Training Again After 6 Years Off

[Doug Gilliam]

Hello,

I'm 51 years old, 5'11" tall, and weigh about 200 pounds. About 4 months ago I was about 215-220
pounds. I lost about 10 pounds before I began training and have lost more weight since I began.

I began training 2 months ago with a 30 minute walk with a couple of 10 second jogs mixed in. After
about a week I was walking 60 minutes with 11 - 20 second jogs mixed in. My basic routine is to walk
the first 5 minutes then jog every 5 minutes after that through 55 minutes. That is, I jog at 5, 10,
15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55 minutes. After my last jog I walk very slowly until 60
minutes have expired.

I haven't changed the length of my workout since the end of the first week. I do 60 minutes 5 times
a week. Every 4 weeks I take an extra day off so I only exercies 4 times instead of 5. Currently,
I'm doing 11 jogs (every 5 minutes) of 1 minute and 40 seconds. I'm doing about 10 minute pace. So
I'm jogging a total of 1100 seconds (18 min, 20 sec.).

I've been in shape several times before but it has been about 6 years since I was in good shape
last. I'm training to run the Utica Boilermaker (15K) next July. I will have been training for about
10 months by the time the race rolls around. My current goal is only to be able to run (jog really)
the whole 9.3 miles. As I get closer to the race date I'll probably add a time goal as well.

My real goal is to lose more weight and get into good shape. I'm doing the race because that will
help motivate me during my training sessions over the winter. It's really cold/snowy in upstate New
York so I'll need all of the motivation I can muster to continue to train during bad weather.

When I get to where I'm doing 2 minute jogs every 5 minutes (11 of them) I'll begin to consolidate
my jogging. The week after I'm doing 11 - 2 minute jogs, I'll switch to 9 - 2-1/2 minute jogs. Over
time I'll continue to consolidate to the point where my normal workout will be to walk 5 minutes
then jog 50 minutes then walk 5 minutes. I expect this will take 2-3 more months.

I'll continue to do base training until about 4 months before the Boilermaker (about mid March) then
I'll begin to work in some strength and speed training although I don't plan to do a lot of speed
this first year. If I run the Boilermaker a second year I'll plan to go a good bit faster which will
require more speed work.

My main strategy is to slowly increase the amount of my jogging so I don't get injured. If necessary
I'll take even longer to get to the point where I'm doing one long jog.

Let me know if you have any comments as to what I should be doing differently. I've gotten into
decent shape several times over the years but it definitely gets harder and harder as I get older.

Regards,

Doug Gilliam

[Erik]

Your plan sounds good. All you need to do now is stick with it and you're well on your way to
running the 15k.

"Doug Gilliam" <doug_gilliam@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:VRRub.4260$m84.2593010@news1.news.adelphia.net...
> Hello,
>
> I'm 51 years old, 5'11" tall, and weigh about 200 pounds. About 4 months
ago
> I was about 215-220 pounds. I lost about 10 pounds before I began training and have lost more
> weight since I began.
>
> I began training 2 months ago with a 30 minute walk with a couple of 10 second jogs mixed in.
> After about a week I was walking 60 minutes with
11 -
> 20 second jogs mixed in. My basic routine is to walk the first 5 minutes then jog every 5 minutes
> after that through 55 minutes. That is, I jog at
5,
> 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55 minutes. After my last jog I
walk
> very slowly until 60 minutes have expired.
>
> I haven't changed the length of my workout since the end of the first
week.
> I do 60 minutes 5 times a week. Every 4 weeks I take an extra day off so I only exercies 4 times
> instead of 5. Currently, I'm doing 11 jogs (every 5 minutes) of 1 minute and 40 seconds. I'm doing
> about 10 minute pace. So
I'm
> jogging a total of 1100 seconds (18 min, 20 sec.).
>
> I've been in shape several times before but it has been about 6 years
since
> I was in good shape last. I'm training to run the Utica Boilermaker (15K) next July. I will have
> been training for about 10 months by the time the race rolls around. My current goal is only to be
> able to run (jog really) the whole 9.3 miles. As I get closer to the race date I'll probably add a
> time goal as well.
>
> My real goal is to lose more weight and get into good shape. I'm doing the race because that will
> help motivate me during my training sessions over
the
> winter. It's really cold/snowy in upstate New York so I'll need all of the motivation I can muster
> to continue to train during bad weather.
>
> When I get to where I'm doing 2 minute jogs every 5 minutes (11 of them) I'll begin to consolidate
> my jogging. The week after I'm doing 11 - 2
minute
> jogs, I'll switch to 9 - 2-1/2 minute jogs. Over time I'll continue to consolidate to the point
> where my normal workout will be to walk 5 minutes then jog 50 minutes then walk 5 minutes. I
> expect this will take 2-3 more months.
>
> I'll continue to do base training until about 4 months before the Boilermaker (about mid March)
> then I'll begin to work in some strength and speed training although I don't plan to do a lot of
> speed this first year. If I run the Boilermaker a second year I'll plan to go a good bit faster
> which will require more speed work.
>
> My main strategy is to slowly increase the amount of my jogging so I don't get injured. If
> necessary I'll take even longer to get to the point where I'm doing one long jog.
>
> Let me know if you have any comments as to what I should be doing differently. I've gotten into
> decent shape several times over the years
but
> it definitely gets harder and harder as I get older.
>
> Regards,
>
> Doug Gilliam

