posted: 7/28/2008 at 7:11 AM

In an effort to help me get more running in I'm toying with the idea of running to and/or from work. Right now I'm walking it. The walk is about 3.7 kilometers each way. One of the things causing me to hesitate is that there is a relatively steep hill that covers at least a third and maybe close to half of the distance and I'm worried I'll hurt myself trying to run too much on that hill. Of course I won't start out running the distance both ways everyday, I would just like to VERY gradually build from walking it daily to running it daily with an eventual goal that I could do it both ways daily everyday. I know that running home (up the hill) would be cardiovascularly tougher but I'm thinking down hill might be harder on my joints. Any advice? I'm pretty sure I have the least steep course possible mapped out but there is just no getting around the fact that there is about a 200m rise between my office and my house. I know that mountain runner types do hill running all the time but how does an overweight beginner start to tackle this. I'm hating how hard it is to fit running in during the week when my walking to work already eats up quite a bit of my available time (note that if you are checking my log that I wasn't logging all of my walking until recently so the running picture is fairly complete (but I started running in April and didn't start logging until June) but not so with the walking.

The Graduates - a community of post C25K runners!

Started Running 21 April 2008

2008 Running Goals

~~Finish C25K~~ 22 Jun 2008
~~Run 5K~~ 43:29 29 Jun 2008
Complete a 10K fun run

spaniel

Feeling the growl again

posted: 7/28/2008 at 9:16 AM

Do you have to go up and down the hill each way, or is one way up and one way down? You indicate you are overweight and sound like you're relatively new to this, so I am fairly worried about what that downhill pounding may do to you...especially doing it repetitively. The uphill will be challenging, yes, but my first goal would be to run the uphill and walk whatever is downhill. Downhills can be very punishing on your quads and joints. It would be better to hold off on that 200m downhill until you lose some weight and strengthen yourself through more running.

"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

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Ennay

A Saucy Wench

posted: 7/28/2008 at 10:23 AM

agree run the up, walk the down to start. If it is not terribly steep eventually you will be able to do it . Running the up will build leg strength that will improve your running. And if the hill is steep, there is no shame in always walking the steep down. My husband has been a runner for years, and a cyclist and he still walks down steep hills. He had knee problems several years ago and is not willing to chance it. (He sometimes runs down them backwards,but that is NOT a trick to try without a lot of practice on flats first) Also, as your endurance improves and you get you may want to check out longer routes. You may have the least steep course now, but one that is longer may have the hills broken in to smaller sections which makes it less stressful. good luck!

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AKTrail

posted: 7/28/2008 at 2:55 PM

Just use run / walk to start - at whatever rate works for you. Sounds like you're already walking it, so just start adding some running. Over time, you'll be able to run more of it. And depending on your recovery rates, you might want to plan on walking only one day (I think you said you're doing this already) and run/walk the next, repeat. Enjoy!

"So many people get stuck in the routine of life that their dreams waste away. This is about living the dream." - Cave Dog

runnerclay

Consistently Slow

posted: 7/28/2008 at 3:05 PM

Quote from AKTrail on 7/28/2008 at 2:55 PM:

Just use run / walk to start - at whatever rate works for you. Enjoy!

There are some 6 milers in your log so 3.7 k shold not be a problem. Enjoy Smile

Run until the trail runs out.

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The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

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Nobby415

posted: 7/28/2008 at 3:40 PM

Is your problem uphill or downhill? If it's uphill and if it's too hard, walk up the hill. It's a resistance work, you'll probably get just as much benefit by walking up especially if you're a bit over-weight. If downhill is an issue, especially because you're a bit over-weight, then, assuming you don't have as much traffic issue, why don't you go downhill zig-zag? Then it's not going to be as steep. I was originally going to say find another route, possibly further but without hill, it sounds like you have looked into it already. I envy you, we don't have enough hills around here. Hills would make you a much better runner in the future; so be thankful! ;o) AKTrail: Have you resolved sign-in issue with our message board? I've meatn to write to you... Let me know if it still pursists.

AKTrail

posted: 7/28/2008 at 5:20 PM

Quote from Nobby415 on 7/28/2008 at 3:40 PM:

AKTrail: Have you resolved sign-in issue with our message board? I've meatn to write to you... Let me know if it still pursists.

I wasn't able to last time I tried from home (about the same time we e-mailed) and haven't had a chance to post from club office computer. But I've been busy with my running and an assortment of volunteer stuff. I haven't had anything to contribute lately so haven't tried again. I read the board daily though. I'll try again after my race in a couple weeks. Thanks for checking.

"So many people get stuck in the routine of life that their dreams waste away. This is about living the dream." - Cave Dog

wee_little_me

posted: 7/28/2008 at 9:49 PM

Thanks for the advice all! I think I will go with the advice to walk down and run home perhaps. There is a bit of downhill at the end of the route home but the really big down hill is on the way TO the office in the morning. More so than the cardio I was worried about things like doing damage to joints that tends to creep up somewhat unnoticed until suddenly there are problems. That is what I'm trying to avoid. The run up is likely going to suck at first... but as long as I'm not hurting myself I'll live to run another day. I'll heed the advice to watch it on the down hill and maybe just walk that starting out.

The Graduates - a community of post C25K runners!

Started Running 21 April 2008

2008 Running Goals

~~Finish C25K~~ 22 Jun 2008
~~Run 5K~~ 43:29 29 Jun 2008
Complete a 10K fun run

How much hill? (Read 693 times)

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