Running to lose weight

jlgarcia85631

I am 5'5 32years. I can run a little over 2 miles in 30 or a little under depending on the day. But usually a 11-13 minute mile. I was just reading another post about speed or distance and most people were saying like a 7 min mile good? I'm just wondering do I really suck or is a 7min mile like for extreme athletes/runners. I feel I jog at a relaxed pace but i am still pushing myself. I am not new to running.. any thoughts...is what i am doing going to help with weight loss?? or should i be much faster?

CorvusCorax77

think a 7min mile is pretty fast. As in i don't think i could sustain that speed for very long.

I consider 10 min mile to be a jog.

I consider a 9 min mile to be running.

I think it's pretty subjective.

manhn1

I think a 7 min mile is friggin' fantastic, so I was initially annoyed when the original poster referred to it as a "jog." I was then informed that I misread the post--but the time is still darn good. Still annoyed.

If you feel that you're expending a decent amount of effort in your run, then it's running. It's all subjective. Your time is hardly embarrassing.

jlgarcia85631

Yeah that makes sense to me. I think I agree with that. I consider what i do is a paced jog.

vjohn04

It wasn't a 7 min mile. It was 1.2 km which is around a 9:30 min mile...

I think for a new runner, the above time was above average.

My first mile run I recorded was 10:54. That was in September. I've run regularly since then and can probably do an 8 minute mile, in one shot... but because I run 30 minutes at a time, my pace is a 9 min mile.

I ran 5.09 last weekend and my pace was 11:18. Lots of hills on that run, and I was going for distance, not speed.


You're doing just fine!!!!

taso42

I am 5'5 32years. I can run a little over 2 miles in 30 or a little under depending on the day. But usually a 11-13 minute mile. I was just reading another post about speed or distance and most people were saying like a 7 min mile good? I'm just wondering do I really suck or is a 7min mile like for extreme athletes/runners. I feel I jog at a relaxed pace but i am still pushing myself. I am not new to running.. any thoughts...is what i am doing going to help with weight loss?? or should i be much faster?

Calorie deficit will help your weight loss. As far as specific training, that is up you and what you want as your fitness/sport goals.

kaltey

Just keep at it. I started at a 12 minute mile, right now I'm at an 8:30 minute mile and I'm thinking about upping it again.

MelisRunning

I am S-L-O-W! But steady! I average an 11 min mile. When I began running a year ago, I was doing great with an 18 min mile. I don't think it matters how fast you go as long as you are out there and trying! Don't give up~I think it is great you are out there.

MoreBean13

First of all, there was confusion in that thread, the OP did 1.2 km in 7 minutes, a mile is 1.61 km, so the OP's pace was around a 9:30 min/mile, not 7 mins, and her endurance was less than one mile. A 7 minute mile is quite fast in my opinion, I've been working on my pace for months with a sub-7 minute mile as my goal.

Your pace is great- and perfectly acceptable and appropriate! You should not push yourself to be much faster- speed will come with time, and pushng yourself to go too fast causes injury and burnout, and is the reason most people end up quitting running before they get to the point where they like it. Just keep doing what you're doing, keep running, and your speed will improve as your fitness improves.

bluefox9er

I am 5'5 32years. I can run a little over 2 miles in 30 or a little under depending on the day. But usually a 11-13 minute mile. I was just reading another post about speed or distance and most people were saying like a 7 min mile good? I'm just wondering do I really suck or is a 7min mile like for extreme athletes/runners. I feel I jog at a relaxed pace but i am still pushing myself. I am not new to running.. any thoughts...is what i am doing going to help with weight loss?? or should i be much faster?

a 7 minute mile is beyond the realms of most runners for a sustained period of time. My jaw drops with a thud of pure astonishment when even my most seasoned running friends post hour long runs at 9 min miles.

meghan6867

7 minutes is pretty dang fast. I suspect the folks that run this fast are in pretty fabulous shape and have been running for a loooooooong time.

Just run. Don't worry about the time yet. :happy:

johnhowson

Run at the speed that feels right to you. To push the envelope a little train using intervals. I think an 8 minute mile is pretty amazing - only would bother trying to run faster if you are into serious running. If I was you I would aim to run 10 minute miles - a little up on what you are doing.
As far as calories and weight loss is concerned my running was a major part of my losing weight for sure. Losing weight is about calorie deficit and if you run 4 miles you may burn up 300-400 calories - depending on you - that is going to make it easier to get a calorie deficit. It is not about how fast you are running it is about how many calories you burn.

