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so so new (Read 1303 times)


that's what she said

    Hi everyone. I don't really know where to start...I'm so new to running and have so many questions...I feel like I hit the lottery finding this place! Smile I started running about 6 months ago and so far have done two 5ks and I'm signed up for a 10k this Saturday. I also want to do the AFC half marathon in August. The thing is I don't want to walk any of it. I plan on using Higdon's training guide...is it (me running the half, without stopping) doable? Right now I run about a 9:30 mile (guess that's a fast walk for a lot of you Blush) and the farthest I've run is 5.5. Running the half seems impossible right now, I can't imagnine running for over two hours...Do I just add half a mile to my long run each week? I'll meet a limit, right? Knee pain!! Ouch, I'm having some bad right knee pain...almost like, behind my leg?! Today I did crosstraining and I feel fine...but I know when I do my 2 miles tomorrow it's going to start hurting again. It'll hurt about a half mile for the first part of my run then it goes away and the pain returns once I'm done. I think I need new shoes, but could it be more serious or is it common? Form....I saw race pics of my second race....I run funny!! My arms looked like they had a mind of their own...and my brother commented that I have a 'heavy"?? run....does it matter? How do I fix it if I don't know what I'm supposed to look like when I'm running? Stretching...when I was only running 2 or 3 miles I wouldn't bother..now that I'm doing 5 I have a feeling I'm going to hurt myself...how long should I stretch for? Before and after? Any stretch tips? Ok, I better stop now...any help would be appreciated....if these questions have already been asked and answered please just tell me where to go Big grin. Thanks in advance to anyone who is able to answer my millions of questions. Nicole
    Nicole


    You'll ruin your knees!

      Also not sure where to start...except...welcome. Not going to try and answer all of your questions, but do want to focus in on the knee. If it's hurting, you probably need to consider backing off. If you are still runningin the same shoes you started in, you probably do need new shoes. Find a specialty running store that knows how to fit a runner... I'm not going to advise on stretching and suggest you find what works for you. There will be a lot of suggestions about a lot of things (my prediction), don't think you have to do them all! Best of luck to you! Lynn B OH, and brothers are stupid, stop listening to him...

      ""...the truth that someday, you will go for your last run. But not today—today you got to run." - Matt Crownover (after Western States)


      that's what she said

        Thanks Lynn! I think after this Saturday's race I'll take your advice and back off a bit until it feels better. And you are so right Wink...over Christmas vacation he wanted to go for a run with me...I wanted to do 3 miles and he pooped out before he even finished one (it was the first time in our lives I am in better shape than him Tongue)...so yeah, probably shouldn't get advice from him.
        Nicole
          Hi Nicole and welcome! You've found the perfect place to ask all these questions. First of all, you can ABSOLUTELY run a half marathon in August without walking at all. You've got plenty of time to train and if you're willing, you can do it. I trained for 4 months for my first half (went from zero running to 20 miles a week) and didn't walk at all. With the help of the people on this site, motivation and a good training schedule, you can pretty much do anything! Baby steps...a little at a time. As for the knee, get new shoes. Get fitted for them at a proper running store and have someone look at your feet and walking to get you the right shoe. Also, stretching helps. Form is tricky. Of course, race pictures are always AWFUL, so don't go by that. Try to stay upright and hold your arms at a 90 degree angle. Maybe watch yourself in windows or in a mirror while you're on the treadmill. If you think you have lots of things to fix, start with one and work from there. Not too much too soon. Stretching should be done once you're warmed up. I usually run very slowly for about 10 minutes, then stretch and finish my run. And then I stretch again afterwards (usually after my shower). Hope this helps and best of luck. Keep up the good work! Sara
          zoom-zoom


          rectumdamnnearkilledem

            Nice to meet you, Nicole!Big grin I agree with what everyone has said. I ran my first HM (no walking) about 7 months after starting running--you can definitely do it!

            Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

            remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                 ~ Sarah Kay


            that's what she said

              Thanks for the welcome Sara and Kirsten. It's inspiring to hear you both did half marathons without walking in the same or less time training than I will do. Sara-I'll start with my arms like you suggested...I know for sure they flap about in front of me and I definitely haven't been holding them at a 90 degree angle...I'll work on that first. Thanks for the stretching advice...I had no idea to warm up first, so I'll give that a go tomorrow. And yet another question....I think Hal Higdon's training gives you 12 weeks...should I start much earlier and then just repeat the few weeks of it until the race day?
              Nicole
              Mr Inertia


              Suspect Zero

                Welcome aboard! A half marathon with no walking by Oct is very doable. Higdon's plans are pretty good and will give you some great guidance on how much to add to your workouts as you train. An important point - when you say you run at a 9:30 pace, is that your day to day training pace or your race pace, or is your training pace the same as your race pace? Your knee pain could be shoes, or it could be something else. It's a good sign that it tends to go away once you've warmed up and have your workout underway. It's when it gets worse and worse as your workout progresses that's cause for serious concern. In addition to your shoes, take a look back at your training over the last few weeks. Have you ramped up your mileage significantly? It's possible you may have added too much too quickly. Your form matters, but how much it matters can be a bit subjective. If your arms are swinging madly about, it'll affect your pace a bit. More importantly though, is the fact that by flailing about you're burning extra energy that you could be using for running. As far as running "heavy" goes, again, it matters, but it can be worked on. I'm assuming you've got some bounce in your stride. That means you're using some energy to move up and down that could be used for moving forward. There are some things yoiu can do to work on that. Try taking shorter, quicker steps while keeping your pace the same. This will cause you to spend less time in the air and use that energy for forward movement. The jury is still out on stretching. There are folks who say you should never stretch, others say it's quite important. I've been running for almost two years injury free and stretch virtually not at all. I'd reccomend doing some reading specifically on that subject and making your mind up on your own.


                Oh Mighty Wing

                  Welcome!! Yes it's doable. Is your 9:30 your average pace over a couple miles? Like was your 5.5 done with a 9:30 average at the end? If so great job!! For long runs you might need to slow down. I got nothing on the knee thing. Form - does it feel awkward to you? stretching - I only do it if I feel tight and then it's for about 10 seconds.


                  Imminent Catastrophe

                    Welcome! The first thing that I have to say is, listen to jlynnbob. He's like Yoda around here. He runs 100-milers. Sara and zoom-zoom had good advice too. A half-marathon in August is very do-able. You said that you run at a 9:30 pace, but is that your race pace in your 5k's, or is that what you do while on training runs? My point is, you should be doing your training runs much slower than you race, 1:30 to 2:00 minutes per mile slower than your race pace, particularly if you are new to running. If you are doing all your training runs at a 9:30 pace, that would explain your knee pain. Slow down! I will seem exceedingly, painfully slow, but stick with it. I recommend this training group for guidance on low heart-rate training: http://www.runningahead.com/groups/LOWHRTR As for stretching, I don't stretch before a run, just a little limbering up. Then I just do very easy, gentle stretching after. One more thing---as far as pain is concerned, muscle pain/soreness is OK. Joint pain (like knees, for example) is not OK. Back off and slowly resume your running at a pace and distance that you can do without pain. You have plenty of time before August. Keep us posted.

                    "Able to function despite imminent catastrophe"

                     "To obtain the air that angels breathe you must come to Tahoe"--Mark Twain

                    "The most common question from potential entrants is 'I do not know if I can do this' to which I usually answer, 'that's the whole point'.--Paul Charteris, Tarawera Ultramarathon RD.

                     

                    √ Javelina Jundred Jalloween 2015

                    Cruel Jewel 50 mile May 2016

                    Western States 100 June 2016

                      For me, stretching seems to do more harm than good. I use a foam roller instead. It does wonders for tight calves, quads, and IT band. If you have access to a stationary bike, I would work that in 2-3 times/wk to strengthen the muscles around the knee.


