[email hidden] (EMILY_S) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...
Quoted message said: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.
