Learn to Run - Who wants to do this with me??
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
Shannon - Week three can look a bit scary, but it's easy isn't it? the first bit might be hard work, but it gets easier. I remember week three, and at the end I was like OH MY!!!! I JUST RAN THREE MINUTES WITHOUT STOPPING!!
I went around and told everybody. I time myself on my phone, it has a stop watch on, and from the moment I get out of my gate, I press that, and then I can see how much I have done.
47 minutes is a fine time! It's good that you won't rush yourself, you wont get injured then.
Jayne (Alice) - you had better report if you do your next run today!!!
So, my intention was to run 7, and then 8, and then 7. I started, first six minutes were hell, but then I eased back into it. Did my first seven minytes and started my 2 min walk, then ran the 8 - wasn't that hard at all. After my 2 minute walk, I started running again, aiming for 7 - I did 10!!!
I didn't want to stop!
My time was 32:49 - which I can live with!
I shall be running again tomoz! So, I'll let you all know how that goes!
So I saw this thread on Friday and thought it was a great idea. I even convinced my husband to give it a try! Yay! This morning at 9:20am we were both ready, and walked out the door ready to give it a try.
.......
And it was POURING out!!! 
So anyways, we went to do it anyways, and I felt great until I actually had to start running (lol). It took us until 10:00am to finish (is 40 minutes for the first time any good??), and by the end of it the running was getting a little bit easier, so I'm pretty motivated! My husband thought it was too easy though. He plays basketball so he has great cardio health (though he does need to lose some body fat, time to start lifting!). He wasn't even out of breath, and was way ahead of me when we ran (he's 6'1, I'm 5'1). But I have a feeling he'll stick it out for me until it gets challenging.
My only problem was that I kept getting a really bad cramp on my right side. I drank water and ate 70cals an hour before we went out, so it couldn't have been dehydration. Does this usually go away the more you run?
Anyways... this marks my first day to many on our mission to running a full 5k without walking! I'll be posting here everytime I run until its complete :)
Hiya Alex, 40 mins is a great time for your first run!!!
welcome to the thread, we look forward to see how you do!!!!
wish i could do it in 40 mins!!!!
as for the stitch did you eat before you went out? I have to leave it liek an hour or I get bad stitch in my side.
on a side note I wonder why they call it a stitch....
I'm off to the gym at 6... I think... I want a better time than 75 mins so I'm going to up my running speed to like RUNNING for a few times as much as I can... meh, we'll see how I feel.
Jayne (alice) - You'll get there. How fast are you running? Just keep to the program, your time will get better as you go along! walk 3, run 1 - it'll be over before you know it!!
Try and make sure you're walking pretty fast too on your walks, that might help your time. Just don't over do it.
Can't wait to see how you've done!
Alex, yeah, on the stictch. If I eat anything 2 hours before I run, I get massive stitch. Horrible. Try giving yourself 1-2 hours before your run.
Run tommoz... walk2, run8, walk2, run9 - That should kick my ass! LOL.
I'm walking at about 4.5 and running at 8 now. I did it in an hour so I knocked 15 mins off which I will try to speed up next time!
although I got HUGE shin splints and they're a bit swollen today so I'm having a rest day I will probably walk to the doctors and back to pick mums prescription up like i said I would and hang some washing out but that is as far as any exercise goes today! hahaha. I'll try again tomorrow. if I run through this I'll hurt myself.
happy with my progress so far though because the last tiem I did 5K was at Race for life and I did it in 1hr 40mins walking it... so I've improved.
how is everyone else doing?
Rest those shins. I got them too at first. Just rest 'em :D
Did you warm up and stretch after? A good long stretch?
Run again today! I will let you all know how it goes!!!!!
yes I stretched lots but I think it's becuase I ran two days in a row for that amount of distance... don't think I'm used to it yet so having a day inbetween now.
hope your run goes well!!! I'm sure it will! :D
Yeah, take a day rest inbetween! :)
Thats what I did starting out. When you're fine with the distance, you can up it!
So. walk2, run8, walk2, run9 Turned into this
walk 2, run 8, walk 2, run 9, walk 2, run 9. Yeah, and by then I was home!!!!
So, 32 minutes DEAD ON which I'm very pleased with!
I will run again tomoz, and then thats my lot until Friday!
I think I could probably do the 10 minute, but, tommorow is run 9 minutes anyway, so, we'll see how it goes from there!
Did my run again today.
So, I started out, and then when 9 minutes came, I just carried on, half to see how far I can go without stopping!
I did 17 minutes, I was amazed!
So, walk 2, run 17, walk 2, run 9 and I was home. All in 30 minutes! YEY!!!
WELL DONE LOZ!!!
I'm proud of you! you're not far off running the whole thing!!!
my shins have gone down so I'm going to do my run today. :) hoping to improve my time but don't want to injure my shins again so I'll see how I go.
frustration is setting in because I was doing so well and feel like I'm doing crap at the moment but everything has been all over the place including my eating so I'm trying to get eveything back on track.
