Running advice please!

CarrieStratfull
CarrieStratfull Posts: 8
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi, new here, bit of background and then a quick question or two, if that's OK! I'm 42 and five weeks into a fitness drive after several years of inactivity caused by two difficult pregnancies and four operations in a short space of time. I'm overweight but reasonably fit for my size. At the moment I'm working out five mornings a week - basically a brisk walk, then a 30-minute session on gym equipment at the local park, followed by some running, followed by a 45-90mins of fairly hard swimming. I'm seeing good results but I'm just finding the running so damned hard, and need some advice. I can do lots of other forms of cardio for ages with no ill-effects but as soon as I try running, I'm feeling like death after barely half a mile and it's taken this long to even get up to that distance. I have a generally slow heartbeat (for years I've been asked at every medical appointment if I do a lot of sport lol) and I suspect I don't have the best lung capacity in the world as a result of being a very premature baby, but it still doesn't make sense. If I can happily do dance classes, step, hard swimming, elliptical trainer etc without problems, why is it that when I run, I feel like I'm not getting enough oxygen? Am I doing something wrong, or is this just something I need to push through and it gets easier again, or am I risking keeling over with a heart attack any minute?? Any advice welcomed, thankyou! x

Replies

  • soxobsessed
    soxobsessed Posts: 130 Member
    first off, good for you for doing all of that. When I first started running I learned pretty quickly that I was running much too fast, C25K app taught me I needed to pace myself to be able to run a distance more then half a mile. That might be your issue and I recommend an app or plan that starts you off run/walking to get you go further with the running
  • CarrieStratfull
    CarrieStratfull Posts: 8
    Thankyou! I know part of the route I use is measured out at 650m and I can do that bit in just under 4 mins if that helps? But I don't currently have a phone or device that can track my actual distance and speed over any other routes.
  • soxobsessed
    soxobsessed Posts: 130 Member
    there are non app things that can give you a basic idea of what to do. I am work right now so can't look them up sorry, but google couch to 5k that should help you find things
  • soldiergrl_101
    soldiergrl_101 Posts: 2,205 Member
    I started off swimming because I was the same way when I tried to run, running gave me exercise induced asthma. To get over this I did treadmill sprints. 1min at 3.0mph, 1 min at 5.2+, repeat as many times as you can. This along with swimming every week build up my lung capacity and my strength now I love to run!
  • thebuz
    thebuz Posts: 221 Member
    Slow down. Running is different from other forms of cardio and most of us start running too fast. If you don't have a phone with you then just focus on running barely faster than you walk and slowly build up from there. Focus on the distance and not on the speed. If you're gasping then you're going too fast. A mile ran slowly is better than only doing 1/2 a mile quickly. :-) Good luck.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    CarrieStratfull wrote: »
    Thankyou! I know part of the route I use is measured out at 650m and I can do that bit in just under 4 mins if that helps? But I don't currently have a phone or device that can track my actual distance and speed over any other routes.

    Ok, so I'll do some rounding and say you're doing 800m in 4min, and that's about an 8min mile. Slow the eff down. You are just starting, and you need to ease into this. You will gain much more aerobic benefit by slowing your roll by at least 50%.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1217573-so-you-want-to-start-running

  • DavidMartinez2
    DavidMartinez2 Posts: 840 Member
    Rule of thumb is if you can not carry on a conversation you are running to fast.
  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
    thebuz wrote: »
    Slow down. Running is different from other forms of cardio and most of us start running too fast. If you don't have a phone with you then just focus on running barely faster than you walk and slowly build up from there. Focus on the distance and not on the speed. If you're gasping then you're going too fast. A mile ran slowly is better than only doing 1/2 a mile quickly. :-) Good luck.

    ^^^This. Slow down. Work on distance, not speed.

  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    DavidMartinez2 wrote: »
    Rule of thumb is if you can not carry on a conversation you are running to fast.

    The "talk test" for moderate exercise is more precise. If you can sing, you're going too slowly. If you can't talk in complete sentences, you're going too fast. Most of your running should be in that range; go over it only when you have a solid base and you're following a training plan.
  • chudak
    chudak Posts: 14 Member
    Hi there! Hard core, long time distance runner here. Everyone is right in that you want to start slow... like, if you want to improve each week, go up 10% either with time or with distance, but don't do both. And that seems AGONIZINGLY slow. If I were a brandnew runner, I'd start by trying to walk two minutes, run two minutes, and then increase it. Try to keep your pace at a place you can have a conversation, or maybe sing with some music. Think of being fluid and graceful, and slow down until you feel like that - even if you're barely moving! If your heart and lungs are in shape for running, it will come. You're learning a brand new sport, just like if you were learning how to play basketball or play guitar. Break it down into something simple and HAVE FUN! And buy good shoes. Your hips and feet will thank me : )
  • CarrieStratfull
    CarrieStratfull Posts: 8
    Thanks guys. I took your words on board, and switched things around the last two days - yesterday I did 20 mins of alternating run/walk (2 mins each) and today I tried the recommended level for week 3 of C25K (two alternating 90-sec run/walk cycles and two alternating 3min cycles) at a slower pace, as I thought that seemed the nearest to where I thought I would feel comfortable. And it was great! I was sweating cobs at the end of it but the breathing was a lot easier and I felt in my comfort zone - pushing myself just a little but not killing myself. So I'm going to follow the C25K programme from that point, starting on Monday, and see how it progresses.
    Chudak (or anyone else) can you recommend some decent shoes? Now I've had a few weeks at this and I'm sure I'll be sticking with it, I want to invest in some better ones. But I know naff-all about trainers so I don't want to spend a load on the wrong thing!
  • soxobsessed
    soxobsessed Posts: 130 Member
    as most will say, go to a legit running store to get shoes, they will look at your gate and how you run and find you the proper shoe and they should allow returns if the shoes do not work out for you
  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
    CarrieStratfull wrote: »
    Thankyou! I know part of the route I use is measured out at 650m and I can do that bit in just under 4 mins if that helps? But I don't currently have a phone or device that can track my actual distance and speed over any other routes.

    That's a 6.25 minute kilometer! That's very quick. Slow down to about 10-12 minutes a kilometer to start (maybe even slower than that).
    A good test is to speak a sentence out loud while running. If you can't or you are huffing, puffing, gasping your way through the sentence, slow down.

    Keep running. Speed will happen on its own. Slow down (a lot) for now.
  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
    CarrieStratfull wrote: »
    And it was great! I was sweating cobs at the end of it but the breathing was a lot easier and I felt in my comfort zone - pushing myself just a little but not killing myself. So I'm going to follow the C25K programme from that point, starting on Monday, and see how it progresses.
    Chudak (or anyone else) can you recommend some decent shoes? Now I've had a few weeks at this and I'm sure I'll be sticking with it, I want to invest in some better ones. But I know naff-all about trainers so I don't want to spend a load on the wrong thing!

    Excellent news! Well done!

    For shoes, take an old pair of sneakers with you to a running store. They will be able to find shoes to fit your feet properly by looking at the wear of your old shoes. Properly fit shoes make a world of difference.

    Good news on the running front. You're on your way.

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