ChristiMightGetFit

I started doing a mile "run" everyday about 2 months ago....I struggled and pushed to do a 15 minute mile 8 weeks ago, and I had to walk a good part of it. Even though I never push myself too hard (I don't want to injure myself or get shin splints) I am sooo surprised at how quickly I got stronger and could jog more easily. In 5 weeks I was down to 10minutes/mile and now 3 weeks later If I mentally push myself to, I can get a mile done in 8min50seconds. I am just blown away by this because I NEVER thought I would be able to do that...now I am thinking I could be able to do a 8minute mile if I keep it up! I would imagine the same will be true for you! Just do it each day, and before you know it you will have improved a ton! (not that you are doing poorly now! I think you are doing great! :-) )

MorganLeighRN

If you can run 7 minute miles and keep it up, you can qualify for the Boston Marathon for your age group. 7 min/miles is pretty fast but very do able, even in your 30's. I will be 30 in May and I have gotten down from 12 min/miles to 8.50 min/miles. Just keep at it, you will get faster.

ThickMcRunFast

For some perspective: A 7-min mile pace is just over a 3-hour marathon, so it would be knocking on the door of sub-elite for that distance. Outside of the realm of pros or ex college/high school athletes, it is a pretty fast pace. I've been a distance runner for almost a decade, and ~7min/mile is my10k pace, with about 6:30 min/mile for my 5k pace. That is good enough to place me on the podium in some local races, but nothing big. Marathon pace is more like 7:40, which is good enough to qualify me (and get me early registration) to the Boston Marathon. I don't often train at or below that pace (except for one tempo/speed run a week during marathon training), my long runs are usually around 8-8:20 min/mile.

Run whatever pace you want! Build up endurance, and speed will come eventually. I certainly didn't start out running this way. I was more around 10-11 min miles.

MiloBloom83

I have a friend who consistently runs a 6:30ish mile pace in half marathons. She starts in corral 1, with the elites. 7 minute miles are fast miles. I'm hoping to eventually get to an 8:30 pace. I'm 47. So is she.

EricCowperthwaite

To give you a sense of "fast" when talking about running, here is what I thought of as slow and fast when I was a 25 year old in the Army. When I was 18 and joined the Army, I was able to run 2 miles in 15:00 minutes after Basic Training and I thought that was somewhat slow. At the age of 25, after 7 years in the Army and years of training, my best 2 mile time was 10:50 and I thought that was pretty fast, although a few guys I knew were pushing their 2 mile time all the way down to 10:00. I could also walk 12 miles carrying a weapon and 60 pounds of gear in less than 3 hours.

Okay, all of that is clearly extreme sports level stuff. But isn't it interesting to get a sense of what people who train really hard physically ever day think of as fast and slow, as opposed to what us mere mortals might think is fast or slow running. And yeah, these days I'm a mere mortal. ;-)

Now, at age 45, I am running 2 miles in about 18:00 and aiming to get back to 15:00. I think that running/jogging 2 miles in 20:00 is great, especially if running isn't something you have done much of before. Do the running because it improves cardiovascular health, improves lower body conditioning, strengthens muscles that protect joints and helps to lower cholesterol. You won't burn that many calories on a 2 mile run, around 300 or so. That's okay, the real point is to improve all those other things.

quill16

Good for you and keep at it! A year ago I started running at 4.5 MPH (more than a 13.3 min mile) and could only do it for a 30 second stretch. I kept at it and run everyday, no excuses. Today I average a 9 minute mile (6.7 MPH) for a sustained 7 miles. It would have been unbelievable to me if you would have told me that a year ago. Slow and steady wins the race. Every week I pushed myself to increase distance, endurance and speed. I use running now as my prime calorie burner. FYI the olympians average a 7 minute mile in the 10K.

HypersonicFitNess

Run at your own pace/own fitness level...with regular running will come more speed.

7 minute mile is not a beginner or intermediate runner, especially not for running any distance.

texnurse

I run anywhere between a 10-11 min mile, I have been at this for 6 months, I pace myself, slowly but surely I am getting better at time but I think you are doing great!

runningwild00

I am 5'5 32years. I can run a little over 2 miles in 30 or a little under depending on the day. But usually a 11-13 minute mile. I was just reading another post about speed or distance and most people were saying like a 7 min mile good? I'm just wondering do I really suck or is a 7min mile like for extreme athletes/runners. I feel I jog at a relaxed pace but i am still pushing myself. I am not new to running.. any thoughts...is what i am doing going to help with weight loss?? or should i be much faster?

