Running is hard :| others experience?

[Itakas]

Wow! Took me a little bit to get caught up on the thread.

I only posted my age, height, weight, etc, so I could get accurate advice. If I just said I wanted to start running fast, there are a ton of "what ifs".

I do want to lose weight. 185 is actually a little lower than what I have been the last 3-4 years. I usually keep at a steady 192~. I was hoping to get down to 165-169~ and stay in that range. I definitely do not want to go to 155 or lower. I think my ribcage would start showing. I am not concerned with bulged muscles and I find weight lifting incredibly boring. I do some lower back exercises though. I have been seeing a lot of things saying a strong core is required for running, so I will have to look into how to do that. I will have to do it in a way that wont feel like a chore, or else I wont want to do it.

My current diet is 1600 calories a day, and 1 "bad" meal 1 day a week. It works well, I shed about one pound a week and still get a weekly indulgence. I have not been paying attention to nutrition, but I do eat a lot of veggies. I have fish/steak probably once or twice a week. I could probably use some more protein, I suppose.

I'm hoping to run a marathon someday, but that's more of a longer term goal than a five minute mile. My current goal, and the milestone I am aiming for, is two miles in fourteen minutes by September. I don't think that's going to happen with how I'm injuring myself, though

I will admit, those first 400 meters feel wonderful. I'm not winded, I'm moving quickly, and my whole body feels quite euphoric. It's something I hope I can do longer term someday. My goal, now, is definitely to run a fast mile.

I seen someone post about me running around a route instead of a track. I generally do that, but I hate cold weather. XD It's actually starting to get warm now, so there is that!

I definitely have shin splints from what Spectral posted. I did push myself harder than usual and I have a painful shin to show for it. My running shoes (Asics Gel Kayano 19) do feel a little bit bigger on the heel than I'm used to, and I recently adjusted my posture to keep my back straight. Maybe that has something to do with how I'm landing my foot? I don't land heel first when I run. I don't think so, anyway. Maybe I'm landing heel first very briefly. Too hard to tell. Wonder when I can safely at least jog again :/ I wouldn't dare with how it feels right now. I can get through a whole work day without it even bothering me at all, but I can tell there is a dull pain when I sit and focus on it.

Since you want to lose some weight and improve your performance, i would suggest you take a look at E/C/A usage, if you can get Ephedrine HCL. From my own usage of it and from people i know that used it, it works and so far i dont know anyone who has reported issues with it, only hear positive results. It will help you lose weight and boost your performance. You can do one 6 week cycle and see how it works for you.

There is plenty of guides on dosage etc., if you decide to try it, so wont go into details about that.

**A warning, if you have heart problems, high blood pressure or diabetes, dont use it**

[Deleted]

Hard in beginning then become easier

[NickCageFanatic]

Except it's not. Did you look at what I posted? HIIT is also better. Running is really *not* an effective way to lose weight. You burn a relatively small amount of calories as compared to other options and, when you really work your muscles, you get the benefit of burning calories while they repair as well as an increased metabolism.

Runner:


Sprinter (HIIT and weight lifting):


Weight lifter:


Who would you rather look like?

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The OP said that his goal was to lose weight. I "get" that it's not everyone's goal, but it is here, so what are you talking about?

1) The OP clearly stated he had the goal to run a sub 5 minute mile and lose weight.

2) Any moron can google Ryan Hall, a scrawny 2:04 marathoner, and compare it to a FOOTBALL player and say sprinters look better.

3) Here is a faster distance runner that actually has a good build

[Spectral]

2) Any moron can google Ryan Hall, a scrawny 2:04 marathoner, and compare it to a FOOTBALL player and say sprinters look better.

Also worth mentioning that Hall looks fine if someone isn't deliberately cherrypicking a photo where he's exhausted and dehydrated:

As I mentioned earlier, I'll take the distance runner builds over the super muscular stuff anyway, for an incredibly simple and obvious reason - I like distance running. You show me a guy that looks like the football player or lumberjack above, and I'll show you a guy that probably has no chance of staying with me in a half marathon (1:29 last weekend), and I'm just a schmuck that picked up running a year and a half ago. Given that I have a fiancee that's also a marathoner, why would I give one solitary shit if some internet tough guy thinks it's better to be bulky?

(To be clear, nothing against people that would rather sprint, play football, powerlift, or do lumberjack things. My whole point is that sports are great and quibbling over which is "best" is stupid.)

