Is excess weight preventing improvement in running?

TigerLily100
TigerLily100 Posts: 81 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all,

So I took up running a few months back and I love it BUT I am just not getting any better.

I am 46, 5’2” and 166lb.

Starting out I was so unfit 30 second running intervals with walking were hard and my heart rate peaked around 170.
I did progress to being able to run 2mins, walk 2mins x 10 totalling 40 mine plus 5 mins warm up and cool down - this in about a month.

But I cannot improve further, I have tried and tried. Both the legs and the lungs give out.
I am a good 3 stone overweight :(
Running is hard for me but it doesn’t stop me trying, but I am demoralised at a total lack of progress past 2 months.

Thoughts?
Do I need to shed some weight to see improvement? Would I be better going back to brisk walking? I ask this as I can brisk walk 10k no problem.

Thanks all :)
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Replies

  • TigerLily100
    TigerLily100 Posts: 81 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Run slower

    I run at 5mph.....slower is a brisk walk.
    Can’t really get any slower.
    I did try 4.5mph, my brain and legs were so out of sync, couldn’t get any rhythm going at all - it was harder than 5mph.


  • SchweddyGirl
    SchweddyGirl Posts: 244 Member
    Weight does have a lot to do with running and your speed. As you lose weight you will naturally get faster. However, as Toad has said you more than likely are going too fast. Your "run" portion of your runs should be a very slow jog.
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,979 Member
    One of the biggest issues new runners have is going too fast. Even if you think you're already going slow, go slower. An established running program will help too. Couch to 5k is a good one.
  • TigerLily100
    TigerLily100 Posts: 81 Member
    SchweddyGirl wrote: »
    Weight does have a lot to do with running and your speed. As you lose weight you will naturally get faster. However, as Toad has said you more than likely are going too fast. Your "run" portion of your runs should be a very slow jog.

    So if that’s the case and I am already a slow jog, maybe I do need to switch back to just brisk walking. I brisk walk at 4mph and jog 5mph
  • SchweddyGirl
    SchweddyGirl Posts: 244 Member
    TigerLily100 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Run slower

    I run at 5mph.....slower is a brisk walk.
    Can’t really get any slower.
    I did try 4.5mph, my brain and legs were so out of sync, couldn’t get any rhythm going at all - it was harder than 5mph.


    My slow runs are between 4.5 and 4.7 on the treadmill right now. Another option is to do the intervals from the previous week and only increase intervals once per week. So do 2 x 2 Mon, Wed, and then bump up only on Fri. When you can get through all the running on Fri then do it on Mon and Fri....then when you can do that do it all three days.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    TigerLily100 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Run slower

    I run at 5mph.....slower is a brisk walk.
    Can’t really get any slower.
    I did try 4.5mph, my brain and legs were so out of sync, couldn’t get any rhythm going at all - it was harder than 5mph.


    Try 4.8 then? 2 months isn't really very long to see progress, but try mixing up your workouts instead of exactly the same interval times each time. If you run slower you can probably do 10-15 minutes without walking.
  • galengower
    galengower Posts: 25 Member
    I found that once I lost a good 20lbs my distance improved considerably. My speed didn't improve dramatically, but I can keep up the same pace a lot longer than I used to, basically. My overall speeds on half marathons improved by a minute faster for each pound I lost. For longer distances, losing weight will definitely improve your time. There's a reason all the world's best distance runners have the appearance of a muscular skeleton.
  • pippywillow
    pippywillow Posts: 253 Member
    I ran my first 5k at 280lbs (5' 6" female), it took 47 minutes, sometimes my run is about the same speed as my walk, right now I run about a 12 minute mile. It took a long time to get here. Seriously, slowing down works, work on distance, then the speed will come.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Are you running on a treadmill? I can totally "run" 4 mph. And by run, it's more of a shuffle.
  • TigerLily100
    TigerLily100 Posts: 81 Member
    BusyRaeNOTBusty wrote: »
    Are you running on a treadmill? I can totally "run" 4 mph. And by run, it's more of a shuffle.

