No idea how you runners do it.

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  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    All I can say is that I am glad that the OP did this thread, given I just bombed a 5k mud run last weekend, partially because I re-injured my back, and partially because I didn’t PROPERLY train for the jogging part of it.

    I initially started in January with the C25K program on my phone, and then the weather turned to crap, so I did a lot of elliptical, instead. Learned the muddy way that this is no substitution for actual running.

    Not a huge fan of the run, but then, I’ve never really gotten good at it, and am going to try another mud run in November, with the PROPER training under my belt, so I thank all of you runners for your suggestions, because I’m going to be referring back to this thread.

    :flowerforyou:

    Those mud runs look fun. What kind of obstacles do they have?
  • loved1
    loved1 Posts: 206 Member
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    OP, if possible you should edit your first post. A lot of people may respond without reading every post in a long thread. I just happen to catch a post or two above mine.

    For others who are here because of the title (not OP), to get better at running you have to run more. A schedule with gradually increasing faster or longer runs with realistic goals helps. A good playlist that covers your entire run is good too.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    i can't believe you guys are buying this trollololol's story.

    I don't troll on these forums, thanks.

    The problem is that the suggestions everyone has suggested do not apply to me. They are very conventional suggestions that have been tried in the past. Facts:

    1. I do struggle with basic movements, from walking to running. I'm okay with sprinting and jumping. It is neurological in nature.

    2. I would like to try to find a way around this to start running. But the main suggestions people have come up with do not apply to someone with this particular issue. Go to a running store to check stride for shoes? They make you use a treadmill which I cannot safely use. My stride is inconsistent because it stems from very poor basic motor control which stems from overactive senses. Therefore learning to control it is difficult if not impossible because my motor control is directly tied to my senses of hearing, touch, and sight, which vary in hyperactivity by the day.

    No trolling, just trying to find "outside the box" suggestions. I have no interest in taking up running long term. I am trying to get up to the point where I can run a 5k for reasons involving experimentation.

    I hope you can understand why people are so cynical after you failed to mention this rather significant factors in your initial post. I mean, why complain you cant run when from the sound of things you are having problems walking which is far more debilitating.

    This is either a medical issue and you need to get it looked at professionally or its an excuse and you need to follow 'standard' advice.

    Currently seeing a neurologist. The main issue we are having is that it varies in severity pretty erratically which makes it difficult to learn to compensate for it, because the "amount" I would have to compensate is constantly changing. It is somehow tied directly to my sensitivity to light and sound, which is also constantly changing. The neuro is not used to working with patients where it changes erratically like this. It is usually more consistent.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    OP, if possible you should edit your first post. A lot of people may respond without reading every post in a long thread. I just happen to catch a post or two above mine.

    For others who are here because of the title (not OP), to get better at running you have to run more. A schedule with gradually increasing faster or longer runs with realistic goals helps. A good playlist that covers your entire run is good too.

    Too late to edit it otherwise I would =(
  • links_slayer
    links_slayer Posts: 1,151 Member
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    please explain more about this so-called "experiment" you are trying to perform by running.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    please explain more about this so-called "experiment" you are trying to perform by running.

    i want to see first-hand that endurance gained from doing high intensity, HIIT-type workouts translates directly to improving performance on more moderate intensity, longer duration activity such as running.

    EDIT: In essence, I am obviously not a runner. However, I do jump rope. All of the cardio I get comes from short duration/high intensity activity such as jumping rope for high intensity intervals. Does that translate to building up the kind of endurance needed to run a 5k? I've seen evidence saying it does, but I want to see it first hand.
  • xiamjackie
    xiamjackie Posts: 611 Member
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    You are just denying and arguing with anything anyone says to help you. If you don't want to run, then don't. Just be jealous of all of us that can go out and run 6 miles then :wink:
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    You are just denying and arguing with anything anyone says to help you. If you don't want to run, then don't. Just be jealous of all of us that can go out and run 6 miles then :wink:

    No jealousy, please read above posts on this last page thanks.
  • links_slayer
    links_slayer Posts: 1,151 Member
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    please explain more about this so-called "experiment" you are trying to perform by running.

    i want to see first-hand that endurance gained from doing high intensity, HIIT-type workouts translates directly to improving performance on more moderate intensity, longer duration activity such as running.

    EDIT: In essence, I am obviously not a runner. However, I do jump rope. All of the cardio I get comes from short duration/high intensity activity such as jumping rope for high intensity intervals. Does that translate to building up the kind of endurance needed to run a 5k? I've seen evidence saying it does, but I want to see it first hand.

    Ummm okay then. If you want to run, run. If you legitimately can't (or just don't want to), don't run. There has been plenty of advice given thus far.

    Good luck.

    Seacrest, out.
  • ladyjh578
    ladyjh578 Posts: 207
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    I have to admit i just started running myself..or JOGGING rather that running. I just take my time, go slow and focus more on my breathing that i do anything else. I have also learned from this post that there is a correct way to land on your feet. WHAT? REALL? I didn't know this. I am sooo going to pay attention the next time I am out. Thanks for all the good advice everyone. I never knew this.
    Every little piece of advice helps me. I will be adding all these little tid bits of info in daily. And becasue I do I WILL BE A DAMN RUNNER!!!!!

