Forums >Running 101>New to Running
Hello all,
I'm new to running, 33 yrs old and 203lbs, so i am trying to burn some fat and find the love for running, i uploaded some training runs I've done using runmeter app on my iPhone and heart rate monitor, anyone have suggestions for me? id like to get down to doing a 9 min pace for a mile and run a 5k
Welcome to running! I'm perpetually new. You'll find a lot of advice by just poking around the Running 101 forums. What's worked for me is the Couch to 5K program. Check it out.
Oh, and if you're starting with the speed you are (I checked out your log), let go of the 9 minute mile thing and build slow distance for now. You can only change one factor at a time. If you hammer on endurance and speed simultaneously, you're going to end up sidelined.
Good luck! Stay active on the forums to let everyone know your progress.
Call me Ray (not Ishmael)
A lot of us started running with Couch to 5k (C25k) programs or something similar where you do a walk/run combination for 30 minutes 3 times a week. That allows your body to get used to the stress and impact of running gradually. In 8 or 9 weeks, most of us are able to run 30 minutes or 3 miles non-stop. Best advice is to run slowly in the beginning - at a pace where you can speak whole sentences. If you want to be able to run long term, you want to avoid injury, if at all possible. That means avoiding doing too much too soon.
If you are hoping to lose weight, remember that that happens in the kitchen, more than on the road. Running burns about 100 calories per mile, so it takes a while to make a difference. Changing your way of eating will have a much bigger impact.
how about my calfs and the muscle around the shin area gets extremely hard, like concrete hard, thats what seems to slow me up most of the time, i don't have much body fat at all on my legs
i usually have to walk a little to try to get the muscles to calm down little
Latent Runner
how about my calfs and the muscle around the shin area gets extremely hard, like concrete hard, thats what seems to slow me up most of the time, i don't have much body fat at all on my legs i usually have to walk a little to try to get the muscles to calm down little
I would venture to say you need to slow your pace down at least thirty seconds to one minute per mile. That should allow you to run with a much more relaxed stride which will in turn help keep your calves from tighening up. Once you're done running, get into position for a gentle calf stretch and just hold it for roughly three minutes.
Once you settle into your new pace, keep it and run further when you feel stronger instead of running faster; believe it or not, the whole running further thing WILL make you faster at shorter distances. FWIW, my training pace is typically 9:30-10:00 minutes per mile for my Long Slow Distance (LSD) runs, however, even though I virtually never train at a pace faster than 9:00 per mile, my recent race times have been in the low to mid sevens.
Fat old man PRs:
Keep running regularly. You will loose weight and keep getting faster.
Hello all, I'm new to running, 33 yrs old and 203lbs, so i am trying to burn some fat and find the love for running, i uploaded some training runs I've done using runmeter app on my iPhone and heart rate monitor, anyone have suggestions for me? id like to get down to doing a 9 min pace for a mile and run a 5k
Just stick to it. A couple people made really good points. Eating healthy is very key, some people think that all the miles we put on the road gives us a free pass to eat whatever. So eat clean, and build up a slow aerobic base. Each lb. theoretically allows you to run 2sec/mile faster assuming your not burning off muscle mass which eating properly will help do. Once you build up a good aerobic base, and assuming you lost weight, you'll be faster and stronger and then can introduce speed work.
well i ran 3.4 miles today, i started out and just felt good the whole way, breathing was controlled (which I've been doing the 3:2 breathing for past couple of weeks), but legs was what held me up the most, tried to keep the same pace, slow and easy
right ankle is a little sore this evening, prob overuse, stretching legs out and put some ice on ankle just to help out
well i ran 3.4 miles today, i started out and just felt good the whole way, breathing was controlled (which I've been doing the 3:2 breathing for past couple of weeks), but legs was what held me up the most, tried to keep the same pace, slow and easy right ankle is a little sore this evening, prob overuse, stretching legs out and put some ice on ankle just to help out
I'm no expert. But after looking at your log, I think you are running a lot for a beginner. Four day streak is impressive but your legs and ankle are telling you to take it easy. Being sore is one thing and helps you adapt and improve. However, what you describe is an injury waiting to happen. Humans are very competitive. Running make you competitive with yourself. You want to run faster or further each run. Just keep in mind, your cardio will improve fast. However, your muscle can't develop as fast. As a result, you may get injured, discouraged and quit running altogether. I see it time and time again. Take your time to build a solid base over the next 12 months. During the first 12 months you may reach your 9 min pace and run several 5k races. Losing weight will help you run faster. Running helps burn calories. However, running alone does not help me lose weight. I have to control what I put in my mouth to keep my weight under control. There are many people on this board that can give you good advice on how to start running with a low risk of injury. Good luck! And welcome to running.
Also, I believe you said you're around 200 lbs. I'm 185 myself, but started running at around 220 lbs. Even at 185 I can tell you the weight can put serious strain on your body. So just be careful and make sure you ease your way into it. Speed can come naturally, but endurance is earned. Also, I believe that it's imperative that you get fitted for proper shoes, if you haven't already. They say that most shoes will last 300+ miles but I noticed at my size I'm replacing around 200-250.
Listen your body most importantly. If an ankle hurts, don't try to run through it or like what was previously said, you will end up sidelined. If your calves are tightening up, invest into a foam roller or do what I did and buy a 4" pvc pipe for 11 dollars at Lowe's and do some tissue work.
Good luck and keep us posted.
today the legs feel great, i do have a foam roller and rolled out the calfs and shins last night, so maybe i just didn't get stretched out enough when it started to feel sore
i went and got fitter for shoes, my everyday shoes were brooks adrenaline(which i believe he said were stability shoes, turned out i needed neutral shoes, so i bought some brooks glycerin, maybe the new shoes and the way that they fit is what making muscles tight because I'm not used to them,
seems as though if i can keep my heart rate right around 140-150 i feel great, breathing is controlled and doesn't feel like heart going to explode, so i just been trying to stay right there in that range and like yesterday i was able to up the mileage
also, thanks a lot to everyone for the help and info
I need neutral shoes as well and have typically run in either Asics or Adidas. Given that nearly 100% of my running earlier this year was on trails, I had a couple of pairs of Asics trail shoes, and exactly zero pairs of road shoes when I got recruited as a last minute replacement to run with this year's installment of Reach the Beach - New Hampshire with an Ultra team. The afternoon of the day I got recruited, all of two days before RTB started, I got my butt over to a good running store, tried on something like 30 different shoe models and sizes, and came away with a pair of Glycerin 11, my first pair of Brooks running shoes since 1979.
The first time I ran in the Glycerins was for the 6.8 mile 19th leg (which included 500' of climbing and nearly as much descending) and I instantly decided I liked the shoes. At this point I have roughly 300 miles on them and so far at least, they feel good and are still in good shape.