Forums >Running 101>my new plan!
sincerely silly
So I'm running 10ks later this year but haven't been training for them...I know I'm bad! I've been running on and off (maybe I should say I've been running and walking on and off. =P) I do other exercise, but I'm nowhere at the endurance (mostly mentally) of just...running. :-) I mean, there's no ball to chase or hit... I did a bunch of 5ks in the first half of the year, but those seemed so long!
My current plan is to twice a week get on a treadmill and run as long as I can without walking allowing myself to slow the pace a ton (building length of time endurance?) and then hopefully at least once a week (hopefully twice) go on longish outings where I run, allowing myself as much walking as I want, entire miles and everything (building distance mileage as gently as possible for my shins?). I'd combine the two except time is a bit of an issue and also I am so so bad at pacing myself outside.
Is one more ideal than the other? Building up how long I can run without stopping, no matter how slow OR Finding time to drag myself over the distance I will eventually have to do and splashing some bits of running in there?
I written this post so many times and then deleted it thinking it's a dumb question. I mean if I don't have the determination to do things in what I think is the right way (slowly increasing distance AND time while running) instead of whatever weird plan I've fashioned, I have no right to ask! But I just know that approach doesn't work for me (yet) and I'm trying to get myself as ready as possible. Maybe if it works and I consistently can run a few miles without a problem I'll start to like it again...
Anyway if I don't post this and get it out there, I'm still going to think about asking and do it again and delete it again so here goes!
(ps - if you're wondering why I even signed up for the 10ks, I did it with a friend/role model but he's injured and can't do them. And I'm too stubborn to also not do them but also have been too unmotivated to really prepare. Setting myself up for failure!)
shin splints are my nemesis
I don't think you're looking at this the right way.
You are signed up for some 10Ks, so that's a given. You say you lack motivation to "train" for them. You also hinted that you don't really like running much (if at all).
If your goal is to just get through the 10Ks, then whatever you plan will be fine; I don't think it'll make a whole lot of difference, because a 10K is not as physically demanding as longer distances, and walking is allowed, so no worries. Stop stressing and enjoy whatever you're doing.
However, if your goal is try to actually run more, and you are sort of using the races as a catalyst, then you need to fix your mental position first. That means that you don't call it training, you call it simply running. That means running nice and relaxed, so that you can finish your runs feeling like you could turn around and do the exact same thing. This may require walking at points, but so what. The point is to make your running enjoyable. If you can do that, then you can train however much you want from then on.
Stop stressing and enjoy whatever you're doing.
That's probably the key to improving my life as a whole!
I'll try. Maybe just reading the forums is adding to the stress...
Oh, and I do like running. It's really just a lot of mental barriers I have to tear down first. Saying that I don't like it yet because I'm not good at it is inaccurate but that's all I'm comfortable saying for now. :-)
That's probably the key to improving my life as a whole! I'll try. Maybe just reading the forums is adding to the stress...
It certainly can be a stress-inducer; it can seem completely overwhelming to someone new to running.
The reality is that a great majority of the stuff you see is probably not that important for you to worry about at a practical level.
Best advice is to just keep it easy, relaxed, and try to find a way to enjoy yourself. If you can get to a point where running is actually fun, you'll want to do it rather than feeling like it's something you have to do. Which is probably a mentality that has been bred in from other sports, where running continuous distances was a punishment.
not bad for mile 25
I think Scout is right on. I enjoy the running time, but really enjoy what the daily runs do for mental well-being throughout the day and for my long-term health. That's my main motivation. Good luck in your races and in the long term!