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

Last week I did not get to run again for many reasons. I really had to talk myself into running today because I didn't sleep well last night. It was a hard run; I was breathing heavy and I could just feel my body want to go back to bed! But I made myself stay on the treadmill until it was over. I did slow things down a bit so I wouldn't completely kill over.

So for week two run three my time was 43.18.

I am taking tomorrow off and will be back again in Wednesday.

Tempting, have you found any time to run yet? Good Luck!!

~Shannon

I made it back to the treadmill today. I slowed it down even more so I knew I could get to the end without dying. I'm not drinking enough water so I knew between being dehydrated and tired that I wouldn't get very far. In the end I should have not gone down so much, becasue I was doing ok. Oh well.

Week two run four: 44.25

The next time I go I'll start week three. I'm not sure if that will be tomorrow or Friday. I'm excited to see how I do.

This sounds like an awesome idea.  i know that i can run a little over a mile without stopping (or i could a few months ago; haven't tried since) so i 'm all for getting through this and running a 5K!!

Starting over, again, because I can't seem to do this more then a couple weeks in a row. So I was at the gym this week and decided to do week two again...

Week two, run one: 43:23

I walked at 3.8 and ran at 5.4 with a 1.0 incline. I ran at the end more then the 2 minutes. I'll see how it goes tomorrow.

Yesterday I didn't have enough time to run 3.21 miles, so I decided to just run. I walked the first three minutes at 3.8 and then ran for 18 minutes. I was impressed that I could go that far. My distance after my cool down was only 1.6 miles. But after being able to do that I decided today to bump up to week three and see how that would go.

Week three, run one: 41:06

I walked the first five minutes, two just didn't seem like enough of a warm up for me. I walked at 3.8 and ran at 5.4, again with a 1.0 incline. The last walking I did hang on to the handles, I was so tired. My breathing and heart were fine, my legs were fine, I was just tired. I don't think I'm going to run again until Monday. Tomorrow if I make it to the gym I want to do weights.

I ran yesterday and again today.

Week three, run two: 41:08

Week three, run three: 41:20

I was tired today. I used the railing alot. I'll take tomorrow off and run again on Thursday.

I did not use the incline at all today. I walked the first 4 minutes and then ran three, walked two from there. I did run extra seconds each time to try to make up for the two minutes of walking that I should have been running in the beginning. At the end I just ran to get it over with. I'm still walking at 3.8 and running at 5.4.

Week three run four: 40:08

I felt good at the end, tired, but still strong. I am excited to see how week four goes. I'm going to try to do it on Saturday.

I did not make it to the gym Saturday. I also figured out that a 5k is 3.1 miles, not 3.21. I'm not sure why I was off, but this whole time I have been running a little bit more. Oh well. So today I ran 3.1 miles. I started week four. It was tough and I wasn't sure I would make it. I did hang on to the rails a bit, but not often and not for long. I didn' use and incline. It makes a difference, but for now just doing it normal is hard enough. I did walk the first four minutes, but in the end when I should have been walking the last minute I kept running. At the end I felt strong, my heart and breathing were good. I was completely out of energy, but it felt good to push myself.

Week four, run one: 37:51

It was a good feeling being under the 40 minute mark. I think I'll do weights tomorrow and run again on Wednesday.

I had a hard time running today. I didn't always run the five minutes. I was tired my legs were sore. I think they are sore from doing weights yesterday. I'm also still not sleeping well. I wake up in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep. I was determined to do it in under 40. I never want to see 40 again.

Week four, run two: 39:31

I'm going to run again tomorrow. Hope I feel better.

I tried to run today, but I couldn't finish. Three minutes into the fourth running set I was too tired to run any more. I walked for a while but knew I just couldn't run. My legs were sore and I just felt tired. I think I may take tomorrow off from the gym and see how things go Friday.

I walked the first four minutes then ran five walked two. At the end I ran six minutes. I was tired, but I felt strong. My legs weren't heavy and my breathing and heart were great. I know if I was more hydrated I would do better. That is one of my goals now, to drink all my daily water!

Week four, run three: 38:01

Wow, I hope I'm ready to move to week five soon.

Hi! I just found this thread and I think it's the perfect thing for me to try right now!  I have a 2.5 yr old and a 14 month old; although I was somewhat fit before my back-to-back pregnancies, I used them as an "excuse" to be lazy and eat all the things I love but know better than to indulge in  :)   I went from about 135 to 195 AFTER my second daughter was born.  I've gotten myself back down to about 148, but I still have a lot of "jiggle" in the midsection  lol   So now I'm working on the last 20 or so (I want to get back to my "skinny" weight)   I obviously have been going to the gym, working on the treadmill and also lifting some weights, but haven't done any kind of organized program with a specific goal, other than weight loss. 

