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

[Bill]

> 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.
>
Sounds like the mother of all plans. Hard to find fault with it. Shows commitment.

Hopefully, it will become a welcome part of your day, not a major burden, a curse that comes
with life.

Your plan allows you to make tremendous progress in small steps without a lot of pain and risk. Can
you work on other aspects of your life in the same way, such as diet and stress, to achieve weight
reduction and increased physical energy? That might take some of burden out of the run.

Taking a crosstraining week every 4-5 weeks, once your running durations get higher, might insure
you recover fully. Also, you may eventually find that 5 identical longer runs each week allows
insufficient recovery.

That last increment when you finally run for an extended time and do not include walking breaks is a
bigger step than you might expect. I find that stopping for traffic or walking a few steps at a
light during a long run can be restorative.

Running point to point has phsychological advantages, for example, a commute home from work. Running
on grass has physical advantages. Finding others to run with once in a while can work. And, doing
some very long XC skiing or snowshoeing this winter would burn up more calories, give running legs a
rest, and uplift spirits.

I find the local gym invaluable and not that expensive, though it is only 2-3 minutes jog away
from home.

[Doug Gilliam]

Bill,

Thanks for the advice. I have a great deal of commitment towards getting into shape. I've always
hated the notion of getting old and fat and there is only one of these that I can do anything
about :-).

I've made other major changes in my life lately as well including getting out of the computer
business after leading the pack in the rat race for about 25 years. I now plan to work to live
rather than live to work. This is the change that will permit me to have the time to get into and
stay in good shape .... if I remain healthy of course.

The program I described is what I'm currently doing and planning to do. I will in fact change this
program any time I feel like I have a better plan and as necessary due to the weather. When the
weather gets worse with much snow and bitter cold, I'll likely do some cross country skiing and
workouts at the gym on the treadmill. But, I plan to do as many workouts outside as I can
reasonably do.

Although I've never dieted before in my life, I'm currently considering it. Anything I can do to
lose weight a bit faster will make everything else a LOT easier. It's hard dragging 200 lbs. up
hills. A friend of mine is an expert on nutrition and is helping me in this area. The first thing I
need to do is educate myself. Once I understand it better, maybe I can begin to make some small
changes in my eating habits that will help.

I'm constantly listening to my body as I workout. If my legs don't get enough time to recover as
running becomes a larger and larger portion of my workouts, I might begin to vary my workouts. That
is, I might only do 2 or 3 longer runs along with 2 or 3 shorter runs each week. However, in any
case I believe I'll continue to have my total workout be 60 minutes. I'll just do more walking on
the days that I do less running.

Thanks again for your input. I look forward to getting into shape again and any encouragement and
advice I can get is very much appreciated :-).

Regards,

Doug Gilliam

"Bill" <utthitaxpam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:bplmjm$1q616k$1@ID-127845.news.uni-berlin.de...
> > 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.
> >
> Sounds like the mother of all plans. Hard to find fault with it. Shows commitment.
>
> Hopefully, it will become a welcome part of your day, not a major burden,
a
> curse that comes with life.
>
> Your plan allows you to make tremendous progress in small steps without a lot of pain and risk.
> Can you work on other aspects of your life in the same way, such as diet and stress, to achieve
> weight reduction and
increased
> physical energy? That might take some of burden out of the run.
>
> Taking a crosstraining week every 4-5 weeks, once your running durations
get
> higher, might insure you recover fully. Also, you may eventually find
that
> 5 identical longer runs each week allows insufficient recovery.
>
> That last increment when you finally run for an extended time and do not include walking breaks is
> a bigger step than you might expect. I find
that
> stopping for traffic or walking a few steps at a light during a long run
can
> be restorative.
>
> Running point to point has phsychological advantages, for example, a
commute
> home from work. Running on grass has physical advantages. Finding others to run with once in a
> while can work. And, doing some very long XC skiing or snowshoeing this winter would burn up more
> calories, give running legs
a
> rest, and uplift spirits.
>
> I find the local gym invaluable and not that expensive, though it is only 2-3 minutes jog away
> from home.