Bottom Heavy Females with Short Stubby Legs That Love To RUN

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GttnITtgthr
GttnITtgthr Posts: 35
in Fitness and Exercise
I hate running. I'm trying to figure out if my body type has anything to do with it. Big hips, big thighs, short legs and pretty tiny feet size 5.5-6.5. I just started crossfit about a month ago and a lot of the work outs include running, will it ever get easier for me? I can spin and step and zumba my butt off but there is something about running that just seems impossible. Even when I was 25lbs less it was still the worst form of torture. I swear it has something to do with my bottom half.

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  • JTutz
    JTutz Posts: 69 Member
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    I know, right? It's the same for me: I can hike uphill all day long, bike till the wheels fall off, all that - running just feels so...unnatural. like patting my head while rubbing my stomach. And weight has nothing to do with it - it felt just as strange @ 100# as it does now.
  • GttnITtgthr
    GttnITtgthr Posts: 35
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    So there may not be any hope for me :(
  • pikanchi
    pikanchi Posts: 72 Member
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    I'm 5'2" and most of my weight sits in my legs and *kitten*, and I love to run. Running gets easier the more you do it, but not everyone's going to enjoy it. People don't enjoy the same forms of exercise, and that's not a bad thing. It's got nothing to do with body shape, it's just something you don't enjoy and something that doesn't work for you. That's all.
  • GttnITtgthr
    GttnITtgthr Posts: 35
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    But I want to enjoy it!! I am just horrible at it, it hurts and is uncomfortable. I'm also very competitive and I hate that there's something that I seem like I'm not able to do. So maybe there is hope. I hope it gets easier. Even just running the 200 meters for my warm up makes me feel like I've been working out for a lot longer so when I do get to the work out I'm already exhausted.
  • KimLee76
    KimLee76 Posts: 89
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    Hmm...I don't exactly fit your description lol but I'm 5'-5", pear shaped, and close enough.

    I have hated running since I lost my first race in elementary school. Until a couple of months ago, I can tell you that I've only run twice since middle school and both times were prompted by what I would consider threat to life lol.

    So, what exactly changed?

    First, I think the strength training, getting my quadriceps (front thight) and hamstrings (back thigh) more balanced, helped. It's a work in progress, but everything about even walking feels lighter, more fluid, and requires less effort now.

    Second, I joined a so-called walking group that turned about to be what I would best describe as boot camp. When I first did the running portion of the workout, I noticed (via Endomondo) that my fastest mph was higher than anything I had ever set on the treadmill. So while I'm not saying the bootcamp was the source, I am saying that unhindered on a trail, I move muich faster than I realized without what I consider trying hard.

    Third, I keep my strides short. Extending my legs all out seemed to move me forward faster but it's really just a waste of effort. I tire faster and only gain a couple of seconds for my effort. I have not completely wrapped my mind around the mechanics yet, but my mph are faster with keeping my legs under hips - perhaps it just propels my whole body forward more efficiently.

    As wish anything, you get better with practice. I started by entering a few walk/runs for fun and really didn't expect to ever get beyond "walk" but I did. i like the feeling after running on a treadmill but not the actual run. I actually enjoy running outside now if only to play my private game "name that smell". Oh, and I probably should have menitoned this up front, but I don't feel compelled to run the entire time. I run for a bit and walk for a bit.
  • froeschli
    froeschli Posts: 1,292 Member
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    Third, I keep my strides short. Extending my legs all out seemed to move me forward faster but it's really just a waste of effort. I tire faster and only gain a couple of seconds for my effort. I have not completely wrapped my mind around the mechanics yet, but my mph are faster with keeping my legs under hips - perhaps it just propels my whole body forward more efficiently.
    I just talked to a marathon runner about that. When your feet land in front of you, not below your hips, it causes all sorts of unnecessary movements and therefore energy loss throughout. Taking shorter steps, and more of them, apparently is the key to going faster. It also promotes a mid-forefoot landing, which is easier on your joints...

    Anyhow, I always hated running until I started a 10k walk-run program. Now I just started training for a half....
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    No. Its not body type.
    I have short legs, I carry my weight in my lower half. I hated running, then I had to. I have now developed a love for running. That is not saying you have to or will, but it is possible.
    i also Crossfit.

    I always used to say that I wasn't built for running, with short thick legs. The past couple of years I started coaching the local learn to run program. One of our speakers, a doctor, gives a talk about how we are all built to run. It kinda resonated with me.
  • alikonda
    alikonda Posts: 2,358 Member
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    Nah, totally not body type. I'm allllll thighs. 5'2.5", no butt, moderate sized hips...and thighs that won't fit into jeans without having 6" extra in length! I used to run competitively (once upon a time) and am working on getting back into running again after falling off the wagon following an injury.

    I like to run and am capable of doing long distances, but prefer the obstacle-course tough-mudder-style runs because it shakes things up and gives that extra bit of an adrenaline rush. =)

    Getting into running can be difficult because it requires a very different breathing pattern than any other cardio activity. That's the most difficult part for me, anyway. A lot of the time it's just distracting yourself from how awkward everything feels or how your feet/legs/lungs hurt until your body figures out its natural running rhythm. Eventually, you may effortlessly go out for a jog and just marvel at how your muscles were built to work together. :flowerforyou:

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