Jay, it happens.
Just back back on the wagon, haha!
So yeah, No more run until Friday. I'm supposed to be on week 6, but, I don't know if I should jump to week 7? Arghh. I probably shouldn't!
At least I know I can run for 17 minutes, that's just cool. :D
Yay! I just did my second run around this beautiful park in 38 minutes, and though I'm still dying (still out of breath) - the one minute runs are getting easier. My legs must be made of steel, because they aren't sore the least bit. My inner thigh muscles burn, but its a good burn. Thank you Alice and Lozzle on the advice about the stitch, it was still there but felt much better because I didn't eat before hand! So I'm thinking of running tomorrow (it *should* be my off day*) so that I can be ready for next week, I just don't know if that would be hurting myself. Everything is fine except for my chest when I run (it gets tight) so I figure the more I run the easier it will get.
Lozzle, Congrats!! I can't even imagine running 3 minutes, yet alone 17. That is a HUGE inspiration to me.
Alice, I remember when I had shin splints, I took pain relievers before I exercised. I ended up not being able to walk up and down stairs for months because of it! Make sure you listen to your body, if your shins hurt at all that means they're not healed. And don't be so hard on yourself, it takes a while to form a habit - you're doing great!
Hi, I'm new to this site and came across this thread by chance. I figured I would give it a shot. I'm not athletic, I hate exercise, but I'm always so envious of other runners I see sweating their tails off outside. Did my first run on my treadmill on Wednesday. 3 minutes walking at 3.5 and 1 minute jogging at 5.0. Don't know if those are the right numbers, but I couldn't have gone any faster than that. Yesterday my hips and lower back were sore, but they don't feel so bad today. After work, I'm buying myself a pair of running shoes. I'm determined to stay motiviated. I had my second child 9 months ago, and now i'm ready to get in shape. I'm 30 pounds heavier than my normal weight (though for my weight and height, i'm probably only 10 pounds overweight). I just can't believe I allowed myself to get to this!! Going for my second run this evening (on my treadmill) after I put the baby to bed. I can't imagine being able to meet the 2nd weeks goals, let alone the 8th weeks goals. Hoping to eventually become brave enough to do the run outside!!
mspadaccino, that's great! I'm new too, so we can get going together. I've always envied the runners too, especially when they talked about the "runners high" that came along with it. I had my kid a year and a half ago, so I can totally relate. I was 50lbs heavier after it was all said and done! Make sure you're lifting weights if you want to lose weight while running. Running eats away at muscle tissue for energy sometimes, so in order to keep the muscle you have, use it! (the more muscle you have, the more they burn through calories!) haha.. good luck!
Alex - 38 minutes. That is a good time. You must run and walk fast! I'm glad to hear that you felt good.
Sicknes - it's good to see you are so motivated. Keep it up!
Mspadaccino - it really gets easier as you progress, that is why we don't start on week 8. It's funny how hard something looks until we try it, and if we are ready for it, then it isn't so bad. Good luck, keep us posted.
I did my second run of week three today. I was a lot stronger then I thought I would be. At the end I could have kept running, so I know I need to push myself more. My time was 45 minutes, so I'm getting there.
Thanks to all who are posting. It's great to see how everyone is doing.
~Shannon
alexxandra, thanks for the advice. Lifting weights...I don't like that at all but what you say makes sense. Any weight lifting routine you follow?
Shanfood, thanks! I think that because my husband is sooo much faster than me, I push myself harder so that I won't be so far behind when the 1 minute is up. Lol!
mspadaccino ~ Well mine might be kind of extreme, I also play basketball so I'm trying to gain muscle. I actually am eating over my mantaince calories right now. For weight loss your calories would be at a deficit, so when you lift it would only maintain.
The easiest way to maintain muscle is probably using the machines (though free weights usually leads to less injury, and is more fun). Make sure you lift heavy weights, and low reps. You should probably be "maxing out" at about 6-8 reps (to the point where you just cannot do another rep). Then take a break, and do it one more time. You're muscles will be sore at first - when you lift weights you are literally ripping your muscle fibers so that your body can rebuild them (thus maintaining them) so make sure you have protein and carbs within an hour of the lift to aide with recovery (i drink a glass of milk and a nutrigrain). Oh, and mix it up! Do your arms and back one day, and your legs and shoulders another.
Because you're running, lifting two times a week should be fine (especially because your muscles really are sore when you first start out). Just make sure to lift on off days, and only work on your legs when you're not running the next day (if your legs muscles are sore after running, then I would count that as resistance training. Once they stop hurting, that would be the time to start using the machines for your legs). It might seem complicated at first, but it really isn't that time consuming. It takes 20mins when I go to the gym, and if I can't make it I do something quick at home (push ups, pilate moves I know). Any resistance you put on your muscles will be great for you and your weight loss plan! :)
Hope that helped! There's a whole bunch of information on the fitness forum that goes into detail too!
alex - thanks for your words on weights. I need to start that too.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
~Shannon
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