Couch to Half Marathon? Is this possible?

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  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Does every person that chooses not to strength train collapse from brittle bones? I mean, once we're old everybody falls and hurts themselves. It's nothing to worry about till I'm past retirement age.

    You've already identified that you have joint problems and that you're significantly overweight, both of which exacerbate other conditions.

    Resistance training of some kind has benefits, you pick your objectives and train accordingly. Not all resistance training is about maxing out the weights.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    JoRocka wrote: »
    Resistance training isn't a must for everyone, though.

    It's not essential, but it helps improve running performance and reduce the risk of running injury.

    I also hear a lack of bone density is a b!atch.

    Does every person that chooses not to strength train collapse from brittle bones? I mean, once we're old everybody falls and hurts themselves. It's nothing to worry about till I'm past retirement age.

    Well, you did say osteoporosis runs in your family. It wouldn't be a risk I'd be willing to take.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    and come on- pushing your own car out of the snow IS kind of awesome.
  • malavika413
    malavika413 Posts: 474 Member
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    Does every person that chooses not to strength train collapse from brittle bones? I mean, once we're old everybody falls and hurts themselves. It's nothing to worry about till I'm past retirement age.

    You've already identified that you have joint problems and that you're significantly overweight, both of which exacerbate other conditions.

    Resistance training of some kind has benefits, you pick your objectives and train accordingly. Not all resistance training is about maxing out the weights.

    Okay, fair enough, being fat and having weak knees make probability higher.

    I just don't want strength training to get in the way of my goals. I'm also kind of puny and lifting weights would be a huge fail.
  • AglaeaC
    AglaeaC Posts: 1,974 Member
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    AglaeaC wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    Almost anything is possible if you put your mind to it.



    I'm not interested in strength training.
    you should be- every fitness program should have some element of strength/resistance training and some element of cardiovascular training.

    I don't like running- I don't like cardio.

    I do it because it's good for me.

    Just like resistance training will make you a better runner and will increase bone density- which as a woman you should be extra concerned about.

    I understand that this site really promotes strength training, but at the moment it isn't part of my goals. I'm interested in becoming thinner, that's about all.

    Hmm. Osteoporosis isn't very sexy to discuss of course.

    I prefer a holistic view to health myself. Running supports various areas of life and strength/resistance training supports running among other things.

    I try to get enough calcium to avoid osteoporosis, since it runs in my family anyway.

    I'm doing the running to prove my friend I can, also because BF and I could use something other than TV to do. Resistance training isn't a must for everyone, though. Not everyone has a toned body as a goal.

    A healthy, balanced nutrition plan is great but if you intend to run, muscle and joint strength really is in your best interest to develop. And when your body is strong and capable, the pounding during running will excert mechanical stress on the bones, which will remodel their structure as a result, thereby doing even more to prevent osteoporosis. The starting point for that, though, is strength and oxygen metabolism.

    Ballerinas are strong but visually there isn't anything huge about them.

    I'm saying all this because your goal isn't just a 10K but a half-marathon.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    Does every person that chooses not to strength train collapse from brittle bones? I mean, once we're old everybody falls and hurts themselves. It's nothing to worry about till I'm past retirement age.

    You've already identified that you have joint problems and that you're significantly overweight, both of which exacerbate other conditions.

    Resistance training of some kind has benefits, you pick your objectives and train accordingly. Not all resistance training is about maxing out the weights.

    Okay, fair enough, being fat and having weak knees make probability higher.

    I just don't want strength training to get in the way of my goals. I'm also kind of puny and lifting weights would be a huge fail.

    Strength training will help you get to your goals. Saying you are going to fail at any sort of strength training just reinforces how important it should be to your life and your marathon training.
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
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    OP - I remember you.

    I'm glad to see that you have opened up to some exercise. I think that's great.

    But, with all due respect, it's not strength training that is going to get in the way of your goals. It's fear.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    Does every person that chooses not to strength train collapse from brittle bones? I mean, once we're old everybody falls and hurts themselves. It's nothing to worry about till I'm past retirement age.

