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New Runner (Read 1058 times)

hombre17


    Hello Everyone, I am an intermediate distance runner. I've been running avidly for a couple of years now and just completed my first official marathon on Sunday. The point of this post is to ask advice for training a beginner. My girlfriend witnessed me finish the 26.2 mile race and has since become motivated to run a half marathon herself. She has tasked me with training her. The race is on September 3, 2006. She has never run much and gets most of her cardio on bike. She is a very motivated person who goes to the gym almost everyday. What tips do you have for me in training her on hard top? What do I need to do in order to get her to 13.1?
      Check out www.runnersworld.com; there are plenty of training plans for beginners there. The only advice I can give you is run with her, but encourage her by not speeding past her. I learned that from experience.
      Wingz


      Professional Noob

        Don't forget, if she's already in pretty good shape from her biking her cardio'll be in better "running" condition than her joints! It'll be easy to jump in too fast and get hurt just because her joints/muscles weren't used to this new type of exercise! Beginners exercise training plans are great for making you start out slow! After that, remember the 10% rule (don't increase weekly milage by more than 10%) and make sure she takes an easy week about every month or so. Speed shouldn't be the main consideration for a beginner - building a base milage without getting hurt is more important. Since September's not really that far off, you might want to look into one of those walk/run programs (like Galloway). They're good for preventing injuries. Good luck! And by the way, congratulations on completing your first "official" marathon!

        Roads were made for journeys...

        Franc Karpo


          Great advice Wingz about the adaptation to the pounding that running can do to muscles and joints. Something to consider is to slowly work in running mileage while maintaining fast/speed workouts on the bike. This will help maintain fitness will building a running base without the increased risk of injury. Run smart Franc Karpo www.DistanceRunningTips.com
          DerekHepner


            hello all, i have run many times in my life and really enjoy it. the first time was in the army but i am way past that time now. my biggest question is this, "is it okay to do the major parts of my workouts ona treadmill?" i have had 2 knee operations and running on the harder surfaces does more damage than good for me i feel. the problem is this, i want to start doing some triatalons and running races nothing more then 10K's for now but i dont want to fall flat on my face come the big day. any one have some sound advice on how to combat this issue. thanks in advance, and happy running.
            vicentefrijole


              my biggest question is this, "is it okay to do the major parts of my workouts ona treadmill?" i have had 2 knee operations and running on the harder surfaces does more damage than good for me i feel.
              Hey DH, Since no one else has answered, I'll give it a try! Big grin Perhaps someone else might also pipe up if they have more experience specific to knee injuries. I think doing lots of running on a treadmill is fine for some people, depending on the of the obvious advantages and disadvantages for that person. The advantages in your case (as you mentioned) are taking care of those knees, which seems pretty important. Treadmills are undoubtably going to give you a softer "ride" which will help. The disadvantages of treadmills, I think, are that you don't get accustomed to the outdoor running "feel" (which is where all your races will be held), which includes hot/cold weather, blacktop, etc. Also, treadmills feel a little different than running on solid earth, don't they? (something about the momentum). I have a friend who trained for a marathon on his treadmill and I think he was really shocked by the effects of weather, etc during his race. However, I don't think in your case that is enough reason to add that extra stress on your knees and you can always take a run outside on occasion. If you feel like getting outside, you might consider driving to a location with lots of grass/dirt trails (golf courses were made for runners in my opinion) as these should be a little easier on your knees also (provided the ground isn't too uneven!). So I think your idea to mix in treadmill work sounds like a fine idea. Also, the biking and swimming of your triathalon training might be a great way to increase your fitness without increasing the impact on your knees. My only other words of advice would be that as you increase your running (it sounds like you want to move into longer distances, yes?) do the following: 1) Buy new shoes often (every 300 or so miles) and buy shoes that are specific for your gait type (pronation etc). 2) Increase your duration (lenght of runs, # of runs/week) or intensity (speed/difficulty of run) very slowly with plenty of rest days (different ways to measure this, free online training schedules will help) 3) Don't increase duration and intensity at the same time. 4) Keep us posted as to how it's going! Big grin
              Mile Collector


              Abs of Flabs

                hello all, i have run many times in my life and really enjoy it. the first time was in the army but i am way past that time now. my biggest question is this, "is it okay to do the major parts of my workouts ona treadmill?" i have had 2 knee operations and running on the harder surfaces does more damage than good for me i feel. the problem is this, i want to start doing some triatalons and running races nothing more then 10K's for now but i dont want to fall flat on my face come the big day. any one have some sound advice on how to combat this issue. thanks in advance, and happy running.
                I agree with vicentefrijole. There is nothing wrong with training on a treadmill, other than not experiencing running under various weather conditions. Isn't there some US Olympic marathoner that trained exclusively on a treadmill? I don't have much experience with knee injuries either, but I would imagine that you would do more strengthening the muscles around the knees which would help stabilize them as you land.