Running - feeling stuck

Collinsky

I feel like I'm stuck WRT my running. I feel like I'm unbelievably slow, and can't break through. I'm so frustrated by how freaking slow I am. I feel like I'm stuck at a 16+ min/mi, and not able to run much farther than ~4 miles, and that's with a couple of 30-60 second walk breaks in there. I don't want to push too hard, and end up hurting myself, but I want to get to that next level.

This is probably just part of the normal progression, but any tips for improving my running would be appreciated. I just feel stuck at this level. Anyone else feel this? What did you do?

ruststar

Have you tried intervals? 2 minutes at your regular speed, 1 minute as fast as you can manage, for as many rounds as you can take (5-6 is about the most you probably want to do). It's a quick work out, but it is a big help to improving speed.

Edited to add: pushing yourself. I understand not wanting to get injured, but if you can do 4 miles at your current speed but are still running at 16 minutes per mile, a bit more pushing may be warranted. Try for a short distance, and just see what faster feels like, then try to last as long as you can.

allisonrozsa

I don't particularly like the treadmill, bit when I used ot I could set the speed so it helped me to take longer strides. When i'm on the street I have a bad habit of taking short strides that slow me down.

Funsoaps

I started really running in July or June maybe and I am still 11-12 min miles, pretty slow. I notice if I skip a week of running or two and do other things then I can't run more than 1/2 mile increments, crazy.

nadinab

Hi! Do you use an app to run? I was using Ease into 5k but as of today - I will be using Couch to 10K. I find that by using an app I was able to increase my endurance by a steady pace without feeling so overwhelmed by trying to run long distances too soon.

Hope it helps! :flowerforyou:

DianeG213

Keep at it! Enjoy your run. Quit timing yourself for a month - just go out and run. You'll break the barrier, trust me.

monalissanne

I randomly add in "sprints" to my run, and I have slowly but surely seen my time go down. When I'm outside I just try to speed up a little bit and then if my heart rate gets too elevated, I slow back down. On the treadmill, during my last mile I'll increase my speed by a .5 mph for a minute then go down to my normal, increase by 1 mph for a minute then go back to normal, increase by 1.5 mph for a minute and then go back to normal. When I get to my max speed (where I feel like I might fall off), I just increase the amount of time instead of the mph. After doing that for awhile, I've noticed my time on my outside runs is getting faster.
IMO when it comes to learning to run, first comes endurance and then comes speed. In the past month, on average I'm usually only about 30 seconds faster, but some of my individual miles have been 2 minutes faster.

Collinsky

I finished C25K a year ago, but I keep forgetting that I took several months off and only started running regularly again three weeks ago. The difference between where I was and where I am now is probably one major reason I'm feeling frustrated. I'm basically starting over, and should probably just be glad I'm not starting at square one!!

I'm not doing any speedwork or sprinting, so I'll try that. I think taking one of my regular run days and making that a day to do some speed intervals is a great idea. As is DianeG213's suggestion - watching the clock a little less and focusing on enjoying the run is probably always good advice. I need to reconnect with my feet.

waterwing

Get good music pumping and be sure you're consistent with your run days.. running every other day helps a person build stamina and not get hurt. And I agree with everyone else.. interval training is the way to increase speed! Give it time.. everything will click eventually!

michellekicks

Try a shorter run faster once a week. Aim for 3 miles but faster. Keep adding miles... slower ones, faster ones... do some fartleks. While you're running, choose a marker and sprint to it... then slow back down to a jog for recovery. Keep doing that randomly for whatever feels good.

The thing that will make you faster is just more miles and taking off some pounds. That's it.

hula808

My running guru always tells me...endurance first, speed will come with time.
Shes an very wise woman and ultra - marathoner...just keep doing it and it will all work out. I tend to believe her ; )

heybales

Are you making every single run as all out as you can do? And you are running frequently?

Not a good idea. That means you are training the short run carb-burning system, which would be great at speed - once you have an aerobic base.

