FRUSTRATED...HELP...Running advice

Slow down. Sounds counterproductive but it may be that your muscles, tendons or some other system isn't ready for the speed yet. I've been running for about 2 years and run at about the same speed as you (slower in the heat of summer).
It's not about speed at this point. You've only been running a few months. Speed comes with the miles under your shoes. Keep running. Speed will slowly come.
Are you following an app or training program? Perhaps try C210K. It'll get you running longer, which may over time improve your short distance times.
Be patient. You'll get there and if you don't, have fun.

First off, congrats on running! 5 miles is an accomplishment!

As a runner I've found that for every great run, where you feel like you can run forever i have 2-3 runs that really feel challenging. Some days are an off day, even if you do everything right.

That being said there are a couple things that you can take a look at that may help narrow down why you're having such a hard time all of a sudden:

What is the weather like in your area? Humidity will make you slower, that is just the way of it. Heat will also cause you to slow down, and one or both can cause what would normally feel fine to feel not so awesome. So make sure you're running during cooler times of the day like in the early mornings or evenings.

Have you increased the distances or frequencies of your runs?/What is your pace? If you went right from 3.2 miles up to 5 miles in a short amount of time that could make things feel not so nice, especially if you try to keep the same pace for a 5 miler that you would run for a 5k. If you went from running twice a week to running every day you could also find that not working so well for your body. I know for me, running 3x per week is about all my body can take on a regular basis. I fill the other days with cross training and strength training to support my running efforts. For longer runs I would also suggest slowing down your pace from what you log for shorter runs.

Have you changed your diet significantly? Since starting your running have you changed your carb/fat/protein ratios? Have you cut your calories back? Have you kept your calorie intake the same as you had when you weren't running? If its a calorie issue you can take a look at your TDEE (the Scooby's Workshop has a calculator online) and make sure you're eating enough etc. You may need more carbs, or more proteins etc. so playing around with your macro ratios could help.

Are you cross training? If your sole exercise is running it may be beneficial to you to begin to incorporate some basic strength training for runners (runnersworld.com has some great information on that), and maybe taking at least one day a week to do some other form of cardio. Sometimes if all you do is run you can create muscle imbalances which can make your body feel a bit beat up. This isn't always true for everyone, but, I think everyone would greatly benefit from incorporating some basic strengthening exercises just to keep everything honky dory.

Are you resting enough? Do you have at least one rest day a week? rest is just as important as your training and mileage when it comes to running. I would also suggest to incorporate some stretching into your routine. I know I feel much better when I run when I've been consistent with my stretching.

Hope some of this helps. And yes, sometimes on some runs you just need to push past a certain point (for me it's usually the first mile) before things sort of even out. But if you're feeling like that for every single run, then it's time to take a look at what you can change.

there is a distinct mental barrier that can happen. try to tell yourself to the next fire hydrant, then the next corner. etc.

I am going thru this same issue. I am only on wk 4 of c25k and its my 3rd attempt to get over the wk4 hump. I just mentally cant do it without a partner for accountability. And I am a very mentally strong person. Soooo frustrating! Hopefully with the advice of mfp friends you will achieve your goals. Best of luck.

jgnatca wrote: »

After I learned to run, I expected steady progression from 5k to 10 k with better and better times. But it did not work out that way. Like you, I got slower and slower. My knees were giving me trouble. I found out I had tight hips and a weak core. I had to step up my stretching, slow down my runs, and I took a good long break (I think three weeks) in the middle. One of the hardest things I had to do was slow down in the hopes I would not get so discouraged to pick it up again.

Thank you, jgnatca! This is how I've been feeling over the past few months. I thought it may be summer heat and humidity but suspect that it's not. I probably have a weak core. I will look into this and try to improve. Thanks!!

By the way, a friend of mine who does marathons says he did his first without knowing anything about pacing thinking he could just drill it through, and he just couldn't do it. He watched other marathoners easily pass him and he wondered, how do they do that? He learned about pacing, significantly slowed down his run early on, and now regularly passes the newbies....in the final quarter of the race.

http://www.runnersworld.com/for-beginners-only/how-to-pace-marathon-training-runs

Even though I am still pretty new at this, I found out I don't have to train to the length of my goal run all the time. Maybe a week or two before the race I will run that far. But if I can run half of my goal, I will be all right.

TwinsRaGift wrote: »

Thank you everyone! Keep the ideas coming! This is really helping! I think I get so frustrated because I want to be able to run those 5 miles without walking and I just can't seem to do it. It just seems to come so much easier to others and it is discouraging. Thanks again!