    Yes all treadmill. I walk really fast, always have so 5mph is really only just breaking into a run.
    When I tired 4.5mph it was terrible, I could neither walk nor run......I basically stumbled it.
    5mph is definitely my natural gait that my body feels comfortable with.......or maybe it’s just habit and habit can be changed.
    I will give 4mph a go, just not sure how my brain will communicate that to the legs when it’s spent years briskly walking at that pace.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    My fast walk and my slow run are close to the same speed (but I don't use a treadmill). I'm hoping that the slow run will just get me used to the movement pattern and I can eventually speed up.
  • Avidkeo
    Avidkeo Posts: 3,213 Member
    I agree with everyone above. Also, when you say your lune give out, are you wheezing or have a tight chest at all? When i started running I got to the point where I could run/walk 5km but could never run the whole thing cause wheezing. Fortunately I happened to be running with a friend who is a GP who suggested exercise induced asthma. Started using an inhaler, im now running around 8km without stopping. Granted I've also dropped 20kg since then as well but the difference in my running was instant. I think only a couple of weeks later I ran 5km without stopping
  • TigerLily100
    TigerLily100 Posts: 81 Member
    Avidkeo wrote: »
    I agree with everyone above. Also, when you say your lune give out, are you wheezing or have a tight chest at all? When i started running I got to the point where I could run/walk 5km but could never run the whole thing cause wheezing. Fortunately I happened to be running with a friend who is a GP who suggested exercise induced asthma. Started using an inhaler, im now running around 8km without stopping. Granted I've also dropped 20kg since then as well but the difference in my running was instant. I think only a couple of weeks later I ran 5km without stopping

    Thanks, I do suffer from asthma and it hadn’t even occurred to me!
    My asthma is only triggered by certain things which I now avoid so it’s under control.
    Will take my inhaler before I run and see if I do any better
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
    I can run slower than I can walk. Running is all about gait, and having both feet off the ground.

    Shorten your stride but keep your gait ‘running’.

    You should be able to hold a conversation and even sing whilst running. If you can’t, you are running too fast and won’t be able to build your endurance.

    Try and see how slow you can run - you can run on the spot so you can ‘run’ at any speed without changing your gait to a walk.
  • tirowow12385
    tirowow12385 Posts: 697 Member
    edited June 2018
    What holds you back from running faster is your heart, your heart works harder with more body mass, the less body mass you have the farther and faster you are so yes your weight is preventing you from improving. Lose weight, you will get faster, overnight. Gain weight, your time will suffer. On top of that, you need to learn how to breathe and give your heart as much oxygen it can get during a run. Avoid smoking cigarettes.
  • MeganMcK11
    MeganMcK11 Posts: 117 Member
    I feel like you are WAY overthinking this. I’m 5’0 and 221 and I am a very slow jogger. 3.5 mph is a super slow jog and almost a fast walk for me but I can jog longer at this slower pace. Worry about building up your endurance and then the speed will come. When I started jogging I started way too fast and had the same problem you describe of not being able to do it for long at all. Slowing down solved this. You CAN slow down.
  • VUA21
    VUA21 Posts: 2,072 Member
    Partially, yes. A 10lb weight difference can add up over distance for a runner.

    I had the same issue until my University's running coach helped me out. If I want to increase my speed and time over a set distance and be able to run longer, SLOW DOWN. Slow your pace down and just focus on time spent running. Make sure your breathing is in check to the point that you can hold a conversation with someone. Speed will naturally come with consistent training (up to a point, that point is generally highly competitive times and of very little significance to 99.999% of people).
  • VUA21
    VUA21 Posts: 2,072 Member
    BusyRaeNOTBusty wrote: »
    My fast walk and my slow run are close to the same speed (but I don't use a treadmill). I'm hoping that the slow run will just get me used to the movement pattern and I can eventually speed up.

    You will, my slow run has (finally) surpassed my fast walking speed. Not by much, but I'll take it for a success.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,042 Member
    Weight has a direct effect on how fast and long you can run. It's why you don't find endurance runners who are overweight.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    i think part of it @ninerbuff is it is extremely hard for them to keep up with their calorie burn
  • ttippie2000
    ttippie2000 Posts: 412 Member
    The rule of thumb I was able to glean from my triathlon coach is that you gain about 5 seconds on your mile time, on average, for every 1 pound of body weight you lose.

    The excess weight is causing your body to use a lot of its resources just to fight gravity. Your heart is doing a lot of work to move your body, but don't despair because the fitness will serve you well as you lose weight. I know. I started my journey just above 300 lbs and am now down to 225 at age 55 m, so I have been dealing with a similar problem. I can now run a sub 8 minute mile whereas I couldn't run a 1/2 mile when I started. It is not yet at my goal pace of 6 minute/mile, but I'm making progress. If you're like me your fitness, even now, will shine through when you start to do non weight-bearing cardio exercises such as swimming and bicycling.

    There is also a longer answer (which is best given by someone more qualified than me) about how you train that has to do with the frequency, intensity and duration of your training. For short distances (under an hour) improving your V02 max through interval training will have a relatively high priority. For longer distances, running at your FTP threshold becomes more important. But once you get into planning and periodizing your training like that you're a long way to your goal.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    TigerLily100 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Run slower

    I run at 5mph.....slower is a brisk walk.
    Can’t really get any slower.
    I did try 4.5mph, my brain and legs were so out of sync, couldn’t get any rhythm going at all - it was harder than 5mph.


    It does sound counter-intuitive but running slower is great advice. Try taking smaller strides also.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    Slow down, and get outside.

