Celebration and Question on running
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LJgfg
Posts: 81 Member
It was only for a tenth of a mile but I broke the 10 min a mile pace limit for the first time 
Did .1 miles in 55 seconds (which sounds pathetic, but hey, it's a first for me!!!) This was after my 1.1 mile walk at a 23 min pace. Going to get there!
My question though - any advice on doing sprints? As I progress should I do reps of that distance/speed until I can do it without so much effort (took about everything I had)? (Reps that same training session). If so, any ideas on how long a rest between reps?
Or should I work on gradually adding more slower runs to my walk and just tack the sprint onto the end as a bonus? (Planning on increasing walk distance / decreasing speed till reaching goal of 10 miles at a 15 min. overall pace by fall).
Did .1 miles in 55 seconds (which sounds pathetic, but hey, it's a first for me!!!) This was after my 1.1 mile walk at a 23 min pace. Going to get there!My question though - any advice on doing sprints? As I progress should I do reps of that distance/speed until I can do it without so much effort (took about everything I had)? (Reps that same training session). If so, any ideas on how long a rest between reps?
Or should I work on gradually adding more slower runs to my walk and just tack the sprint onto the end as a bonus? (Planning on increasing walk distance / decreasing speed till reaching goal of 10 miles at a 15 min. overall pace by fall).
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I would skip the sprints right now and not do any at all until you have been running a few months. Doing them now just increases your chance of hurting yourself for a very small marginal improvement.
To get better run long and often at an easy pace. Easy is at intensities lower than 75% max heart rate. The pace will be slow, so what. It will get faster and after a few months you'll probably find you can run an hour at a 10 min pace if you want to.0 -
I would skip the sprints right now and not do any at all until you have been running a few months. Doing them now just increases your chance of hurting yourself for a very small marginal improvement.
To get better run long and often at an easy pace. Easy is at intensities lower than 75% max heart rate. The pace will be slow, so what. It will get faster and after a few months you'll probably find you can run an hour at a 10 min pace if you want to.
ITA with this. I just started working in intervals once a week or every other week, but only after several months of just running about 20 miles per week. You really need the base mileage to have the interval/speed workouts work to your benefit and not result in an injury.
If it's any encouragement... I got back into running last spring (after a 2+ year hiatus!). I started about an 11-12 minute per mile pace. Just keep at it. I recently ran a 5K in a tick over 25 minutes - that's about an 8 min/mile pace for over 3 miles! Most of this was achieved through just putting in those miles, week after week, month after month.
You can do it!
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Thanks for the advice. My concern is that in past training (which was for several months before being off for approx. 4 months), I have never been able to find a way to actually run. Very disheartening to train for so long without reaching your goal. *sigh*
If I go slow enough to maintain a conversation pace, then I'm literally shuffling my feet and feel like an idiot. If I walk, I can get to a decent pace where I can maintain conversation - or push it a bit and get a little more intensity - but I never break out of the walk. (I've built up to as much as 6 miles at a time at a fast walk). I've tried alternating bits of slow running/then walking - but it ends up being slower than my overall walking pace, and, of course, shortens my distance - which ends up making me lose all motivation.
Figured this way, I at least have some specific measure of time/distance officially running that I can feel good about. However, I think I'll take your advice and hold off doing actual intervals for a little while and go back to trying to increase the proportion of my jog/walks.
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Keep it up and don't get discouraged. It takes time Measure your progess over weeks and months, not days.
Also, as you get lighter it will automatically get easier. All those things work in concert.0 -
And don't feel like an idiot either. I've run 5ks at a 6:30 pace and a marathon at a 8:06 pace. Now that I'm getting back in shape intelligently my runs can be as slow as a 12:00 pace and I don't feel foolish at all.0
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I appreciate the sentiment Scott
But my actual 5k PB is at a 17:03 pace, have never broken a 16min mile yet, and my walking pace is usually more like 20:00min. So far, I have never met anyone who actually tracks their time that's as slow as I am - even folks who just got off the couch walk faster than I. It's a struggle - but I'm a work in progress and I AM going to get there!!! 0 -
Don't feel like an idiot. Shuffle along....because you're not shuffling, you just feel like you are. I'm a slow, slow runner and have (and still sometimes do) felt like you do. I feel like I'm shuffling but I'm not; I'm running albeit slowly. I'm out there and that's what makes me a runner. You, too. You're a runner. Be proud of that achievement.
