Learn to Run - Who wants to do this with me??

*** New People Always Welcome ***

Hey all! A few years ago I started a "learn to run" program at my local running store. About 1/2 way through I got shingles (nasty!) and I had to quit.

Now I want to start again. I am starting on Sunday, March 11 and would love it if anyone wanted to do this with me :)

It's an 8 week course. You should do it at least 3x a week so you're ready for the next week, & don't forget to stretch before & after.  (I actually really like 4x a week & it really prepares me for the next week's numbers)

Take your car & figure out a 3.1 mile or 5 km route & then run/walk for the minutes it says below until you reach 3.1 miles or 5 km.

Week 1 - Walk 3 mins, Run 1 min
Week 2 - Walk 3 mins, Run 2 mins
Week 3 - Walk 2 mins, Run 3 mins
Week 4 - Walk 2 mins, Run 5 mins
Week 5 - Walk 2 mins, Run 7 mins
Week 6 - Walk 2 mins, Run10 mins
Week 7 - Walk 1 min, Run 14 mins
Week 8 - Walk 30 seconds, Run 18 mins 

It also says for week 8, if you find that you don't HAVE to stop running after the 18 minutes, then by all means, carry on without the walking break.

Dee

Excellent Running Tips - Compiled by inci_vinci (from suggestions/experiences contained in this thread) on page 46, post # 913.  All new runners would benefit greatly by reading these prior to beginning. Good luck all!!!!!!!!! 

Oh and while you're at it, drop over to the Mission: Run Around the World thread & add your miles there!!!!

**********************

GRADUATION LIST: The following people have started this running program (or one similar) & can now run 5K (without walking), congrats to all of you!!!!

• nightc1
• deejlb
• punkybrew
• pozesara
• elagain
• shavenyak
• sarah_11235
• jillithan
• inci_vinci
• missyrayn
• zarelha
• sicknes69
• dhwebb
• bignate0100
• marneedear
• tabathar
• wxforecaster

As promised i started today! A couple things I found.. 3 miles is really long!!! I dont know if I have ever done that before, and i did it on the treadmill. i did really well with the first day program but after the first mile (which felt like forever) it was already 15mins.... and ididnt want to do it for longer then 45 so when i felt i could itried to keep running for an extra min and tried to pick up the pace... is 45mins a good time? I felt like it took forever.. also.. well o na treadmill when i was walking it was at a 4.1 and when i was running i tried for 4.5... What are you guys averaging at? I know it depends on the person, but just curious! never-the-less im glad I finished all three miles and I feel really good today.. maybe a little sore tomorrow :-/!!!

Ok, so I'm a bit behind in starting, erk, slacker.

But anyway, I'm starting for definiate tomorrow (Monday).

The thing is, in a week I'm going home for 4 weeks, and will be in Morocco for 1 of them!! So... I'll be doing exercise but perhaps not running... because I'm a bit nervous of running outside (lameo).

As soon as I'm back at uni though, I'll be doing this again!

SenioritaKel - 45 minutes is totally great for 3 miles! That's 4 miles an hour - try walking that on a treadmill, it's fast!

If you're still taking 45 minutes when you start running the whole thing (doubtful) it will be a 15-minute mile which is still a great calorie burn!

Good job :)

 Ok, it was kinda cool out today & a bit wet so I didn't want to run outside. Today was a good day to try my first attempt at running on my treadmill. Well, all was going great when I accidently knocked the emergency thing off and the treadmill came to a dead stop! UGH!

That wouldn't have been so bad except it wouldn't start up again so I had to power it off & on again and all my stats were gone (distance and time). I was sooo pissed! I wasn't sure how far I'd gone so far, so I had to try & remember the last number I saw 2.2 miles. So I went an extra .8 mile cuz it had been a while since I looked. I have no idea what the time was and that's really what I wanted to see. Darn! I guess I'll have to do it again inside one day.

So moving up to the 2 minutes of run was fine! After about half way-ish I did notice my legs start to feel tired and harder to move, did anyone else feel this starting the 2 minutes of run??

Another neat thing about the treadmill is that you can see exactly how fast your were walking/ running. I walked at 3.9 or 4.0 and I ran at 5.0. Didn't run much faster than my walk hey??

Looking forward to trying the 2 min run outdoors. Tuesday is when that happens!