[Zafire]

You show me a guy that looks like the football player or lumberjack above, and I'll show you a guy that probably has no chance of staying with me in a half marathon (1:29 last weekend), and I'm just a schmuck that picked up running a year and a half ago.

Wow, really? That's impressive o.O That's a pace of less than 7 minute a mile! I've been lightly jogging since October. I'm still trying to hit a 7:30 minute mile (I can keep up the pace for a half-mile now). I would be making much better progress if these shin splints would just completely heal already.

[DanielZuko]

I always get shin splits when i start jogging again, then i go right back to not jogging.

[Spectral]

Wow, really? That's impressive o.O That's a pace of less than 7 minute a mile!

Yep, thanks! I wound up with a 6:48 overall pace. I think if I ran a bit smarter, I can do better, I was a dope and split the first three miles at an ~6:20 pace. I paid for it by running the next 10 with tired legs and just clinging to a sub-7 pace.

I've been lightly jogging since October. I'm still trying to hit a 7:30 minute mile (I can keep up the pace for a half-mile now). I would be making much better progress if these shin splints would just completely heal already.

The good news there is that consistency is way more important than speedwork on any given day. You'll get there, just have fun and don't fuss too much. From April of 2013 to May 2014, I went from an ~7:07 pace in a 5 mile race to 6:48 in an HM.

[Zafire]

How often did you work out per week, for how long, and what was the usual distance? That's faster progress than I even considered a possibility.

If I can even hit an 8 minute mile for two miles by September I'll do great at battle of the businesses this year. I think I'm at 8:50 for one mile now before I get burned out. I'll have to time it next time and see. Having to tape my shins makes me feel a little off.

I don't really fuss or anything of the sort. The "fun" factor for me comes from the same reason I like video games, it's a challenge. Seeing that I made progress, if even just a few seconds, is VERY rewarding.

[MerinPally]

I always get shin splits when i start jogging again, then i go right back to not jogging.

What surface do you go running on? Get some better running shoes. I was wearing old trainers and having loads of problems, I bought some new actual running shoes with more padding (I go running on roads) for like £30 and I have no problems now.

[Zafire]

What surface do you go running on? Get some better running shoes. I was wearing old trainers and having loads of problems, I bought some new actual running shoes with more padding (I go running on roads) for like £30 and I have no problems now.

Speaking of running shoes, I am unsure what I should be wearing. I've worn skater shoes since highschool (and yes I was REALLY into skateboarding). Skater shoes are known for being more flat footed (I mainly wore Es and Adios) and wide. Before that, and as far back as I can remember, I have HATED arc support.

That leads me to today. When I first started jogging, I was jogging in skater shoes. I had minor knee problems, but it would always go away in one to two days. I got Asics Gel Kayano 19s very recently and I thought they would be good for my foot. They are a little tight around my foot, but they are snug. I feel comfortable in them.

I do not have wide feet and my foot does indeed curve. I am not flat footed. I do not think my foot is wide (How can you even tell that? o.O). Yet, I have ALWAYS preferred the comfort of flat, wide shoes. I have some pretty unfriendly shin splints right now that haven't really gone away much compared to a month ago. I only run once a week in fear of making my shins worse, and I wrap them with tape.

I'm debating if I should get different shoes, is what I'm trying to say. Only coaches I know of would be in Buffalo and that's about two hours from here. So, yeah...

[maxwellyass]

I found for myself that playing soccer helped a lot! Tremendous amount of cardio, and helped me tons for my runs

[lookperfection]

Jogging is better than running. Running bring pressure to the knees.

[Spectral]

Jogging is better than running.

I'm not sure what this is supposed to mean. Jogging is a type of running. This is like saying that burgers are better than sandwiches.

Running bring pressure to the knees.

I don't really know what this is supposed to mean either. It makes about as much sense as saying, "don't lift weights, it brings pressure to your muscles".

[Gestopft]

I always get shin splits when i start jogging again, then i go right back to not jogging.

Get better/more supportive running shoes

Ease off of your calves

Start with shorter runs/more recovery. One of the hard parts of starting a running program is overtraining the smaller muscles.

[bhachman]

Do some wind sprints.
On a track or field, sprint as hard and fast as you can for twenty meters - you can increase the distance as needed. Stop and jog back. Repeat this until you puke.
I used to train that way in the USMC.
It will work.