    I'm 235ish right now, over the past 2 years I've been as high as 250 and as low as 225. none of which impeded my progressing to 20+ minute run intervals(very slowly) And while my slow run is faster than yours, I'm also a few inches taller. And I walk very briskly so I had to learn to run as slowly as I can walk. I'm a bit faster now, but on long runs, not a lot faster.
  • tirowow12385
    tirowow12385 Posts: 697 Member
    ttippie2000 wrote: »
    The rule of thumb I was able to glean from my triathlon coach is that you gain about 5 seconds on your mile time, on average, for every 1 pound of body weight you lose.

    The excess weight is causing your body to use a lot of its resources just to fight gravity. Your heart is doing a lot of work to move your body, but don't despair because the fitness will serve you well as you lose weight. I know. I started my journey just above 300 lbs and am now down to 225 at age 55 m, so I have been dealing with a similar problem. I can now run a sub 8 minute mile whereas I couldn't run a 1/2 mile when I started. It is not yet at my goal pace of 6 minute/mile, but I'm making progress. If you're like me your fitness, even now, will shine through when you start to do non weight-bearing cardio exercises such as swimming and bicycling.

    There is also a longer answer (which is best given by someone more qualified than me) about how you train that has to do with the frequency, intensity and duration of your training. For short distances (under an hour) improving your V02 max through interval training will have a relatively high priority. For longer distances, running at your FTP threshold becomes more important. But once you get into planning and periodizing your training like that you're a long way to your goal.

    Thing is, the bigger your body mass is, your heart does not get big as well, it might get a little fatty but it doesn't grow in size, think of it like a small engine of a sedan being put inside of a truck and expecting it to run the same. Weight, technically, body mass is key, put that sedan engine in a small scooter and suddenly you're the fastest scooter in the world.


  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
    edited June 2018
    VUA21 wrote: »
    Partially, yes. A 10lb weight difference can add up over distance for a runner.

    Yup. I gained 13 percent of my baseline weight over 8 months due to a medication error. My running time suffered for it.

    It's part of why I stopped seeing the dietitian I'd been working with for ED-related issues. She kept insisting that I shouldn't focus on weight as an outcome, and that weight didn't matter. I understand that she was trying to not feed the ED, but trying to get me to focus off the scale while ignoring the reality that yes, weight *does* affect speed was a perfect way to get me to distrust her. (She's generally very smart, and is one of the top sports dietitians in the field. But I do not tolerate being lied to by someone who has never been overweight a day in her life.)

    After running a half marathon slower at a heavier weight than I did when I was lighter *and* with a broken toe, I started googling. Well, sure enough, there is an impact. And the calculators I found showed that my "new" slower pace was precisely what was to be expected at this heavier weight.

    I didn't have the weight to gain -- I'm now 10 pounds away from being overweight -- and I didn't have the run pace to lose. I'm now having to work twice as hard to get back to where I was when I was lighter -- both from a pace perspective and a weight perspective -- and it's made me resent running because I not longer feel competent at it, through no fault of my own.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    tirowow12385 wrote: »
    ttippie2000 wrote: »
    The rule of thumb I was able to glean from my triathlon coach is that you gain about 5 seconds on your mile time, on average, for every 1 pound of body weight you lose.

    The excess weight is causing your body to use a lot of its resources just to fight gravity. Your heart is doing a lot of work to move your body, but don't despair because the fitness will serve you well as you lose weight. I know. I started my journey just above 300 lbs and am now down to 225 at age 55 m, so I have been dealing with a similar problem. I can now run a sub 8 minute mile whereas I couldn't run a 1/2 mile when I started. It is not yet at my goal pace of 6 minute/mile, but I'm making progress. If you're like me your fitness, even now, will shine through when you start to do non weight-bearing cardio exercises such as swimming and bicycling.

    There is also a longer answer (which is best given by someone more qualified than me) about how you train that has to do with the frequency, intensity and duration of your training. For short distances (under an hour) improving your V02 max through interval training will have a relatively high priority. For longer distances, running at your FTP threshold becomes more important. But once you get into planning and periodizing your training like that you're a long way to your goal.

    Thing is, the bigger your body mass is, your heart does not get big as well, it might get a little fatty but it doesn't grow in size, think of it like a small engine of a sedan being put inside of a truck and expecting it to run the same. Weight, technically, body mass is key, put that sedan engine in a small scooter and suddenly you're the fastest scooter in the world.

    Just not true.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1767992/
  • tirowow12385
    tirowow12385 Posts: 697 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Weight has a direct effect on how fast and long you can run. It's why you don't find endurance runners who are overweight.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    Moreover, you find the world class runners are pushing their BMI to the underweight range.
    Op doesn't need to be a thin Kenyan to be a world class runner, just that she can improve her time with a little weight loss.
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