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

Had to start my week 1 over again because i went on vacation! I ran yesterday, and it went way smoother than my first run a week ago. I'd like to run again today because I'm not feeling sore and yesterday was so easy. Bad idea?

Guys, you're all doing brillaint.

So.. went swimming yesterday, so no run, BUT, I will have my run later on today.

Week 6, I shall stick to it... no running 17 minutes, LOL. It should be okay, will let you all know how it goes and whatnot.

I've got abs and upper-body to do too, so, yeah... will kick up a sweat, hahaha.

adelephant - if you feel fine running then run, but then make sure tomoz is a rest day!

Right, so, did week 6. walk 2, run 10... not too bad at all!

30:47 seconds, so... quite good there too!

I can't wait til I can do the whole thing running! :D

lozzle- that's so cool. i feel like i'm never gonna get there!

I did my first run of my 2nd week today. It was actually pretty hard. My lungs are still pretty beat up from just quitting smoking a little over a week ago. I finished it anyway. I've only lose a little over a pound so far. Kinda dissapointed a little in that, but I'm still doing my running anyway. 

adelephant - you'll get there. I felt the same way, I tell you, I really did!

Sickness - it's get easier, it was hard for me. It still is, sometimes, but at least you'll get out there and do it and that is what matters!

I have my run today, I will let you all know how it goes! :D

I decided to do a weekly mile run to help me gauge my fitness level improving. So on one of my days off each week, i'll run one mile and time myself. Today, the first mile--11 minutes 27 seconds. That shouldn't be hard to improve on for next week. But gah, i remember being able to do a 7minute when i was like...14. Discouraging.

Anyway! I'm still in week 1 and i'm anxious to move on to week 2!!!

How's everyone else doing?

Ran today, still at 41 minutes. I think that's about as fast as i can go with walking 75% of the time. I'm sooooo excited to start week 2. =]

I just finished week 4 today. My time was 41 minutes. I think I may have to do week 4.5 next, I'm not sure I'm ready for week 5. I'm taking tomorrow off so I'll see how I feel Monday. I think a lot of my problem is not getting enough sleep. I go to bed to late. So I am always so tired. I'm going to try to work on that. I am getting better at getting more water in me. I'm not up to my 8 cups yet, but I'm at about 6. I know being hydrated has helped.

Adelephant - you scare me; if you are on week one and I am on week 4 and we are doing it at the same speed...wow...I can't wait to see your time when you are at the end of this program!

Sickns69 - Congrats on quiting smoking. And way to stick with this even though it is hard. I'm excited to see your progress, please keep us posted.

lozzle - Great time! You really are a great motivation for me! It's good to know that some day I can get there! Thank you for all of your words of encouragement for all of us! How did your week finish out?

Good luck to everyone as we keep going!

~Shannon

Started week 2 today, i slept over my sister's last night, so we did it together in the morning. It was way more fun to run with someone, and to have a nice change of atmosphere! She is a far more advanced runner, so the whole thing was probably super easy for her, but she didn't make me feel silly or anything so i was glad.

 

Shanfood- >< i don't even know what to say to that, but that boosts my ego a bit, so thanks! And its probably because i have really long legs.

@people having trouble waking up in the morning

I used to have the same problem... Really bad... I would snooze for an hour or two.. without even really knowing I was doing it, just my subconcious.. Even if I had the alarm at the other side of the room, and even if I had 2 alarms.

However, taking a book from all of these new alarm clocks that wake up up gradually, I decided to try the same (without buying an alarm).

SoI set up an alarm in my computer that works like this:

30 min before I actually want/need to get up, I schedule a task that powers the computer on (btw computer is a laptop that doesn't make much/any noise so I don't notice it powering up). The task starts a music playlist that is played in a certain order... at first there are REALLY easy going "songs" like some relaxation songs for yoga and ****, and it gradually builds up tempo, ending with some techno. Same with volume, I've set it so that at first the volume is next to nothing, but it gradually builds up for 30 minutes when it's at max.

btw i'm a comp sci student so this might be a bit complicated but still wanted to share :)

Anyway, the result is that I actually wake up after a couple of songs, but the alarm doesn't annoy me at all so I don't feel like getting up.. so I just stay in bed for a couple of minutes... and i'm actually pretty concious because i'm not being woken up from REM sleep so after a couple of minutes I usually just grab my laptop (I store it under my bed) and just start up my daily browsing rutine.

