Been trying to become a RUNNER for YEARS! Need help!

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tchrnmommy
tchrnmommy Posts: 342 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've had some setbacks (including shattered and removed sesamoid bones) spent a year in a boot. But even at my best I was "running" a 14-15 minute mile. I cannot seem to build my body stamina to actually run more than about .25 miles. I have never run a full mile straight. I do more of a run/walk...but I know there are people who can walk a 14 minute mile. I am short...5'1"

BUT when I get on the elliptical I can keep a pace of a 10 minute mile. And I can do it for multiple miles...until I get bored. Any idea how I can translate the elliptical to feet on the street?

Thanks,
Christy

Replies

  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    What is your goal here? Do you want to run races?

    The loss of those bones sounds serious.

    It seems you have trouble with uneven terrain.

    There are runners groups who always take walk breaks.

    http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/run-walk/
  • tchrnmommy
    tchrnmommy Posts: 342 Member
    edited July 2017
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    I have used Jeff Galloway's training. Yes I enjoy doing races. I complete 5K's in about 40 minutes. I am training for a 1/2 in October. My foot surgery was in Sept 2016.....I've been running pain free since. My sesamoid bone issue was actually nothing traumatic. I ran a 5K in Nov 2015 and the ball of my foot started swelling the next day. They were fractured and with normal walking they ultimately shattered but in the meantime I grew a bone spur on the toe. So they were both removed and the tendons retighted and everything is fine now. My profile pic is my first 5K after my surgery in Nov 2016 :smiley:

    I just can't figure out why after a few minutes of straight running (probably more like jog) I'm so winded and have to walk.
  • mengqiz86
    mengqiz86 Posts: 176 Member
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    Run to music and match your cadence to the beat! There are many apps out there. Spotify also gives you a playlist based on your desired cadence (anywhere from a leisurely 140 steps per minute to a lung busting 190). You can choose your preferred genre too - try it out it really helped me
  • kristikitter
    kristikitter Posts: 602 Member
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    I'd recommend a C25k programme; maybe this is idiotic but have you got checked out for asthma? The "winded after running for five minutes" thing happened to me, and boom, asthma.
  • Bluepegasus
    Bluepegasus Posts: 333 Member
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    When I started running ten years ago, I could barely run 100 yards, let alone a mile! I used to go out and alternate running and walking between each lamppost. It takes time, but if you keep at it regularly, you will get better. It's hard, and to be honest, it's always going to be hard, you just get better and faster with time. Don't worry about pace, it naturally gets quicker, just keep going at a pace you can manage.
  • RavenLibra
    RavenLibra Posts: 1,737 Member
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    Spend a day on a running path... watch the joggers and the runners... make mental notes on what appears to be good form... and what appears to be a lot of wasted effort... and have a hard look at people who in your mind probably shouldn't be running at all.

    Next... take some time to evaluate your stride... maybe if you are lucky... the local college has a kinesiology dept and you can enlist for an evaluation to determine the functionality of your running stride...

    If you run on a treadmill remember... on a treadmill you are lacking wind resistance... to compensate add incline... also... if you have finished a 5 k... and you don't feel like it kicked your *kitten*... maybe you just have a low tolerance for that sort of physical discomfort ? Running faster is like reading faster... there's no magic to it other than just to continually pick up the pace
  • Muscleflex79
    Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
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    pretty sure the elliptical won't really help you become a runner in any way - all the above advice is great!
  • laosourai77
    laosourai77 Posts: 1 Member
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    I walk at a brisk pace on the treadmill 4.0 setting with a 4.0 incline . I do that for ten and I run for ten, but when I run I feel sooo fast. Might take some working up slowly but try it ouy
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    I've previously used the elliptical and HIIT variations to improve my run speed.

    So, know your elliptical.
    1. find the tension setting that feels like running in water/sand... back off 2-3 clicks from there... on a 25 point Life fitness machine that's normally in the 13-17 range.
    2. Warm up 3-5 minutes
    3. push the tension to your target intensity... push your speed as fast as you can for 30-60 seconds. For me(on a lifefitness pro) thats around 15 and around 12-13 mph
    4. Back off the tension and speed to a comfortable level. For me that's around 9 and around 10 mph. (try not to puke) Recover for 2-5 minutes(or use HRM)
    5. repeat 2-3 times
    6. Repeat every second or third day for a month or so.


    Try C25K or another similar program.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    When i started "running" (more like a super slow shuffle back then) I could barely get around the block without thinking that death would be a relief but I could walk for miles at a brisk pace.

    I started off very simply walking for 9 minutes & running (very slowly) for 1 & repeat.......the next week or 2 later 8 minutes walking & 2 running etc etc until I could run, very slowly, the full 10 minutes with a 1 minute walking break in between.

    I ran my first 5K at 53 in about 40 minutes and have since gone on tho half-marathon and Olympic triathlon distances (I'm training for my first full marathon this coming October) I'm not fast but am like the energizer bunny, at the right pace I can just keep going & going.

    One thing to keep in mind is that people do not all respond the same way to training stimulus but one of the variables that seems to influence improvement, even among those who adapt more slowly, is frequency of workouts

    runnersworld.com/sweat-science/the-myth-of-exercise-non-responders

    While I wouldn't recommend running 5 x weekly for a new runner you should be cross training to improve your aerobic base on non running days (biking, swimming, walking etc) If you're still having issues getting out of breath running short distances slowly you may want to check with your physician as there may be other issues involved (when's the last time you had a full physical?)

