New to running but not to exercise

cats121

Hi there - I need some advice. I've been working out steadily since January - mostly reformer pilates, spinning (I go to a 60 minute class 1-2x per week), zumba and walking. I've never been a runner because something always hurts, I'm out of breath...insert excuse here..., etc., but I was at the gym and wanting to switch up my routine so I decided to see how long I could attempt to run on the treadmill. I warmed up at about 3.8 and then bumped up the speed to 4.8 - note I'm 5'1" - so at this speed I felt like I was doing more than jogging but not so fast that I felt like I was going to fall off the machine. I wasn't paying that much attention to the time and realized that after about 10 minutes I still felt fine - nothing hurt and while my heart-rate was up, it wasn't higher than when I'm at spin class so I kept going. At the 20 minute mark, I did start to feel tired and my legs were starting to burn so I slowed back down to 3.8 and walked for another 10 minutes and then did another 5 minutes at 4.8. Felt great afterward - basically like I had a hard workout but not in pain. The next day my thighs were sore but not to the point I was having trouble walking or anything.

I do want to try to add running to my routine but don't want to hurt myself. I've lost about 28 pounds and still have another 20 or so to go. The next time I get on the treadmill, should I try to repeat? Break it down into smaller intervals like run 5, walk 5? I did stretch for about 15 minutes after my "run" and I'm fairly diligent about doing so. Thanks in advance for your advice!

repmlrs

well make sure since u havent ran alot not to over run, id say start out at 15 minutes then go up by 5 minutes like once a week. in the army we only run 3 times a week and people still get hurt. also if u wanna do cardio jump roping is really good and has very little impact, but make sure to stretch out

outofexcuses54

sounds like you are off to a great start! i've been running about 14 years and can't get past 30 min on the treadmill at one stretch!

you have the right idea, change it up, take walk breaks and keep your heart rate in a good zone. if you increase, do small increments, and i agree with repmlrs, add a little bit at a time. 5 min/wk, or increase a minute or two one time, up your max speed a notch for 2 minutes the next time, alternate increasing time and intensity. that kind of thing. toss in some hills too. those always kill me. i like to do the programed workouts because they keep me going and i can track how much i've increased.

also, i mostly run outside till the weather won't let me, but when i run inside, mix it up to get in my full distance. maybe 15 min on the treadmill, 10 min on the steps (my gym has the escalator steps), 15 min on the treadmill, then we have a 9 lap/mi track, so will do a mile, then cooldown for a few min on the bike, that kind of thing. just to keep me interested. the best thing about adding running to your routine is it really maximizes calories burned per time spent.

fredf2112

I would suggest the C25k program although it sounds like you wouldn't be starting on week one.

cats121

Thanks everyone for the advice! Much appreciated! I'm going to try shortening up the running portion a little mix in more walking and hills as well as starting to run outside. Will see how the next couple of weeks go and then might consider signing up for a 5k in a few months as motivator. Thanks again!

ixap

Great job! You can go at it however you like, it will all be helpful.
You might want to follow a 5k training program to give it a little structure, even if you aren't planning on doing one anytime soon.
C25K may be too easy for you.

You could try a beginner 5k program like this one:
http://www.halhigdon.com/training/50933/Novice-Training-for-your-first-5K
skipping the weekly "long walks" if you have a different activity you'd rather do

or this one:
http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/5k.html

emtjmac

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/805724-want-to-run-do-it-some-crappy-advice-from-a-newbie