NEW RUNNER.....HELP APPRECIATED!!
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I am a relatively new runner. I am 25 and have been running 5 days a week for about 2 months. I
started out at a 10 1/2 min. mile and am down to about a 9 1/2 min. mile. I am running 3.25
miles a day (30
min. total), 5 days a week. I am not sure how to continue from here. Should I increase my mileage or
my speed? My primary goal is weight loss, but I am at the point to where what I am doing is too
easy. I am not sure whether to go faster and get more mileage in the same amount of time, or
whether it would benefit me more to go at the same pace for a longer period of time. I would
prefer to keep my time under 1 hour during the week, and maybe longer on the weekend. All
comments and suggestions appreciated!
Thanks,
emily
There is nothing wrong if you are feeling it too easy! Enjoy your runs. Don't perceive them as
punishment.
I would recommend increasing the distance of your runs rather than speed. Add variety in your runs -
run shorter one day and longer the next. Every week or every other week, on the weekend, you can run
longest run of the week - longer than any other run that you did on weekdays.
Good luck,
- Satish
"EMILY_S" <emily_s@ev1.net> wrote in message news:f70c0c91.0311171909.3ed37131@posting.google.com...
> I am a relatively new runner. I am 25 and have been running 5 days a week for about 2 months. I
> started out at a 10 1/2 min. mile and am down to about a 9 1/2 min. mile. I am running 3.25 miles
> a day (30
> min. total), 5 days a week. I am not sure how to continue from here. Should I increase my mileage
> or my speed? My primary goal is weight loss, but I am at the point to where what I am doing
> is too easy. I am not sure whether to go faster and get more mileage in the same amount of
> time, or whether it would benefit me more to go at the same pace for a longer period of time.
> I would prefer to keep my time under 1 hour during the week, and maybe longer on the weekend.
> All comments and suggestions appreciated!
>
> Thanks,
>
> emily
emily_s@ev1.net (EMILY_S) wrote in message news:<f70c0c91.0311171909.3ed37131@posting.google.com>...
> I am a relatively new runner. I am 25 and have been running 5 days a week for about 2 months. I
> started out at a 10 1/2 min. mile and am down to about a 9 1/2 min. mile. I am running 3.25 miles
> a day (30
> min. total), 5 days a week. I am not sure how to continue from here. Should I increase my mileage
> or my speed? My primary goal is weight loss, but I am at the point to where what I am doing
> is too easy. I am not sure whether to go faster and get more mileage in the same amount of
> time, or whether it would benefit me more to go at the same pace for a longer period of time.
> I would prefer to keep my time under 1 hour during the week, and maybe longer on the weekend.
> All comments and suggestions appreciated!
>
> Thanks,
>
> emily
Hi,
This is an excellent start. There are many beginners out there who aren't able to run 2 miles after
the first month.
For now focus your efforts on keeping your running fun. Try exploring different areas, new routes.
Try to run longer rather than faster. As you've discovered you'll get faster as your fitness
improves. Don't run longer every day. Twice a week run 5 miles and 3.5 the other days. You are
getting to the distance where running too much can cause injury. Focus on your goal of weight loss.
But remember that your accelerated start shows some promise in your future running.
If there is a running group in your area try running with them. Make it a social outing. You are on
your way to a healthy lifestyle stick with it! In the long run you'll be much better off.
Andy
THANKS! I really am enjoying running. I started out just to lose weight, but I really like it and am
considering doing a race sometime in the future.
Emily
"Satish K" <nospam@nowhere.com> wrote in message news:<eqCdnRcFqosrIiSiRVn-tw@comcast.com>...
> There is nothing wrong if you are feeling it too easy! Enjoy your runs. Don't perceive them as
> punishment.
>
> I would recommend increasing the distance of your runs rather than speed. Add variety in your runs
> - run shorter one day and longer the next. Every week or every other week, on the weekend, you can
> run longest run of the week - longer than any other run that you did on weekdays.
>
> Good luck,
>
> - Satish
>
> "EMILY_S" <emily_s@ev1.net> wrote in message
> news:f70c0c91.0311171909.3ed37131@posting.google.com...
> > I am a relatively new runner. I am 25 and have been running 5 days a week for about 2 months. I
> > started out at a 10 1/2 min. mile and am down to about a 9 1/2 min. mile. I am running 3.25
> > miles a day (30
> > min. total), 5 days a week. I am not sure how to continue from here. Should I increase my
> > mileage or my speed? My primary goal is weight loss, but I am at the point to where what I
> > am doing is too easy. I am not sure whether to go faster and get more mileage in the same
> > amount of time, or whether it would benefit me more to go at the same pace for a longer
> > period of time. I would prefer to keep my time under 1 hour during the week, and maybe
> > longer on the weekend. All comments and suggestions appreciated!