So what does that mean? I guess.. that "gradual" alarm clocks might work... :)

Hiya guys!!!

So, everyone is doing really good!!!!!

So, my week has been good. Didn't get all the runs in, but the ones I did were all quite easy!!!!

I think I'm gonna do this week again, shake it up a bit, to help with the 14 min run, and 1 min rest.

I don't think it'll be the run which will kill me, I think it'll be the rest minutes going down!

So, I will run tomoz!

walk 2, run 12 ect
walk 2, run 12, walk 1, run 12
walk 1, run 13 - that should help me out with the next big challenge!

Hey guys, did my walk 2, run 12 - boy, it was tough, but brillaint.

My best time EVER.

28:31

OH MY!!!!

Yeah, after I felt all dizzy and lightheaded but water sorted that out!

Boy, aren't I sweating?

Hope everyone is okay!

 

 deejlb - wow, i saw ur before and after pic and WOW!!!!!!!!!!! way to go!!! I'd love to be able to run, but when I do cardio, its mainly an hr on the eliptical machine.  Sometimes I try to do 30 mins treadmill and 30 mins on eliptical.   The problem that I have with running is that I get that shooting pain on my left side.  I think thread 913 was referring to this - 10. Avoid eating within an hour before run. Also if you have to drink water, drink in small quantity. A stitch in lower rib cage is a sign of food/excessive water before the run (if not anything else). I dont eat before the gym and cant say that I drink that much, at all, and definately not before the work out. Is there anything I should do / NOT do, not to have this pain.  I also run at about 5 m/h which is not even that fast, but I'm pretty much out of breath and in pain in about 5-7 mins tops. Thanks

My best week 2 time has been 39 minutes. Cutting two minutes off of my week 1 time. coool. i'm getting funny sports bra tan lines from running outside.

 

lozzle--congrats on your best time ever!

cosmogirl-hmm...i'm not sure what you could do. maybe talk to a trainer at the gym about it?

 

 

39 minutes is a good time!!!! Well done!!!! adelephant, that was about my time on week 2!

Sosmogirl - try to breathe deeply when you run, and make sure you're doing it. I used to have this problem with horse-riding when I was doing sitting trots (where you don't move up and down, you stay sat as fat down as you can in the saddle) It is very jolty and I found I was breathing, and then not breathing deep enough, and then almost holding my breath. Make sure you're breathing nice and depply or you will get stitch!

Also, when you have it, stop, say you have it in your right hand side, move your right leg over to the side, and up, so your holding onto your knee and twist over to your left. Usually sorts it out, if that doesn't work, try the other side.

That works for me soemtimes.

But yeah, make sure you don't eat, becuase If I run and I have ate soemthign within the past hour/two hour I will get stitch. No matter what.

 

Thanks lozzle.  I def want to be able to run, but this was always my issue.  I'll try this today at the gym :)

I have not started week 5 (or 4.5) yet. I have been sick :(  I do feel better today then I did yesterday, so maybe tomorrow or Thursday. I don't want to take too many days off, but there is no way I could be running the way I feel.

adslephant, great time! I really need to step it up.

lozzle - wow!! I can't wait to be under 30 minutes. I'm so glad you are blazing the trail for me.

I'll let you know when I run again. Maybe I'll just do it as a walk to get moving again.

~Shannon

So I tried to do this at the gym yesterday, but b/c I've been running a little before, I did 3 min walk and 3 min run.

My only question is... at what speed are you walking / running?
My walk is between 3.6-3.8 and running I did at 6 but after the third time, was getting out of breath, so went down to 5. 

Is this too slow? (both walking and running)

Thanks