Forums > Running 101 > Overweight beginning runner
I've been wanting to start running steadily for a while now, and with the semester over, it is time to get serious. I'm 5'9" and about 210 pounds. I have been exercising regularly for the past few months, and have seen great results. Better muscular tone, and better endurance on the eliptical, as well as some weight loss (about 15 pounds). The problem is, when I switch to the treadmill, I tire much quicker and my feet feel swolen and painful after only a short distance. I keep trying, but it seems like it is difficult to improve.
My question is thus, am I doing something wrong? Should I focus more on weight loss before I start running? That seems counterintuitive as running is usually a means to the end. Would a trip to a running store to find a better shoe be helpful? I'm currently running on Asics GT-2130s which seem to fit comfortably, but I'm not sure if they should be tighter.
I'm open to suggestions. Thank you in advance!
Swim , Bike, and Run A LOT
Grumpy, a couple quick comments for you...
You're tiring more quickly on the treadmill because it is harder work than the eliptical. That's all. Set a time goal for yourself and try to run for that time -- don't pay any attention your pace or speed. Slow down and walk if needed to get to your 20 or 30 minute goal. Over time you'll get more and more comfortable and move from mix of walk / run to steady run.
Your feet may be sore because you don't have good running shoes, or running shoes that fit you well. Consider making a small investment by visiting a running specialty store who can help with fit and selection. Then you wont need to worry about your feet all that much.
Running is great for aerobic health and fitness, but isn't a great weight-loss tool for everyone. Calories in still need to be less than calories burned.
Good luck, you can do it. Take it easy and work into the running.
baby box jumper
Feet swell during running so I'm not sure why you'd want a tighter shoe. It is generally a good idea to go to a specialty running store and get your gait analyzed and get shoe recommendations.
Your body probably needs to adjust to the impact of running. Elliptical is pretty low-impact (no impact?). Have you tried doing run/walk/run intervals or a plan like Couch to 5k? I think it's best to build slowly.
Mimi Running at the speed of walk
You may also try running outside instead of the treadmill. You control pace (instead of the machine doing it for you) and if you need to slow down or walk for a minute it is easier to do that outside than trying to push the buttoms on the TM. Not to mention the weather is nice out this time of year and you're actually going somewhere not just staying in one spot. I'm not anti-treadmill, it is a great tool, but I've seen a lot of beginning runners start on the TM and end up stopping b/c it is boring or they get injured.
Also, don't worry about how far or fast you're going for right now just go for time.
The advice posted above is sound: try getting off the treadmill so that you can control your effort level more easily. Walk breaks are a smart way to stretch your endurance during a workout, allowing you to go farther and for longer than you could by only running. That'll translate into more calories burned. Plus, when beginning, increasing distance -- at any pace, even walking -- is generally more helpful.
However, the real reason I wanted to post is to warn about thinking that you need tight shoes. Your foot needs to be able to do its natural movements during your running/walking stride. If your shoes are too tight, it will constrict the foot, leading to pain and injury. Even experienced runners unintentionally injure themselves simply by tying their shoelaces too tight. I personally developed a bad case of tendinitis solely because I was tying my shoelaces too tight, sidelining me for a month. In the years that I've been running, it was my worst injury in terms of losing training time -- and it was entirely preventable.
Take the advice given above and get a knowledgeable fitting from a specialty store. Yes, specialty running shops charge more for their shoes, but consider it an investment in your health. If you get the right shoe in the right size, then you can order your next pairs online.
You may also try running outside instead of the treadmill. You control pace (instead of the machine doing it for you) and if you need to slow down or walk for a minute it is easier to do that outside than trying to push the buttoms on the TM. Not to mention the weather is nice out this time of year and you're actually going somewhere not just staying in one spot. I'm not anti-treadmill, it is a great tool, but I've seen a lot of beginning runners start on the TM and end up stopping b/c it is boring or they get injured. Also, don't worry about how far or fast you're going for right now just go for time.
+1 to all of this. I have seen a lot of people try to run on the treadmill and fail. Part of it is that since you are new to running you dont know where to set the treadmill pace. You cant set it at the pace the Elliptical says you were doing because they are two different things.
I say go outside and run at a nice easy conversational pace with walk breaks to start. you may want to look up a Couch to 5K program to help you figure out how to get going smoothly.
Thank you all for the advice. I really am thankful for you all taking the time to offer advice.
I was worried that I was doing something wrong and was risking injury. It was certainly a reasonable concern as I feel like I am progressing painfully slow, if at all. My endurance is most certainly improving as I am doing at least an hour on the eliptical with high resistance, but running is a completely different story.
I'll make my way to the running store and start running outside. I have a difficult time pacing myself outside, but at least where I live now is flat, as opposed to the hilly area I used to.
Thanks again all!
mileage hound
Your endurance gains at the beginning may be a lot quicker than your body's adaptations to handling the stresses. Take your time building up, and as said forget pace and just focus on getting the time in. Combine with a healthy diet and the weight loss should continue.
It can be difficult to diet excessively while adding on exercise. They key is to maintain a calorie deficit, but not a really extreme one. If it is too extreme your recovery will be inhibited and the increased hunger from the running may make you miserable. Find something filling but healthy and low in calories to take the edge off (I used fruit).
