Advice needed from runners please!

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duffydog1
duffydog1 Posts: 76 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi, I have started running ( about 3 weeks ago) and manage to go about 3 or 4 times per week. I am running about 2 -3 km each time I run and although my breathing is much easier than when I started the legs still feel like lead!

However, I am feeling a little disheartened at the calories the counter says I am burning in comparison to say walking the dog!
I ran for almost half an hour this morning - and I know the exercise calculator doesn't take into account the fact that I live in the mountains, so all my running is at altitude 1800m - just short of 6000 ft and I did 60 ab crunches and it says I burned 217 calories.

However, I noticed on the message board people walking the dog for an hour and burning far more calories. It kind of makes me wonder what I am going through all the pain of running for if I would get more out of walking the dogs - but it doesn't feel right!

As it happens I do have dogs and I walk them too each day - but my heart rate and respiration only increases slightly when I am walking - and I certainly don't feel as if I have achieved the work out I did when I was running.

So please give me your advice and some motivation to keep running - oh and when do the legs stop feeling like lead??

Have a great day everyone!

Replies

  • 1546mel
    1546mel Posts: 191
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    Going longer tends to burn more than going shorter and harder. Heart rate will be slightly elevated but for a longer period. I remember reading somewhere that the first 20 min of any workout only burns the calories you ate and after that starts burning fat. i tend to try to work out from 45-60 min in everything i do :)
  • kir911
    kir911 Posts: 228 Member
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    I definately would not take literally the calories that MFP says you burn on some of these exercises...I find it to be pretty off at times. I would say you are definately burning more running than walking the dog. I would suggest a Heart Rate monitor...it will really tell you what you are burning...accurately! If not, do you have a Cell phone with access to applications??? I use an app called endomondo....It allows you to enter your weight and it tracks your distance via GPS. Then it tells you how many calories you burned going X distance in X time. It doesn't account for hills though, so a Heart Rate monitor is really your best bet!
  • 1546mel
    1546mel Posts: 191
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    Maybe after running for 30 do like a 20 min walk to hike the calories?
  • fifi2981
    fifi2981 Posts: 1
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    There was actually a tv advertising campaign which ran a few years ago which said walking a mile burns the same amount of calories as running a mile; and I know this myself from seeing what I burn off running on the treadmill. Like someone else has pointed out though, I'm not sure the calcualtion for either walking or running factors in varying gradients etc.
  • kerryh1976
    kerryh1976 Posts: 22
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    If you have the time, why don't you try and combination of running and walking? So walk to get your heart rate up (and muscles warmed up - will help with the heavy legs feeling) then run (keep it steady) then walk to cool down (again this will help with the heavy legs). There are several different plans that work around this approach (couch to 5K being something similar) and they will soon help you increase your pace and distance. And then you will be burning calories like no tomorrow, plus toning and shaping yourself more than you would with walking.

    I was a keen walker for years, but over the past 2 and 1/2 years have built my running up to where I can run 16K on the weekend and 10K twice a week - total calories burned in a week approx 2,800 in about 3 and 1/2 hours total. I am so much fitter than I ever was walking, although I still like to walk (it is more sociable and can do it with the kids).

    Just a word of warning - if you decide to run with the dogs make sure they don't trip you up! A friend of mine broke her arm doing just that. It, of course, depends on your dog but if they aren't used to it they won't know what to do. And also, attach their leads to your waist or it will play havoc with your pace and stride.

    Enjoy - running is awesome :o)
  • petrball
    petrball Posts: 8 Member
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    Without a doubt, walking is brillant because it puts you into a heart rate zone that burns fat. Try using another prog to monitor your exercise and cal burn. Suggetions; http://www.endomondo.com, http://www.sportstracklive.com, http://www.sports-tracker.com/

    I find sportstracklive.com most accurate but endomondo is brilliant and easy to use.

    Once to have done your exercise, you can enter your figures on MFP manually.

    Hope that help............ don't give up the running though:smile:
  • kenc45
    kenc45 Posts: 1 Member
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    Running burns more calories than walking, unless you're doing Olympic paced walking - so I think that the calculator may be out - for one or the other. Also remember that calories burned is dependent on weight, so what one person burns isn't necessarily what you'll burn.

    Here's an article on it from Runner's world - down the bottom is an estimated formula for working out - use the one on the right, as your basal metabolism is already taken into account.

    http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-304-311-8402-0,00.html
  • Whatamilike
    Whatamilike Posts: 51
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    Hello!

    I'm a runner. I have an app on my phone that tells me how many calories I burn per run and it does tally quite well with the figure calculated on here.