Oh I did figure out the two routes I do were just short of 5K. I just have to go half way up the block past my house for one route and to the end of the block & half way up the corner for the other route. It wasn't much short of 5k it was like 4.8 & 4.9. But at least I know exactly where to stop to make it 5k.

Do you think cuz the car drives on the right, and sometimes I'm on the left due to oncoming traffic, that that cuts off a lot of distance? I wonder?

========================================

gemma - Ya, I guess rocks on the road, etc can slow you down a bit. How lucky that you can run on the beach. I bet that makes the time go by fast! But man, that must be harder than the roads or sidewalks!! Is it the whole 5k on the beach??

punky - its weird about your time cuz I think at the rate I was going on the treadmill I would've been aroudn 41 minutes too. But we're running for twice as far, how bizarre. It should've been shorter. Well at least you have a reason, the hills! (not to mention the cold, brrr) How was the cold on your lungs btw? I avoided the cold today.

Oh and ya, stick to the times, it's only 8 weeks & you'll be doing 18 mins at a time, I'm sure it'll come sooner than we think ( or want ;)

Nicole - I think it would be a great thing for you to run! Get one of your parents to mark out a 3.1 mile (or 5K) route for you that starts & ends at home, and if I were you I'd find someone to run with so you're not alone. Also, your school has a gym, ask you PE teacher how many laps you need to do to do 3.1 miles! That would be a nice safe place for you to run. Or better yet, if you have an outside track on warm days.

I am 33 years old (could be your mom ;) and I live in Canada. But you can live anywhere to do this! Just start at the week one numbers & work up each week. Maybe one of your school friends wants to do it too, its fun to run with someone else.

Also, Nicole, let your mom & dad know you want to get healthier & see if they can help you make better food choices. That's a great way to lose weight too!

senoritakel - Good job starting today! And heck ya, it's long! Doesn't sound long but boy oh boy you can cover a lot of ground hey?

I usually run outside and have been between 39 mins & 44 minutes. But I realized I was a minute or two short of 5k so I'd be right up there with you.

Today on the treadmill I think my time would've been 41 mins. That's with walking 3 and running 2. Not sure why it took just as long. I walked at 3.9-4.0 & ran at 5.0. My hubby did point out that running only 1 mph faster than your walk, won't make that big a difference just cuz we're adding one minute more of running. I guess it would take a little bit of time off, but not much.

I think someone else did 45 minutes too their first time. Check back at the beginning posts. So that's really good! Also if you want to see some numbers to eventually shoot for, check out the virtual 5k run results in the fitness section.

I want to start not looking so much at the watch when I'm running & just go till I'm pooped and see how long it is. If I'm short of 2 mins then I'll keep going but if I go over I'll walk for shorter to make up the 3 mins (make sense? ) so that's a good idea for you. Also, I've ran home early to try to cut my time, like when I should've walked for 3 to take me home, I ran to cut my time by a minute.

Oh thanks for posting in my journal too! You're welcome for starting this! I think it's gonna be fun fun fun!!

buttonsxandxbows - Good job starting, I think there's new people starting all the time, so you're not alone. The good thing about running is you can do it anywhere! Maybe where you're staying there's a treadmill, but mind you, you'll probably be so exhausted from having fun to run! Have fun! & you can catch up when you get back too!

morphineous - you still with us??

Alright everyone, keep it up!! Soon we'll be runnin' the whole thing!! hooray!

Dee

haha yeah Im still with ya. I seemed to have tweaked my ankle on that first run and when I attempted to run yesterday it hurt pretty bad, I did do 3 miles, but I'm afraid I did more walking than running.

My friends and I are hitch-hiking in Morocco, so we won't be in the same place for too long at a time!!



I just finished my run, it's 20 past 11 in the morning over here. I had fun!! But I found I needed loads of water otherwise I felt a bit dizzy... erk. I was walking at 6.5 and running at 9. I only had time to do half of the 5k though. It took me 20minutes.



Next run is Wednesday!!

I'm feeling pretty happy today after my run yesterday! Icing my knee also kept me from having knee pain today, I think! RICE is totally the way, Morphineous, rest, ice, compression and elevation! Get better soon :)

I also think I convinced a good friend to run the 5K with me on Cinco de Mayo. She's already a runner but the kind of friend who would keep my slow place to keep me company :) She's out of town for a while now but when she comes back I'll hopefully be running 7 walking 2 and she can run with me!