[Drlith]

"Doug Gilliam" <doug_gilliam@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:VRRub.4260$m84.2593010@news1.news.adelphia.net...
> Let me know if you have any comments as to what I should be doing differently. I've gotten into
> decent shape several times over the years
but
> it definitely gets harder and harder as I get older.

I'm a beginner, too, so I don't any brilliant thoughts on your plans from a technical standpoint.

But from a philosophical standpoint, two thoughts occur: (1) it would drive me stark raving
bonkers to have such a regimented regimen in the beginning. You must spend your entire workout
with your eyes glued to your watch! (2) something has happened for you to get into shape, and then
get out of shape, then get into shape, then get out of shape...etc. etc. Makes me wonder if you
never get to the point where you just work out because you actually like to. And finally, are
these two things related?

In the realm of "unoriginal thoughts," I was encouraged to take 1-minute walk breaks, starting out 1
minute walk, 1 minute jog (first week it may have been more like 1/2 minute jogs). Then 1 minute
walk, 2 minute jog. Then 1-3, 1-4, and so on. It seems like this might be a bit simpler than your
approach of scheduling increasingly longer run times ever five minutes.

My own implimentation of this was, in fact, even more approximate, as I didn't own a watch at the
time. Some days it was more like "run until the breathing gets to labored" then "walk until you can
run some more." Some days I would go for 20 minutes. Some days I would go for 30 minutes. Some days
I would go for 40. Some days were good, and I'd do 15:1. Two days later I might be in a bad mood and
not feel like pushing anything, and only do
6:1. Took about 5 months to get to where I could go for 30 minutes straight. And, with this fairly
laid-back approach to ramping up my running time, a miracle happened! I got to the point where
I not only survived my work outs, but sometimes enjoyed them! I don't know if I would have ever
learned to like running if I were always looking at the watching, thinking "I've got another 20
seconds to run on this cycle" or "there, now I can walk for 2 minutes and 10 seconds!"

If you're an engineer or something, please disregard. :-)

[Dot]

Doug Gilliam wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I'm 51 years old, 5'11" tall, and weigh about 200 pounds. About 4 months ago I was about 215-220
> pounds. I lost about 10 pounds before I began training and have lost more weight since I began.

Congratulations on the weight loss!

>
> I began training 2 months ago with a 30 minute walk with a couple of 10 second jogs mixed in.
> After about a week I was walking 60 minutes with 11 - 20 second jogs mixed in. My basic routine is
> to walk the first 5 minutes then jog every 5 minutes after that through 55 minutes. That is, I jog
> at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55 minutes. After my last jog I walk very slowly
> until 60 minutes have expired.
>
> I haven't changed the length of my workout since the end of the first week. I do 60 minutes 5
> times a week. Every 4 weeks I take an extra day off so I only exercies 4 times instead of 5.
> Currently, I'm doing 11 jogs (every 5 minutes) of 1 minute and 40 seconds. I'm doing about 10
> minute pace. So I'm jogging a total of 1100 seconds (18 min, 20 sec.).

This is a good start. Sometimes people may need to do the same thing every day to have a habit
formed, but frequently training is improved by diversity - you improve more by doing different
things. For instance, you may want to have some days that are shorter than the others, but maybe jog
easily a little larger percentage - if you can. Then alternate with longer, mostly walk days. If a
slightly lower week every 4 wks works for you, then fine. But another option might be to alternate
longer (harder) and shorter (easier or recovery) weeks. Again, some people do better with a constant
routine. You may be one of those.

I'm not sure if you're just being cautious in the way you are building, or whether there is a
limiting factor to your current 1:40 (min:sec) run every 5 min - breathless or legs hurt. 10
min/mile seems fast for such short intervals for a beginnner (considering acceleration time), esp.
if that's the longest you can run in one stretch. Could you conduct a conversation at that effort
level? If not, you might try slowing down and see if you can run for a longer duration. It usually
takes me about 5-10 min easy running to be sure all my cylinders are firing and get into a smooth
gait, esp. if it's near 0F like now.

