Preparing for Basic(First time runner) (Read 985 times)

Hey guys, I am looking towards joining the National Guard here in MA. I need to drop about 40lbs before I am eligible  to join,  am currently at 330lbs,  have dropped about 120 over the past 1.5 years.

 

 

Dropping the weight I have mostly used Weight lifting(am an avid weight lifter, have been for about 4 years), though I have also cut out all junk food and sodas(only really drink water and some flavored ones for variety), and power walking, with the occasional block or two slow jog( I really hate running, probably cause I suck at it)

 

I can do about 1 mile in 10 minutes if I really push myself but I am flat out spent after that. I power walk every day for at least a mile and manage to do that on the tredmill at a 2.6speed in about 19 minutes.

 

I am really looking to try and get down two things here,

 

1. Get down to a 6 or lower mile time( I want to be able to do 2 miles in under 13 minutes)

2. Get proper distance training and pacing to be able to last for more then 2 miles, but also to accomplish the side goal listed in step one.

 

Now as I said I don't really ever run because my size seems to prevent me from going real far with it( Almost feels like lifting so fast that you just exhaust yourself and don't actually build any musle because you didnt take it slow enough to get a work out). So I know i am going to have to start slow and build upon that, and im fine with that, but I am a results junky and I want to get advice from experts on the matter, no offense to the army guys, but over on that form they seem to subscribe to the suck it up and do it method, and that seems flat out idiotic to me.

 

Anyway, I have been looking around, and I found the Couch to 5K program and that seems pretty good, but it also seems geared towards just distance, so do you think I should go with that and maybe  some kind of speed training program, or just focus on furthering myself along nicely on that program and worry about speed after ive built up some significant stamina?

 

 

EDIT: Sorry forgot, I am 21 Years old 6'3"

Its been awhile since I first started running, but I'll be the first to chime in.

First, CONGRATULATIONS on the weight loss!! That's insane. Keep up whateve you're doing and you'll hit your goals, and thensome.

Second, do the C25K plan - I'm sure others who have done this will have better advice with this. When you start running more, speed will naturally come. Stop doing any sort of "speed" workouts on the treadmill, track, or outside. Those are a sure fire way to injure yourself. Run easy. Very easy. Take walk breaks per your plan, or as needed.

Third, a 6:00mi is a very ambitious goal at this stage. Keep that goal, but I'd make it a long term goal. Consider making your short/mid-term goals to be able to run for XX amount of time rather than hitting a certain speed. Again, as you run more and your stamina builds, speed will come naturally.

Fourth, as a results junky, keep a running log either here or somewhere else and take notes about the runs, etc.. Don't look at short term results and gains, but after you've completed a month or two of the program look back at when you started. You'll probably laugh at how you could only do such and such a distance and were completely wiped out. If you're logging on this website, consider opening it up to the public view so people can look at what you've been doing and give advice (if you ask for it).

There's some preliminary advice. I know there's some other armed forces people who log/post on this site too. Good luck with everything!

Congrats!  You have made some incredible life changes for a long and healthy future!  WTG!

There is a lot of good advice throughout RA (and of course, a few knuckleheads who can't keep quiet, even when they are wrong). 

Congrats on the weight loss and all. Don't worry, I was in the same mindset as you when I first started running several years ago: I gotta get such and such a kickass time on my first PT test...What I did was I would do my normal 3.6 mile route at least 4x/week. (I rode horses for 12+ yrs so it wasn't too hard to just pick it up). I had a 2 mile semi flat stretch of road that once in a while I would try to do a practice PT test on to see where I was at. I just kept running that same stupid 3.6 mile stretch the whole summer.

Anyways, ended up getting a decent time on my first PT test, but DON"T WORRY, you will be taking a million and then some PT tests. You will ALWAYS have time to improve. Your first one does not have to be a brilliant 6 min/mile. There really aren't that many guys that can do a 12-13 min 2 mile run.That's not to say don't strive for that, I"m still aiming for that <14 min 2 mile, but with the way my injuries are going, it doesn't look plausible any time soon.

How are your pushups and situps? Don't forget about those either. Situps usually are most of the guys's weak area.

So good luck with starting out, just remember that the only way to get that awesome 2 mile run time is to put in the miles and eventually your time will come down. I remember my times went from 16.30 2 mile back in high school when I first joined and my last PT test was a 15 flat. Hmm, actually I think I do need to work on that ha ha. But don't worry, just keep at it and your times will come down on their own.

Thanks for all the advice. And yea I know I should be starting slow, I have a tendency to want to push things a little further and its going to end up getting me hurt, so ill work on getting my walk distances up, the weather here is real nice now, so ill start doing my walks outside rather then on the tredmill, maybe the scenery will help with getting me to like running more.

As for the eliptical training, they do have alot of that at the gym, and my tredmill is one of those bowflex tredclimber machines, it only goes up to 4.0mph but it was a real nice incline and its pretty easy on the knees. My BF level is 36% i Believe, and I usually work out 4 days a week mon-tues wed off thurs-fri, weekend off.

As far as pushups im pretty strong, I can do 30 in a minute, I know it needs work but I found a nice pushup workout on the army forums that supposedly garuntees you can do 100 in like 1-2 months so ill start that as a side project. And abs ironically, I havent done a situp in quite some time, I mostly do the weighted machine situps at the gym to keep my core healthy for squats, so ill have to sit down and try one of those to see where im at.

As a for short term goal, I would really like to be able to do 2 miles non stop no walking at any time. Just to feel what its like to jog for that long and build up some stamina.

Running has always been my weakness, like I said im a results junky, and it always seemed that no matter how hard I pushed myself I never got much out of it, and always thought that after running progressively it would get easy like lifting lower weights does, and you wouldnt be tired. So I ended up just switching to walking because I could get the work out and go for pretty long distances. Someone once told me tho, that even if your still getting tired after running the same distance, your body is going a little faster each time and your actual making improvements, so maybe they were right. I know I love lifting, and if I could get that mentality with running aswell, or at least get to the point where I wasn't dreading it I could really complete this whole thing, and get this extra weight off for good before my metabolism shuts down to the point where I'm just adviced not to gain anymore.

Here are a couple articles on lifting and dieting:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-1.html

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-2.html

It can be tough to keep up the squat strength while running and dieting but at least DL doesn't take so much of a hit (at least for me).

Kirk

First of all, congratulations for having the courage to start. Running, as with any other form of physical activity, takes a certain amount of dedication, perseverance and a stubborness. Dedication to keep working at the goals you have in mind regardless on how big or how little  your improvements are. Perseverance to keep doing the right thing for your body over and over again, regardless of how energetic or how tired you are. Stubborness to overcome those "negative" outside influences who may question your sanity.

It seems like you have a lofty goal, which is great because that goal will push you thru the obsticles. Stick to your goals. Make sure you go slowly and don't increase your mileage too fast. By doing these you will be able to run longer and longer and faster and faster without injury.

Running fast or long is like building a house...you got to have a strong base  to build a sturdy house. Your base building stage should be done with much care and slowly in order to be able to be strong enough to endure the stress of speed workouts.

Anyway, these are my 2cents. I have ran 10 marathons (last one in 4:04),  many trail races and an ultra with these principles in mind and INJURY free. Yes, I am slow, but proud of my running.

Enjoy the gift of running!