Does running get easier? Feeling pathetic and don't want to give up again....

Physically it doesn't sound as if you have any issues really, being able to run for three minutes demonstrates that you've got the basis to extend that. I'd ask the question of what you mean by it making you sick?

Given the pace that you're talking about I'd suspect that in your running intervals you may be going far faster than is useful. It may be that you need to ease off on the pace until you've got longer continuous running going on.

It's just a question of continuing to stretch yourself, pushing the threshold of what you can do, either by increasing the periods of running or reducing the periods of walking.

i allow myself to walk and never view my walking as a failure, cause regardless if i walk half a block, the whole 5 miles, or run the entire time, it is far superior to sitting on the couch and at least i got up, got dressed and laced up. i didn't care for my first c25k app, but fell in love with the zombie one. Also, some days I don't enjoy my run, but i always enjoy the fact that I went.

Yes, it does get better.
I really got into running when I started running outside this spring. I honestly ran only when it was BEAUTIFUL outside. When the focus was on enjoying the weather/sunshine I was much happier doing it. This also let me figure out the right speed. Go slow - good old talk test works for me.
Also get some good running music to drown out the negative thoughts. Sounds dumb but I always have a better experience when listening to songs about being stronger. The app Rockmyrun has some good mixes that you can download (for free).

I too tried C25k and did not like it, the jumps are just too extreme. If you can already run 3 minutes the plan I'm currently following may be for you. It has a smoother learning curve (no jumps from 5 minutes straight to 20) and starts out at much shorter runs but takes you all the way up to a 10k (if you follow it up with level II of the program.) The "long run" section (saturday) is supposed to be in miles, but I do it in kilometers.

What I like about it is that with 4 levels and roughly 20 weeks each (with the possibility of needing to repeat a level before advancing to the next) you are looking at about 2 years of structured running. Having structure may give you a certain goal to keep in mind, and starting low and slow may give you confidence that you can do it.

Even after you finish all the levels of the 5/10k program, you can start the 3 levels of half marathon program, then another 4 levels of marathon, again, each level of each program can be done in 20 weeks.

During my runs, I listen to audio books. It makes it fun. You may also want to try the app "zombies, run" to inject more fun into your run.

Also don't worry about your pace for now. You can work on it later once you build the endurance. I run at 6 km/hour (of pure running, walking breaks not counted in), and I'm not bothered one bit about being possibly the slowest runner in existence. That will come later.

Try it out:
http://www.exrx.net/Aerobic/RunnersEdge/5K10K1.html

You have to get into the actual act of running - i.e. while you're doing it. My best moments during a run are when I kind of get into a rhythm and zone out and think about other things and forget that I'm running, and then it starts to feel easy and natural and effortless. Music helps a lot with this. Maybe stop doing intervals and just jog, very slowly, for as long as you can each time, and see if you can extend this by a few minutes each session?

Do any of you do this on a treadmill? Or all outside?

I do some on a treadmill, some outside. It's easier to zone out on a treadmill, but I feel like a bit of a hero when I run outside, for some reason.

amusedmonkey wrote: »

kelle_r wrote: »

Do any of you do this on a treadmill? Or all outside?

I do this on a treadmill. Although many dread that, I seem to enjoy it more than having to pay attention to bumps on the road, cars, trees.. etc. I get to totally phase out and enjoy my audiobooks.

A note if you do it on a treadmill though, if you decide later to move to running outside you are in for a surprise. You would be conditioned for treadmill running so running outside will prove different. Not being able to watch your pace, having to move your body in a different way and such will make things harder so it will take some getting used to after you make the switch.

I for one do not plan to. I REALLY enjoy treadmill running.

Yep I did most of my running on a treadmill before I moved and could run for a mile, have a rest then carry on etc, would run outside once a week at most. Now all my running is outside (I live by the sea) but I find it completely different

Yes, I would say it gets easier the more you stick at it! Here are some things that have helped me improve both for time/distance:

