Beginners Q's
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jaysull21
Posts: 58
I feel like I shouldn't classify myself as a beginner, because I did run all last summer, but a still feel like I am because I stopped all winter.
Background: starting actually running last year, somewhere around June switched from Walk/Running to running. Did my 2nd 5k that July (this was the first time I ran a 5k the whole way). In July I ran all but two days I think? Did a few more 5ks, got my time down a couple minutes, and worked my way up to a 1/2 marathon by October. After the half , I pretty much gave up. My schedule changed in Sept, and I couldn't pull myself to get out of bed early enough to keep up with running before work. Ran a few more times until November, and stopped until April I'd gained back 2/3 of the weight I lost. So now, my pace is slower again, but I'm starting to feel closer to where I was before.... between June and November 2013 I probably logged about 400 miles.
This week was what I'd like to be a a typical 'new' week for me. Until the end of June, I wont be able to squeeze in more than two maybe three weekday runs.
M - 3.2 Mi , W 4.15 Mi , Sa - 3.5 Mi , Su - 6.25 = 17.1 miles. My pace was about 10:30/mi for each except the Saturday run which was 9:35 ... All of these are 'road' miles.
I'm looking to improve on my 5k time for a race mid June (this one was my 1st real 'run' 5k last July and I ran 28:46, my PR in Oct was 26:33, I'd like to get back to 26:33).
ANYWAY, on to the questions:
Should I be aiming for one faster run per week? Like I did this week?
Besides dropping the excess lbs, what is the best way to improve my time (as a beginner)? Increasing the distance on my runs? Should I be trying to squeeze in that 5th day? If distance , how much extra?
Once July gets here, I do plan on doing 6 days / week. I was comfortable doing that last summer. Only time I felt any soreness was after a 9+ mile run. Is this OK or should I really be resting at least two days a week?
Thank you all in advance for any suggestions & help, and I apologize if this seemed long winded.
Background: starting actually running last year, somewhere around June switched from Walk/Running to running. Did my 2nd 5k that July (this was the first time I ran a 5k the whole way). In July I ran all but two days I think? Did a few more 5ks, got my time down a couple minutes, and worked my way up to a 1/2 marathon by October. After the half , I pretty much gave up. My schedule changed in Sept, and I couldn't pull myself to get out of bed early enough to keep up with running before work. Ran a few more times until November, and stopped until April I'd gained back 2/3 of the weight I lost. So now, my pace is slower again, but I'm starting to feel closer to where I was before.... between June and November 2013 I probably logged about 400 miles.
This week was what I'd like to be a a typical 'new' week for me. Until the end of June, I wont be able to squeeze in more than two maybe three weekday runs.
M - 3.2 Mi , W 4.15 Mi , Sa - 3.5 Mi , Su - 6.25 = 17.1 miles. My pace was about 10:30/mi for each except the Saturday run which was 9:35 ... All of these are 'road' miles.
I'm looking to improve on my 5k time for a race mid June (this one was my 1st real 'run' 5k last July and I ran 28:46, my PR in Oct was 26:33, I'd like to get back to 26:33).
ANYWAY, on to the questions:
Should I be aiming for one faster run per week? Like I did this week?
Besides dropping the excess lbs, what is the best way to improve my time (as a beginner)? Increasing the distance on my runs? Should I be trying to squeeze in that 5th day? If distance , how much extra?
Once July gets here, I do plan on doing 6 days / week. I was comfortable doing that last summer. Only time I felt any soreness was after a 9+ mile run. Is this OK or should I really be resting at least two days a week?
Thank you all in advance for any suggestions & help, and I apologize if this seemed long winded.
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Replies
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Speaking only from personal experience - and from what others here have chimed in on previous discussions about increasing speed - I can say that the more miles you log, the faster you will naturally become.
In January, when I started my marathon training my best unofficial 5K time was about 34 minutes.
In January I logged 100 miles, and my unofficial 5K time dropped to 31 minutes.
In February I ran 110 miles, and my unofficial 5K time dropped to 30 minutes.
In March I logged 125 miles, and in April I should have close to 140 miles and last night I ran an unofficial 5K in 27:44.
I don't specifically incorporate speed work - but my steady runs of 3-6 miles tend to be naturally faster than my 10+ mile runs. I did hill training about 1 every other week. Otherwise I was just running on the road and the treadmill.
Putting in more cumulative miles will certainly help improve your speed over time.0 -
Don't overthink it. Running is simple. Run more, get faster. Do different things (speed, tempo, long runs, two-a-days) & you'll get faster. You just have to commit yourself. I would suggest doing 1-2 "workouts" (faster/speed work) & 1 long run per week. The rest can be easy/cross training.
Don't overthink it! Just RUN. When I started attempting to run 6 years ago, I couldn't even run 1/2 a mile. In the pat 4 weeks, I've qualified for Boston twice (3:27 & 3:31). Just run more.