    Have a good day everyone!!
  • alli_baba
    alli_baba Posts: 232 Member
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    please explain more about this so-called "experiment" you are trying to perform by running.

    i want to see first-hand that endurance gained from doing high intensity, HIIT-type workouts translates directly to improving performance on more moderate intensity, longer duration activity such as running.

    EDIT: In essence, I am obviously not a runner. However, I do jump rope. All of the cardio I get comes from short duration/high intensity activity such as jumping rope for high intensity intervals. Does that translate to building up the kind of endurance needed to run a 5k? I've seen evidence saying it does, but I want to see it first hand.

    I think you may need an alternative way to achieve your goal. If you want to find if your HIIT workouts lead to improvement on "more moderate intensity longer duration" activities, I would suggest you first try this experiment with a stationary bicycle. You won't have balance issues and you can achieve the same long-term, moderate intensity effort that you would put into running. And as a bonus, if you choose to start running again, the endurance gains you make with cycling will help with your transition into running.

    I think that the hurdles you have with running (balance, noise, light, etc.) are probably too great at this point and are just going to make you more frustrated in your efforts with your experiment.

    Just my $0.02 -- good luck.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    please explain more about this so-called "experiment" you are trying to perform by running.

    i want to see first-hand that endurance gained from doing high intensity, HIIT-type workouts translates directly to improving performance on more moderate intensity, longer duration activity such as running.

    EDIT: In essence, I am obviously not a runner. However, I do jump rope. All of the cardio I get comes from short duration/high intensity activity such as jumping rope for high intensity intervals. Does that translate to building up the kind of endurance needed to run a 5k? I've seen evidence saying it does, but I want to see it first hand.

    I think you may need an alternative way to achieve your goal. If you want to find if your HIIT workouts lead to improvement on "more moderate intensity longer duration" activities, I would suggest you first try this experiment with a stationary bicycle. You won't have balance issues and you can achieve the same long-term, moderate intensity effort that you would put into running. And as a bonus, if you choose to start running again, the endurance gains you make with cycling will help with your transition into running.

    I think that the hurdles you have with running (balance, noise, light, etc.) are probably too great at this point and are just going to make you more frustrated in your efforts with your experiment.

    Just my $0.02 -- good luck.

    Thank you for calling me an idiot. Okay, you didn't, but I am because I didn't think of that myself. LOL. Thank you, probably the most helpful answer here =)
  • youareorange
    youareorange Posts: 74 Member
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    When I started out running, my max was 2 km. My chest hurt and I didn't have the lung capacity or endurance. I also developed shin splints. Through a bout of physio, I learned the different landing positions and I use the mid-foot landing, although there seems to be some contention around this.

    I try not to run on cement because the impact affects my shin splints so I prefer to run on an indoor or outdoor track. For me, it always helps me to think that the mind gives up way before the body does. If you set your mind on a goal, your body will follow through. It's going to hurt at the beginning but as you run more often, your body adjusts and you're able to go longer and harder.

    Right now, I'm focusing on jogging long distances. I'm not too worried about times. I think if you can get the distance down first then you can set your goals on achieving better times.

    In terms of endurance, what has helped me is running everyday and reaching a certain distance. I used to do HIIT but I don't do that anymore because I'm just getting cardio from long runs. I also find strength training helped me. Strengthening your hamstrings will help you get faster because if you're landing mid-foot, you're going to use those muscles to push forward. I also like squats, leg presses, lunges. Strengthening the core is great too.

    It takes time - just keep at it! :)
  • iLoveMyAR15
    iLoveMyAR15 Posts: 122 Member
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    Running, and talking about it, seems to make you miserable. I would skip it. Do what you enjoy.

    This ^^ lol
  • chadgard
    chadgard Posts: 102 Member
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    The problem is that the suggestions everyone has suggested do not apply to me. They are very conventional suggestions that have been tried in the past. Facts:

    1. I do struggle with basic movements, from walking to running. I'm okay with sprinting and jumping. It is neurological in nature.

    2. I would like to try to find a way around this to start running. But the main suggestions people have come up with do not apply to someone with this particular issue. Go to a running store to check stride for shoes? They make you use a treadmill which I cannot safely use. My stride is inconsistent because it stems from very poor basic motor control which stems from overactive senses. Therefore learning to control it is difficult if not impossible because my motor control is directly tied to my senses of hearing, touch, and sight, which vary in hyperactivity by the day.

    No trolling, just trying to find "outside the box" suggestions. I have no interest in taking up running long term. I am trying to get up to the point where I can run a 5k for reasons involving experimentation.

    I think we need to back up a bit here and look at things in a more basic way. I'd like to hit several points individually:

    First off, you want to run a 5k to test a theory. Let's start there. What is the theory? Why is running a 5K your chosen method of testing it? Is there another way to test your theory?