    Good luck & have fun!

  • DebLaBounty
    DebLaBounty Posts: 1,172 Member
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    I bike and Zumba, which I think has helped my stamina for running. You might want to visit a doctor, though. I was struggling to catch my breath while running (but not any other time) and I was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma. Two puffs of an inhaler before exercising and - voila! - breathing was much easier. Now that I've built up my strength and endurance, I don't need the inhaler anymore.
  • kc286496
    kc286496 Posts: 5 Member
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    Hi, Christy, I agree that your foot bone issue(s) sound pretty serious! I commend you for even attempting to run meaningful distances after that. In your original post, you mentioned that you've never been able to run a full mile straight. In my opinion, training for a half marathon in October is extremely aggressive for you. I think a 10k or quarter marathon (if you can find one), would be much safer. Before even starting a half marathon training program (which should be 12-16 weeks long), you should probably have 6 months of consistent running under your belt and you should be able to run 4-5 miles without stopping -- or at least at a 5/1 clip (run 5 minutes, walk 1 minute). I'm not saying you CAN'T do it. You most certainly can. I just worry about you getting injured along the way because you do not have the proper foundation to support that distance. I also recommend, if you haven't already done this, getting professionally fitted for running shoes. There's really nothing more important in preventing injury than making sure you are in the right shoe based on your gait. Good luck!
  • kc286496
    kc286496 Posts: 5 Member
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    Oh, I'll add one other thing. I don't know if I speak for most runners, but definitely for a lot of them. Most of us feel winded for the first couple of minutes. It takes some time for your body to adjust and your heart rate to settle down. In fact, when I'm in really good running shape, I don't feel comfortable until after 4-5 MILES! At some point, your body will say, "Okay, I guess we're going to be doing this for a while" and your breathing will become more relaxed. One thing I learned about breathing while running is that the reason you feel winded isn't because you aren't getting enough oxygen. If you weren't getting enough oxygen, you'd pass out! The reason you are winded is because you're not able to expunge the carbon dioxide fast enough. So I try to focus on short inhales and slightly longer exhales. It's like anything else, it takes practice. But you'll get better the more you do it!
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    kc286496 wrote: »
    Oh, I'll add one other thing. I don't know if I speak for most runners, but definitely for a lot of them. Most of us feel winded for the first couple of minutes. It takes some time for your body to adjust and your heart rate to settle down. In fact, when I'm in really good running shape, I don't feel comfortable until after 4-5 MILES! At some point, your body will say, "Okay, I guess we're going to be doing this for a while" and your breathing will become more relaxed. One thing I learned about breathing while running is that the reason you feel winded isn't because you aren't getting enough oxygen. If you weren't getting enough oxygen, you'd pass out! The reason you are winded is because you're not able to expunge the carbon dioxide fast enough. So I try to focus on short inhales and slightly longer exhales. It's like anything else, it takes practice. But you'll get better the more you do it!

    Doing/practicing breath drills will definitely help with some of this.
  • tchrnmommy
    tchrnmommy Posts: 342 Member
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    Thanks for all the input. I really appreciate it. Some of the things I have tried, others (like the asthma stuff) I've never even considered. I did go back and looked at Jeff Galloway's stuff...I'm going to restart by using his suggested run/walk/run intervals. I have been fitted for shoes after my foot surgery. Again I really appreciate all the great sincere advice.
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
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    I've found that nothing else makes you a better runner except more running. Before I started running I was in pretty good shape--lots of skiing, yoga, cycling, elliptical, boot camp classes at the gym... but then I played a parents versus kids lacrosse game and the running aspect made me feel so out of shape! I started running in earnest after that, and I went from half running/half walking my first 2 mile race to finishing a half marathon, all after the age of 40!

    Keep running. It's ok if you walk sometimes, but make a point of running further than you did the previous time. The running track at the high school is good for gauging this. Or wear a watch--run for 2 minutes and walk for 1, then run for 3 minutes and walk for 1--just keep building on it. Find a running app you like. Listen to some upbeat music.

    Oh, and I'm not sure where you live--but if it's been really hot and humid where you are, that makes it that much harder. I usually run my normal 4 miles in ~32 minutes but it's taking closer to 38 with the weather we've had lately...
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,676 Member
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    Check out C25k. Starting with regular walk/run intervals works well for many of us. You spend 30 minutes 3 times a week building from walking to continuous running for either 30 minutes or 5k. At first the running intervals are really hard, but they get easier. Just run really slowly when you're running. Don't worry about being too slow. As long as you're running, you're good.
  • Waddellfitness
    Waddellfitness Posts: 46 Member
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    Use to run 5k around 18 min but then shattered my ankle and 2 surgeries later I'm running a 5k around 25min. From experience I can tell you the only way to become a better runner and drop your 5k running time is to run. Try to add a mile a week so say you're running 10 miles a week go for 11 the next then 12 and so on wether you ad it little over every run or ad an extra mile to your weekly long runs is up to you. If you're training for a 5k then you need to run 10k's or more that's really the only way to become faster. Also alternate your runs between tempo runs, interval runs, endurance runs, long slow runs. Also workout your core and legs and run with proper form and do not run heel to toe it's terrible for your joints.

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