Running Tips-Please!!

I have never been a runner, but I want to start. I can only run in short bursts right now. Any suggestions on how to build stamina? I have never been able to run a mile without stopping, not even as a teenager when I was normal weight. Now, I am overweight and I am trying to get in shape for my health. I can go an hour on the elliptical machine and I can walk for miles, but the running....how do you do it? My goal is to someday do a 5k run. Any suggestions?

Try the Couch to 5K challenge...its a program set up to have you ready to do a 5K in about 10 weeks.  Its worth a try!

When I first started running I had never run a mile nonstop either. But I mappe out a 2 mile route and went. i stopped when i was tired and started Running agian after I had a breather. Eventually my gaps between running and not running got smaller and smaller until i could run the full two miles. Then I started runng past the two mile mark. Way to go and start running. Remeber to have fun.

I also suggest the couch to 5K.  I just finished last week and It is a wonderful feeling to have accomplished that!  I highly recommend it.  Here's the link.


http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.s html

Thank you for your suggestions. I will check out that link. I have never heard of that before, but it sounds promising.

This sounds good, I was after some running tips too- nc do you want to be virtual running buddies?

My suggestion would be to try running and walking in intervals (like 5 min. walking, 5 min running) and then increase the time in your intervals until you are running greater lengths. I was never a great runner until I started last year (at 28 yrs old) and that's how I started.  And now, in the past year and a half, I've participated in seven 5k races! Slow and steady wins the race! Don't push yourself too hard at first. You don't want to risk injury or total burnout.

You can definitely do this! Good luck!

I have run 5 marathons after spending most of my life thinking I hated running. Then I got off the treadmill and realized that running outside is a completely different thing altogether.

I recommend the Galloway method. He's been running for 50 years and his program is great for beginners to seasoned fast paced marathoners and everything in between. You can pick up his book Getting Started. He also has a website and a column on Runner's World website (Runners World has a wealth of knowledge as well.) On RW he recommended the following: Start by walking for 10 minutes. Then insert a 5-to-10-second jog every 1 to 2 minutes of walking. Adjust the amount of jogging according to how you feel. As outlined in the Getting Started schedule, gradually increase the amount of running over the next few months, as works for you. You should only insert jog breaks, every other day.  On the non-jogging days, you can walk.

I also recommend joining your local club and/or taking a running class. A lot of them will train you for a specific upcoming race (from 5k to marathon). It also helps to keep you motivated in a group environment and adds a little socialization to the whole running thing. There is nothing like distraction to keep you putting one foot in front of the other. And there is nothing like peer pressure to keep you showing up for group runs.

You don't indicate your current fitness level but I would go more of the route mdun is suggesting.  Start slowly!  Focus on time and not distance or speed.  A big part of running is strengthening the muscles and connective tissue in your legs.  A couple of years ago, I used a program that started with the walk/jog for 10 weeks that I found in "The Runner's Handbook" by Bob Glover and Jack Shepard.  At the end of 10 weeks, I was able to run for 20 minutes without an issue.

Another great book is "Marathoning for Mortals"  by John "the Penguin" Bingham and coach Jenny Hadfield. Bingham also advocates a walk/jog approach even to a whole marathon. 

I stress again, start slowly!  It's better to take some extra time building up your strength and endurance instead of injuring yourself.

 

Good Luck. 

start out very very slow!!

I never was able to go for more than 1 minute without stopping.. until others on here advised me to go slow. It really does matter!! In the begining it felt very slow -- in fact I was only slightly faster than the ppl that were walking. But as the minutes drag on, you'll feel it. When my heart rate goes faster,  I slow down to a more manageable rate. I find that when you keep ur heart rate at a decent rate, it's very easy to just keep going and going.

I never did the whole interval thing -- seemed too bothersome :-) (im a lazzzy person)..

I definitely recommend the couch to 5k program as well! I'm about halfway through and really enjoying it! It works! Also, I've lost about 7 pounds since starting it (4 weeks ago).

Congratulations on your running desires!! I too just took up running about 2 months ago - and have been progressing well. I (female) weigh 165 at 5'3 at the moment, down from my high of 225 a couple of years ago. I decided to give running a try to work out of the plateau I've been in for a while. I never pictured myself as a runner, but now I love it and do it faithfully every morning- even in the rain yesterday. I am up to 2 miles non-stop (about 30 minutes). I am ready to start pushing myself farther. I started in very very short bursts too - had a lot of difficulty with getting winded and controlling my breathing - here are some tips that worked well for me...

I used to try the interval thing-short bursts of running following by walking etc... I set landmarks as goals to run to - and tried to increase the distance to further landmarks each day- that got old and really left me more depressed if I couldn't reach my new goals. Then - after doing these things something clicked and it all fell into place very quickly-

Running in the morning-in the cool air helps alot. Heat and humidity were a lung killer.