    The things to bear in mind are:

    1 The number of calories you burn during any exercise is a function of your weight too. Someone heavier than you may well indeed burn more calories walking their dog for half an hour than you do running. But they have more weight to lose than you do.

    2. The calories calculated here are only the calories you burnt DURING the exercise. After running your metabolic rate will stay elevated for a few hours, so you will in fact be burning more after running too.

    3. By running you are building muscle tissue - which itself uses more energy to exist - therefore you are also permanently increasing your metabolic rate.

    4. You ARE getting a better workout by running! You gain more fitness benefits by pushing yourself a bit. You're fitter now than you would be if you weren't running, and your body functions more efficiently.

    5. Legs like lead? Even top althletes legs feel like lead at the start of a run. It can take up to 20 mins or so for your body to 'change gear.' If you stick with it and remember to stretch, you'll soon be able to run further and further. I've been running for 14 years and my legs still feel like lead at the start of a run!

    If you enjoy running stick with it. When I started I could barely make it to the end of the road. Now my average run is 7 miles which I do about 3x week. It hasn't stopped me gaining 9lbs recently but I had to eat a LOT to put it on..!!

    So give yourself a HUGE pat on the back - you're doing brilliantly! Keep it up!!

    Tina
  • osmium
    osmium Posts: 107 Member
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    You burn calories much quicker running than walking though. So what may take a dog walker 1 hour to burn, you'll have done in 30-40minutes. It's more about distance covered. 4km running will burn about the same calories as 4km walking but it will take much less time to run the 4km.

    If your legs are feeling like lead, it sounds like they are still getting used to running. Your lungs develop much quicker than your muscles and ligaments etc, so it's easy to go too hard when you start running and injure yourself. Just be nice to your body and ease in gently. I started running nearly 3 years ago now and could barely manage 60sec. Now I commonly run for 1-2 hours. It takes time but it gets much much easier. One day you'll go for a run and it will be easy. Then you'll start getting obsessed about races and getting faster and you'll start making it hard all over again :)

    And try not to worry about the exercise calculators. Many are hugely optimistic in my opinion and it also matters how much you weigh and how unfit you are. Once I started using a HRM rather than the exercise calc guesstimates, my cals burned reduced heaps. It got worse and worse as I lost more and more weight. Now I burn far less for 1km than I used to when I started as I've lost over 30kg, but it doesn't matter as I run heaps more. Also, I think all my running has helped to reset my metabolism somehow as even when I eat badly it seems much harder than it used to be to put on weight.

    Good luck - you're doing great.
  • duffydog1
    duffydog1 Posts: 76 Member
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    Thanks everyone for all the helpful posts - I feel re-motivated to keep at it and I will!
  • lwdllc
    lwdllc Posts: 234 Member
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    Heavy legs - I have found more stretching and core exercises before and after help with this - at least a 5 minute walk warm up also helps, any other idea's I'd love to hear!!!
  • darkstar262
    darkstar262 Posts: 1 Member
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    I am a runner and have done every distance from 5K to Marathon. My advice to you is this. Don't pay attention to a calorie counter! If you are running 3-4 times a week, you're doing fine. Your legs will get better, just stick to it. Are you taking more than one day off in between runs? If you run 3 days in a row and then take 3 days off, that's not really the best plan for you. Good luck, and keep running. It will change your life!
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    I don't really understand, you are comparing calories burned during 30 minutes to 1 hour. That is twice as long.
    You can't compare other's calories burned since it is based on weight and gender as well.

    If I enter running at my usual pace for 30 minutes, and walking at a brisk pace for 30 minutes, MPF shows a large difference in calories burned. If i put on 1 hr of walking, I burned almost the same as a half hour run, that's twice as long to burn same calories.
  • Eponine7
    Eponine7 Posts: 161
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    I think Tina said pretty much everything I would say. The one thing I would add is to consider investing in a heart rate monitor which will take into account your weight, height, age, and gender. I have a Polar FT4 which works great.

    Keep running...you won't regret it! :)
  • LoriLoves2Run
    LoriLoves2Run Posts: 80
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    I use a great app from Adidas called micoach. It shows a review of your workout including route and elevation, as well as pace, caloric burn, etc. The fact that you're running is great news for your body! Keep it up!

    Lori
  • bexdc
    bexdc Posts: 202 Member
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    You are definitely burning WAY MORE calories running than just walking your dog. The people who log high calorie counts when walking -- you have to take into account how much they weigh. A person who is 50 pounds heavier than you will expend more cals walking than you do.

    Listen to your body -- it is telling you that it is working harder when it is running. I advise going to the Runner's World forums for more help. Also remember that heart-rate monitors and all other gadgets will not give you an exact calorie-count burn. They will give you estimates.

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