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!!!!

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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

Ok, just did 4.1 miles!!! yay!!!!! First time ever. Felt great & after I reached the 3.1 point, it seemed to get easier & I think I could have gone longer for sure.

I just calculated how far 8K is and it's 4.97 miles. Had I known that I may have tried for 8K. I think that might be a nice comfortable run time.

did my Independence Day 5K in 33:55 not my best time, but after taking a week off, I'm not disappointed either. Its still a really tough run for me, but I'm hoping by the end of summer I can say "oh a 5k? Yeah, I can run that no problem." and really mean it. lol. Right now I'm still getting about 20 minutes into it thinking I may not make it. But, the first 15 minutes are actually pretty easy now, and every run I make it a little further before the doubt starts setting in... but somehow I always push through (well, all but one time :-P )

Congrats Zarelha Thats a mighty fine starter time, nothing to be ashamed of. Oh, and I bet you did better than that, since you likely slowed a bit in the last .5 you didn't mean to do. Freaking awesome job :)

Dee - Yay 4.1! You'll be doing 8 k in no time (I expect within a week or 2 :-P

Dee: I've updated the tips to include shoe lace + breathing + diet. Thanks for the reference in the original post. The list is pretty long and including whole of it in the post would itself scare away new ppl :).

4.1 miles - woo hoo !!

zarelha : Congrats !! Great job running 3.5 miles ! See the podcasts in a way helped you run more than 5K with the same amt of training. You can soon join Dee and go for 8K

sarah: never mind (i am still faster :P :P ) about the time. It's a really good time considering the week's gap.

night: You have a great vacation !

jillithan: I like cheat days. Honestly i don't care about the scale. I am at 173 lbs from a month and i am ok as i m eating better (i am not doing calorie deficit but like 2000 healthy calories) and feeling a little better too.

Sadly, I didn't run today, rather couldnt. My legs are still sore from the strength training on Monday (yes, i overdid it). I HAVE to get a run in tomorrow to prepare for the Sat 5K.

Congrats everyone who got the ID virtual 5K run in. And good luck all.

Great going everyone on your virtual 5K's!  I'm sure I could have done faster than 33:32 if I lived somewhere flat instead of the side of some mountains (or if I did it at the university track).

Dee, see I told you that you'd be able to do the 4miles :)


Yesterday I found out there's a 5K in Anniston early next month.  So I'm going to train for it which still means upping my speed.   I know placing in the top 3 is pretty much impossible... but if I could place amongst my age group (30->35) then I'd atleast get a trophy.  I know that too is probably a long shot but it's a nice goal to have in running.  And nicely not needing a water break anytime during a run like that would have to work to my benefit.

So I'm shifting gears a bit with a real goal in mind :)

....

Gotta go get some sleep then get on the road in the AM.  Later!

Thanks sarah, inci & night- I appreciate you cheering me on!!!

Should be fun to try the 4.97mi/8k!!

My watch shoudl be in tomrorow, can't wait!!!

Our little town has a 5K during it's "Settler Days". I'm gonna do that one. Hope they splurge & get us tshirts too! ;)

inci- great updating that. Do you like where I mentioned it in the original post? Shoudl I put it somewhere else, like higher up? what do you think?

night - good luck trainig for the 5K next month. You'll do well I'm sure, hope you get a trophy!!

Dee

So yeah, I skipped weeks 1-2 and started at week 3. Bad idea I guess...I ended up with shin splints.  I spoke to the fitness instructer and he said I should not be running!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He says that people over 70kilos will only injure themselves. He also said people over 40 should not run either.

  A N D he said that when you run your body stores fat and burns muscle!  Okay...I am an RN...stateside...but I am over seas atm...this guy has got to have gone mad or the language barrier was real broken...Anyone have 2cents they want to throw into the well?

