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New Teen Runner - SERIOUS HELP NEEDED (Read 249 times)

hargobind


    Hi,

    I'm in the tenth grade and I wanna start running.  I'm in no sports and am 6 foot 2 inches tall and weigh 119 pounds.  I'm really thin and have long legs.  I want to join track or cross country next year in August, but I have never ran before in my life...maybe a mile in 3rd grade and that was bad too.

    I'm really good academically and am used to always getting A's so I don't want to be the really bad one on the team in the fall. Is it possible to even become average or really good at running and speedwise?  Also, when I run even just a little I start to get this pain in my bottom left of my stomach area..idk why.

     

    Thanks anyway and please give me some advice on my dream!

    hargobind


      BTW:  sorry about the triple post!

      CanadianMeg


      #RunEveryDay

        Everyone has to start somewhere. Couch to 5K is a good program to learn to run. Just slow down to start and try not to worry about speed. It will come. Run at a pace you can still talk to start. Good luck!

        Half Fanatic #9292. 

        Game Admin for RA Running Game 2023.

        SillyC


          You can probably still talk to the coach!

            You can probably still talk to the coach!

             

            bingo... talk to the coach and see what he/she says.   but, i must say that if you're going to be a Jr in HS, you can and should be much more aggressive with your training than a couch to 5K program.  It would be worth paying special attention to that sore foot. I would expect some aches and pains as you go from a non-runner to a runner, but it shouldn't be sharp pain or long lasting pain.

              Hi there!

               

              I think it's great that you want to start running. My advice would be to start immediately! It doesn't have to be much mileage; You'll make progress by August if stick to it, albeit carefully. The pain in your stomach is most likely a common cramp; your muscles and digestive system need to get used to a new form of activity.

               

              As others have mentioned, talking to the coach is a great idea. You can ask him how to train, where to get good running shoes, and even the times of his other athletes, so you can formulate clear time goals as you advance.

               

              I started running in my freshman year of HS, and I found it to be one of the most rewarding activities available. There are physical, mental, and social benefits to starting such an activity. Many find running to be a supplement and counterweight to academics, and for good reason. It can clear your mind and leave you contented at the end of every day.

               

              Something to keep in mind is attention to to your body; There are many online resources available to tell you what kinds of pain are good, and what may be signs of danger or injury. Another great place to find this information is at a local sports medicine clinic.

               

              I hope this gives you some things to think about as you begin your journey.

                I started XC in 10th grade too. You may be at the back of the pack to start, you may not. Your improvements will come fast though when you are first starting out. It is also a lot easier to keep running and push yourself when you have a team to train with. It was a wakeup call at the first practice for me even after I thought I had trained pretty well on my own the month before. I got dropped at the first practice because of a bad side stitch and threw up some. I stuck with it instead of getting discouraged. A few weeks later with regular practices and my side stitch problems were gone and I was able to hang with the group. By the end of the year I was 7th on the team.

                 

                Definitely go for it and make sure to stick with it. You'll get stronger, faster, and your stomach pains should go away assuming they are the usual side stitches. It's a very rewarding sport. Don't worry about where you are in relation to your teammates when you start either. They have a head start and years of practice can work wonders. All teams have faster and slower runners, but from my experience we never had any issues with our slower teammates because we were a team and all got along. You'll make some new friends too. Odds are everyone else was on the tail end of the team when they started too.

                It's your dream so go for it! You won't regret it. The only thing you'll regret is not trying it. I only wish I had started sooner.

                WordPress Speed Guides: my personal website with speed and seo guides

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                keeponrunning


                  I started XC in 10th grade too. You may be at the back of the pack to start, you may not. Your improvements will come fast though when you are first starting out. It is also a lot easier to keep running and push yourself when you have a team to train with. It was a wakeup call at the first practice for me even after I thought I had trained pretty well on my own the month before. I got dropped at the first practice because of a bad side stitch and threw up some. I stuck with it instead of getting discouraged. A few weeks later with regular practices and my side stitch problems were gone and I was able to hang with the group. By the end of the year I was 7th on the team.

                   

                  Definitely go for it and make sure to stick with it. You'll get stronger, faster, and your stomach pains should go away assuming they are the usual side stitches. It's a very rewarding sport. Don't worry about where you are in relation to your teammates when you start either. They have a head start and years of practice can work wonders. All teams have faster and slower runners, but from my experience we never had any issues with our slower teammates because we were a team and all got along. You'll make some new friends too. Odds are everyone else was on the tail end of the team when they started too.

                  It's your dream so go for it! You won't regret it. The only thing you'll regret is not trying it. I only wish I had started sooner.

                  +1 to all this!

                  I ran XC some in elementary school but never really took it seriously nor trained much; so basically I started running late in gr. 9 (our track season ran in the spring).  I was horrible in gr. 9 track; in gr. 10 cross country (fall) I was still one of the weakest runners on the team.  I kept with it, started to find my "sea legs" (so to speak), and by gr. 11 XC was the top female runner on the team.

                  Message to take away from my rambling:  Start now and start slow; you may not be the best right away but if you stick with it you will improve Smile

                  Sulphur Springs 50km-- Ancaster, ON-- May 28, 2022

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                  Stokely Creek-- 56km-- Sault Ste. Marie, ON-- Sept. 24, 2022

                   

                   

                  BeeRunB


                    Just get moving, running easy, going a little longer each week. If you're lucky, you'll end up liking it, and it will remain an interest beyond cross country. There's a big, fun racing world out there for all ages. Research developing your aerobic system, sample schedules for starting out,  rest and recovery, and tips (like getting some Bodyglide). Good luck.