I really feel like running again today. I have to admit, I kind of want to do it every day because I feel so accomplished when I'm done, but I have to take it easy and not kill my knees (I think I mentioned I try to run about once a year and kill me knees and have to stop). This plan is slow and easy and I'm trying to stay off of cement so I think it might work out for me! *fingers crossed*

I've also inspired my roommate to excercise more :) At first she looked at me with narrowed eyes: "You? Going to the gym?" but now she comes with me or goes to the gym when I run outside! (and Dee, yes my lungs hurt and my nose got all runny but it wasn't too bad - I have decent lungs - I think the real killer were my numb thighs and face when I was running into the wind!)

Good job Buttons! The first run was so fun for me too! It made me realize I can really do this if I take it one step at a time! And be careful hitching - it's safer in other countries, just be sure you don't get separated (i.e. two cars stop and split the group, etc). But you probably know all that. I've had some itneresting travel experiences in Africa including bailing out of moving car once in a marketplace in Cameroon! So I tend to be more wary :)

Good luck Dee! Sounds like you really have a great pace going on there! You're fast! I bet I'd have to take three steps with my little legs to keep up with you :)

YAY US!

morphineous - glad you're still with us. I told another recent ex-smoker about the group & she may join. Hope your ankle gets better fast. Good for you for still doing it!! It doesn't matter if you walked more than run (well we are all doing that right now anyway!). Listen to your body (ankle) & don't push it so you can't walk or anything k?

buttons - Wow!! 20 minutes! That's nutso! Great job! You walk super fast & run even faster - good for you!!!

punky - I totally know exactly what you feel like wanting to run more. I want to do it more tooo! They did tell me that we could do it up to 5x a week. I did 4 last week. Soooo maybe I'll do 5 this week. Glad your knee is better. You too better listed to your bod & keep your knee in check so you can keep this up. Do you have a knee brace or tensor? That might help.

When is Cinco de Mayo? That's great that you found a 5k already & what a great friend to do it with you even if she'll be slower than normal. With you being up to 7 at the time though, it won't be too slow that's for sure! Good luck!!!

My thighs get cold fast too! I'm glad I didn't run outside yesterday. I don't know why though, you'd think with all the fat still on mine they'd be insulated! lol!

Well, all this talking about running makes me want to do it again, right now!!! Oh that's it! I will do it right now!! It's cold outside again so I'll hop on the treadmill & forget the stupid emergency clip & see what my time really is. Here I go!

Ok, I'm starting to think it's gonna take a lot to shave any time off of a 5K.

I just finished my second 2 minute run. I walked at 4.3 mph & ran at 5.3 mph and my time was still 40:10. I don't get it. I thought cuz I did it faster, I might come in below 40.

Oh well, I guess I just have to get stronger to go even faster! I can't imagine doing this under 25 mins!!! Kudos to all who can! I feel soooo great right now I love it!

Dee

Dee, just imagine how great you'll do running the whole thing! We still have 6+ weeks to go. We haven't even started being able to run a full mile or two! Once we can run for that I'm sure we can start running faster and better.

For me, I just want to be able to jog/run the whole thing. Speed isn't my big motivator, actually being able to run, not walk, three miles is!

Cinco de Mayo is the 6th of May (cinco means 5 and mayo means may in spanish - it's a mexican holiday - but the celebration is on the 6th). My friend will be back before then (probably around my 7 minutes of heaven week - haha) and we'll train together from there. I should be just about finished with this plan by then and running at least the 18 minutes 30 sec 18 minutes! I hope I hope I hope!

I feel like the Little Engine That Could: I think i can i think i can i think i can i think i can...

Tomorrow morning is run #2 of week 2! Wish me luck! I'm going to have a light dinner in preparation (heeding Obelix's advice) :)

Hey guys I have a question...

So im trying to plot an outside course so i know how far to run too.. For christmas my mpm got me this walkers trainer set and in it is a step counter but it says it also calculates distance! Now I did it, and i mean i dont know what a mile looks like but i cant tell if its being accurate.. Anyone else calculate theres like this? Any other sugestions.. part of it is on a path so i cant use my car :-/ Le tme know how u guys did it .I want to do it outside because i hope to run in a 5 K someday... and i know the treadmill and the road are really different...

Thanx.... day 2 tomorrow!!

