Blue Ears
I'm beginning to run and I want to know how long I should run without pushing myself too far? I'll be running on a track since it's winter, so should I focus on getting a certain amount of laps in or should I focus on running for a certain amount of time? If so, what would be a safe amount of laps/time to go while being safe but also still pushing myself?
Also, how often should I increase my amount of laps/time?
Answer
Anyone can be a good runner, you just have to be willing to put the work in so that you can build up your endurance. Endurance is the key to all running, it's the foundation for everything that you'll do whether it's long distance or short sprints, if you don't have endurance you're not going to be able to do either very well. So, since you're just getting into running again I would suggest that you start going for some distance runs 1-2 miles 4-5 times a week. You don't have to run fast, in fact you can run as slow as you want, just don't walk. Do this for a couple of weeks and you'll find that it's much easier for you to do, you won't have cramps or stitches, your legs will start feeling better and your times will be dropping. This is a sign that your endurance is starting to grow, at that point you can start upping your mileage and trying to drop your times.
The benefit of starting early is that you have a couple months to train, which is plenty of time to whip yourself into shape. Usually it takes about 6 weeks for your endurance to really build up and and for it to start having effects on your stamina and cardiovascular health. But I guarantee you'll start seeing results WAY before then, after only a couple weeks, of running 4-5 times a week, you'll start to notice that running a mile is much easier, cramps are much less frequent and that you're not nearly as winded.
So, as for a training plan, your schedule could look a little something like this:
For the first month or so I would focus mainly on building endurance, the only way you're going to be able to do that is through running often. Set an alarm to wake yourself up in the morning, then just get out and do it. Don't feel like you have to go out and run three miles on your first day, you're the only person who knows your body and knows what it can and can't do. So for right now, do what you can, and start building up your strength.
Set a mileage goal for yourself, DON'T go by time. That way you have an actual goal instead of simply running until your time is up, it's much more motivating to be running a preset distance and it doesn't feel quite as long. Also, running on a track during the winter is nice, but it's sort of the same thing as running on a treadmill, the scenery never changes and it gets a little old after the 10th lap. Running outside is a great option, yes it may be cold, but if you have the right gear then it shouldn't be too bad. Try using this website: http://www.mapmyrun.com/ Here you can map your runs and figure out where and how far you need to go, I find it's really helpful if you don't have a gps sport watch.
Here's a training schedule that you can use for the first couple months of your training:
Monday: Distance run (1-3 miles as slow as you would like, without walking)
Tuesday: Distance run (1-3 miles as slow as you would like, without walking)
Wednesday: Distance run (1-3 miles as slow as you would like, without walking)
Thursday: Distance run (1-3 miles as slow as you would like, without walking)
Friday: Distance run (1-3 miles as slow as you would like, without walking)
Saturday: Rest or distance run
Sunday: Rest
Just a note: The distances above are just raw distances not translated into laps on a track, one mile on a track is four laps. So a one mile run would be four laps while a three mile run would be twelve. Now, after a a month of training the schedule above is going to seem pretty easy, this will be because your endurance base has built up and you can start pushing yourself to go faster and you're plan could look a little something like this:
Monday: Distance run (1-4 miles slower 10-12 minute mile)
Tuesday: Distance/speed run (1-2 miles at an elevated pace 8-9 minute mile)
Wednesday: Distance run (1-4 miles relaxed at a 10-12 minute mile)
Thursday: Distance/speed run (1-2 miles at an elevated pace 8-9 minute mile)
Friday: Distance run (1-4 miles miles relaxed at a 10-12 minute mile)
Saturday: Rest or distance run
Sunday: Rest
Make sure that you don't overwork yourself within these first months, since you're just getting into running you're going to be much more prone to injury. Ease in slowly, and once you feel the your body is ready to start ramping up the workouts then you should. This training plan should start putting you into great shape. Hope this helps! Good luck, and feel free to message me if you have any more questions!