Pace is unimportant. Just keep running and speed will take care of itself. You don't have to be fast or run a 7:00 minute mile; you just need to enjoy running.
Run at a speed that allows you to speak a short sentence without effort. That speed will get quicker, believe me. It just takes time and a lot of miles under your shoes.
You're doing really great. Don't give up or get discouraged. We all feel like that at times. Remember the feeling of breaking the 10:00 mile. That's what running is about and that feeling returns every time you break a personal record. Hang in there.
Have you tried the C25K program? It's very good for beginners. It made me and many others runners.0 -
Thanks for the boost!
C25K comes up often but it's structure just doesn't work for me. I'm motivated by distance or pace, and running for a set amount of time just drives me cuckoo. Also, for me, having to repeat a week just creates a failure factor. Currently I'm trying my own plan based roughly a 10% increase each week in either distance or speed from where my starting point is and working toward my half marathon goal. Trying a combo of longer slow distance work and short speed work - but obviously being a non-expert, I'm taking in advice and tweaking as I go This is actually my fifth attempt to train for a half. My only pace concern is that I LOVE races ... and most around here have a cut-off time I'm too slow for. I don't mind being dead last (have been often), but hate being DQ'd for not making the cut-offs.
Guess I'm just weird (that's a compliment around my family *grin*) - I keep hearing people worried about signing up for races because they don't think they can go that far. I'm perpetually confident I can go that far... I just worry about doing it quickly enough. *smile*
(And yeah, I have those annoying things like sleep, diet, stretching, and strength building I have to work on too. LOL)
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Thanks for the boost!
C25K comes up often but it's structure just doesn't work for me. I'm motivated by distance or pace, and running for a set amount of time just drives me cuckoo. Also, for me, having to repeat a week just creates a failure factor. Currently I'm trying my own plan based roughly a 10% increase each week in either distance or speed from where my starting point is and working toward my half marathon goal. Trying a combo of longer slow distance work and short speed work - but obviously being a non-expert, I'm taking in advice and tweaking as I go This is actually my fifth attempt to train for a half. My only pace concern is that I LOVE races ... and most around here have a cut-off time I'm too slow for. I don't mind being dead last (have been often), but hate being DQ'd for not making the cut-offs.
Guess I'm just weird (that's a compliment around my family *grin*) - I keep hearing people worried about signing up for races because they don't think they can go that far. I'm perpetually confident I can go that far... I just worry about doing it quickly enough. *smile*
(And yeah, I have those annoying things like sleep, diet, stretching, and strength building I have to work on too. LOL)
I never liked C25K either. I started running about 4 years ago on a whim when I was out walking. I ran from the light pole to the mailbox. Then the next time I ran to the next mailbox. Like you said, I just kept adding a little bit of distance. My problem at the beginning was also trying to run too fast, getting winded and then being discouraged and quitting. I came to MFP and learned that there's nothing wrong with running really slowly, and that changed everything for me. I'm still not super fast but I don't focus on that. I focus on distance and feeling good. Your head is definitely in the right place and I know you can do this!0 -
Also, for me, having to repeat a week just creates a failure factor.
I would work really hard on getting yourself out of this mentality, a huge part of training smart is knowing when its the right time to push harder and when you need to keep working where you are. Everyone hits this point sometimes, runners have to repeat a distance or lifters have to deload.
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I see your point. I should clarify. When I work with a pre-made training program like C25K, then I mentally want to "trust" their plan - and if I don't follow it exactly - then I'm failing. (It's sort of an OCD thing.)4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »
Also, for me, having to repeat a week just creates a failure factor.
