How to start running when you're already in ok shape?

lifescircle

You are already in shape, so I would start out wit just an easy jog, don't be worried about speed for awhile. Keep jogging until you feel as if you are running out of air, then walk, once you are breathing normal agian start your jogging again, and keep repeating. You want to do that for at least 30-45 min. You will find in a few days you are running a lot more than you are walking and soo there is no walking at all and now you can start increasing your speed!

Basil

Yes. I agree. You are definitely not a C25K person. But if you want a program to increase your distance and speed, there are many online. You can check out runkeeper.com. They have running programs for beginners, intermediates and advanced. You can click on the calendars/schedules to see what they do. There is plenty of good advice for runners out there and the more knowledge the better to reduce/eliminate injury and enjoy the run.

meerkat70

OP I do hope you're noticing a pattern in the responses of people who *do* run. Take it easy. Don't rush in. Don't confuse CV fitness with readiness to run long distances. The two are obviously linked, but not the *same* thing.

I love running, and I feel sure you will too. Ducking out of this thread now, as I don't think i have more to add to what I and others have already said. Best of luck whatever you decide. Do take care of those legs! :-)

timboom1

I agree that if you can run you can run.

These programs are for people who can't.

If you can simply run 2 miles, then good grief, why would you need a program. Just increase your distance gradually.

Seriously, everyone does not need a program to do what they want to do. People have been running long before programs.

Go girl!

Do you run?

No. But she does. I am "learning". If I could go out right now and run 2 miles, I would not need a program to teach me how to run 2 miles. Common sense does come into play.

And common sense is to listen to those that do run and know what works and what the pitfalls are. Way more fit people end up with overuse injuries than do those starting from the couch, mostly because they have the cardio ability to do more than they should and they don't take the time to build the specific skeletal and muscle adaptions they need to be able to support that level of running.

C25K week 1, day 1 may not be the program or place to start, the OP can certainly do some research and come up with her own program that builds up appropriately or adapt any one of the thousands that exist. I think the point is that no matter how fit you are, if you are just starting out running, you are a beginner and all of the mechanisms that support running are not yet developed. Develop gradually and you will probably be running for a long time, don't and you are just rolling the dice and hoping you don't end up with an injury.

zozzabubba

I agree that if you can run you can run.

These programs are for people who can't.

If you can simply run 2 miles, then good grief, why would you need a program. Just increase your distance gradually.

Seriously, everyone does not need a program to do what they want to do. People have been running long before programs.

Go girl!

Do you run?

No. But she does. I am "learning". If I could go out right now and run 2 miles, I would not need a program to teach me how to run 2 miles. Common sense does come into play.

And common sense is to listen to those that do run and know what works and what the pitfalls are. Way more fit people end up with overuse injuries than do those starting from the couch, mostly because they have the cardio ability to do more than they should and they don't take the time to build the specific skeletal and muscle adaptions they need to be able to support that level of running.

C25K week 1, day 1 may not be the program or place to start, the OP can certainly do some research and come up with her own program that builds up appropriately or adapt any one of the thousands that exist. I think the point is that no matter how fit you are, if you are just starting out running, you are a beginner and all of the mechanisms that support running are not yet developed. Develop gradually and you will probably be running for a long time, don't and you are just rolling the dice and hoping you don't end up with an injury.

Ok, I'm taking from all this that I shouldn't have done what I did and just gone and run 5k, so I'll look into finding a program for me. Another question that may sound stupid...people have said find out how far the run I did was...but how? I got the estimate from looking on google maps and just comparing the distance I ran with the scale on there (yeah, not the most accurate, I know), but how would I get a more accurate measurement than that without resorting to taking a metre stick with me one day?

Does anyone have a link to any of the podcasts that you'd suggest?

dad106

I agree that if you can run you can run.

These programs are for people who can't.

If you can simply run 2 miles, then good grief, why would you need a program. Just increase your distance gradually.

Seriously, everyone does not need a program to do what they want to do. People have been running long before programs.

Go girl!

Do you run?

No. But she does. I am "learning". If I could go out right now and run 2 miles, I would not need a program to teach me how to run 2 miles. Common sense does come into play.

And common sense is to listen to those that do run and know what works and what the pitfalls are. Way more fit people end up with overuse injuries than do those starting from the couch, mostly because they have the cardio ability to do more than they should and they don't take the time to build the specific skeletal and muscle adaptions they need to be able to support that level of running.

C25K week 1, day 1 may not be the program or place to start, the OP can certainly do some research and come up with her own program that builds up appropriately or adapt any one of the thousands that exist. I think the point is that no matter how fit you are, if you are just starting out running, you are a beginner and all of the mechanisms that support running are not yet developed. Develop gradually and you will probably be running for a long time, don't and you are just rolling the dice and hoping you don't end up with an injury.

Ok, I'm taking from all this that I shouldn't have done what I did and just gone and run 5k, so I'll look into finding a program for me. Another question that may sound stupid...people have said find out how far the run I did was...but how? I got the estimate from looking on google maps and just comparing the distance I ran with the scale on there (yeah, not the most accurate, I know), but how would I get a more accurate measurement than that without resorting to taking a metre stick with me one day?

Does anyone have a link to any of the podcasts that you'd suggest?

Do you have a smart phone/Iphone/Ipod that allows you to download apps?

If the answer is yes, then there are a bunch of apps that use GPS navigation and can tell you where/how far you ran.

There are also apps that walk you through C25K and a bunch of other programs.

zozzabubba

I agree that if you can run you can run.

These programs are for people who can't.

If you can simply run 2 miles, then good grief, why would you need a program. Just increase your distance gradually.

