thite1
I absolutely HATE HATE HATE running but, would love to enjoy it. I am looking for any pointers on ways to get my body used to running so that I would be able to run for long distances and eventually (I hope!) start to enjoy doing it.
I try to start but I feel like I try to do too much at once...any tips are appreciated!
So... I am NOT a runner, but I would like to be a runner. How do I make it happen?!
Answer
You should do lots of easy aerobic running/jogging on the roads and trails. This is what distance runners do on 70-80% of their training days.
Make sure you keep the pace on these runs comfortable and RELAXED, as you'll have plenty of time to do the hard stuff such as intervals and race-specific work later if you'd like to sharpen up for a race.
I'd suggest starting with out and back runs from your home which can be 10-15 minutes in duration ( at first ) and turn around and run back to your home. Yes, this may very well make you tired - so much so that you may want to quit after the first three or four days. But believe me - I was there! We all were! Stick with it. Even if you have to put in a laughably slow jog some of these days, that's perfectly okay. Yes, if you feel tired one day and/or you feel you're doing too much too soon, just keep the pace easy so you recover. Soon as your fitness improves you will be stronger and better able to handle longer and faster training runs!
I'd imagine you'll get to the point where you are doing maybe about 25-30 miles per week (about 4 miles per day). This may seem like a lot, but it's doable if you start slowly. When I first went out for cross country I was doing about 30-35 miles per week, but I was a pure distance runner running 3 mile races, and I'm a little crazy :).
Another tip - get a friend or two to do these runs/jogs with you! It will keep you much more motivated some days and take the focus off yourself. Or see if you can find a local running club in your area to get together for group runs!
Running doesn't require much equipment except shoes. Make sure you stop by a specialty running store in your area and get properly fitted. DO NOT wear the shoes you train in casually or during the day at school or work. You need to watch the wear on your shoes and replace them every 300-500 miles.
You should consider yourself an everyday runner and try to run at least 5-6x/week and preferably daily. Taking a day off here and there is OK if you really need it, but in general it's better to put a slow jog in for recovery on the days you feel like junk (and there will be some!) than to not run at all. As for the out and back runs, let the tempo come to you. Start every run slowly and keep it steady and see if you can come back in the same time you started. In general it's always better to come back at either the same pace or faster than the time it took you to get to the turn around point than to go out too fast that you then have to drag it in back to the start point. You may increase the pace to a comfortably fast "tempo" run but do so only if feeling good on that particular run. If not feeling good, just run evenly throughout, however slow it turns out.
Case in point -
many of those Kenyans begin their aerobic training runs at a laughably slow JOGGING pace and RARELY go through the first two miles faster than 15 minutes (no kidding!). But the pace does of course get gradually faster. And when it does they are cranking 5 min miles with ease!
Happy Running! :)
You should do lots of easy aerobic running/jogging on the roads and trails. This is what distance runners do on 70-80% of their training days.
Make sure you keep the pace on these runs comfortable and RELAXED, as you'll have plenty of time to do the hard stuff such as intervals and race-specific work later if you'd like to sharpen up for a race.
I'd suggest starting with out and back runs from your home which can be 10-15 minutes in duration ( at first ) and turn around and run back to your home. Yes, this may very well make you tired - so much so that you may want to quit after the first three or four days. But believe me - I was there! We all were! Stick with it. Even if you have to put in a laughably slow jog some of these days, that's perfectly okay. Yes, if you feel tired one day and/or you feel you're doing too much too soon, just keep the pace easy so you recover. Soon as your fitness improves you will be stronger and better able to handle longer and faster training runs!
I'd imagine you'll get to the point where you are doing maybe about 25-30 miles per week (about 4 miles per day). This may seem like a lot, but it's doable if you start slowly. When I first went out for cross country I was doing about 30-35 miles per week, but I was a pure distance runner running 3 mile races, and I'm a little crazy :).
Another tip - get a friend or two to do these runs/jogs with you! It will keep you much more motivated some days and take the focus off yourself. Or see if you can find a local running club in your area to get together for group runs!
Running doesn't require much equipment except shoes. Make sure you stop by a specialty running store in your area and get properly fitted. DO NOT wear the shoes you train in casually or during the day at school or work. You need to watch the wear on your shoes and replace them every 300-500 miles.
You should consider yourself an everyday runner and try to run at least 5-6x/week and preferably daily. Taking a day off here and there is OK if you really need it, but in general it's better to put a slow jog in for recovery on the days you feel like junk (and there will be some!) than to not run at all. As for the out and back runs, let the tempo come to you. Start every run slowly and keep it steady and see if you can come back in the same time you started. In general it's always better to come back at either the same pace or faster than the time it took you to get to the turn around point than to go out too fast that you then have to drag it in back to the start point. You may increase the pace to a comfortably fast "tempo" run but do so only if feeling good on that particular run. If not feeling good, just run evenly throughout, however slow it turns out.
Case in point -
many of those Kenyans begin their aerobic training runs at a laughably slow JOGGING pace and RARELY go through the first two miles faster than 15 minutes (no kidding!). But the pace does of course get gradually faster. And when it does they are cranking 5 min miles with ease!
Happy Running! :)
New runner, NO experience...Is training for a 1/2 Marathon unrealistic?
Jeannie Ha
I've been thinking of signing up for the San Francisco Marathon (half) taking place on July 31, 2011.
The thing is, I am NOT a runner, kind of suck at running because my breathing always seems to suffer, and I probably haven't run more than 200 meters at once in my life.
So my question is, with consistent gradual training over the next 7 months, is it realistic for me to expect to be able to run a 1/2 marathon by then? It sounds like it should be, I just get nervous that I may not have the endurance... If I train PROPERLY, what is the likelihood of me still sucking at running by then?
