I just started running, so I didn't have any real running shoes or clothes. I'd been working out with cotton socks, old shoes, and regular yoga pants/shirts. I realized, after buying some new shoes, socks, and workout clothes that it's a night and day difference! I wasn't overheated today running, I could run for the full amount of time without feeling like I was hyperventilating! It doesn't have to be expensive, just the appropriate material, etc!

Take time to stretch AFTER every run. If you can stretch for 30 seconds for each stretch, even better!

The stretching will keep you limber and help you to not get injured.

bump

Hello all,

Found this on my running club's website and wanted to share it.

THE PHYSIOLOGY OF TRAINING

Pacing can be confusing. Sometimes it's difficult to determine if you are going too fast or too slow. Be sure to wear a Garmin if you have one. Look at the pacing times for your group and practice – go out and see what kind of walk/run combination it might take to stay at that pace.

Our coaching goals are to help our women develop or improve an exercise program of walking, walk/running or running, to be safe, have fun, have less injury, and to finish the “Graduation” 5K stronger and healthier than when they started. Injury can prevent this. It’s important to for our participants to take it easy and give their bodies time to adapt.

BASE

It is important to slowly build a consistent base of weekly mileage at a slower pace. The BASE increases VO2Max, increases endurance, and improves recovery. Weekly mileage should not increase more than 10% over the previous week’s mileage. Every third week do not increase mileage. Endurance is built on this base; speed work and hill work is done much later to sharpen your skills. It is as important to have a consistent number of days running as it is the mileage. For instance, if you run 2-3-2-3-6 (total mileage 16 miles) do not try to substitute two 8 mile days one week.

~ The first improvement in fitness is Aerobic – lung capacity and blood volume

It is important to maintain hydration during this period as the blood volume increases. It is possible to experience short term ‘runner’s anemia’ as the plasma increases faster than red blood cells.

~ The second improvement in fitness is the Muscular System

The muscles build ATP glycogen & fat (the fueling system) and increasing amounts of muscle mass and Mitochondria at the cellular level (this development is most efficient when muscles are worked at an aerobic – slow – pace). Aerobic, slow easy paces allow this to happen.

~ The last to adapt are Tendons, Bones & Ligaments. It can take as much as 2-6 months for these to strengthen and adapt. This is what will break down and where the injuries will be.

Thus the beginning runner starts to feel good – Aerobic capacity has increased, muscles are stronger so they push the mileage and/or speed, if they feel some little twitches and twinges they ignore them and BOOM – injury.

What does this mean in regard to training WRWM participants?

* You need to be trained where you are now. Not what you did in high school, or five years ago, or pre-pregnancy, and not what you wish you could do without any concrete reasons to believe it’s possible.

HEAT ADAPTATION

It takes a minimum of TEN runs in heat to acclimate. The circulatory system adapts in several ways, doubling the number of sweat glands, sweating will start at a lower temperature, and reducing the number of electrolytes lost in sweat.

What does this mean in regard to training WRWM participants?

* If you have not been out in the heat, walking, jogging, etc., you will need at least TEN workouts during this training time to adapt to the heat. For intermediate and advanced runners this will probably not be an issue. For beginning runners, try to get outdoors even just for a slow walk around the block.

DE-TRAINING

After three days you begin to de-train. Do something that third day, even if you just run one mile, in order to keep the body used to the activity.


Be consistent in your training even if we have to cancel due to heat: do your run early in the morning or later in the evening, or inside if you have access to treadmill or a fitness facility

The thing I don't hear talked about much is "RUNNING FORM". In the past 3 months I've almost totally changed from a slouched heel strike to a fw leaned midfoot. The result have been amazing in regards to aches & pains.

But I'm still working through leg extension. I've heard 2 theories:
1-full extension behind you

2-short compact stride under you

Which works best for you?

Found this on Woman's Running Magazine's website....

Great tips! Thank you!

Hello All.. I have just started my C25K program. How do you guys do strength training?

Suppose you run on MWF, do you lift weights/cross train on Tuesdays and Thursdays? Pls share your ideas.

Thanks in advance!

Yes. I do Pilates Monday, and weights Wednesday and Friday.

So, I'm a new runner but not that, new either. I had been running on and off for three weeks before I started the program. This week I ran 5 out of 7 days. I use the general training guide but I use Runtastic to actually guide me through the workout since I'm used to it and I like its GPS features. This week I repeated week 1, 4 times with a 5 min cool down and warm up and instead of 8 reps I did 10 (60 sec run 90 walk). This last run, in a total of 35:30 min I ran 2.6 mi. I would like to run 5 times per week with a break Wednesdays and Sundays. Does this seem unreasonable to anyone? Will I get injured. Thanks for your help!

Bump Bump Bumpity Bump

And another one:
http://beta.active.com/running/Articles/How-to-Find-Your-Weaknesses-as-a-Runner-and-Avoid-Injury

I started at 300, and went down a few in short order. Just watch your knees, ankles, feet, etc. Remember how hard those limbs are working to keep you upright and take good care of them.

A gym trainer once gave me some awesome advice for running, which was to run Long, Light and Low. Take long strides, but not so long that you are having to land on your heel, keep your landing light (imagine you are running on thin ice), and don't lift your legs up really high between strides, but glide along just above the ground.

My problem a couple of years ago was that I was too rigid while running, with not enough movement in my hips, and (I think) that meant that my hip flexors rather than my butt muscles were doing all the work. If you can get to a local running group or get someone who knows what they're talking about to give you some posture tips it'll set you up well for when you want to increase the distance.

Wow, so glad I found this group! I am just finishing week 1 of C25K. Really want to complete a 5K this year but no one wants to be my 5K buddy, looks like I will go it alone as I am determined!

Hellooo, I'm on Week 4, Day 3 after a bunch of repeats of Week 3, and my tips are:

-TRY the next week...I think it was all in my head that I couldn't do it. The 3 minute runs seemed really hard until they became the 'easy runs' for week 4. I did 5 min runs with no problem!! It was a mental block!

-Have a great playlist...I have two different ones on spotify for the slower pace and faster pace I run, depending on how i feel that day

-Hard to explain, but when running and my feet land on the ground, I let the pressure absorb into my hamstring rather than my foot/ankle, whatnot. It doesn't make me lose endurance as much.