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > emily
I sometimes feel bored if I do the same routine no matter how hard I challenge myself. I used to do
the ten mile thing on Sundays, but that got boring, esp. without music. I now just do the 20 minute
hard runs twice a week and swim, or do other things.
It is not fitness, but a way to relieve boredom, and stress on certain parts of your body. This way,
you are supposed to avoid injury. In this way, cross training is important.
Exercise your mind as well as your body. Supposedly, exercise is to produce more proto-memory cells,
but if you are bored, you are not getting enough stimulation. Any new movement like crosstraining is
to develop more pathways in your brain, enhancing thinking skills and creativity, as well as to
prevent injury.
If you are into enhancing endurance and stamina, run hard, run long. If you are into just weight
loss, vary it from day to day. Somedays, I just do a brisk walk.
"Satish K" <nospam@nowhere.com> wrote in message news:<eqCdnRcFqosrIiSiRVn-tw@comcast.com>...
> There is nothing wrong if you are feeling it too easy! Enjoy your runs. Don't perceive them as
> punishment.
>
> I would recommend increasing the distance of your runs rather than speed. Add variety in your runs
> - run shorter one day and longer the next. Every week or every other week, on the weekend, you can
> run longest run of the week - longer than any other run that you did on weekdays.
>
> Good luck,
>
> - Satish
>
> "EMILY_S" <emily_s@ev1.net> wrote in message
> news:f70c0c91.0311171909.3ed37131@posting.google.com...
> > I am a relatively new runner. I am 25 and have been running 5 days a week for about 2 months. I
> > started out at a 10 1/2 min. mile and am down to about a 9 1/2 min. mile. I am running 3.25
> > miles a day (30
> > min. total), 5 days a week. I am not sure how to continue from here. Should I increase my
> > mileage or my speed? My primary goal is weight loss, but I am at the point to where what I
> > am doing is too easy. I am not sure whether to go faster and get more mileage in the same
> > amount of time, or whether it would benefit me more to go at the same pace for a longer
> > period of time. I would prefer to keep my time under 1 hour during the week, and maybe
> > longer on the weekend. All comments and suggestions appreciated!
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > emily
"Satish K" <nospam@nowhere.com> wrote in message news:<eqCdnRcFqosrIiSiRVn-tw@comcast.com>...
> There is nothing wrong if you are feeling it too easy! Enjoy your runs. Don't perceive them as
> punishment.
>
> I would recommend increasing the distance of your runs rather than speed. Add variety in your runs
> - run shorter one day and longer the next. Every week or every other week, on the weekend, you can
> run longest run of the week - longer than any other run that you did on weekdays.
>
> Good luck,
>
> - Satish
Emily,
Like Satish, I suggest you increase the distance. Actually, most runs you can just ignore your pace
and run by time, since you have time limits. Here's a couple ideas.
one: run out for half your allotted time and try to run back within your time limit.
two: just try running farther than your current distance within the same time. This can be either
by extending your usual out and back route, or just run a new route. Don't try to expand it too
much in any one run (that's why an out-and-back route is good for this, it can increase in small
increments).
three: get another runner to join you. let them set the pace.
four: after a few months, pick one day every couple weeks or so as "race day", where you try to run
a known route faster than you have before.
The key is not to push yourself every time you run. Stress plus Rest is the formula for improvement.
HTH,
Ed
Emily,
Don't worry about speed. Calories burned are proportional to miles run almost regardless of speed.
Find a group or at least a buddy. Running solo can be boring and it is too easy to crawl back under
the covers when it's a bit cold or rainy. If there is someone counting on you to show up, you are
more likely to get going. Find a race. There are many each weekend. Look in the sports page of your
local paper or ask around at the local running shoe store. A 5K (3.1 miles) should fit you well. Pay
the fee, don't run as a bandit. Try to find one that gives T-shirts for runners. There is nothing
like building a collection of running T-shirts for your workout attire.
Enjoy yourself but don't overdue, remember you are doing it for fitness not to win races.
Bob
"EMILY_S" <emily_s@ev1.net> wrote in message news:f70c0c91.0311171909.3ed37131@posting.google.com...
> I am a relatively new runner. I am 25 and have been running 5 days a week for about 2 months. I
> started out at a 10 1/2 min. mile and am down to about a 9 1/2 min. mile. I am running 3.25 miles
> a day (30
> min. total), 5 days a week. I am not sure how to continue from here. Should I increase my mileage
> or my speed? My primary goal is weight loss, but I am at the point to where what I am doing
> is too easy. I am not sure whether to go faster and get more mileage in the same amount of
> time, or whether it would benefit me more to go at the same pace for a longer period of time.