7 min mile is fast! Don't worry, you are doing great.
I like 9 min miles, it is comfortable.

Maybe you could try a "fartleck" -- run your comfortable speed for like 7 telephone poles (or whatever is a good marker in your town/city), then faster for 3 telephone poles, and alternate like this. It will help you burn more calories too since you will increase your speed....and you might find you get overall faster too. I wouldn't do it for too long in the beginning, maybe a couple of times, and slowly increase how long you do it for.

Runs4Wine

The mistake a lot of new runners make is to compare their pace with someone else - you can't do that. You can only focus on what you are able to do. Work on beating your own time if you want to improve speed.

I've been running since 2006 and my best is still about a 10mm - for 5K distances.. and half marathons my best is still 11:30mm. I could care less what someone else does - I applaud them, but it doesn't impact me.

I consider myself a runner, even if I'm really "jogging" by the definitions of others. You're out there - that's what matters.

jknoell

I run slower than you do - but I aim for distance more than speed. I want to run races and finish knowing that I ran the whole time, not how fast I ran it in. I agree with most of the other people: run where you feel good. If you push too much, you can injure yourself or give up.

Feel FANTASTIC about yourself because you are OUT THERE - RUNNING! You are doing it! No matter what speed, you are active and you seem to enjoy it! Congrats to you!!

sarahz5

If you have two feet off the ground at once for even a split second, you are running. And that's all that matters. :drinker:

Bobtheangrytomato

IMO speed in running is mostly based on weight. The lighter you are, the faster you go. Obviously fitness factors in. Last time I lost weight, I gained about a min per mile speed for every 10lbs I lost. I was running a few times a week, but I was a rower so it wasn't my primary exercise.

aswearingen22

I'll answer the weight loss question. On average, running 1 mile burns around 100 calories (a little more if you're heavier or less conditioned, a little less if lighter or more conditioned...I burn about 80/mile on the treadmill, right around 100/mile outside with wind/hills). So if you run 3 miles in 24 minutes or 3 miles in 45 minutes, you're burning about the same calories.

rduhlir

Don't worry how fast others can go. Do what you can do, your body will do the rest. I used to compare myself, and I would get over whelmed to the point where I hated running. But, when I get on the treadmill and do it myself, I find that I actually like it. I currently only run at a 5 mph pace, but I am just starting. I am focused on being able to run an entire 15 minutes right now. I am not worried about how far I can go or how fast right now. I know that the distance will come when I am able to run for longer periods of time.

Makers72

Keep in mind I believe most marines have to run a 7 minute mile? I could be wrong, but one thing I know for sure, law enforcement in Ohio have to be able to run a 11:58 1.5 mile (for ages 28-45) So that equates to an 8 minute mile.

Also don't trust treadmill calories. Its an estimate at best and often times WAY LOW.

Get an armband like bodyfit that is 99.9% accurate. Youll be surprised how much you actually burn.

Bobtheangrytomato

Also 7 min/ 1 mile is totally attainable once you drop the weight. I think my fastest mile was 7:05, and I was a size 12. Sub 6min for 1 mile is considered fast for high school women's track (I did track--I was one of the slowest on the team). You will get there.

MoreBean13

Keep in mind I believe most marines have to run a 7 minute mile? I could be wrong, but one thing I know for sure, law enforcement in Ohio have to be able to run a 11:58 1.5 mile (for ages 28-45) So that equates to an 8 minute mile.

Also don't trust treadmill calories. Its an estimate at best and often times WAY LOW.

Get an armband like bodyfit that is 99.9% accurate. Youll be surprised how much you actually burn.

How do you know that your bodyfit is that accurate? Isn't it based off calculations from your BMR, which is an educated guess and subject to variability?

Treadmills really aren't that bad, they use a calculation method based on years and years of data. They're not always low or always high, either, but there's a lot of statistical evidence to support a person of X weight going Y miles in Z time at Q incline burns M calories.

biddy249

Don't worry about times, treadmills, pace, or length of the run. Just get out there and get moving, walk, run, sprint, it really does not matter. Just do it 5 days a week and the results will come. Start slow and increase as your body tells you, before you know it your mile time will drop and your distance will increase. But first just put one foot in front of the other and GO!!!