Forums >Running 101>Running in the Country
Hi all!
I am VERY new to this! I grew up in a very small town- less than 300 people! With that being said- I have not touched a weight or ran since high school! AND my metabolism is slowing down! Meaning I have to get off of my lazy- you know what- and get to work!
What are some suggestions so I don't over do anything? I get sore very easily! I do a lot around our farm and ride horses a lot. But I still feel like I am lacking something!
Thank you!
PS I have only been out of high school for 3 years.
First thing, go slow. Start out with walking (on a farm you probably already do enough). Be able to walk 30 minutes without an issue, then slowly start jogging. Try jogging from telephone pole to the next telephone pole, then walk to the next one and alternate. Start off with about a half mile, then slowly build up.
I bet you are more fit than you believe you are if you are riding horses, and you will be tempted to build too fast. But you want to build slowly to avoid getting injured, running puts a lot of stress on bones and joints if you ramp up too quickly.
You might look for a couch to 5k plan. They will generally get you up to 3 miles in 10-12 weeks without too much stress.
I'll second the C25k plan for starting out. Start with half an hour, 3 or 4 days a week. Keep your running slow and easy, as much as possible. When that feels easy, gradually increase the time/distance you run and the number of days, but as a beginner, you need time for your muscles/bones/tendons to recover.
If you are running country roads, try to pick ones where you can see oncoming cars and where you can be seen. (Not the twisty hilly ones.) If there is a bike lane, better still. If you do have to run on narrow hilly routes, don't wear headphones. You want to hear oncoming vehicles and be ready to jump off the road if necessary. I run in the country, and have learned which roads have a steep slope for water runoff. Try to avoid those as much as possible. Or if you have to run on roads with a camber, try to go both directions so your legs get some relief.
As to the soreness, get fitted at a good running shoe store, where they can find shoes that fit your gait. Some people pronate, some don't. Some run on their forefoot, some midfoot, some heel strike. The wrong shoes can cause a lot of pain. Doing too much too soon will also cause pain. It takes time for the body to get used to the impact of running. By taking it slowly, you'll reduce the risk of injury.
Feeling the growl again
As said above, start slowly...both in terms of speed/effort and building distance...and give your body time to adapt. Doing stuff around the farm you probably have good core strength but there are still certain things that will need to strengthen in response to the new exercise.
In the country I'd say no headphones period. Cars are bad enough...and often drive more in the center than to the side....but depending on the area you need to hear the loose dogs coming. Especially the ones who don't bark before they try to come up from behind and latch onto your calf.
"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
Mmmmm...beer
This all day. I love running in the country when we visit my inlaws, but I absolutely hate the loose dogs. There's a road there that I don't run down anymore because of three dogs that have come after me.
-Dave
My running blog
Goals | sub-18 5k | sub-3 marathon 2:56:46!!
I leave a few piles of rocks along the road at potential dog problem spots. Most dogs when they see a human bending over to pick something up will think twice about continuing to charge.
that always worked for me, but it was still annoying to stop and throw the handful of stones. Now, the swooping red-wing black birds and swallows posed a different problem.
Like everone said take it easy building up your miles.
The soreness will go away. After you can run five miles without stopping it starts getting easier.
Gallaway run-walk program is a good one for beginers.
Country roads can be dangerous. Do you have any trails?
Hi all! I am VERY new to this! I grew up in a very small town- less than 300 people! With that being said- I have not touched a weight or ran since high school! AND my metabolism is slowing down! Meaning I have to get off of my lazy- you know what- and get to work! What are some suggestions so I don't over do anything? I get sore very easily! I do a lot around our farm and ride horses a lot. But I still feel like I am lacking something! Thank you! PS I have only been out of high school for 3 years.
If you want to rev up your metabolism, you can try dropping 5-10 lbs (if need be), drinking coffee, and doing more chores. Jog from one place on the farm to the other. Lift some heavy sacks. Do jumping jacks, lunges, squats, pushups, run in place. Build muscle. Then hit the road running.