>
> I've been in shape several times before but it has been about 6 years since I was in good shape
> last. I'm training to run the Utica Boilermaker (15K) next July. I will have been training for
> about 10 months by the time the race rolls around. My current goal is only to be able to run
> (jog really) the whole 9.3 miles. As I get closer to the race date I'll probably add a time goal
> as well.

Just a thought. If this is your first race, you may want to just be concerned with running it
without a time goal. Just enjoy it. There's a lot of new things on race day, like many other runners
;), that may distract you. However, you may want to have a general idea of how long you expect it
would take you, so you can have runs that are that long and understand hydration and energy
management issues for that time length. There's a real difference in guesstimating how long you
might expect to be on your legs vs actually trying to meet a time goal.

>
> My real goal is to lose more weight and get into good shape. I'm doing the race because that will
> help motivate me during my training sessions over the winter. It's really cold/snowy in upstate
> New York so I'll need all of the motivation I can muster to continue to train during bad weather.

I don't understand the statement about bad weather. I'm sure there are lots of days in upstate New
York when the weather isn't bad in winter. You may have lots of bright sunny days with beautiful
white snow on the ground that beckon you to come run and play. I wouldn't consider these "bad". Just
put on appropriate layers and go for it. Depending on your snow conditions, it might take a little
adjustment. There's no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear.

As DrLith pointed out, you seem to have an extremely regimented system and maybe that's what you
need, but perhaps this contributes toward not sticking things out in the long term. I enjoy running.
While I occasionally refer to "training" or exercise (horrible memories of hs gym classes), many
people I know, including myself, refer to it as "play". Keep in mind Alaskans (where I live) are
known for playing hard and doing the background prep (aka training) for such activities. It enhances
the fun. Perhaps you need to regard running in a different light to keep it up as a lifestyle rather
than off/on thing. Or you might be one that thrives on competition and keeping strict protocols.

I wouldn't be afraid of a little less regimentation, esp. if it meanth you would keep up the
running. DrLith pointed out one way. OTOH, some people need strict guidelines and thrive with them.
I'm not sure which you are.

>
> I'll continue to do base training until about 4 months before the Boilermaker (about mid March)
> then I'll begin to work in some strength and speed training although I don't plan to do a lot of
> speed this first year.

Just a thought, but you might want to consider mixing in some strength earlier, but this may depend
on what you are considering strength and any specific issues you may have. Yes, many periodization
plans start with recovery, then endurance followed by strength. Others may suggest strength (esp.
skill strength) before endurance.

>
> My main strategy is to slowly increase the amount of my jogging so I don't get injured. If
> necessary I'll take even longer to get to the point where I'm doing one long jog.

This is a good approach.

Good luck with your running and weight loss.

Dot enjoying a light snow cover and bright blue sky associated with 0F - the kind of weather that we
so sorely missed last year :)

--
"Success is different things to different people" -Bernd Heinrich in Racing the Antelope

[Drlith]

"Dot" <dot.h@#att.net> wrote in message
news:fe%ub.87796$Ec1.4303254@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> I wouldn't be afraid of a little less regimentation, esp. if it meanth you would keep up the
> running. DrLith pointed out one way. OTOH, some people need strict guidelines and thrive with
> them. I'm not sure which you are.

Perhaps we should call this the ADD vs. the OCD approach. :-)

[Donovan Rebbech]

In article <fe%ub.87796$Ec1.4303254@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>, Dot wrote:

> As DrLith pointed out, you seem to have an extremely regimented system and maybe that's what you
> need, but perhaps this contributes toward not sticking things out in the long term. I enjoy
> running. While I occasionally refer to "training" or exercise (horrible memories of hs gym
> classes), many people I know, including myself, refer to it as "play". Keep in mind Alaskans
> (where I live) are known for playing hard and doing the background prep (aka training) for such
> activities. It

Some people do great at just going out and running, but it takes some experience and wisdom to do
this succesfully. I have some of the former, and not quite as much of the latter as I'd like. I'm
too prone to overdoing it I permit myself to just do whatever I feel like doing. So without some
self-discipline, I'd just injure myself every month or so. My observation has been that older
runners tend to be less prone to delusions of immortality than younger runners, therefore are less
prone to reckless training.

An orthogonal issue to this is that there are the "OCD types" who just like to have a detailed plan.
Good for them if it works. Planning is one area where I really am happy to do the minimal workable
solution ... yes, Steve, when it comes to planning, I really do try to be mediocre, and I usually do
a pretty good job at it (-;

Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/