Complete rookie

[ciliatus]

I'm hesitant to post here amongst all these "real" runners but I figure what better place to get advice. I'll start by saying this: I hate running. I've hated it since I was a kid. But I turn 30 this year and I'm way overdue for a lifestyle change. I was always athletic and in pretty good shape up until the last 5 years or so. Too much beer, too many cigarettes and too much crappy food has taken its toll. I'm going to be running a marathon relay in April and I really need to prepare. At this point I'm trying to run everyday, whether it be a mile or a quarter mile, just to get back into the swing of things gently. At the end of a mile I feel like I'm about to puke up my lungs. Fun stuff. Long story short, despite my hatred for running, I am finding myself intrigued and pushed by the challenge. I've never run anywhere near 7 miles in one stretch in my life and I've got to hit this goal. I'm hoping you guys can give some advice or good links to get me going in the right direction. I know with weightlifting you're supposed to give the muscle groups time to repair to avoid overtraining. Is this the case with running? Should I be running everyday? Are there any training plans for someone like me (out of shape, can't run for crap)? I'm hoping beyond hope that I'll catch the "addiction" to running that so many people have. Gotta be better than a nicotine addiction right? I'd appreciate any input or links that might help me get started/keep me on track. Sorry for the long winded post and thanks in advance for any input.

[emartin10]

I'll start by saying, welcome. I hope you find that you can post here and not worry about us. We're full of hot air anyway.

I think you should ease into the running. I find that when I run back to back days, more often than not, I'm more sluggish on the second day. So if you are going to do back to back days, for now, maybe focus on a good, solid mile on the first day, and then a run/walk the second day, just to build yourself up. But I would just make sure you don't burn yourself out. If you hate running to start with, burning yourself out is just going to make you hate it more. Try to do it when you can, and maybe try to find some good trails or paths near you that can maybe distract you. Also, try running with some music for a bit, see if that can distract you as well.

Check this out as well. John Bingham is a writer for Runner's World, and he writes a motivational column for 'normal' runners - it's called 'No Need for Speed'. They are great articles, I enjoy them every month:
Penguin's Column : No Need For Speed

Keep us in the know, I'm excited to hear how you do!!!

E

[ciliatus]

Thank you very much. Despite my hatred of running itself, I'm really digging how I feel afterward. I like the good soreness and the energy it's been giving me. I'm sure once I push through all that I'll learn to enjoy it more. Just checked out the link. This looks like just what I need. Tons of info. Quick question. In the line "walk/ XT 20min", what does the XT stand for?

[Phaedrus49er]

Originally Posted by emartin10

We're full of hot air anyway.

Man, ain't that the truth

Also a "welcome" from here. I started out dying after 1.5 miles a few years ago and worked myself up to a half-marathon this past April. As "e" said, try not to burn out. It's tempting to go all-out at first, but definitely ease into it. Considering the distance you're wanting to hit, the time you have to hit it, and your current level of conditioning, my humble opinion suggests that you avoid daily running, perhaps no more than every other day with the off days used for walking or some other kind of (light) athletic pursuit that interests you for recovery purposes.

Listen to your body, and don't be afraid to take a day completely off once a week or so. I didn't, and it cost me nearly a year of running (I'm not returning to the longer races for various biomechanical reasons, but that's another story for another thread). Feel free to post questions or, if/when it happens, concerns over injuries or seemingly benign tweaks. We've all been there.

Best of luck

[emartin10]

XT = cross training, so cycling, swimming, walking, weights, basketball, sex, basically anything to get your heart rate up.

E

[drs]

I learned alot about running this year as I trained for my first marathon. Jeff Galloway's book "Marathon" was helpful especially the encouragement to do the walk/run strategy. I'm sure there are plenty of sites that would give you more info if you search these terms. In general, you run a while and then walk a while. Then you gradually increase the running and decrease the walk breaks to about a minute or so. Galloway is a strong advocate that the total miles is what is building your endurance so you don't have to feel guilty about running a mile and walking a mile as a stepping stone to doing more.