• Vary your route and distance. Don't run the same route; change it up! SOmetimes I'll even drive to the waterfront for different scenery.
• Vary your running workouts. Sometimes I'll run an easy 3, other times it's a hard 6. Some days I'll warm up and do a series of track sprints. I rarely do the same distance in a week.
• Stick with it. I run between 3-5 days a week. In the last 6 months I've gone from running over a 10- minute mile (usually closer to 11 minutes) to clocking miles under 9 minutes at roughly the same effort. I think this is persistence.
• Watch the self talk. SOOOO much of running is in the head. If you were to run next to me, you'd frequently here me talk out loud to myself. I have phrases like "you've got this," "let's go," "you're strong," etc. While this sounds silly, it's something simple I do to reinforce the fact I AM a runner.
• Get yourself some running gear/clothes. I dunno know why this is, but LOOKING like a runner helps me FEEL like a runner. In the last couple months, I've ditched the oversized cotton t's for fitted tanks, capris, running sleeves, and a runner's cap. (Now maybe this is just motivating for me, but hey - it's helped!).
• Cross train. I incorporate a few workouts a week that have nothing to do with running. Right now, my favorite is to build strength through heavy weight lifting. However, I also enjoy yoga and about a workout per week of another form of cardio.

Phew! Sorry that was so long - it's just a topic I feel passionate about. Personally, I used to dread running a single mile but I've managed to now complete a few full distance marathons and other races, so what I've shared comes from experience here.

Good luck!

How fast are you running in the running intervals? You might be going too fast; most beginners do, especially in the heat. A good rule of thumb is the talk test: you should be able to talk comfortably when running, but you shouldn't be able to sing. If you can sing, you're not up to moderate intensity. If you can't talk comfortably, you're at or above your lactate threshold and you're entering high intensity. High-intensity intervals can be useful but I wouldn't recommend it until you're comfortable covering your 6 km loop.

A lot of inexperienced runners also have too low a cadence (steps per minute) and take strides that are too long. A good target cadence is 160-180 steps per minute (counting each foot separately). A high cadence ensures that your stride isn't too long, which means you're less likely to have excessive heel strike, and it keeps you from bouncing up and down too much, which reduces the risk of injury.

You can measure your cadence by counting the number of times your right foot hits the ground in 1 minute, then multiply by 2. If it's under 160, try increasing by just 5 steps per minute on your next interval and see how that feels. Don't try to increase your cadence quickly; you want to adapt.

Finally, if you can run 3 minutes, walk 2, and repeat 11 times, you're doing well! In that case, I'd advise trying, in your last interval, to run 3:30 and walk 1:30, instead of 3 and 2 minutes. If that works out OK, then do it in your next-to-last interval too. Repeat until you're running 3:30 and walking only 1:30 for each interval. Once you can do that, you know what to do: go to 4 minutes running and 1 minute walking for the last interval, and gradually work up to 4 to 1 for the whole workout. At that point you can begin to increase the running time, and keep 1 minute rests. Some coaches like Jeff Galloway recommend the run-walk-run method for recreational runners even after they don't absolutely need to walk, in order to reduce the risk of injury and improve speed in the running intervals.

Good luck! You can do this!

So it took me 14 months to build up to running 5k without walk breaks. And my time was not impressive, about 40 minutes. C25k was extremely hard for me. I had a young child in daycare who was bringing home all kinds of illnesses and i have asthma so i couldn't fight them off. I had strep throat 3 times in 2 months among other things. And each time I had to take a week or two off, it would set me back with running. Eventually I realized taking walk breaks wasn't working for me so I switched to finding out how long I could run without walking (10 minutes) and i would round out my time with 20 minutes of walking. Once every 8 days i would extend my time by 2.5 to 5 minutes depending on how well I was doing. But the trick is to run slower than you think you need to. Without walk breaks i was running 13:30-14 minute miles.
So did this work? I would say so. It took from 2011-2012 for me to run 5k. But since then I've run 7 half marathons, and I've got my first marathon scheduled for next Sunday and I was able to get my weekly mileage up to 47 average with a peak of 58 mpw. My speed has improved a little too, my 5k is down to 26:04 and dropping.
My advice to you is keep at it. If i can do it, anyone can. Just slow down and stop putting pressure on yourself. You can get there, it just takes some people longer than others.

Number One: Don,t worry what other people think. I was running too fast and not being able to go far because I worried what other people thought about me jogging slow. When I let that worry go, I was able to slow down and pace my self.
Number Two : Positive thoughts like ( I got this ) or ( I can do this ).
Number Three : Music
Number Four; Go Slow, But also make goals and push yourself a little at a time.
YOU GOT THIS AUSSIEEMS !!!!!