Runner's Training Tips: New runner question.

First off....welcome to the the club of running.  You stuck with it for six weeks now which means it is starting to become a habit for you.  Since you are it in for weight loss, don't concern yourself with pace just yet.  Your focus should be more on distance.  If you challenge your body with cardio for more than 35 minutes, you will start to see better weight loss results (burns more fat).  Therefore, your focus should be on getting your distance up to 4 miles.  This doesn't have to be done every day.  Pick two days per week for the stretch-distance days.....two/three days for usual distance days......and one/two days for rest.

 As you get comfortable with the distance you are covering on the stretch days.....that distance then becomes the distance for your "usual" days.....and then pick another stretch target for the stretch days.  You will find that as your runs consistently exceed 35+ minutes......you will get much better weight loss and cardiovasular results.

Once this happens you will have a good problem on your hands.........that is that your 12.5 min/mile pace isn't much of a challenge for you.  At that point you can work out a plan to improve your pace.

 Good going so far!

Hi

Ive just started running at 57 years old and 28lb overweight. I have found the advice on here to be fantastic. Like most new runners, I overdid it and had shin problems but after reading advice on here I stuck to the jog for so many minutes then walk for so many, gradually building up the distance but keeping the same pace. Within two months I have got up to 10k in 80mins with just a few 200 metre walks in there. My shins are ok now and have lost 9lb. My advice is listen to your body and dont think you have to go faster, that will come as your weight drops and you become fitter. Dont forget to have a good session of stretching before and after your run. Good luck

P.s. Have entred the Jane Tomlinson 10k in Leeds on 20th June

 

Ash

Congrats on entering the Race for Life , its a great event and got me and my sister running and now both of us are thinner and can't imagine life without running (or why it took us so long to get started!)

 The best advice I've ever been given is don't increase what you do by more than 10% a week to keep injury free.  Try out different things to improve and find the one that suits you.  For me its interval training, hard while your doing it but it makes "normal" runs a lot easier.

 Good luck and keep it going

 

Emma

hi when i started running about 5 months ago i felt the same like i could probably walk faster!  but i kept on running and now i am much faster i think it's just about keeping it up not giving up and feeling good about what you've done no matter how fast or slow because like they saying goes practiuce makes perfict!  good luck! and keep it up!

Don't give up! I just started running about 2 weeks ago - and I can't do 1/2 mile yet, let alone 2! So YOU are MY GOAL!!!!

Hey,

 

Congratulations! I was in your shoes two and a half years ago. I lost 50 lbs through exercise and a slight modification in my diet. The route I took, since I knew my knees wouldn't like the running, (I was 42 years old 5'9" and 203 lbs) was to get my cardio and endurance in shape first - I did the elliptical trainer which has NO impact. After a while I tried treadmill running, which has lower impact than road running. Then I went to road running and set competing in a 5K as my first goal.

The right shoes are essential too - go to a specialty running store.

Last Fall I completed my first marathon. I did my first half marathon in February and finished in 1:45. My second marathon is in May. I'm hoping for a 3:45 finish.

Stick with it, be patient. Pushing too hard will cause injury and you'll stop running - that happened to me too.

 

 

Hi All

Thanks for all your advice both practical and motivational.  Just thought that I would report that my two friends and I all ran for 40 minutes last night!  That is such an achievement for us and we are all really pleased.  I am actually starting to enjoy this running now and really 'need' the runs.  We currently run for three times a week but I am going to try and start running once on the weekend if Family committments allow it.

 My problem now is that I really find it difficult when I am not running with my Friends.  I try my mp3 player but music doesnt work for me.  I listen to talking stations on my radio and that helps a bit but its all in my mind that I need to stop and my breathing becomes really laboured compared to when I run and chat with my Friends.  I guess that I will have to work on that and just get past the negative thoughts - it helps to know that I can run for 40 minutes and so 30 minutes on my own shouldnt be a problem!

Thanks again

K 

 

Congratulations to all of you.  I started running just over one year and 55 lbs ago.  I started out on my lunch breaks on the treadmill for 30 minutes and gradually built myself up.  I remember when 3 mph for 30 minutes was a chore.  I would recommend the same things everyone else has done. Keep it up and the weight will come off. Don't be in a hurry because you can get hurt. In January I pulled my calf muscle and was out about four weeks. I then came back too soon and tore some of the muscle. I'm just getting healthy again and it has taken everything in me to not go faster or farther. Listen to your body and it will tell you when to stop.

 

Kayald - if music doesn't work and you like talking radio stations a bit, maybe audio books would help keep your mind off the need to stop? It helps me anyway. There are heaps of audio books you can buy, but they are quite expensive. I have been downloading free ones from iTunes - there are some buried in iTunes U -> University of South Florida -> College of Education -> Lit2Go. They are public domain classics like Dickens, Austen, Bronte etc. I'm currently listening to Dracula as I run and finding it surprisingly entertaining.