Anyway, I really WANT to be able to do a 5K next spring, so that's my goal. I actually started on the week 1 yesterday. I walked 3.8 and jogged at 5.2 for the first half and 5.5 for the second half.  I finished in 43.25.  That is the most time I've spent on a treadmill, and the furthest I've gone, so even though it wasn't a FAST time, I'm still proud of myself   :)    I wasn't out of breath or "exhausted" like I thought I'd be, so I'm hoping that working up to running (maybe jogging!) the whole time will be easier to do with this gradual, step-by-step program. 

Thanks for posting this "learn to run" thread!  I'm going to learn to run with it, and hopefully lose some more weight and get into better shape   :)     ~Shaina

I went ahead and moved up to week 2. So.... week 2, run 1:  I did the whole thing at 1.0 incline, walking 3.8 for three minutes and jogging 5.5 for 2 minutes and finished in 41 minutes even. 

Yeah, I'm not alone anymore!!

Shaina, I'm glad you are doing this program. I have really liked it. I have started it a few times. I'm hoping to finish it this round. I had three kids in three years, and I totally abused my last pregnancy. I gained 40lbs or more and then I had this 6 and a half pound baby... hmm... I was wondering where the twin was for that kind of weigh gain.

I use this thread as my running journal as much as anything. So if I post a bunch of stuff noone else cares about, sorry. It is a good place for me to keep all my running thoughts and progress together and seperate from everything else.

Saturday I ran. I walked for two minutes then I started over so that my time would only include two minutes of walking for every five minutes of running. I need more then two minutes of warm-up before I start running. I again walked at 3.8 and ran (ok so it's jogging, but for me it's running!) at 5.4. I did not use an incline. I know I need to get back to that, but it really does make a difference and I want to get through this without dying.

Week four, run four: 37:34

I ran again today. I debated on doing week four again with an incline or move on. I deiced to try week 4.5 (run 6 minutes), but my first run felt so good I decided to just jump in to week five. I used the same speeds as always and walked a couple of minutes before starting.

Week five, run one: 36:29.

I was ready to collapse by the end. I wasn't sure I was going to make it. I kept telling myself, just go this much more then you can quit. When I would get there I would do it again. And I made it! Now that it's over I'm glad I did it!

I didn't work out Saturday or Sunday. I feel bad using my kids and husband as an excuse; you have three kids and you ran this weekend!!  Lol   I had two kids in two years, then got an IUD because we had two girls (instead of the planned girl and boy combo  lol ) and I knew my husband would not HESITATE to go for #3 hoping for a boy   :)    I'm DONE being pregnant though!   :)   I too used it as an excuse to eat stuff I normall stay away from and gained a lot of weight. I had lots of junk food around the clock, plus there was a small window of time when I was breastfeeding one kid and pregnant with another, and I ate like a HORSE, plus slept a TON.  After I had the second baby, I weighed 195 lbs, up from 135 before the first pregnancy!!  (My "skinny" weight is even less, about 125, which is what I'm TRYING to get back to.)  I'm doing this running to lose weight too, but mostly because I want to be in good physical condition, you know, able to run and lift weights.... I'm down to about 148 now, so even if I get stuck at 135, I want it to be a HEALTHY, solid 135 instead of the slightly jiggly 135 I was before   LOL  

I'm going to try to make it to the gym this evening, but might be stuck running around the neighborhood. (My husband is out of town, and I'll be lucky to get my parents to watch the girls while I do this.)  

Your times are getting better and better!!  Reading your progress is a great motivation to me   :) 

I ran the next day and surprisingly felt great. My breathing, my heart, my legs all were fine. I was expecting more of a barely making it feeling.

Week five, run two: 36:30

I took a day off and then tried it again. I just could not get through it. At the 2.5 mile mark I decided just to walk. I was a bit surprised that my time was 39 minutes and change. I'm not going to count it. I was going to run today, but it didn't happen. So I guess I'll see how Monday is.

Sorry I have been MIA for forever! I have been recovering from a pretty bad injury...and I hadn't worked out in almost 2 months. While my body still isn't ready to run yet, I finally made it to the gym tonight and did a stationary bike with only moderate pain for a brief portion of my 30  minute session. Hopefully I'll be back to running by the new year! *crosses fingers*

 

It's great to see you're still here shanfood!! :)

I have to say that even though I can still run (thanks to this thread) I have totally failed on the calorie counting end of things.   I can blame my job change, available time (which I used to be able to run during my lunch break), lack of a gym membership (though I rarely ever ran at the gym before anyway), or even my boss who I would give in and go to lunch with (so as not to hurt his feelings).... but the fact is I failed.   I'm facing that now and am getting things back under control.  It's good to see this thread is still around.  This was a big help to me and I hope it continues to help others.   To bad it's not stickied to the top of the forums.

is this still going on? the most recent post i see is from december.. i would love to do this!! I want to run a 5K next may and need somewhere to start as someone who barely exercises.

Sounds easy!
& a great motivation!

starting this one!!
i can't run for crap. >.<