                    NikoRosa


                    Funky Kicks 2019

                      I joined the track team in 7th grade.  I was never a good runner.  I finally got my varsity letter my senior year, mostly because I was running the 3000 meter and most kids didn't want to run that far so some track meets I was able to get a third or second just because there weren't many competitors.

                       

                      But the things I learned from my coach I still use today.  Knowing what kind of pain you can run through, and what kind of pain means stop.  The right stretches, how to warm up and cool down, what to eat, what events you are good at, good running form (I still remember my coach telling me to keep my elbows in).  And being one of the slow people on the team, that's still a valuable lesson.  No matter how good you get on a local level, it is important to remember that there will always be a ton of people who can kick your ass.

                       

                      Join the team.  It will be worth it.

                      Leah, mother of dogs

                      LedLincoln


                      not bad for mile 25

                        Good advice from the others here.  I would add that in your early training (or pre-training) stages, you should run frequently, but not far and not fast.  Maybe just a few blocks at first, and maybe a couple of times a day would be good.  Pay a lot of attention to how your body feels during and after your runs, and be patient as you gradually build up your stamina.  Good luck!

                        mab411


                        Proboscis Colossus

                          I agree with most of what's been said here, except the brief allusion to being "aggressive" at all starting out.  No matter when you're looking to start running competitively, starting out with the goal of running x miles in x amount of time isn't good, unless you've got some kind of structured plan that is designed for beginners - and even then, if something starts to hurt chronically, back it off.

                           

                          I do have a few questions and thoughts I haven't seen mentioned yet...

                           

                          1.  How big is your school, and is it in a state that is "football-crazy" (like mine - Texas)?  I ask because often, in smaller schools, the "running coach" is more or less the "track coach," who is over the whole track program, and may or may not have much expertise specific to running.  And often, that guy or gal isn't a runner, nor did they get much instruction in running as part of their degree, except as an afterthought.  A lot of smaller school districts in big football states will build the coaching staff for the strongest football program they can get (or maybe basketball), and then when track season rolls around, the coaches sort of decide amongst themselves who is best suited to which sport and go from there.  I say this because I teach band at a small school, and to be fair, I don't know that much about the backgrounds of the different coaches...they're great guys and I get along with them well, but I know that when I talk to them and my running comes up, they're asking most of the questions, if you know what I mean.  THAT SAID...whoever the guy or gal is that will be coaching you, is the guy or gal that will be coaching you.  Do what they say when you join the team and don't argue, at least not in front of the group.  But until then, I'd just start running on my own, taking it easy and building what is called a "base" (consistent week-to-week mileage).

                           

                          If there's a dedicated running coach at your school, though, forget all that and go to them for advice immediately! 

                           

                          2.  Are you looking to join Fall cross-country, or Spring track?  I would recommend track, just because it will give you more time to build that base I mentioned.  Then cross-country in the Fall.

                          "God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people

                          DaBurger


                            I'm really good academically and am used to always getting A's so I don't want to be the really bad one on the team in the fall. 

                             

                            Dude, that's the best part about running.  I rolled through high school easily academically, it was my XC/track coach in high school who taught me how to work hard. It was really rewarding when I saw the results of my effort, saw the times drop, felt my legs get stronger, all because I was putting the effort in.  And it's not like you're letting your team down if you're not fast at the start, so it's ok to work your way up.

                            Know thyself.

                             


                            Feeling the growl again

                               

                              Dude, that's the best part about running.  I rolled through high school easily academically, it was my XC/track coach in high school who taught me how to work hard. It was really rewarding when I saw the results of my effort, saw the times drop, felt my legs get stronger, all because I was putting the effort in.  And it's not like you're letting your team down if you're not fast at the start, so it's ok to work your way up.

                               

                              +1 to this.

                               

                              Look, some things come easy and some don't.  I was valedictorian and never took a lick of work home.  That came easy.  But when I started running in 7th grade I was the slowest on the team...boys or girls.  That continued for several years.  But eventually several years of applying myself paid off and my junior year I was Most Improved (2nd on team) and senior year MVP.  It took 5-6 years to do that, and until I was 28 to reach my peak as a runner (my 10K PR would stand as a record at my college by half a minute over the current one had I been in college when I ran it).

                               

                              Things you have to work for taste sweeter than what comes easily.  If you apply yourself over the next several years who knows what you can do.  I'm the fat kid who the workers on the bleachers taunted and went on to best all the local records.  The only way you can tell what is in you is to dedicate yourself to it and find out.

                              "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

                               

                              I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                               

                              BeeRunB


                                +1 to that.

                                 

                                 

                                +1 to this.

                                 

                                Look, some things come easy and some don't.  I was valedictorian and never took a lick of work home.  That came easy.  But when I started running in 7th grade I was the slowest on the team...boys or girls.  That continued for several years.  But eventually several years of applying myself paid off and my junior year I was Most Improved (2nd on team) and senior year MVP.  It took 5-6 years to do that, and until I was 28 to reach my peak as a runner (my 10K PR would stand as a record at my college by half a minute over the current one had I been in college when I ran it).

                                 

                                Things you have to work for taste sweeter than what comes easily.  If you apply yourself over the next several years who knows what you can do.  I'm the fat kid who the workers on the bleachers taunted and went on to best all the local records.  The only way you can tell what is in you is to dedicate yourself to it and find out.

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