How much of a deficit are you holding in your diet?

repsrequired wrote: »

I have never ran before and read your post.
I have a treadmill and would prefer to start with it before I venture out. I have tried a couple of times but can't even run for 30 seconds

By the way, the Learn to Run class I attended this past winter suggested I was ready if I could run for one minute. I did it on the treadmill and sure enough, I was able to keep up in class. In eight weeks, I was running for ten minutes sustained. I've gone back to three minutes with rests in between, but I'm running.

w117seg wrote: »

I run at around the same pace as you- sometimes. And honestly it took me a while to even get that fast. A 12:00 mile seemed like a fantasy. I've been doing this about a year. A lot of people already made good points so I'm sorry if some of these are repeats:
- How quickly did you pile on those extra 2 miles? Don't compare yourself to other people or scoff at that- it is a huge increase!
- Depending on how quickly you did it, it may just be your body not quite ready to do it at the same pace you did a 5k.
- You may need to hydrate or eat before you go out if you aren't already.

I typically do my runs at 2 - 3 minutes per mile slower than my 5k pace. Nobody should be racking up tons of miles at their top-end speed. Save that stuff for actual races.

workoutgrl87 wrote: »

First off, congrats on running! 5 miles is an accomplishment!

As a runner I've found that for every great run, where you feel like you can run forever i have 2-3 runs that really feel challenging. Some days are an off day, even if you do everything right.

That being said there are a couple things that you can take a look at that may help narrow down why you're having such a hard time all of a sudden:

What is the weather like in your area? Humidity will make you slower, that is just the way of it. Heat will also cause you to slow down, and one or both can cause what would normally feel fine to feel not so awesome. So make sure you're running during cooler times of the day like in the early mornings or evenings.

Have you increased the distances or frequencies of your runs?/What is your pace? If you went right from 3.2 miles up to 5 miles in a short amount of time that could make things feel not so nice, especially if you try to keep the same pace for a 5 miler that you would run for a 5k. If you went from running twice a week to running every day you could also find that not working so well for your body. I know for me, running 3x per week is about all my body can take on a regular basis. I fill the other days with cross training and strength training to support my running efforts. For longer runs I would also suggest slowing down your pace from what you log for shorter runs.

Have you changed your diet significantly? Since starting your running have you changed your carb/fat/protein ratios? Have you cut your calories back? Have you kept your calorie intake the same as you had when you weren't running? If its a calorie issue you can take a look at your TDEE (the Scooby's Workshop has a calculator online) and make sure you're eating enough etc. You may need more carbs, or more proteins etc. so playing around with your macro ratios could help.

Are you cross training? If your sole exercise is running it may be beneficial to you to begin to incorporate some basic strength training for runners (runnersworld.com has some great information on that), and maybe taking at least one day a week to do some other form of cardio. Sometimes if all you do is run you can create muscle imbalances which can make your body feel a bit beat up. This isn't always true for everyone, but, I think everyone would greatly benefit from incorporating some basic strengthening exercises just to keep everything honky dory.

Are you resting enough? Do you have at least one rest day a week? rest is just as important as your training and mileage when it comes to running. I would also suggest to incorporate some stretching into your routine. I know I feel much better when I run when I've been consistent with my stretching.

Hope some of this helps. And yes, sometimes on some runs you just need to push past a certain point (for me it's usually the first mile) before things sort of even out. But if you're feeling like that for every single run, then it's time to take a look at what you can change.

All of this ^^^

TwinsRaGift wrote: »

Thank you everyone! Keep the ideas coming! This is really helping! I think I get so frustrated because I want to be able to run those 5 miles without walking and I just can't seem to do it. It just seems to come so much easier to others and it is discouraging. Thanks again!

I just ran a quarter marathon this past Sunday (6.55 miles). Some of that time was spent walking. It's actually a strategy a fair amount of runners use...your muscles "relax" a bit during the walking and you make the time back up by being able to run a bit faster pace in the jogging sections.

As others are saying, I don't use my race pace (currently hovering in the high 10 minutes) during my training runs. Typically I "run" anywhere between 11-13 minutes for the training runs.

TwinsRaGift wrote: »

I feel like I must be missing something. Am I doing it wrong? Are there ways to make it easier? Is it something you just have to push through and everyone struggles, but makes it seem easy? Please any advice is extremely helpful!

Hard to say without knowing more about your overall training plan. Sometimes I've struggled with this. It can be hard to tell whether I'm just physically tired or just experiencing low motivation because I'm a little burned out.