 I am going to research the effects of running on the body...but uhm, I really can not see how his statements can be true. I do not think I have ever seen a fat runner><

Cata~

I just did a really hard and intense run inside on my treadmill. I got my new one about a week ago and I am soooooooo glad because the temp here has been in the triple digits for the last 3 days.  If I want to run it has to be inside or after it is dark.  (I like running when it is dark but my kids don't)

Anyways, my new treadmill has programs on it and there is one that is entirely between 4% and 6.5% grade.  It is a walking program so I up the speed to whatever I can handle and just let the incline go where it will.  I managed to do 5K in a little under 33 mins despite the average 5% incline and now I am a sweaty mess.  I like the treadmill programs because they kinda force me to push myself unless I want to reach up and push the wuss out button.

catalizt:  The fitness instructor is full of BS if I may say so myself.  It is important to ease into running if you have been inactive prior because your body needs to be able to build up to running.  Your joints, ligaments, bones etc. will take longer to adapt than your cardiovascular system so even if you feel like you can do harder at first it is a good idea to take it slow at first.  People who run regularly have greater bone density and a recent study has shown that people that run have less arthritis than those that don't so both of those should be incentive for a 40 yr old woman to run. 

Dee: way to go on the 4.1 miles.  I always find the first 15-20 minutes the hardest and then I feel like I can just keep running forever.  The farthest I have gone yet is 5 miles so I am sure you can do the 8k.  My trick for doing a 5k in under 30 minutes is simply saying I am doing this in under 30 minutes.  It hurts and it is really hard mentally and I think that is why I have only really been able to do it during a race.

Night:  Good luck with the 5k next month.  I find it easier to run with a goal in mind whether it is a race, a monthly mileage goal or just "I'm doing 40 mins today."  Let us know how it goes.

Zarelha:  Way to go on graduation!  You can call yourself a runner now!

nikki: Good job on sticking with it!  In a few weeks we will see you on the graduation list also!

bignate:  I have heard humidity can be a real killer.  We have dry heat here, relative humidity of 20% or lower during the day in the summer.  I greatly dislike running in anything over 90 degrees.

inci:  Focusing on the exhale really works for me but the professionally recommended way to breath while running is in 3/2 or 2/1 ratios.  Inhale 3 steps/exhale 2 and if you are really working inhale 2 steps/exhale 1.  This is because you will exhale on a different foot each time and less likely to cause injury.  I have read this in both Runner's World magazine and in "The Complete Book of Running" by Claire Kowalchik.  Just an idea for your tips post.

Is it too late to join...? Well, I'm taking initiative and doing this regardless. Thanks for the first post! :)

zaiitz3- It's never too late to start!!! Welcome, let us know how you do!!! Good luck!

pozesara - girl you are a running machine!! way to go. I'm not brave enough to try the programs on my tm right now. Sheesh, I put the incline at 0 when I'm running! lol! good for you!Thanks for the sub 30 tip!!

catalizt- interesting info. Let us know if you can find more out. I think the running after 40 is kinda bs. I'm almost 34 & I can't see myself not running after I hit 40.

Next run for me: Friday :)

Dee : I think the tips are just fine wherever they are. I have a request. Can you please change 'provided by inci_vinci' to 'compiled by inci_vinci' . That would rightly indicate i am just the guy who's compiled the tips. Besides, u can even remove my name from it.

pozesara: I will add this new knowledge byte to the tips and remove the exhaling trick.

Temperature in 3 digits !! stepping out of the house must be like opening the door of a furnace. It's raining here for last couple of days and as a result it's far better but the air is densly humid.

Nice run there on the treadmill. I am little scared of trying the programs on the tm.

Night: Wish you the best !! It would feel so proud to read you winning a trophy. Go for it !!!!!! 

Welcome to new members.

i did my first run today!!! gonna do 2 more this week and then start the second stage next week... it went well and i felt the build up and how i can improve if i stick to the programme.

I am gonna be using the treadmill too but using 10 minute segments for half an hour 2 which are running at my target heart rate and 1 which is walking on a slight incline.

My sprain was absolutely fine and i know if i keep looking after it and stretching well it will be all good!!! thanks for putting this plan up!

I am going to give this a try :) do we post as of to when we make it or dont etc?

Everything I have read...suggests that running is HARD on the joins...however, it also says that people that run have less arthritic problems .  I am almost 35yrs young...I am going to try this running again when my shins heal and start at week 1.

   The entire hold fat burn muscle thing...I could not find anything as of yet that suggested such a thing. I did find where it stated that running burns fat as fuel..and lowers blood pressure and cholestrol....your leg joints suffer 3-4 times your weight in stress though...... /shrug dunno I think the guy is coo coo.

cata~

i ran my first official 5K today in 30.46 mins at East Berlin, PA. Man that was tough !! I normally run on treadmill and this race was apleny in uphills and turns, which must be the case in any 5K.