If you fear joint problems at current weight, the interval style with some walking is probably not a bad idea.
4:15 running with 45 sec walking is 85% running.
4 to 1 is 80% running.

This may actually be faster overall than longer running spells that are slower, with walking that is barely catching up.
But this method would be considered the long slow aerobic day, do that for like 40 min after a 10 min walking warmup, and finish with 10 min walking cooldown. The running is in Aerobic HR zone.

On true interval days, after same warmup, do 30 second all out sprint, whatever that may be for now. Just count to 30 in your head. Recover immediately with some walking to get HR down, and then very slow jog. Recover for 4 min.
Then hit it again. Do that 4-6 times, 3 times a week, for at least 2 weeks.
Not only will this help burn some fat, it also can help increase endurance to failure by 100%.
http://www.exrx.net/ExInfo/HIIT.html

Do you use a HRM and know your zones?

ka97

You've only been running again for 3 weeks? Be patient. Keep running. You will improve. At this point the best thing you can do to improve is to run consistently, several times a week. Building your aerobic base will make running feel easier, and you will naturally get faster. Do some strength training as well. Strong legs and a strong core will help make you stronger and more efficient.

Cristofori44

1. If you watch your diet and get in your exercise, you will drop pounds and that will naturally make you faster.

2. At a 16-minute mile, extended endurance runs could be very hard on your joints. I would suggest doing leg strength and abs exercises after a run: squats, calf presses and abs also build strength in the legs and they will make you faster. This might be key for you especially if you're heavy. Do them 1-2 times a week after a run, and then either do some kind of walking/light biking/upperbody exercise the next day. One thing you don't want to do at a heavy weight is tear down leg muscles by working them too much. You want to build strength, which will get you through those runs.

3. An interval run once a week w/ a heart rate monitor could help. Run until you get up to 85 percent of your max. HR, then walk until you're below 65 percent, then run again. Repeat 4-5 times.

4. Flexibility is also key. Warmup before the run and do static stretches after--hams, calves, glutes, pelvis, quads. Everything.


Hope that helps!

SunnyAndrsn

I feel like I'm stuck WRT my running. I feel like I'm unbelievably slow, and can't break through. I'm so frustrated by how freaking slow I am. I feel like I'm stuck at a 16+ min/mi, and not able to run much farther than ~4 miles, and that's with a couple of 30-60 second walk breaks in there. I don't want to push too hard, and end up hurting myself, but I want to get to that next level.

This is probably just part of the normal progression, but any tips for improving my running would be appreciated. I just feel stuck at this level. Anyone else feel this? What did you do?

This might not help, but I'm very slow as well. I feel like no matter how hard I try, I can't keep up the endurance of a faster pace to get my mile/minute down. So I increased the incline instead. *SHRUGS* As long as I'm getting my heart rate up, and don't give up, I figure I'll eventually make some progress.

wolfchild59

I was stuck at my same pace until I started using a training plan that mixed up my workout. I went from running six days a week, frequently bonking runs and not making any pace improvements for months to improving my pace by over 30 seconds a mile in about two months when I started using a training plan.

I used one from Hal Higdon and really loved it. I used a 10-K plan and my schedule looked like this at that time:

Sunday - Run day, 3-6 miles increasing by .5 mile every week
Monday - Strength day, full upper and lower body workout, took about 45 min for three sets of a the full group of exercises I was doing at that time
Tuesday - Run day - 2.5 miles for the first few weeks, 3 miles the rest
Wednesday - Cross cardio day, any cardio that isn't running (cycling, elliptical, ARC trainer, stair mill), 30-45 min
Thursday - 2 mile run and the same strength workout from Tuesday
Friday - Rest day
Saturday - Cross cardio day, 40-60 min

I stopped bonking runs, almost entirely eliminated injuries, and, as I said, improved my pace over 30 seconds per mile in the eight weeks I followed the training program.

Cristofori44

Yes and you can also split it up as the above poster suggested.