    You've already identified that you have joint problems and that you're significantly overweight, both of which exacerbate other conditions.

    Resistance training of some kind has benefits, you pick your objectives and train accordingly. Not all resistance training is about maxing out the weights.

    Okay, fair enough, being fat and having weak knees make probability higher.

    I just don't want strength training to get in the way of my goals. I'm also kind of puny and lifting weights would be a huge fail.

    Back to the topic at hand...

    My run times and endurance during longer runs improved significantly once I started doing squats every other day. You don't even have to use a bar if you don't want to! Just start with bodyweight squats. It seriously helps.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    edited January 2015
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    I just don't want strength training to get in the way of my goals. I'm also kind of puny and lifting weights would be a huge fail.
    if anything it will HELP you're goals and secondly- the only way to get stronger is by doing the things.

    Even MR Olympia started somewhere- again- body weight stuff is resistance training- and can be done at home with no equipment. No one was born strong.

    There are always multiple ways to attack the problem.
  • AglaeaC
    AglaeaC Posts: 1,974 Member
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    Does every person that chooses not to strength train collapse from brittle bones? I mean, once we're old everybody falls and hurts themselves. It's nothing to worry about till I'm past retirement age.

    You've already identified that you have joint problems and that you're significantly overweight, both of which exacerbate other conditions.

    Resistance training of some kind has benefits, you pick your objectives and train accordingly. Not all resistance training is about maxing out the weights.

    Okay, fair enough, being fat and having weak knees make probability higher.

    I just don't want strength training to get in the way of my goals. I'm also kind of puny and lifting weights would be a huge fail.

    How would strength training in any way get in the way of your goals?

    And how do you know it is a fail, unless you have already decided that?
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Okay, fair enough, being fat and having weak knees make probability higher.

    I just don't want strength training to get in the way of my goals. I'm also kind of puny and lifting weights would be a huge fail.

    In my first post on cross training I mentioned bodyweight training, it's not about lifting huge weights, it's about putting your existing strength under progressive stress to improve performance. Exactly the same as developing your running potential from 8*60 seconds on week one day one of C25K until a 1:50 half marathon, as I've done over 18 months.

    Use the tools that help you to achieve your goals. If that goal is a half, then train for a half and cross train in a way that supports that objective.

    I do a couple of bodyweight sessions per week, on a short run day I'll run 5km to the park, do a session of bodyweight in the park for half an hour then run home. That makes it more palatable for me.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    This thread is something else.
  • malavika413
    malavika413 Posts: 474 Member
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    Okay, fair enough, being fat and having weak knees make probability higher.

    I just don't want strength training to get in the way of my goals. I'm also kind of puny and lifting weights would be a huge fail.

    In my first post on cross training I mentioned bodyweight training, it's not about lifting huge weights, it's about putting your existing strength under progressive stress to improve performance. Exactly the same as developing your running potential from 8*60 seconds on week one day one of C25K until a 1:50 half marathon, as I've done over 18 months.

    Use the tools that help you to achieve your goals. If that goal is a half, then train for a half and cross train in a way that supports that objective.

    I do a couple of bodyweight sessions per week, on a short run day I'll run 5km to the park, do a session of bodyweight in the park for half an hour then run home. That makes it more palatable for me.

    What do you do as far as bodyweight training? Is it mainly things like push-ups (because I can't do a single one), or are there other exercises?
  • malavika413
    malavika413 Posts: 474 Member
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    AglaeaC wrote: »
    Does every person that chooses not to strength train collapse from brittle bones? I mean, once we're old everybody falls and hurts themselves. It's nothing to worry about till I'm past retirement age.

    You've already identified that you have joint problems and that you're significantly overweight, both of which exacerbate other conditions.

    Resistance training of some kind has benefits, you pick your objectives and train accordingly. Not all resistance training is about maxing out the weights.

    Okay, fair enough, being fat and having weak knees make probability higher.

    I just don't want strength training to get in the way of my goals. I'm also kind of puny and lifting weights would be a huge fail.

    How would strength training in any way get in the way of your goals?