You'll get your 5k down...
Mile repeats (3-5 of them)
1k repeats (4-6 of them)
200s, 400s
Hill sprints
2-5 mile tempo runs.
Get your long run up to 10-12 miles.
I have no doubt you will improve.0 -
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Should I be aiming for one faster run per week? Like I did this week?
That's your call. Personally, I experienced gains by just increasing my easy mileage. I didn't introduce speedwork until I hit a consistent 30-35 MPW.
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Besides dropping the excess lbs, what is the best way to improve my time (as a beginner)? Increasing the distance on my runs? Should I be trying to squeeze in that 5th day? If distance , how much extra?
The extra day, yes. Extra miles, yes. Start off with your "bare minimum" run distance, and build it up slowly to your other runs. It seems that training for the next longer distance helps out with the ones under it. My 5K and 10K time improved greatly since my HM training cycle.
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Once July gets here, I do plan on doing 6 days / week. I was comfortable doing that last summer. Only time I felt any soreness was after a 9+ mile run. Is this OK or should I really be resting at least two days a week?
I've found that my soreness is pretty much nonexistent after a few months of 150+ miles. Your body adapts, and I think consistency is the key. Muscle memory and all that science stuff. I run through fatigue and soreness, but not through sharp pain.0 -
Thanks all , SDM, that answered my questions very concisely.0
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Don't overthink it. Running is simple. Run more, get faster. Do different things (speed, tempo, long runs, two-a-days) & you'll get faster. You just have to commit yourself. I would suggest doing 1-2 "workouts" (faster/speed work) & 1 long run per week. The rest can be easy/cross training.
Don't overthink it! Just RUN. When I started attempting to run 6 years ago, I couldn't even run 1/2 a mile. In the pat 4 weeks, I've qualified for Boston twice (3:27 & 3:31). Just run more.
You'll get your 5k down...
Mile repeats (3-5 of them)
1k repeats (4-6 of them)
200s, 400s
Hill sprints
2-5 mile tempo runs.
Get your long run up to 10-12 miles.
I have no doubt you will improve.
Wow! You are my new inspiration! You are super fast and congrats on qualifying for Boston!0 -
I am a new runner and I have started a slow and steady training for my first half marathon. Saturday, I did 6.11 miles (which I have done before with no problem) and my hands SWELLED up like fat little sausages.
?Has this happened to you?
Was it the heat? electrolyte imbalance or dehydration?
I wake up and run fasted after downing a glass of electrolyte water and go=)0 -
I am a new runner and I have started a slow and steady training for my first half marathon. Saturday, I did 6.11 miles (which I have done before with no problem) and my hands SWELLED up like fat little sausages.
?Has this happened to you?
Was it the heat? electrolyte imbalance or dehydration?
I wake up and run fasted after downing a glass of electrolyte water and go=)
My hands do this from time to time too, doesn't matter if I'm dehydrated or not. It does seem to happen more when I'm bad about keeping my elbows at 90 and pumping my arms though.0 -
Speaking only from personal experience - and from what others here have chimed in on previous discussions about increasing speed - I can say that the more miles you log, the faster you will naturally become.
^^^ This! My best 5k time was 33:48 in November 2009, one month after my first half marathon. I didn't run consistently over the next several year and just got back into it last summer. My first 5k last July was 38:03, but I ran the whole thing which was my goal. I then went on to run an 8k, a winter 10k series and a half marathon last month. My fastest pace during HM training was 4 miles @ 10:25, and it was tough - my running partners were chatting the whole way and I couldn't talk at all. I ran the half at just uner 12:00 miles, exactly where I wanted to be. I have ben running consistently for about a year now.
Last Satruday I decided to run a local 5k. I hadn't run one since November so I had no idea what to expect. I finished in 30:15, over 3 1/2 minute PR and nearly 8 minutes faster than I was a year ago! I think that running consistently and adding miles helped me get faster. I did not do any speedwork while training, I just focused on increasing my distance.0 -
Thanks for the reply and insight! I always stay pretty hydrated due to the fact I live in the desert, but I was thinking maybe it had something to do with salt? I do not eat salt, don't even have it at my house. I will try the arm pump first for my Long distance run. Thanks
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Thanks for the reply and insight! I always stay pretty hydrated due to the fact I live in the desert, but I was thinking maybe it had something to do with salt? I do not eat salt, don't even have it at my house. I will try the arm pump first for my Long distance run. Thanks
My hands do this from time to time too, doesn't matter if I'm dehydrated or not. It does seem to happen more when I'm bad about keeping my elbows at 90 and pumping my arms though.0 -
No advice, but I feel your pain. I took off the entire winter too...and when I jumped back into it too quickly/intensely (even though I thought I was easing into it the right way), I strained/irritated my piriformis. That was almost two months ago and I'm really close to having the green light to start light jogging again.
TL;DR - don't do what I did.0