                      Rim Rock Dad

                        Welcome, Tolley! I think its great that you've been able to do so much already. The only thing that would really concern me is possible over-training since you haven't been running for too long. I agree with Mr. Inertia. Your knee pain sounds like it could be a combination of over-training and shoes. I'd hit the local running store and talk with the folks there about what your coming up against. Usually, they can point you in the right direction. I really annoy them when I ask them if they have something that works just as well, but cheaper. Big grin I hope that you really do well for your first 10k. Good luck!
                        James "We're only at home when we're on the run." -Neil Peart


                        that's what she said

                          I can't even pretend Blush to understand that I know the difference between the training training pace and race pace. I pretty much just run at a pace that feels challenging but doesn't kill me and I guess that ends up being 9:30ish....my last 1/4 mile of any run I usually sprint but that's about it. How do I determine my race pace? My first 5k I ran was 28:35. The second, well, I don't even know the time because I ran with my husband and he was a t-u-r-t-l-e. He wanted to prove that he too could run a race and I'm pretty sure our time was a good 5-6 minutes slower than my first race Tongue. (darnit for promising to run together!) As far as my upcoming 10k, I have no idea what my time will be. I'll check out the low heart rate training group....reading through all the other threads I noticed people talking about heart rates, something I never knew I was supposed to pay attention to while running. Thanks again for everyone taking the time to respond. I've learned so much already! Smile ETA: Thanks James. I'll report back how it goes on Saturday. As for the shoes...Mr. Budget aka hubby is going to freak when I tell him I can't use my Christmas gift card to go to good ol' Footlocker because you all are suggesting I need to go to the running store...and ahem...actually spend money. eh. He'll have to get over it Big grin.
                          Nicole
                          Teresadfp


                          One day at a time

                            Thanks for the welcome Sara and Kirsten. It's inspiring to hear you both did half marathons without walking in the same or less time training than I will do. Sara-I'll start with my arms like you suggested...I know for sure they flap about in front of me and I definitely haven't been holding them at a 90 degree angle...I'll work on that first. Thanks for the stretching advice...I had no idea to warm up first, so I'll give that a go tomorrow. And yet another question....I think Hal Higdon's training gives you 12 weeks...should I start much earlier and then just repeat the few weeks of it until the race day?
                            Nicole, I'm doing Hal Higdon's program, and my half is not until September. He has you increase your long run by one mile every two weeks, and I'm going to extend the program by just going up a half mile instead. He also takes you up to only a 10-mile run, the theory being that you can easily cover the extra mileage the day of the race. Well, I know that that would be really hard for me, so I'm going to get up to the full 13.1 mile ahead of time. I was told that I run "heavy," also. I will have to try Mr. Inertia's suggestion! Teresa


                            that's what she said

                              Teresa-Good luck on your half. So, are you starting your training now? I also plan on doing more than the 10, I don't trust myself to throw a hail mary on race day and pull an extra 3 outta nowhere Tongue.
                              Nicole


                              Imminent Catastrophe

                                I can't even pretend Blush to understand that I know the difference between the training training pace and race pace.
                                Your race pace is the fastest speed at which you can run a race at--this is important--a constant pace.. That will mean holding back a bit at the start so you have enough left to finish at the same speed, but couldn't have gone any farther. A short sprint at the end is OK and doesn't count. Your 5k race pace will obviously be faster than your 10k, and so on. You will only learn what that pace is with experience. Training pace, OTOH, will be an aerobic pace and without a heart monitor you can judge that by a slow enough pace that you can carry on a conversation, so you're not really breathing hard. This will probably feel pretty slow to you. Most people find that it's 1:30 to 2:00 slower than their 10k pace, or more. Finally, about the shoes, you can compromise. Go to a good running store and get the right shoes. Then buy a pair, then you can use the gift cert to get an identical pair at Footlocker. If you're running a lot you should alternate shoes anyway Wink

                                "Able to function despite imminent catastrophe"

                                 "To obtain the air that angels breathe you must come to Tahoe"--Mark Twain

                                "The most common question from potential entrants is 'I do not know if I can do this' to which I usually answer, 'that's the whole point'.--Paul Charteris, Tarawera Ultramarathon RD.

                                 

                                √ Javelina Jundred Jalloween 2015

                                Cruel Jewel 50 mile May 2016

                                Western States 100 June 2016

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