ATTENTION: PRO JOGGERS!

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Larimar0989
Larimar0989 Posts: 55
in Fitness and Exercise
HI! I admire you so much.

I suck at jogging and it may sound silly but I really do. I want to be able to jog for longer than I am now and it is so hard. I stop sooo much. I keep attempting to jog with friends but get frustrated when I can not keep up.

I don't understand why I'm not "good" at it. I play sports all the times, I also go to the gym about 5 times a week. I just seem to lose motivation when jogging outside and I get tired soooo easily.

Maybe I'm doing something wrong. Maybe I am not breathing correctly? Drinking too much water before?

What I do before/during, usually:
-eat about 30 mins before
-drink coffee
-drink a bottle of water
-stretch for like 3-5 mins
-listen to upbeat music
-jog with max. of two guy friends

WHAT DO YOU DO BEFORE OR DURING YOUR JOG TO KEEP YOU MOTIVATED AND ENERGIZED?

I wanna be able to run marathons some day- I have so much respect for people that can do that successfully.

THANKS IN ADVANCE :)

Replies

  • Eafears
    Eafears Posts: 135 Member
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    Not a pro here, but have you tried a C25K program? That will set you up on the right track. When you start out there will be a lot of starting and stopping, it is how you work your body up to running. If you start out trying to do too much you run the risk of getting injured. Check out Cool Runnings or Jenny Hadfield for some great training plans.
  • Mellie289
    Mellie289 Posts: 1,191 Member
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    Just curious as to what jogging with max. of two guy friends means for how long you can jog?

    Are you too tired? Maybe if you're working out 5 times a week, you aren't giving your muscles enough of a break. This is one thing I find keeps me from jogging longer some days. The other is if I try to run too fast. You say you are jogging with others - maybe their pace is too fast for you to sustain for too long. I had trouble completing 5K on my treadmill initially (following C25K) simply because I was trying to do it too fast. Dropped my speed down 0.5 mph and I was able to do it no problem after weeks of being able to run the distance, but only with some walking breaks in between.

    Edit to add: Also, I am most definitely not a pro jogger! LOL!
  • mail704m
    mail704m Posts: 41 Member
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    I run 50+km a week and have done 3 marathons and lots of half-marathons. I do everything you do before a run, except for the run with friends.

    Just keep at it...?

    Make sure you eat and hydrate well in the 2-3 days before you run, it's not just about what you eat beforehand.
  • flyingpurplemonkey
    flyingpurplemonkey Posts: 105 Member
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    I wouldn't consider myself a "pro jogger" but I try to jog just about every night. When I first started, I just ran as much as I could, and walked when I had to. In about a week, I was able to jog the whole way (about a mile and a half at that point), and then just kept improving since.

    My suggestion is to find a route and jog/walk it while timing yourself. Then, next time, try beating it even by just a little, primarily by increasing the amount of jogging and decreasing the walking. And just continue to do this until you are running the whole way. Be consistent and your body will naturally improve.

    And I've heard a lot about Couch to 5K, primarily from this site. I believe it's an app for smart phones that will help you to gradually improve and be able to run more, but I've never done this myself.
  • Larimar0989
    Larimar0989 Posts: 55
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    Not a pro here, but have you tried a C25K program? That will set you up on the right track. When you start out there will be a lot of starting and stopping, it is how you work your body up to running. If you start out trying to do too much you run the risk of getting injured. Check out Cool Runnings or Jenny Hadfield for some great training plans.

    Thanks so much. I will check this out. I may need to pace myself better. I start off really strong and during the middle slow down and then stop and its hard for me to get back on it.
  • Larimar0989
    Larimar0989 Posts: 55
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    Just curious as to what jogging with max. of two guy friends means for how long you can jog?

    Are you too tired? Maybe if you're working out 5 times a week, you aren't giving your muscles enough of a break. This is one thing I find keeps me from jogging longer some days. The other is if I try to run too fast. You say you are jogging with others - maybe their pace is too fast for you to sustain for too long. I had trouble completing 5K on my treadmill initially (following C25K) simply because I was trying to do it too fast. Dropped my speed down 0.5 mph and I was able to do it no problem after weeks of being able to run the distance, but only with some walking breaks in between.

    Edit to add: Also, I am most definitely not a pro jogger! LOL!