Answer
Oh, you can *totally* do it in 7 months! Since you're new to running, I would focus mainly on developing the endurance to finish the entire race, rather than setting a specific time goal. Some people use a walk-run strategy for their first long race, and others prefer to train to run the entire distance. Both are perfectly fine options. (Incidentally, are you thinking of running the first half or the second half? I do a lot of racing in the SF area & I'm thinking of running the 1st half across because you get to run across the Golden Gate Bridge - maybe I'll see you there!)
First, be sure you've got a quality pair of fitted running shoes. Wearing improperly fitted shoes is one of the leading causes of injuries, especially for new runners, so be sure to seek out a shop in your area that focuses on runners and running (preferably not a big chain sporting goods store) and ask for a shoe fitting. They should measure your foot in several different directions and also watch you walk and run both barefoot and in shoes. Based on what they see, they can recommend a few different pairs that might work. Take each of them for a jog around the store to help you decide which are most comfortable. (If you're in the city, I can definitely recommend See Jane Run in Noe Valley or Fleet Feet in the Marina - I've had fittings & bought shoes from both places and they're great. I think there's also a See Jane Run in Oakland. On the peninsula, I really like Roadrunner Sports in Menlo Park, and there's a Fleet Feet there too.)
There are a ton of half marathon training programs out there that you can use - as was mentioned above, Runner's World has several good ones in addition to the SmartCoach application. I really like Hal Higdon's half marathon programs too - they're straightforward and practical, but also effective. It's best to save those for when you're 10-12 weeks away from the Half Marathon, though, and in the mean time work on developing your endurance and form.
In terms of how to get started, I would definitely recommend signing up for a 5K that's ~3 months away to give you a short-term goal & keep you motivated to stick to your training schedule. It will also give you a chance to see what racing is all about & what it's like. C25K is great program for new runners - http://www.c25k.com/ - and Coach Jenny Hadfield at Runner's World has some great tips as well -
http://askcoachjenny.runnersworld.com/2010/08/the-secret-to-learning-to-run.html
http://askcoachjenny.runnersworld.com/2010/11/newie-runner-learning-to-run-a-faster-5k.html
http://www.jennyhadfield.com/writing-NewRunnerTips.html
Some good options in the SF area for your first race could be the Chinese New Year Run on Feb 13, the Strawberry Hill 5K on Feb 20, or the St. Patrick's Day 5K on Mar 13. (I really like the Kaiser Permanente 5K through Golden Gate Park as well, but it's Feb 6, so you may want a little more time than that to get ready to race.)
Once you've raced your first 5K, set your sights on a 10K sometime in May (www.active.com is a great way to search for races). Again, there are tons of great training programs out there you can google, and SmartCoach as well. Once you've successfully raced a 10K, you'll be well on your way to being prepared for the SF Half!
Congratulations on your new running career & best of luck! :)
Oh, you can *totally* do it in 7 months! Since you're new to running, I would focus mainly on developing the endurance to finish the entire race, rather than setting a specific time goal. Some people use a walk-run strategy for their first long race, and others prefer to train to run the entire distance. Both are perfectly fine options. (Incidentally, are you thinking of running the first half or the second half? I do a lot of racing in the SF area & I'm thinking of running the 1st half across because you get to run across the Golden Gate Bridge - maybe I'll see you there!)
First, be sure you've got a quality pair of fitted running shoes. Wearing improperly fitted shoes is one of the leading causes of injuries, especially for new runners, so be sure to seek out a shop in your area that focuses on runners and running (preferably not a big chain sporting goods store) and ask for a shoe fitting. They should measure your foot in several different directions and also watch you walk and run both barefoot and in shoes. Based on what they see, they can recommend a few different pairs that might work. Take each of them for a jog around the store to help you decide which are most comfortable. (If you're in the city, I can definitely recommend See Jane Run in Noe Valley or Fleet Feet in the Marina - I've had fittings & bought shoes from both places and they're great. I think there's also a See Jane Run in Oakland. On the peninsula, I really like Roadrunner Sports in Menlo Park, and there's a Fleet Feet there too.)
There are a ton of half marathon training programs out there that you can use - as was mentioned above, Runner's World has several good ones in addition to the SmartCoach application. I really like Hal Higdon's half marathon programs too - they're straightforward and practical, but also effective. It's best to save those for when you're 10-12 weeks away from the Half Marathon, though, and in the mean time work on developing your endurance and form.
In terms of how to get started, I would definitely recommend signing up for a 5K that's ~3 months away to give you a short-term goal & keep you motivated to stick to your training schedule. It will also give you a chance to see what racing is all about & what it's like. C25K is great program for new runners - http://www.c25k.com/ - and Coach Jenny Hadfield at Runner's World has some great tips as well -
http://askcoachjenny.runnersworld.com/2010/08/the-secret-to-learning-to-run.html
http://askcoachjenny.runnersworld.com/2010/11/newie-runner-learning-to-run-a-faster-5k.html
http://www.jennyhadfield.com/writing-NewRunnerTips.html
Some good options in the SF area for your first race could be the Chinese New Year Run on Feb 13, the Strawberry Hill 5K on Feb 20, or the St. Patrick's Day 5K on Mar 13. (I really like the Kaiser Permanente 5K through Golden Gate Park as well, but it's Feb 6, so you may want a little more time than that to get ready to race.)
Once you've raced your first 5K, set your sights on a 10K sometime in May (www.active.com is a great way to search for races). Again, there are tons of great training programs out there you can google, and SmartCoach as well. Once you've successfully raced a 10K, you'll be well on your way to being prepared for the SF Half!
Congratulations on your new running career & best of luck! :)
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