> I would prefer to keep my time under 1 hour during the week, and maybe longer on the weekend.
> All comments and suggestions appreciated!
>
> Thanks,
>
> emily
emily_s@ev1.net (EMILY_S) wrote in message news:<f70c0c91.0311171909.3ed37131@posting.google.com>...
> I am a relatively new runner. I am 25 and have been running 5 days a week for about 2 months. I
> started out at a 10 1/2 min. mile and am down to about a 9 1/2 min. mile. I am running 3.25 miles
> a day (30
> min. total), 5 days a week. I am not sure how to continue from here. Should I increase my mileage
> or my speed? My primary goal is weight loss, but I am at the point to where what I am doing
> is too easy. I am not sure whether to go faster and get more mileage in the same amount of
> time, or whether it would benefit me more to go at the same pace for a longer period of time.
> I would prefer to keep my time under 1 hour during the week, and maybe longer on the weekend.
> All comments and suggestions appreciated!
>
> Thanks,
>
> emily
I recommend that you read Galloway's book on running for some ideas. Here are some ideas from the
book to consider.
1. You need at least 3 days a week for improvement. Beyond that you risk injury. My own routine
consists of no more than 4 days a week.
2. You get stronger from resting after your exertions. So space out your runs throughout the week.
3. You need a long run once a week to get better. My long run is 10 miles long, and my short runs
are 3.43 miles long.
4. Don't run hard every time you run. Make sure you rest at the first sign that you overtrained.
According to the book, several days of rest will not cause significant reduction in performance.
I have run 20 months without any injury. Just remember you are running to lose weight, not to
satisfy some ego trip and you will rest when you have to do so. Ironically, someone here who was
recently injured tried to give me advice on preventing injuries in a very condescending manner.
Imagine that. What an egotistical total loser.
I also run to lose weight. I lost 48 lbs so far. I have 2 lbs to go before hitting my target weight.
This is what I have learned:
5. Diet is much more important than running for weight loss. My weight problem was due to an
excessive consumption of refined carbs and 2 beers a day. Cutting beer and reducing carbs
intake probably attributed to more than 20 lbs of my weight loss. I currently get my carbs from
popcorn, fruits and vegetables and bean. I don't eat rice and avoid products made from flour. I
no longer hold back on oil intake. My experience that moderate amount of oil intake does not
cause me to gain weight the way refined carbs do. I advise you to read up on the Glycemic
Index, and eat only low GI food.
6. Daily measurements of progress are important for weight loss. I use a spreadsheet to identify
the trend of my progress. This allows me to determine if I were to be doing something
counterproductive. Also, it is very helpful to get some way to determine your body fat %. I use
a Tanita scale to do that.
7. I have found that losing up to 1.5 pounds a week does not involve me being hungry at all during
the week. It is important not to have to suffer to lose weight. Since no one likes to suffer, a
weight loss plan that involves suffering will not be sustainable in the long run.
Here are a list of books that have helped me in my weight loss:
8. The New Glucose Revolution: The Authoritative Guide to the Glycemic Index--the Dietary Solution
for Lifelong Health
9. Galloway's Book on Running 2 Ed
10. Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution
11. The Art of Strategy: A New Translation of Sun Tzu's Classic The Art of War
I don't agree with everything I read in these books, but the information in them do allow me to
formulate a working strategy for my weight loss. Once you have a working plan, it is not that hard.
EMILY_S wrote:
> THANKS! I really am enjoying running. I started out just to lose weight, but I really like it and
> am considering doing a race sometime in the future.
I'd say most of us started out to lose weight or at least enter a healthier life style. Doing a race
is also a great goal but don't get caught up and start adding faster running during the week. As
Satish suggested just add distance slowly and intelligently and you gain speed without risking
injury. We are suggesting you don't fall into the trap of too much, too soon, too fast and break.
Take a look at some of startup programs on the runner's world web page:
http://www.runnersworld.com/home/0,1300,,00.html?site=RunnersWorld
Note the techniques they use to extend mileage in general with hard/easy and
hard/easy/easy days etc.
When you get down to the perfect body will be get to see a picture or just wait for you on the cover
of Runner's World magazine? :)
--
Doug Freese "Caveat Lector" dfreeseS@NOBShvc.rr.com
In article <8e95cfc6.0311182313.46fc7d54@posting.google.com>, ElfHunter wrote:
> emily_s@ev1.net (EMILY_S) wrote in message
> news:<f70c0c91.0311171909.3ed37131@posting.google.com>... to do so. Ironically, someone here who
> was recently injured tried to give me advice on preventing injuries in a very condescending
> manner. Imagine that. What an egotistical total loser.
Come on, what do you really think name-calling like this proves ? Think about
it.
Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/
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