2012 goals: Fastest race times since 2006.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
Thank you all for the advice. I really am thankful for you all taking the time to offer advice. I was worried that I was doing something wrong and was risking injury. It was certainly a reasonable concern as I feel like I am progressing painfully slow, if at all. My endurance is most certainly improving as I am doing at least an hour on the eliptical with high resistance, but running is a completely different story. I'll make my way to the running store and start running outside. I have a difficult time pacing myself outside, but at least where I live now is flat, as opposed to the hilly area I used to. Thanks again all!
No need to pace yourself, just run so you are able to speak 5 to 6 words in a sentence without gasping for a breath. Thats what a conversational pace is.
I started seriously running last June. I started at 240 pounds or so on my 5'8" frame. I am down to 194 right now and have a few more to go. I lost the weight with a combination of my running and watching what I ate. I didn't diet, just cut down on portion size and try to eat few calories while still having the energy to run and ride bike.
One thing that really helped me stick with running was discovering Low Heart Rate training. There is a really good forum here on RA with some really knowledgeable people on it. With LHR training, you pace yourself by your HR, not minutes per mile or perceived effort. This system will also get you moving in your fat burning zone which is a lot lower of an intensity then people realize.
2012 Goals:
5k = sub 22:00
10k = sub 45:00
HM = sub 1:40:00
Run = 2000 miles
Bike = 3000 miles
Swim = 130 miles
Grumpy,
Take it slow and steady as previously mentioned. I started running 1.5 years ago for weight loss reasons (went from 235 to 185-190) and when I started the treadmill was hard. Unfortunately I was on a deployment on an aircraft carrier so the treadmill was the only option. Time is the way to go, when I started my goal was 30 minutes on the mill, no matter what, and then I set up time goals (e.g. run for 5 minutes, walk for one) Before too long 45 minutes on the treadmill was very easy and that's when I started thinking in terms of mileage instead of time. But it's still a good idea to track your time as well. Another thing I did when starting was keep approximately the same amount of cardio and just start phasing in running (for example, instead of 60 minutes elliptical, start with 45 ellipt/15 running), and gradually phase it in. Once I got back from the deployment and started running outside (almost) exclusively, it felt like I was uncaged.
Another thing to consider is strength training, it will help you with your running and weight loss. Depending on your desires and body type etc you could do something as simple as crunches and pushups or go to a full fledged gym and work with weights and etc. Start with low weight/reps that feel easy and gradually work your way into it.
I've been at it for a while now and I'm still improving so just be persistent and you will see excellent results.If you have any questions or need advice feel free to send me a message because I'm always interested to help out people starting down the same path I took.
Erik
Everyone has offered good advice. For me, I'd second all of it and say this: even when I'm running a lot outside, I can usually only do 1/3 or so of the distance on the treadmill until I can't take it/get exhausted, etc. It works for some people, but it is definitely harder for others...even than running outside. It's a Lot harder than an elliptical, running in general is I think.
The one thing I can't stress enough as someone who has done lots of running when really overweight (like...a lot), vs when only overweight compared to runners, is that when you are first getting going you Have to take it easy with running. Every time your foot hits the ground when you run it delivers several times your body weight in force to all the good tasty things like feet and ankles and shins and knees and so on. You know, all that good shock absorption stuff down there. When you are a normal weight, this is less of an issue. When you weight a lot more than a normal weight..well, then you make it easier for you to run into issues.
So take it slow, don't be afraid to walk a bit here and there. It'll get easier, once you get those nifty running shoes your feet will probably thank you more, and everything should start to fall into place. The distance will come on its own, don't force it too fast, especially when you're a bit more of a Clydesdale like I am.
~J
I also lost a bunch of weight, I went from 245 to 175. When I started out I ran only for convenience (when I didn't have time to get to the gym) and spent a good amount of time at the gym doing cardio work on bikes, ellipticals and stairs, along with weight training. After six months I was down to 210 and I really started to enjoy the running, and phased into mostly running.
For the next 4-5 months I lost very little weight, because even though I had lost weight, I was still too heavy (and not in good enough shape) to be able to run enough to continue losing weight. I was running more and more, but weight loss hit a plateau, even though I improved as a runner. At this weight I was really feeling the aches and pains of running as my body adapted.
After I was able to consistently run 30 miles per week, the weight just fell off me and I was down to 180 in what seemed like no time. It was probably three months tops. I wasn't feeling as much pain or dealing with any serious issues, and I got faster as well.
Over the past year I have continued to improve as a runner, and while I'd like to be around 165, I've only gotten down to the low 170s, although I don't watch what I eat as well as I could.
My advice is to be patient and stay the course, focus on continuing to improve as a runner and the weight will come off. When you're heavy it can be difficult to run enough to lose weight, but as your body adapts it will happen, just stay consistent.
Until I can make it out to a running store, I'm going to try jogging outdoors. I guess a heart rate monitor is also in order as well.
Thank you all, what a great forum this is. Everyone is very helpful! Finals are over this week, and I can't wait to begin a strict regimen!
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