    Second, you have neurological problems that cause difficulties with motor control, which make walking and running difficult. Yet you want to run. But at the same time, you use those problems to shoot every suggestion out of the water. If you have neurological issues that make running difficult, I think you need to make one of two decisions. A) don't run, and find something else to do instead (sounds like jumping rope works pretty well for you) or B) realize running will be difficult and you'll have to find ways to overcome your limitations to succeed. To accomplish B, you're going to have to find ways to not use your motor control issues as an excuse, which will be difficult (or, potentially impossible). Excuses are not innately bad - it's only our own judgements about them that make them bad. But to the extent they're preventing you from progressing to your goal, you need to find a way around them.

    For example, you say you can't go to a running store and get fitted for shoes because they make you use a treadmill. If the running store forces you to use a treadmill, try a different running store! While I used a treadmill when I was fitted (there was also a -30 degree wind chill that day and much snow blowing around), when my wife went to the same store, she ran in the isles and the parking lot because she didn't want to use the treadmill.

    The issues with impact you're having come largely from technique. you can't address your technique (at least not easily) because of your neurological issues. Properly fitted shoes, however, help give a more consistent stride, and reduce impact. And, a lot your improvement in any endurance activity comes from your neurological system becoming more efficient at controlling the muscles you're using. I wouldn't be surprised if, once you are running regularly, you slowly find you gait becoming more consistent, and more controlled, and eventually you might develop the ability to have control over your technique. But you'll need to work harder than most folks to get to that point.

    Third, maybe you can use your sensory issues to help, rather than hinder. Maybe running with a metronome, for example, would provide a way to link your auditory sensitivity with your gait. Stranger things have happened. You may want to consider working with a music therapist. Strange suggestion, I know, but I know music therapists who have worked with folks with Aspergers and had great success, and others who have worked with runners and triathletes and had great success. There's probably one who has worked with running Aspergers folks!

    Fourth, you were disappointed to find that you burned fewer calories running than jumping rope for the same length of time. Realize that that only makes sense. Jumping rope is considerably higher intensity than running, so it will burn more calories in a set length of time. It's also (for most people - your motor control issues may negate this) considerably higher impact, so for most people, jumping rope for a long time is out of the question, but running for a long time is not. On the other hand, jumping rope requires considerable motor control, so you can, at least in some situations, gain the requisite control over your neuromuscular system.

    Fifth, you say you pretty much have to sprint to control your running. A 5k, though, is an endurance distance. Most people, especially just getting started, jog a 5k. Only an extremely elite athlete would be able to sprint that distance. If you want to sprint for the purposes of your experiment, you probably should look more into interval training than running a 5K.

    Finally, you sprinted almost 3/4 mile?! That's darned impressive. When I recently started running after 20 years of not (due to a knee injury), it was a struggle to jog for 60 seconds. As several have suggested, I think you should look into the various "Couch to 5K" plans. They'll build you up to a 5K in fairly short order, but do so in a controlled fashion unlikely to cause injury. If you want to run a 5K for your experiment, the most important thing is to not quit. A controlled program like that will help keep you from quitting, and that's the only way to reach your goal. If C25K doesn't do it for you, you might want to work with a personal trainer, or more likely a physical therapist, to develop a training plan that works with your challenges and your experiment to help you reach your goals.
  • sklarbodds
    sklarbodds Posts: 608 Member
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    Have faith, sick with it! I can easily run 5 miles now and when I first stated I couldn't run more than .25! Just push your limit a little more every week. Try going .75 miles, then walking .25 then running another .5. Then try going .85... you'll get there!
  • galenofedgewood
    galenofedgewood Posts: 146 Member
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    Something that helped my stride and how my foot lands was picking up my first pair of Vibram Five Finger Shoes. I love those things to death. But... While running in them, there is practically no padding and it hurts to have your heel slam into the ground. You learn, very quickly, how to run mid-foot or on the balls of your feet. That will heavily reduce the impact because you start using the greatest shock absorber we havin the human body, your calf muscles.
  • Ender126
    Ender126 Posts: 44
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    1. No, I have no control over my running form. I have poor motor control and balance in general.

    2. There are no corrective shoes for me because my feet don't impact the ground in the same way with each step. Sometimes I land on the heel, sometime I land on the toe, sometimes I just randomly fall over (more often to the left than to the right) and it's really something I seem to have no control over.

    EDIT: Had my "gait" assessed once in the past and they had absolutely no clue what to do for me because I did not have a consistent running "form." I was all over the place. Because they use treadmills I am not able to be consistent in staying on them at speed because I can't keep going in a straight line. I drift off to the sides very quickly and fall off.

    3. Treadmills are not an option because I cannot keep from falling off of them when moving at any pace faster than walking speed.

    Sounds like you're just trolling then...
  • ellgee119
    ellgee119 Posts: 18 Member
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    You are asking for help but it doesn't seem like you are open for any suggestions. If you have your heart set on hating running, which seems to be the case, then don't run. Stop being so negative to everyone who is trying to help you.
  • HypersonicFitNess
    HypersonicFitNess Posts: 1,219 Member
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    Actually you do have control over how you run, how your foot falls. I am a runner and I am constantly correctly or modifying my stride to make it better, more efficient and have better foot contact.

    Here's some information on running form from Runner's World

    http://www.runnersworld.com/gsearch/correct+running+form