Yeah I like this method too, We used to call them suicide runs. it doesn't kill your knees/ankles and really gets you sucking in the oxygen, pushing for a larger lung capacity. I found that by just having the ability to breath easier, I could continue my long runs at a higher pace.

[Azrile]

K. So I'm 5'10", male, 185 lbs (Hoping to lose), average build. I'm about 13lbs overweight. I'm 26 years old.

So I stopped exclusively jogging and moved on to running at least twice a week (Probably going to go running/jogging at least 3 to 5 times a week). Most things I've read and heard say that if all you do is jog, you wont ever be able to just get up and start running. I can jog two miles without stopping and I can consistently hit sub 20 minutes. While that's not impressive, I feel I have plateaued. I haven't really noticed myself gaining. That, and my body and recovery time always seem to be the same. I run in Asics Gel Kayano 19's.

Well, my huge aspiration is a sub 5 minute mile. I want to hit that goal, and I really hope to start running competitively eventually. From the things I am reading, and the statistics I am seeing, most people can't do it. Most forum posts elsewhere state that less than 15% of the population could actually achieve that if they wanted to, even with perfect training.

I'm not sure if I can even run fast enough in the first place T.T I do NOT expect to hit this anytime soon, and am fully prepared for it to take a year or two.

Well, since I wanted to start running today I went to the local indoor track (Which is a miniature track, really) . One lap is 1/8 a mile, which means in order to run 12MPH for one lap I'd have to get 37.5 seconds in one lap. No time like the present to get some statistics. My first lap my stopwatch messed up (Which sucked, because that was the only lap I wasn't hurting), my second lap was 38.25, my third lap was 41.8 (I mostly kept a steady run pace out of curiosity) and my last lap was 37.75. I had to rest about 10-15 minutes within each lap I ran, doing some power walking and just plain sitting to recover. My heart HURTS right now and it's been a good 4 hours since I got back from the track. Maybe it's the good kind of pain, I don't know. I don't feel like I'm in any danger..lol.

When I get about 3/4 done with the lap (Mainly the first and the last one I successfully timed), I had to slow down a little bit because I simply couldn't continue at my maximum sprint potential. If I could sprint, full-force, one lap, I could definitely break 37.5 seconds. I was always under the impression that for people that do sub five minute miles that they ran a little slower than they were fully capable of. If I actually want to accomplish a sub 5 minute I'm basically going to have to be able to go all-out most of the time.. Is that how it usually is for most people? Am I at a disadvantage? I can't find a clear answer anywhere.

I'm also very interested in hearing how some of the other runners in here worked their way to where they are now. Did you feel overwhelmed when you started? How often do you run to run to keep your abilities or improve on them weekly, and do you plan anything to make sure you don't skip it?

The only way to run fast is to run fast. Just start adding 10 50yard windsprints at the end of your 2 mile run. Treat each one as if it is the only one you are going to do and run as fast as you can ( don´t save anything for the next 9). Also, when you are running your 2 miles, get in the habit of adjusting your speed at certain points, not sprinting or going crazy, but just increasing your speed noticeably for a minute or two. You need to untrain your brain and muscles of the ´pace´ you are teaching them now.

[prwraith]

I hate running. Hate it.

I Do it anyway /

[Spectral]

The only way to run fast is to run fast. Just start adding 10 50yard windsprints at the end of your 2 mile run. Treat each one as if it is the only one you are going to do and run as fast as you can ( don´t save anything for the next 9). Also, when you are running your 2 miles, get in the habit of adjusting your speed at certain points, not sprinting or going crazy, but just increasing your speed noticeably for a minute or two. You need to untrain your brain and muscles of the ´pace´ you are teaching them now.

Strides and sprints are great, but let's be clear, if someone wants to run a fast mile, they're also going to need a lot of volume.

[Deleted]

I normally keep increasing my running speed troughout my workout. Lets say i start at 13,5 km/t i will run for about 5-6 min and then increase the pace to 14 km/t. I'l continue to do so until i reach 5 kilometer.

Sometimes i increase the pace more often but by smaller margins. sometimes i just go all out and see how fast i can reach 3 kilometers.

I really gained lots of speed training like that.

[MerinPally]

If you go running in the streets rather than in a gym then try running streetlights. Pass one and start running as fast as you can for a few of them, depends how far apart they are. Then stop sprinting and go at normal running pace for the same distance/twice that distance, and then repeat.

I can't remember what they call it, I think a friend called it "chasing trains" but that might be something else.