This week had been tough in office, lots of work and little sleep. Besides i cudn't get a single run in this week.

But I am overwhelmingly happy now !! No wonder running is such a stress buster. Soon after the race i learnt the winners normally clock it in or about 15 mins (holy cow !!!! 15 mins/5K = 3min per KM = 5 min per mile = 12 mph !! u kidding me :) ).

Catalizt : The long and short of 'what burns fat or muscle' is this. As you run, ur heart rate zooms and ur oxygen demand goes up. Body needs to burn something and it has fat + glycogen + amino acids. Fats are less effecient fuels (that is they give u more calories per gram but they can't be burnt quickly to supply the sudden spikes of energy). At low heart rates, body can burn fat as it can afford to lose time at not-so-high heart rate. As you run longer and faster, ur demand shoots up and then body shifts to glycogen. It can give quick chunks of energy. The body may also burn some fat while burning glycogen but primarily the glyc. You still continue running, it may happen that the body can turn to amino acids which are building block of muscles and this is where the muscle burning this comes from.
The beauty of this 'learn to run' pgm is it builds you slowly. Your heart rate won't shoot up so high in the later runs when u run 15-20 mins at a stretch if you follow this pgm. It'a good idea to have an HRM to avoid going into 'danger zone' (the 220 - age calculation doesnt work for many, but you dont worry about it. Just listen to ur HRM and do what it says).

If you want to preserve muscle, DONT RUN TOO OFTEN in a week. AND do strength training at least twice a week to let body know that you need muscle there, they are not to be expended to fuel my run. There is no general rule on 'how much strength trg i should do'  and 'how much cardio it takes to burn the muscle'. Everybody is diferent and things can go a little here n there. From what 'tgpish' had mentioned, don't do cardio more than 90 mins per week if you are 'building muscles'. A little more is fine if u just want to 'preserve' muscles. Running 3 times a week should be fine. And DO strength train.

The best way is to monitor ur BMI - how much % of fat & lean mass u have now and lets say after a week (of running 3 days a week) check the % change in both and you'd know it yourself !

Haven't ran since my 4 miler, but I think I might today. It's my birthday so what a better day to try out my new birthday gift (my GPS watch!)

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inci- I changed the wording, is it ok now?
Way to go on the first official 5K!!!!! Holy crap on the winners doing it in 15 mins! Must be a piece of cake to them!!

emskirooni - congrats on your first run!!!

catalizt- thanks for more info. I think it can good so long as you dont' have aches or pains. I think if I ever develop knee pain or somethign liek that, I'd quit for sure & just stick to walking.

Wish you many Happy Returns, Dee  and good luck for ur first run with GPS watch (that's an awesome b'day buy).

(edited 3.16 pm) ) Dee, thnx for the changes. Yep everything looks fine (there is a typo but that's ok).

Catalizt: Something i forgot to add: Yes, running is hard, much harder than power walking and walking on inclines on treadmill. It's difficult and that's what makes it FUN. It's severe on the joints and that's why your body needs conditioning before it can plunge into longer and faster runs (and that's why there is 'learn to run' to take one step at a time !! :-) ) . Good luck !!

First Official 5K!  First official Accuchip time!  And I was right at the same time as I had timed myself (but I added 10 seconds by coming into the finish line the opposite, long way - oops!).  So, first Accuchip time:  40:04.  I'm calling it 39:54.

This was a small "fun run" for the local Roadrunners club, most of which are training for a Marathon, so it was a little intimidating.  But I accomplished my goal - finish, don't be last, and don't walk at all.  Slow and steady. 

It was funny because it was a loop you had to do 3 times ... so the winners (avg. time 17 minutes) breezed by me twice on the loop!  :)  But hey ... it was still fun.  I posted my "runner" picture!

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEE! (for real this time). Glad you got your watch today!!!  I do believe I'll join you in going for the 8K, then go for 10K.  I am figuring out that I am more a distance runner than a speed runner.  I would like to get my 5K time under 30:00 in time (or at least 35:00), so I'll need a plan that can accomplish both.

