Running for Beginners

elizabethmassie1
elizabethmassie1 Posts: 5
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been running for about 5 weeks now. My goal is long distances. What I have been doing is allowing myself to run for 30 minutes a day, and adding more distance (so longer periods of running) every other day. My first goal is to get 3 miles in 30 minutes. So I can get a better time and a longer distance, should I be working on speed (running as fast as I can as long as I can) or working on distance (running as far as I can even if I have to walk)? Thanks!

Replies

  • lisaanne1369
    lisaanne1369 Posts: 377 Member
    Keep moving and do what feels good !
  • DeputySox
    DeputySox Posts: 78
    It's better to first increase the distance or time. As you build up your endurance and strength, your speed will gradually improve. Good luck!
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    I have been running for about 5 weeks now. My goal is long distances. What I have been doing is allowing myself to run for 30 minutes a day, and adding more distance (so longer periods of running) every other day. My first goal is to get 3 miles in 30 minutes. So I can get a better time and a longer distance, should I be working on speed (running as fast as I can as long as I can) or working on distance (running as far as I can even if I have to walk)? Thanks!

    When you're starting out, a weekly longer, slower run that you can increase in distance by a sensible amount week-on-week will make you faster. You really have to get some "miles into the legs" starting out. Speed comes later.

    Really, as a beginner, you might have more luck on a programme that will vary, time, distance and types of runs and build you up slowly and provide information about mobility work and recovery periods. Soft tissue can suffer if you do too much, too soon. If you become committed - you'll want to add in some kind of cross-training for injury prevention purposes, too.

    If you're planning on doing a lot of running, make sure you are using a shoe designed for it.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    That 3/30 will be there soon enough, trust me. :wink:

    Being new, just don't rush your distance increases. Get to know your body and see how it reacts. If you go too long too soon it will come back to haunt you later.

    If you don't have them already, invest in a well fitted pair of shoes and replace them every 300-500 miles. I also suggest you should never work on speed and distance in the same day.
  • gobonas99
    gobonas99 Posts: 1,049 Member
    running raster will naturally come as you run longer (both over time, and in a single session)....so I would focus on starting to build up one long run day a week with 3 shorter runs a week (short runs should be 30-45 minutes - starting at 30 and building up...long run should be 45-60 minutes, starting at 45 and building up...all at an "easy" pace).

    Make sure you are crosstraining (weight lifting, biking, swimming) at least a couple days a week with at least one full rest day a week, to avoid injury. :smile:
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    There are some great sources out there for stuff like this. The top popular suggestion is the Couch 2 5K program. My favorite is the book:

    Beginner Runners Handbook.

    Why a book over a program? Well, it costs about $20 and it not only has a solid, proven program in it, but it also gives you information on form, macro and micro cycles, going longer distances than just 10K, and a whole lot more that you just won't get from a simple "do this, this week" program.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Not that I'm biased but.......congratulations on becoming a runner.

    Your first goal as a new runner is to develop your aerobic base ie endurance, speed improvements will follow as your fitness improves (to a certain degree, at some point in the future you will probably want to add some speed work to your runs but not just yet).

    Are you really running every day? That may not be advisable for a new runner as your body does need recovery time to make the physiological adaptations that come with running. The most frequent cause for running injuries is too much, too soon, too fast, listen to your body.....if you start experiencing unusual discomfort or pain pay attention to the message.

    Running is something that you can enjoy for the rest of your life, enjoy the journey!
  • dalguard
    dalguard Posts: 36
    If you've only been running for 5 weeks, I wouldn't actively try to improve either speed or distance. The biggest mistake beginners make, in my experience, is pushing too hard and injuring themselves. They take a week off, then go back to trying to run too fast/too far/too often, and the injury comes back. Repeat a few times, at which point they declare that they "can't run".

    Run for 30 minutes, if that's feeling OK to you, and make note of how far you ran, but don't try to improve your numbers. They'll improve themselves. Also, every day is too often as someone else pointed out. Somewhere down the road, 5 or 6 days a week is OK, but at your experience level I wouldn't do more than 2 days in a row.

    Train as though you have a long time to get better, and you'll be running a long time, getting better.
  • justal313
    justal313 Posts: 1,375 Member
    If you are just starting out... Couch to 5K. If you have a smart phone get a C25K app or just google for a plan. It will get your body used to running better than anything else you'll find at your level. I'm not just talking about your endurance and cardio, it will get your legs, bones, feet, everything trained up and ready for the rigors of running on your body.

    Good luck, and find a local running store that can watch you run and fit you for proper running shoes.
  • daver38
    daver38 Posts: 29 Member
    I have been running for about 5 weeks now. My goal is long distances. What I have been doing is allowing myself to run for 30 minutes a day, and adding more distance (so longer periods of running) every other day. My first goal is to get 3 miles in 30 minutes. So I can get a better time and a longer distance, should I be working on speed (running as fast as I can as long as I can) or working on distance (running as far as I can even if I have to walk)? Thanks!

    When you're starting out, a weekly longer, slower run that you can increase in distance by a sensible amount week-on-week will make you faster. You really have to get some "miles into the legs" starting out. Speed comes later.

    Really, as a beginner, you might have more luck on a programme that will vary, time, distance and types of runs and build you up slowly and provide information about mobility work and recovery periods. Soft tissue can suffer if you do too much, too soon. If you become committed - you'll want to add in some kind of cross-training for injury prevention purposes, too.

    If you're planning on doing a lot of running, make sure you are using a shoe designed for it.

    Rule of thumb I read somewhere is not to increase run distance by more than 10% per week - it's easy to get carried away though!. Agree totally about the shoes; also you need to replace them regularly, I kept mine too long (there was nothing visibly wrong with them) and ended up getting Achilles tendon twinges which went away when I got a new pair...

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