    Hmm, maybe I do need a break. I try to jog 2-3 times a week + 5 days of also working out. But I only go when I feel really energized. I dont force it...I start really strong and get slower till I stop and then I cant any more...maybe they are too fast. I said maximum of two guy friends. idk if running with more people affects a new jogger or if jogging techniques are different for men and women...that's why I added that.
  • Larimar0989
    Larimar0989 Posts: 55
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    I run 50+km a week and have done 3 marathons and lots of half-marathons. I do everything you do before a run, except for the run with friends.

    Just keep at it...?

    Make sure you eat and hydrate well in the 2-3 days before you run, it's not just about what you eat beforehand.

    Thanks! I will try running by myself so I can pay attention to what works for me more instead of it being more of a competition...
  • LeisureRunner
    LeisureRunner Posts: 185
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    Definitely check out c25k. You can find it on www.coolrunning.com As for running with men, I think they just run faster than women by nature (yes, there are fast women so don't anyone go bonkers on me! LOL). Try finding a running group too.
  • Larimar0989
    Larimar0989 Posts: 55
    Options
    I wouldn't consider myself a "pro jogger" but I try to jog just about every night. When I first started, I just ran as much as I could, and walked when I had to. In about a week, I was able to jog the whole way (about a mile and a half at that point), and then just kept improving since.

    My suggestion is to find a route and jog/walk it while timing yourself. Then, next time, try beating it even by just a little, primarily by increasing the amount of jogging and decreasing the walking. And just continue to do this until you are running the whole way. Be consistent and your body will naturally improve.

    And I've heard a lot about Couch to 5K, primarily from this site. I believe it's an app for smart phones that will help you to gradually improve and be able to run more, but I've never done this myself.

    Timing myself! yes. Sounds like a great idea. I'll get a kick out of beating my own time, for sure. I'll look into Couch to 5k! Yay! Thanks :)
  • Larimar0989
    Larimar0989 Posts: 55
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    Definitely check out c25k. You can find it on www.coolrunning.com As for running with men, I think they just run faster than women by nature (yes, there are fast women so don't anyone go bonkers on me! LOL). Try finding a running group too.

    Thanks for the link! Made it so much easier for me, I appreciate it. Yeah, I get a kick out of beating the boys and get frustrated when I cant haha. But I really need to focus on me before. Then, when I get the hang of it, I can try to beat em, haha.
  • Mellie289
    Mellie289 Posts: 1,191 Member
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    Definitely check out c25k. You can find it on www.coolrunning.com As for running with men, I think they just run faster than women by nature (yes, there are fast women so don't anyone go bonkers on me! LOL). Try finding a running group too.
    My thought too. It's a fact of life that men are typically faster - we can just look at all the world record times for that.
  • wheezybreezy
    wheezybreezy Posts: 315 Member
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    I've been using the app endomondo on my iphone to time myself to see if I'm doing any better or running any farther. Lots of days I will do better, but other days (like today) jogging is just freaking hard. Don't know what was different, but it was rough for me. Just keep at it! You will see improvement.
  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
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    I agree, sounds like you just need to pace yourself. I always have to hold back at the beginning in order not to burn out like you describe. Try to find people to run with who are close to your level, if you want to run with other people.
  • LeslePG
    LeslePG Posts: 105 Member
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    Definitely reccomend the C25K! I used to "suck" too~ lol! No really, I coudn't run work a darn, and I ran track in high school......yes, it's been a while! I LOVE the program, it gradually builds you up to where you can run a 5K. Not there yet, but working on it:laugh:

    Best of luck to you!
  • LastMinuteMama
    LastMinuteMama Posts: 590 Member
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    Definitely check out c25k. You can find it on www.coolrunning.com As for running with men, I think they just run faster than women by nature (yes, there are fast women so don't anyone go bonkers on me! LOL). Try finding a running group too.
    My thought too. It's a fact of life that men are typically faster - we can just look at all the world record times for that.

    Agreed, men do keep a faster pace for comparative physical condition. I run a lot. I ran with my husband once...only once. I couldn't keep up with him and it was not enjoyable. His stride is also about twice mine since he's about a foot taller than me. I think it would make a huge difference in your running if you don't have an "equal" running partner...and so, if you're running with a girlfriend that is much faster than you, that might burn you out as well.

    Aside from that, I don't drink coffee or much water too close to when I run because....it makes me have to pee!

    You'll find what works for you! Keep at it and good luck!

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