Invest in a good pair of running shoes - and keep them only for running - not everyday wear. Also, good fitting athletic wear - not too tight, not too loose.

Load some upbeat music on a small MP3 player or Ipod and get a pair of small sport earphones. I bought a small $40 Sansa express - it hangs around my neck and tucks into my sport bra - I don't even know it's there. The music gives me a beat to pace myself to and totally takes my mind off my breathing - forces me to breath a little more naturally. If I think about my breathing too much - I tend to hyperventilate! The music is key to controlling my pace and breathing.

I drive to one of two locations that I run - both of which are new level asphalt, about an even 2 mile circuit with very little traffic. Quiet safe areas- one is a public road in a low density neighborhood - the other is an actual walking/biking/jogging path set up by our township. I couldn't/wouldn't dream of running in my own neighborhood of dirt roads and paved roads with steep hills and heavy traffic.

Hope these tips help you like they did me, and good luck on your very healthy choice to take up running!

 Way to go !  I started running 18 months ago . I decided to do this to try to lose weight. I started by running from one Hydro pole to the next then walking to next. It didn't take long before I could run a full mile without stopping. I am 45 years old and weight 190lbs and today I ran 16 miles in three hours. The key is to ensure that you do not push yourself too far too soon. This will result in injury or alot of muscle pain that will make you want to quit. Take it nice and slow and easy and it won't be long before you are running your first 5k.

I have run 3 half marathons and my fourth is on March 2. This is something that I think I will be doing for a long time.

Good Luck with running and keep us posted on your progress.

 

I could neeeever run when I was younger in high school so I'd job and take a lot of breaks.  Once I hit college I made a pretty good plan for myself.

I started by running three miles.  I'd do the first mile straight running, walk half a mile, jog half a mile, walk half a mile and jog the last half mile.  I did this for a week, then upped it.  I'd run a mile and a half straight, walk half a mile, run half a mile walk half a mile.  By the third week I'd be doing two straight and every week I'd run straight further.  You've got to be gentle and pace yourself. 

I've been doing this for awhile and am now up to four miles straight, walk a quarter mile, run 3/4 of a mile, walk a quarter mile, run 3/4 mile.  Six miles a day and I'm working up to running 6 straight.  I've done it before but then got injured and had to start over again. 

I know you can do it!  Best of luck! 

I started out 92lbs overweight, and now I am 62 lbs overweight. I need to tell you that because it doesn't matter how big or small you are, you CAN do it. I was NEVER a runner! 

My personal tips are:

GO SLOW! I jog every morning 10 km (6 miles) along the river in my city, and there are nothing BUT skinny sprinters. You really have to concentrate on your pace, your form. It bothered me like crazy what other people must have thought of me when I first started, but now, they pass me and encourage me to keep it up.

Breathe through your nose. Yes, you will have a stuffy nose, and or lots of snot. But it is the best way to breathe when doing such a strenuous exercise. Make yourself keep your mouth shut and only inhale and exhale ONLY through your nose (SLOW DOWN IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE NOT CATCHING YOUR BREATH AND CONTINUE BREATHING THROUGH YOUR NOSE ONLY). It will deliver more oxygen to your muscles faster! PLUS, you will slowly train your body to breath smarter during the day and at night. YOU WILL SLEEP 200 times better! I DO! 

Good luck!

Estera 

Okay, I have a slightly odd (and female-centered) question...

I've always wanted to try running because it seemed like a great way to get outside the gym to workout, but just when I was going to get started my neighbor told me that because I'm so big, running will put a lot of stress on my boobs and make them really saggy.  Are there any 200lbs+ girls (or even just girls with a big cup size) who started running who can tell me if that's true?  I'm lucky in that when I gained all my weight, my already large chest didn't get much bigger, but I'm terrified of losing the weight back and having them get saggy.

Any advice would be very much appreciated...

I started out at 230, and I have not noticed anything but my boobs shrinking with the weight loss spike I got from running.  ( : 

yay, jogging! 

Awesome!  Thank you!  I've never been really big on running, but I'm so tired of the elliptical and the stairmaster, and staring at the walls in my gym.  I can't wait to get started!

Sports bra. I don't exactly have any personal experience with the issue, but it's the consensus of the runners here that a really good sports bra is essential for avoiding both pain from ..bouncing.. and avoiding any sag. You can probably find more specific recommendations browsing the sports bra threads :)

I am a full D and I am just above 200 lbs. A good sports bra is definately a must. Just look for ones that offer a lot of support. I have found that I like Bestform, the one designed for vigorous activity. Good luck!!

for sure!  I should have said sports bra.  ( :  It just made me laugh since my boobs are the first thing to start shrinking, I didn;t even think about it.  (lol)