Welcome emskirooni, zaiitz3, amanda85. 

inci_vinci - Congrats on your first "official" 5K!  It is fun, huh?  Thanks for the articles for jillithan ... they apply to me as well!  Also thanks for the info for catalizt. I have to get my BMI checked "officially" because I have a tough time getting a "real" reading on myself with calipers, and I know my BMI scale reading is ridiculously high. 

sarah_11235 - thanks for the comment on my time. It actually gave me the "oomph" to go ahead with the "real" 5K, no matter what and get an "Accuchip" time to use as a base.

catalizt - ummm ... I'm 42!  And I LOVE this running thing. My body has not fallen apart. I don't have knee problems; my back problems have gone by the wayside (I've also added weight training and core which helps).  AND I'm losing that hard-to-lose fat all over my legs (I'm a pear shape, so anything that gets rid of that I am very excited about).  Nothing else has actually given me the leg tone I am getting ... and it's only been a few weeks.  Of course, starting slow is smart - I hurt my tendon my 2nd week due to overzealous behavior. But since it healed, I've had no other issues.

pozesara - if I had a TM like yours, I might even enjoy it on days I can't run outside. :)

Congrats to everyone who did the 5K this week!  And keep it up for all the newbies.  You won't believe how fast time goes and how soon you'll be doing your first!

Keep it up and have fun, everyone!

Hi all,
    I did my third run of the week yesterday at my second best time yet.  30:25.  Yes that's right!  I felt pretty good about it.  I really liked this week because it was more running and it felt like less walking, but I guess that's just because there is 5 minutes in between running.  I probably would have been in the 31 minutes category, but on my last lap around the track I just kicked it up a notch.  I don't know where it came from.  I don't where it came from but I just saw it as the will of God to allow my body to move that fast.  There was a moment when I was going into my last stretch and the sweat was pouring off of the top of my forehead and gave me a burning sensation in my eye making me feel like I was crying for a brief instant where I just said, "Push it!"  I looked down at my time and I just hit 30 minutes.  The last stretch around the bend I have to admit I was out of gas, and out of breath, but I kept going all the way to the end.  When I stopped and looked at the time I cried out Yes!  I did it.  Then of course I stretched and felt fine. 

The greatest achievement I felt yesterday wasn't the time.  It was getting out early enough to see the 11 turkeys waiting for me by the track.  One actually flew over the chain link fence and was running in my same lane with me. Lol!  He flew away of course when he seen me coming.

Dee:  I'm just an undergrad student right now.  My body is really getting use to the running.  All my life I have always wondered if I could do this, and when I saw this challenge I was like is this the chance I have been waiting for?  Can it really be now that I pick up the shoes and start running?  Looks like the answer was yes.  Keep rooting for me.

Pozesara: Yeah I can't run when it's hot and humid.  Today it's in the top 90's and I am like whatever I am not going running today maybe tonight, but I don't think I could have woken up early enough to beat the heat. The 4% and 6.5% grade is that incline you are talking about on your tread mill.  Those are pretty tough to run up for long periods of time.  If you can do that you should like be a running back in the nfl.

Much Peace, Nate

zarelha: Yep it was awesome !!. It cud have been a little better had i not got late (30 miles drive).  I had to run from parking lot to first get my tag and from there to starting point and i just made it in time before the race started.

Congrats on your first real 5K race. See we did ours on the same day (we were running buddies!!). Nice pic too.

Oh so you too are stuck on scale ? I stay away from it as much as i can. And You are most welcome !!

Post race, i had a few words with a seasoned distance runner, who used to race almost every weekend and has many marathons under his belt. Per him, very few people run in the 40-50 age group so u cud even bag a prize (yay !). He said the most competitive group is 30-40, it consists of many strong runners, and the winners normally fall in this age range. I was thinking it's 20-30 group but he rightly pointed out that many ppl start families in that age and they hardly get time for fitness.

bignate: Even with the walk part you finish ur run incredibly fast. Great going !

So, I'm now finished with the program. Although I am cotinuing it at my own pace. I finished on Thursday night. I decided to skip the 30 second break, and ended up running for 36 minutes straight. It was amazing! Now I'm going to keep working my way on up.