Forums >Running 101>New to running, weekly miles and burnout questions.
Hello all!
I am brand new to running, well I have been running for about a year now, but am no where near what you would call a "real runner." I started running on a treadmill for weight loss purposes, went from almost 300 lbs to currently 125 lbs, and only in the past 6 months or so have become serious about improving. In the beginning I could hardly run for 3 minutes without wanting to die, as of today I am up to running 5.1 miles non stop. While I am still at a 10 minute mile I can say I am pretty proud of my progress!
I force myself to run every morning, Monday-Friday, on the treadmill. My workout is laid out like this; 10 minute warm up, then straight to the treadmill and run 5 miles at 6 mph, then I walk for about half a mile and then jog for another half mile and cool down walking for half a mile. Over the past month I have increased my miles and pace from 3 miles at 5.2 mph to 5.1 miles at 6 mph.
On to my questions...
Is it normal for me to dread my workout every morning? Sometimes I will be on the verge of tears while forcing myself to run.
Is 4 days a week enough running? Due to other circumstances I can only run Monday through Friday, the weekends are not an option at this point.
Am I just lazy? Do I need to suck it up and force myself to run?
Another downfall is I am always tired, exhausted, sore and moody after running, is this to be expected as I add miles? I want to become a real runner and improve but as the days and weeks go on I find myself dreading running more and more yet cant stop my routine for fear of gaining the weight back.
I have researched running motivation tips and tricks until my eyes crossed, nothing seems to be helping. Any advice would be welcome and so appreciated!
Thank you.
#RunEveryDay
If you run, you are a real runner. Don't give me this "I'm not a real runner". You aren't being fair to yourself. (And I wish my easy pace was 10 minute miles. It's not)
I find treadmill running harder. Have you tried running outside? Varying where you run can help make it more enjoyable.
If you are tired and exhausted after a run, you might be pushing it too hard. The fact you dread running makes me wonder. Can you speak in short sentences during your runs? Most of your miles should be at an easy pace and at the end of an easy run, you should not feel absolutely spent. Running slower will not make you slower; it will help you build endurance. Don't race every run.
If you are using the log on RA, you can make that public so people can see what you've been doing as well. That's handy for getting informed answers.
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Congrats on starting up. Your weight loss is very impressive! Running is a great way to keep up the fitness mindset.
We all dread our runs some days, perhaps even most days. However, at least for myself, within 5-10 minutes I am so happy I am running. I almost never finish a run and think "well I was right earlier, I shouldn't have run." If you do, then that's not a great sign.
4 days a week is great for running. You'll find people who run 7 days a week (something with 10 runs in those 7 days). I would say 5 days is probably a good goal to go for, but as long as you run at least 3 days a week, you're doing better than most people.
Why can't you run on weekends? Almost everyone who says they "can't" run generally just mean they aren't willing to sacrifice something else. I remember when I first started I was running 20-25 miles per week and said "there is no way that I can run more than 35 miles a week due to other reasons." But in reality, I could. I just wasn't ready at that time to sacrifice other things (like sleep). However, you may have a legitimate reason, but truly sit down and think about whether you absolutely CANNOT run.
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)
This is the million dollar question.
Trails
I would recommend reading The Happy Runner by David and Megan Roche....if nothing else it gives you some perspective and might help you find the "why" (other than just weight loss) you are running. I've been building up to do a 100 miler in either 2020 or 2021 and there was a point earlier this year where I just did not want to do anything - I lost my "why". I still struggle some days with extreme fatigue (I have an autoimmune disease) and on those days I just keep it real easy.
Unfortunately I work on the weekends. I guess a question I should have asked originally is what is a healthy "rest day" schedule? Should I run 5 miles Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, rest Wednesday? Or run my 5 Miles Monday, Wednesday, Friday and rest Tuesday and Thursday? I have found that after the weekend of not running I am usually pretty eager to run again on Monday but by Wednesday or Thursday I am just so mentally and physically exhausted I am forcing myself to stick to my running routine at that point.
Hey Runnerwannabe no more. You ARE a runner. Good job on the weight loss and exercise regimen.
One thing I noticed about your schedule is that it has very little variety. This is a recipe for boredom and burnout for sure! Perhaps look at changing your schedule so that you run 2-3 miles one day and then try to reach for 6-7 on the following day. Also, you can intersperse little speed changes like running for 10 seconds faster every so often. Finally, I think getting off of the treadmill would be good for you as CanadianMeg pointed out. Running outside is so much more fun. Just the terrain and weather changes alone will provide the variety you need.
"Shut up Legs!" Jens Voigt
If you run, you're a runner. Period.
Motivation waxes and wanes and everyone struggles but being on the verge of tears pre-workout isn't normal and you don't have to just accept it as so. Mixing up the schedule to break up monotony, building in a mid-week rest day or recovery day, getting outside sometimes ... all of this may be good advice, but this sound like more than the normal motivation issues we all deal with.