Here are some general recommendations that have worked for me:

• The suggestions above about pacing are good. I didn't see anyone mention using a heart rate monitor. This is a VERY good way to judge how hard you are pushing your body. Find the target heart rate and adjust your pace to stay in that zone. You'll find that you have a slower pace on hot days or hill courses.
• You don't say how many times per week you are running. Some people like to run every day, but I find that 3-4 times per week works best for me. Resting (or cross training) a day in between runs helps me recover and feel good for the next run. Hitting it hard day after day just tires me out and makes me more injury prone.
• Cross training is a great idea. I find yoga to be a nice complement to running since it builds core strength and also works on flexibility. (Flexibility is an issue for me and many runners.)
• Don't make every run the same - same time of day, same place, same distance. Boring! Vary your distances. Do a shorter run and maybe go a little faster. Do at least one longer run per week where you focus on a steady, comfortable (even slow) pace.
• Keep track of your runs with an app or website. I have been using runningahead.com for quite a few years. It is motivating for me to see the facts about what I'm really doing. It also helps me to see how my weekly mileage varies.
• Don't just keep driving up weekly mileage. Take a step backwards during training and build back up from there. For example, take a week and drop your weekly mileage by half. Another idea is to do some runs where you do run/walk intervals (say 3 minutes running and 2 minutes walking).
• Find ways to change things up to keep it fresh. Once in a while, I buy a new piece of gear. Rarely is it a big ticket item (like a GPS watch or new shoes). Sometimes it is just a new pair of socks, a hat, or a new water bottle. Sometimes I make a special effort to go run somewhere, or with someone, outside of my usual.
• I get worn down when I've been hitting it hard while training for a race. After the race is over, I'll take several weeks and do other fitness things besides running. Taking a break is a worthy strategy.
• Finally - the best way to get my motivation back it to sign up for a race sometime in the future. Knowing I have a commitment in the future gets me motivated to train again.

Good luck!

no matter how far I'm going, I always hate the first 1 to 2 miles the most. Grrr. all miles after the first 2 are cake

Ideally, I'd run on a slight downhill slope for my first two miles. And, on an interesting trail instead of a routine route. Makes those 2 beastly "warm up" miles easier and go by quicker so I can get on to the fun miles.

I'm a big fan of a long warm up too. I find I go the fastest/perform best after the first 30 or so minutes of warm up whether running, cycling, hiking, etc.

peter56765 wrote: »

repsrequired wrote: »

peter56765 wrote: »

Two words: Slow Down. The #1 mistake novice runners make is starting out their run going too fast. This isn't gym class and you're not doing the quarter mile or 100 yard dash. Chances are you are overly taxing your cardio vascular system which leads to exhaustion.

My advice is to learn to pace yourself. You can buy GPS watches or download an app that will tell you how fast you are going. Starting off, you probably want to aim for around a 12 minute mile. Personally I have found that the best tool to learn pacing isn't a watch or an app, it's a treadmill. Set the thing for 5 MPH and it will dutifully keep you precisely on pace. After using the treadmill for a week or so, you will become accustomed to what a 12 minute mile feels like and then you will more easily be able to transfer that to running outside. Map your run, note where the mile markers are and keep time. Even then you will probably still have to tell yourself to slow down because everyone's instinct when faced with a long stretch of open road is to want to cover it as quickly as possible. Good luck!

peter56765 wrote: »

Two words: Slow Down. The #1 mistake novice runners make is starting out their run going too fast. This isn't gym class and you're not doing the quarter mile or 100 yard dash. Chances are you are overly taxing your cardio vascular system which leads to exhaustion.

My advice is to learn to pace yourself. You can buy GPS watches or download an app that will tell you how fast you are going. Starting off, you probably want to aim for around a 12 minute mile. Personally I have found that the best tool to learn pacing isn't a watch or an app, it's a treadmill. Set the thing for 5 MPH and it will dutifully keep you precisely on pace. After using the treadmill for a week or so, you will become accustomed to what a 12 minute mile feels like and then you will more easily be able to transfer that to running outside. Map your run, note where the mile markers are and keep time. Even then you will probably still have to tell yourself to slow down because everyone's instinct when faced with a long stretch of open road is to want to cover it as quickly as possible. Good luck!

I have never ran before and read your post.
I have a treadmill and would prefer to start with it before I venture out. I have tried a couple of times but can't even run for 30 seconds

If you can't run, walk. That's how I started on my path to running. I walked for a good 4 months before even attempting to run, and then only at 5 MPH for a few minutes. Start off walking at a pace you can sustain for 30 minutes. If you are very out of shape, ramp up your time to 30 minutes at something like 2.5 MPH. Once you can repeatedly walk for 30 minutes, increase your speed by 0.2 or 0.3 MPH. At some point you will hit the limit at which your legs will let you walk. Instead of turning to running right then, start increasing the incline on the treadmill. If you can walk for 30 minutes on an incline of 3.5 degrees, you're ready to starting running. Probably more than ready, actually. Turn off the incline and try 5 MPH. You'll be able to do it.

Been walking for nearly a year at 5-6mph guess I just going to have to start off doing 20 second run then walk

Thanks for the advice. Think my feet are the problem. I am not what you call light on them I stump

Good for you! Just focus on how you are feeling. I used to really have the need for speed. I've now been running for 4-5 years and I not longer have that need. I use it for therapy and confidence. Keep at it!!!!