poor form.

twinmom01

I don't run....I've tried and failed on many occassion - I don't know what it wrong with me - but every time I make a conscience effort to run it hurts my ankle and winds up throwing my back totally out of whack - I am in decent shape as i do kickboxing and lift heavy -I can do things like ellipticals and arc trainers but running kicks my butt (conversely my husband can spend an hour on a treadmill but gives up on the elliptical after 10 minutes) - so i have made a decision to just not do it and should the zombie's come or I wind up being chased by a mountian lion...oh well...(maybe I can give them a quick roundhouse kick and knock them off balance

TaylorsGranddad

I had the same problem... I started doing C25K, and now love running... IMO give it a go


Good luck


PEACE