Going from 300 lbs to 125 is almost unbelievable and it obviously required life changes beyond running ~25 miles per week, so you shouldn't live in constant fear that if you miss a workout you'll gain all the weight back.
There are studies that show a link between extreme weight loss and depression. And I can only imagine that losing more than half of ones body weight -- and maintaining the 1700 calorie per day deficit required to do so for a whole year -- will come with all kinds of psychological, hormonal, and other blood chemistry changes that need to be managed.
This *sounds* to me like a better question for a mental health professional versus just a running question.
Congrats on what you've accomplished! That's amazing.
Runners run
an amazing likeness
...In the beginning I could hardly run for 3 minutes without wanting to die, as of today I am up to running 5.1 miles non stop. While I am still at a 10 minute mile I can say I am pretty proud of my progress!
as you darn well should be!
...Is it normal for me to dread my workout every morning? Sometimes I will be on the verge of tears while forcing myself to run. Is 4 days a week enough running? Due to other circumstances I can only run Monday through Friday, the weekends are not an option at this point. Am I just lazy? Do I need to suck it up and force myself to run?
...Is it normal for me to dread my workout every morning? Sometimes I will be on the verge of tears while forcing myself to run.
My reaction to this section is along the lines of "oh dear, that's not good". It's well known from various research (good summary here), the best exercise is the one you actually enjoy and look forward to. If running isn't that for you, it may be worth your time to find what exercise draws you in and pulls you towards it.
What I personally enjoy about running is that I'm outside and moving through the environment. I experience the seasons coming and going, the weather, the sights and sounds of nature and I feel my body working and doing what it can that day. Often, at various times through the day, I'll look forward to my run that night and think about it unwinding the day's stress, the day's total focus on the mental over the physical, and I know it will hurt and I'll be sore lying in bed that night. Like you, I enjoy knowing I'm burning off some calories to compensate for the day's sloth, and keeping my weight in check.
Find an exercise routine you enjoy and look forward to doing. If that's not running, there is something else, or a mix of something elses -- life is too short and otherwise painful to suffer like you describe.
Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.
Thank you to all that replied! I am going to take the advice from everyone and start fresh Monday. I love how I feel when I finish my workout lol, I just have trouble motivating myself to get started some days. I have run outside a few times but its currently still in the high 90's here in Texas and I am so self conscious of being watched and judged even though I know no one actually cares haha.
I know I just need to suck it up and run, I want to run, but some days my brain just screams "I cant." Oh well, I am going to stick with my running and absolutely try every ones tips! Thank you again for the advice!
I highly recommend not concerning yourself about how fast you are running, nor how far. When you do that you can end up really despising your workouts, trying meet x number of miles and pushing a pace that really isn't manageable nor comfortable.
I gave up running by distance and pace a long time ago. I just go by time and effort, and the key part of that is the effort level. I mean running never will be truly easy. Sitting on the patio with a beer is easy, but running never is. It's just kinda sorta when you compare one level of effort against another.
Don't commit yourself to levels of effort that are plain sucky uncomfy to the point that you get to hate it. Take it easy, make it more comfortable than it is, go as easy as it takes. There will be days when you're just fine running at a higher level of effort when you feel like you want to push yourself. But make it the exception, not the rule.
One suggestion I haven't seen that works for some people is to sign up for a race. You'd have no problem doing a 5K, and having a goal like that on the calendar can really trick your brain into being excited to do your next workout. I also second all the calls to get outside and off the dreadmill. If I had to run four or five times a week on one of those torture devices, I'd be crying for sure. If it's hot, run at sunrise.
Thank you to all that replied! I am going to take the advice from everyone and start fresh Monday. I love how I feel when I finish my workout lol, I just have trouble motivating myself to get started some days.
runsinskirts makes a great point. Change up so you aren't running the same amount every day. On a day where you are feeling more tired or less motivated, cut yourself some slack and run 2-3 miles. You will have days where you feel better and it's easier to do the 5 miler. Your body will get used to that 5 miler so switch it up. It's not a fail to run shorter or longer some days.
I second the suggestions to vary the kind of running you're doing - programming or manually adjusting the treadmill so at times you're slower, then faster, with incline changes as well.
To help you figure out how to run in a less static way, even if you don't want to do a race it might be worth looking up online for "training programs: 5K". Those programs have varieties of runs all chosen and mapped out on the calendar that you can follow, which can save you a lot of time and effort you'd spend if you had to make them up yourself. And hopefully you'll look forward to the runs a bit more if they're not quite so monotonous.
And who knows, you might decide in the end you want to actually run that 5K race!
Finally ... it's not the end of the world to take a little break from running. You could in the interim do some absolutely killer HITT work to keep your CV fitness up, and get a floor mat, some relatively light free weights and maybe a pull up bar ... it's not running, but you can stay in great shape with those things during a running sabbatical.
Good luck, and congratulations!!
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