Thanks Punky! I know just being able to do it is a great leap for now. It's weird, I'm not normally very competitive, but for some reason, I'm really competitive with myself on this running thing. I guess I really want to be able to just run the whole thing NOW! I guess that may not be competition but moreso lack of patience ;)

Good luck with Week 2 #2!

senoritakel - Oh darn, someone emailed me a link to a site where you can plot out a route anywhere in the world (i think) . I'll have to see if I can find it again. & let you know. Depending on the little unit you have, they can be very accurate or very not-accurate. That helps hey??

Obelix has told me in pm about these neat watches with built in gps so you know exactly how far you're going. THey're like $200-300 but it might be something to look at if we're getting serious aobut running.

Dee

found one, actually gemma posted this on page one

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/

thanx deejb! Wow I have to runlonger then all the way around my campus.. eek! wish me luck.. its snowing so tomorrow i will be on the treadmill hopefully thurs or the next weeks run will be outside!!!

Senorita - I also strongly suggest finding a running store near you -- they usually masquerade as shoe stores ;) They usually have guides to local trails, distances, etc. The college campus near me also has a bunch of trails from 1 mile to 6 miles long on the athletics website for local runners.

Good luck and stay warm! I'm a big fan of the ear muffs. :)

Wow - who knew going form 1 minute runs to two would be so hard? But I did it - again. I ran indoors this time as it was waaay too cold to run outside (she says, as two hardcore runners run by outside her window - but it IS three hours later in the day!).

It was still hard, I have no idea my distance, I just ran for the same 43 minutes I had on my iTunes mix I used for the last run (that was the perfect length of time for the 3-mile hilly loop). The track is small and I just can't bother to count 30 laps! I try but get lost after 6 or 7 ;)

Anyway, I feel pretty durn good. No icing this time. I stretched for about 10 minutes afterwards which felt GREAT as well. Whipped out some of my old yoga poses to really open my hips :) Scandalized some of the older walkers on the track, methinks ;)

I think I will really have to push it this week - maybe to 4 or 5 runs instead of 3 as this run was no easier than the last and I can't imagine amping it up again after just one more run!

How is everyone else doing?

Anyone thinking of buying themselves rewards for making it past 4 weeks like me? I think I'll get an iPod nano with armband so I don't have to lug around my gigantic iPod (first model made and still ticking!)

I just realized that I ran 3 days in a row. Usually its sun/tues/thurs/sat. So I think I'll do wed/friday this week & try to get one in before we leave on saturday too. (so that would be sun/mon/wed/fri/sat).

I think I will need to do more than 3 also punky, cuz I just can't see me being ready for some of those weeks that go up by 2, 3 or 4! ahhh! I'll shoot for 4 for sure each week and maybe 5 on the weeks that go up by a bunch.

I haven't thought about a reward until Obelix brought up that cool watch. But I think I'm gonna make sure I really want to run forever b4 shelling out $2-300 on a watch.

I will, however, be needing new shoes soon. So that's kind of a reward :)

I think I might join you folks. I've been thinking about entering a 5k at the Birmingham Zoo (proceeds go toward elephant conservation), and it's 8 weeks from this past weekend. That puts me behind the curve a bit, but I've walked 5k on the treadmill a couple times, so I think I can do it.

It'll stink to train on the treadmill, but I think that's what I'm gonna do for the time being. I don't have a good stopwatch, but the treadmills at the Y have timers... and a built-in 5k program. Unfortunately, I'll have to hit the speed up and speed down buttons all the time.

The indoor track at the Y would be an option, but I'd have to count 53 laps (17 per mile). I've also mapped out a loop of road near my house that's almost precisely right to do three laps and have a 5k route. But I'd need to get a watch, or make up an iPod playlist (where the heck do you find enough 1 minute songs?).

shavenyak - perfect timing cuz the program's 8 weeks long. So that'll work out just great for you, you'll be able to run for quite a while by then!

Ya it does suck to have to push the speed buttons up on the treadmill, but it's not too bad.

I just use my digital watch. A cheapie I got a long time ago cuz it was pink. You can get digital watches for real cheap, and most of them have a stop watch feature.

Good luck & let us know how you do!!

Hey guys i am a little bummed. So i did the treadmill again today.. and i was doin really well til the 2.5 mile mark and I started feeeling so sick!! I feel bad i couldn't finsih the whole thing and i had to stop!!! But I think i just need to work out before I eat in the morning to prevent this.... I'll get back on track thursday! Promise!

good job guys!