[GG300]

ciliatus, after running (if you can call what I do running) for just under a year I ran my first half marathon and all of the real runners on this forum were a great source for information and support. Good Luck with your training.

[emartin10]

As far as I'm concerned, if you lace 'em up and hit the pavement or trail, you're a 'real runner'. I don't consider myself any better than anyone else in here that gets out there and runs.

E

[lioness]

Ciliatus,

I just started running at the end of last year. I'm doing the run/walk strategy and it's working out very well. I'm 46 and ran track in high school so that was many, many years ago. I have a love/hate relationship with running but I'm finding that I'm enjoying it more and more. I'm doing my first 5K in February and hopefully a 10K at the end of April. I'm only running about twice a week right now but hope it up it a bit more in the next couple of weeks.

Good Luck,

Jane

[BamaDave]

Welcome, ciliatus! You've got plenty of time to build up to 7 miles from one mile by April. I think using the running/walking strategy can help you a lot and will give you a longer workout while you are still adapting to running.

[Barrett]

Yea I totally agree with Bama and everyone else on this one. Try the walk/run plan on Runner's World.Com : Running, Racing, Training and More. . One thing about running is you have to consistant. Just remember as one of my idols said, "just keep putting one foot in-front of the other, sooner or later you'll get there" Dean Karnazes

If your looking for some inspirational running books, definitly pick up Ultra-Marathon Man, by Dean Karnazes.

[Cynic]

Ok, you hate running, but you're taking it up. Have you considered a cardio that you find more interesting? Rowing? Biking?

It just seems you've already set up a stage, so perhaps you should look for something you like before you lose it.

I would love rowing, but the biggest pool of water I have ready access to is the puddle near the bathtub drain. Well, there is lake Michagan, but I need a frickin' boat too.

[GG300]

Ok, you hate running, but you're taking it up. Have you considered a cardio that you find more interesting? Rowing? Biking?

I think he answered this by saying he was intrigued by the challenge. While I have found many runners who absolutely love it I have also found many others, myself included who do the training so they can partake in a varity of events from 5ks to Marathons. For people like us the fun is at the events and being able to have a good time with some pretty interesting people. It really has little to do with the exercise value of running.

[UpNorth]

I have nothing to add here but it's nice to see a couple of new faces down in this forum!

Welcome.

[sg516]

i recently started running too and what i find helps a lot is to run with a group of people or at least a partner. i used to get gassed at about a mile and now i find myself running 3-5 miles every other day. i started running about 6 weeks ago. so i think its pretty good progress. the way we do it is to run at a conversational pace for the first couple of weeks. so if you can talk to the person next to you than you are in the correct zone. after the first couple of weeks we run at a conversational pace for the first half of the week and the second half of the week we run a little harder so that you could talk but you don't really want to bc your respiration is up. and eventually we will start the week in the "a little too hard to talk much" difficulty and progress from there. its a neat way to get in to it but it gets really tiring. at least its not like when i used to wrestle and had to run with trash bags on to cut weight. haha.

anyway, keep with it. in the end it is almost always worth the effort.

[Run4Fun]

Haha, I feel ya. To start off though, a big thing that you have to become addicted to is water. This is definitely one of the hardest parts for me. Along with water, cut back on whatever it is you normally drink. So when you feel like having a soda or beer, forget it and pull out a Gatorade. I find Gatorade an excellent substitute for soda. But you mustn't leave the water.

An important aspect of training is setting up a good base. Start slow, just like your doing, with maybe a mile 4, 5 days a week. Do it until you find yourself finishing that mile and being surprised that your done already. Once you get this feeling, the next day add on a half mile. So now your doing 1.5 miles 5 days a week. Once you get that feeling again add on. Just repeat the process.

If your doing this race in April, the seven miles will be tough with only 3 or so months of training. This is where a mental state comes in. Think positive. A lot of times people will find themselves thinking negatively as soon as they take off. Do not let that happen to you and you'll be fine.

So keep hydrated, happy running, and good luck!