    And how do you know it is a fail, unless you have already decided that?

    I'm focused on attaining a skinny body, not retaining curves. Most women I know use strength training to retain their curves. I'm not a fan of my curves at all, I'd love to lose them.
  • malavika413
    malavika413 Posts: 474 Member
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    JoRocka wrote: »
    I just don't want strength training to get in the way of my goals. I'm also kind of puny and lifting weights would be a huge fail.
    if anything it will HELP you're goals and secondly- the only way to get stronger is by doing the things.

    Even MR Olympia started somewhere- again- body weight stuff is resistance training- and can be done at home with no equipment. No one was born strong.

    There are always multiple ways to attack the problem.

    The at home, no equipment idea seems like a good way to go about it. I don't want to lift weights in front of people, so anything I can do in private would be great.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Okay, fair enough, being fat and having weak knees make probability higher.

    I just don't want strength training to get in the way of my goals. I'm also kind of puny and lifting weights would be a huge fail.

    In my first post on cross training I mentioned bodyweight training, it's not about lifting huge weights, it's about putting your existing strength under progressive stress to improve performance. Exactly the same as developing your running potential from 8*60 seconds on week one day one of C25K until a 1:50 half marathon, as I've done over 18 months.

    Use the tools that help you to achieve your goals. If that goal is a half, then train for a half and cross train in a way that supports that objective.

    I do a couple of bodyweight sessions per week, on a short run day I'll run 5km to the park, do a session of bodyweight in the park for half an hour then run home. That makes it more palatable for me.

    What do you do as far as bodyweight training? Is it mainly things like push-ups (because I can't do a single one), or are there other exercises?

    you can do push ups on a wall- then a desk- then a chair.

    check out nerd fitness best beginner body weigh routine- lots of ways to go about attacking the problem

    it's never a matter of can I do this exact thing.. it's a matter of "what can I do at MY level that's still DO-ABLE- but not crushing or impossible- but still work"

    start at the bottom- get stronger- work your way up.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    What do you do as far as bodyweight training? Is it mainly things like push-ups (because I can't do a single one), or are there other exercises?

    Look up You Are Your Own Gym, there are other programmes like Convict Conditioning
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    JoRocka wrote: »
    I just don't want strength training to get in the way of my goals. I'm also kind of puny and lifting weights would be a huge fail.
    if anything it will HELP you're goals and secondly- the only way to get stronger is by doing the things.

    Even MR Olympia started somewhere- again- body weight stuff is resistance training- and can be done at home with no equipment. No one was born strong.

    There are always multiple ways to attack the problem.

    The at home, no equipment idea seems like a good way to go about it. I don't want to lift weights in front of people, so anything I can do in private would be great.

    upside to lifting/working out at home.

    no pants!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    WINNNNNNING

    Body by You
    You are your own gym -as mentioned
    convict contidioning

    loving fit by tatiana (website
    zuzka light (youtube
    dailyhiit.com
    angry trainer fitness
    bloglaties
    fitnessblender

    lots of places to get quick workouts.
  • malavika413
    malavika413 Posts: 474 Member
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    JoRocka wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    I just don't want strength training to get in the way of my goals. I'm also kind of puny and lifting weights would be a huge fail.
    if anything it will HELP you're goals and secondly- the only way to get stronger is by doing the things.

    Even MR Olympia started somewhere- again- body weight stuff is resistance training- and can be done at home with no equipment. No one was born strong.

    There are always multiple ways to attack the problem.

    The at home, no equipment idea seems like a good way to go about it. I don't want to lift weights in front of people, so anything I can do in private would be great.

    upside to lifting/working out at home.

    no pants!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    WINNNNNNING

    Body by You
    You are your own gym -as mentioned
    convict contidioning

    loving fit by tatiana (website
    zuzka light (youtube
    dailyhiit.com
    angry trainer fitness
    bloglaties
    fitnessblender

    lots of places to get quick workouts.

    Thank you! These look pretty good. I'll find something in my comfort zone and try it out.
  • LotusAsh
    LotusAsh Posts: 294 Member
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    You have got to be trolling......