I would work really hard on getting yourself out of this mentality, a huge part of training smart is knowing when its the right time to push harder and when you need to keep working where you are. Everyone hits this point sometimes, runners have to repeat a distance or lifters have to deload.
I have found out the hard way though that you are right, in that real training has ups and downs and backsteps and redo's. Thinking otherwise was one of the ways I failed before, so I'm trying to stick with the positive mindset (and thus avoiding c25k while making my own plan that I'm allowed to reset every couple weeks depending on how things are going).
LOL - my mind has it's glitches but I'm getting smarter about out-smarting it all the time!
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The training effect of a given run isn't dependent on either distance or pace. It's dependent on a stress (training load) applied to your legs and cardiovascular system over a set amount of time.I'm motivated by distance or pace, and running for a set amount of time just drives me cuckoo.
Different stresses and different times give you differrent training effects.
The stress (training load) you can indirectly measure while you are exercising either by feel (pretty inaccurate for most people) or working heart rate. Working heart rate is a good measure of how hard you are working (the training load)
Right now your primary weakness is an undeveloped aerobic capacity. Working with training stresses other than what maximally addresses what's holding you back is a poor use of training time.
The best training load for developing your aerobic system is a working heart rate of around 75%. If you absolutely can't run at all at that heart rate then just keep it as easy as possible until your system develops enough that you can run at that heart rate.
The other variable is time spent running. The more time spent running in the aerobic training zone the faster you will develop.
Balance that of of course against injury so build up gradually and pay attention to any pain signals your body sends.
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No sprints. Drop the excess weight and run easy miles.0
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Congratulations on the improvement.
I suggest you wait until you can run 3 miles without stopping before trying sprints. You need to build strength and endurance, sprints are for speed work.
When I first started out, every workout was 3 miles. Run, walk, run, walk until the 3 miles was done. Over time I was running more and walking less but still did 3 miles workouts. Once I was able to run the entire 3 miles I entered my first 5K race. That is when you start thinking about speed workouts.0 -
But what about all the benefits I hear about high intensity interval training?0
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The best training load for developing your aerobic system is a working heart rate of around 75%. If you absolutely can't run at all at that heart rate then just keep it as easy as possible until your system develops enough that you can run at that heart rate.
The other variable is time spent running. The more time spent running in the aerobic training zone the faster you will develop.
Balance that of of course against injury so build up gradually and pay attention to any pain signals your body sends.
Problem is no heart monitor. I know I don't hit that walking ... calves cramp up when I try to hit fast enough walking speed to get heart going. Will try to find that slower run pace that works.
Appreciate all the support - it took a LOT of guts for me to even start working out in public, now I just have to have the guts to show-off my jog/shuffle step for awhile, huh?
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But what about all the benefits I hear about high intensity interval training?
A - Most of the people promoting HIIT as a magic bullet don't understand the physiological effects of HIIT
B - Until you can run for an hour at a 9-10 minute mile you're neither prepared for HIIT or in a position to really benefit from it
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You need to crawl before you walk and walk before you run.
Be patient, you must build a foundation before trying HIIT.0 -
Other real runners who see you out training respect you whether they overtly show it or not. Whether they were overweight at one time or not they all started when they were out of shape and they know how hard it is. It will get easier. That is guaranteed.it took a LOT of guts for me to even start working out in public, now I just have to have the guts to show-off my jog/shuffle step for awhile, huh?
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I know how you feel, when I started running I felt like I was slow and that everyone was laughing at me as they bounced past. I realize now how very untrue that was, but it's a tough mental block to get past sometimes. We really are our own worst enemy sometimes... All I can say is, hang in there and push yourself while listening to your body. It's easy to try to do too much to fast. Resist the urge, I've seen quite a few new runners injure themselves that way.
oh, and also, when you have a "bad run" where nothing feels right and you seem to be going uphill the entire time (and you will have them) Don't give up. It's all worth it when you go out and have a run that feels like all the stars are aligned and there is no more positive feeling!0
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