Seriously, everyone does not need a program to do what they want to do. People have been running long before programs.

Go girl!

Do you run?

No. But she does. I am "learning". If I could go out right now and run 2 miles, I would not need a program to teach me how to run 2 miles. Common sense does come into play.

And common sense is to listen to those that do run and know what works and what the pitfalls are. Way more fit people end up with overuse injuries than do those starting from the couch, mostly because they have the cardio ability to do more than they should and they don't take the time to build the specific skeletal and muscle adaptions they need to be able to support that level of running.

C25K week 1, day 1 may not be the program or place to start, the OP can certainly do some research and come up with her own program that builds up appropriately or adapt any one of the thousands that exist. I think the point is that no matter how fit you are, if you are just starting out running, you are a beginner and all of the mechanisms that support running are not yet developed. Develop gradually and you will probably be running for a long time, don't and you are just rolling the dice and hoping you don't end up with an injury.

Ok, I'm taking from all this that I shouldn't have done what I did and just gone and run 5k, so I'll look into finding a program for me. Another question that may sound stupid...people have said find out how far the run I did was...but how? I got the estimate from looking on google maps and just comparing the distance I ran with the scale on there (yeah, not the most accurate, I know), but how would I get a more accurate measurement than that without resorting to taking a metre stick with me one day?

Does anyone have a link to any of the podcasts that you'd suggest?

Do you have a smart phone/Iphone/Ipod that allows you to download apps?

If the answer is yes, then there are a bunch of apps that use GPS navigation and can tell you where/how far you ran.

There are also apps that walk you through C25K and a bunch of other programs.

noooo, sadly I do not, I just have a super old crappy nokia phone and an ipod classic
any alternatives?

redhousecat

check this out as well. She has training programs for all kinds of "athletes"
http://www.jennyhadfield.com/training-plans/

froeschli

It's a good idea to start slow with running, even if you're in good cardio vascular shape. Running is kind of hard on joints, stabilizer muscles and connective tissue. It's a good idea to get all of those used to the impact over a period of time, even if your heart, lungs, and large muscle groups could handle more faster. A lot of stress injuries to new runners can be avoided by slowly increasing your running over time.

That said, the very earliest stages of c25k might feel to easy for you. I've seen people start in week 3 or 4 and they usually do alright.

^^^this. no matter how great a shape you're in. don't overdo the running because you don't feel out of breath. bones and tendons need to adjust. being in decent shape, you may have a leg up, but 0-100 sounds like a recipe for injuries to me...

ixap

Ok, I'm taking from all this that I shouldn't have done what I did and just gone and run 5k, so I'll look into finding a program for me.

Well doing it once like that isn't likely to have hurt you. If nothing hurts today, you didn't injure yourself.

But I would agree with the above runners that no you shouldn't immediately start running several miles every day because of the possibility of injury.

I'd ramp up by continuing your usual exercise routine, but substituting about 10 minutes of your usual cardio for a run every other day. After a couple of weeks, make that 15 minutes, then 20 in a another week or two, until you get up to 30 minutes of running 3 times a week. then add a 4th run each week. Then you'll be ready to tackle an intermediate 5K training plan.

ixap

noooo, sadly I do not, I just have a super old crappy nokia phone and an ipod classic
any alternatives?

mapmyrun.com

DavPul

I agree that if you can run you can run.

These programs are for people who can't.

If you can simply run 2 miles, then good grief, why would you need a program. Just increase your distance gradually.

Seriously, everyone does not need a program to do what they want to do. People have been running long before programs.

Go girl!

Do you run?

No. But she does. I am "learning". If I could go out right now and run 2 miles, I would not need a program to teach me how to run 2 miles. Common sense does come into play.

And common sense is to listen to those that do run and know what works and what the pitfalls are. Way more fit people end up with overuse injuries than do those starting from the couch, mostly because they have the cardio ability to do more than they should and they don't take the time to build the specific skeletal and muscle adaptions they need to be able to support that level of running.

C25K week 1, day 1 may not be the program or place to start, the OP can certainly do some research and come up with her own program that builds up appropriately or adapt any one of the thousands that exist. I think the point is that no matter how fit you are, if you are just starting out running, you are a beginner and all of the mechanisms that support running are not yet developed. Develop gradually and you will probably be running for a long time, don't and you are just rolling the dice and hoping you don't end up with an injury.

Why does it seem like you are correcting her. She specifically stated, "increase gradually" and you're coming back with "develop gradually". Is there a difference here that I'm missing or do you agree you just shot her down and then reiterated what she said?

And my goodness, I didn't realize people were dying from 2 mile runs. If someone said go try a half marathon or even a 10k, yeah, lets back it up a bit. But 2 miles for a fit person is now cause for alarm? I'm thinking the human body is a wee bit tougher than that.

timboom1

Why does it seem like you are correcting her. She specifically stated, "increase gradually" and you're coming back with "develop gradually". Is there a difference here that I'm missing or do you agree you just shot her down and then reiterated what she said?

And my goodness, I didn't realize people were dying from 2 mile runs. If someone said go try a half marathon or even a 10k, yeah, lets back it up a bit. But 2 miles for a fit person is now cause for alarm? I'm thinking the human body is a wee bit tougher than that.

Increase gradually, yes, cannot go wrong there. The OP is a beginning runner and does not have the experience of building a base (or why the topic to start with.) The advice of "because you can, you should" and "just use common sense" are not really substitutes for a good plan. Occasionally running 2 miles for a fit person that does not run is probably not an issue, but starting to run by doing it 4 or more times a week, without any base, CV fit or not, is a gamble.