Anyone can be a good runner, you just have to be willing to put the work in so that you can build up your endurance. Endurance is the key to all running, it's the foundation for everything that you'll do whether it's long distance or short sprints, if you don't have endurance you're not going to be able to do either very well. So, since you're just getting into running again I would suggest that you start going for some distance runs 1-2 miles 4-5 times a week. You don't have to run fast, in fact you can run as slow as you want, just don't walk. Do this for a couple of weeks and you'll find that it's much easier for you to do, you won't have cramps or stitches, your legs will start feeling better and your times will be dropping. This is a sign that your endurance is starting to grow, at that point you can start upping your mileage and trying to drop your times.
The benefit of starting early is that you have a couple months to train, which is plenty of time to whip yourself into shape. Usually it takes about 6 weeks for your endurance to really build up and and for it to start having effects on your stamina and cardiovascular health. But I guarantee you'll start seeing results WAY before then, after only a couple weeks, of running 4-5 times a week, you'll start to notice that running a mile is much easier, cramps are much less frequent and that you're not nearly as winded.
So, as for a training plan, your schedule could look a little something like this:
For the first month or so I would focus mainly on building endurance, the only way you're going to be able to do that is through running often. Set an alarm to wake yourself up in the morning, then just get out and do it. Don't feel like you have to go out and run three miles on your first day, you're the only person who knows your body and knows what it can and can't do. So for right now, do what you can, and start building up your strength.
Set a mileage goal for yourself, DON'T go by time. That way you have an actual goal instead of simply running until your time is up, it's much more motivating to be running a preset distance and it doesn't feel quite as long. Also, running on a track during the winter is nice, but it's sort of the same thing as running on a treadmill, the scenery never changes and it gets a little old after the 10th lap. Running outside is a great option, yes it may be cold, but if you have the right gear then it shouldn't be too bad. Try using this website: http://www.mapmyrun.com/ Here you can map your runs and figure out where and how far you need to go, I find it's really helpful if you don't have a gps sport watch.
Here's a training schedule that you can use for the first couple months of your training:
Monday: Distance run (1-3 miles as slow as you would like, without walking)
Tuesday: Distance run (1-3 miles as slow as you would like, without walking)
Wednesday: Distance run (1-3 miles as slow as you would like, without walking)
Thursday: Distance run (1-3 miles as slow as you would like, without walking)
Friday: Distance run (1-3 miles as slow as you would like, without walking)
Saturday: Rest or distance run
Sunday: Rest
Just a note: The distances above are just raw distances not translated into laps on a track, one mile on a track is four laps. So a one mile run would be four laps while a three mile run would be twelve. Now, after a a month of training the schedule above is going to seem pretty easy, this will be because your endurance base has built up and you can start pushing yourself to go faster and you're plan could look a little something like this:
Monday: Distance run (1-4 miles slower 10-12 minute mile)
Tuesday: Distance/speed run (1-2 miles at an elevated pace 8-9 minute mile)
Wednesday: Distance run (1-4 miles relaxed at a 10-12 minute mile)
Thursday: Distance/speed run (1-2 miles at an elevated pace 8-9 minute mile)
Friday: Distance run (1-4 miles miles relaxed at a 10-12 minute mile)
Saturday: Rest or distance run
Sunday: Rest
Make sure that you don't overwork yourself within these first months, since you're just getting into running you're going to be much more prone to injury. Ease in slowly, and once you feel the your body is ready to start ramping up the workouts then you should. This training plan should start putting you into great shape. Hope this helps! Good luck, and feel free to message me if you have any more questions!
I wanna become a runner, any tips?
prettyligh
I decided I want to become an avid runner. One to lose some weight and two to be healthy. But I have always hated running. I get tired too fast and I can't breathe well (I used to smoke a lot of weed) So I get winded so easily. Also, I hate treadmills and want to run outside but their are no trails near me and I would be embarassed to run on streets because I do not want people to see me lol. What are some tips for a beginner?
Answer
This is quite a common question really. Beginning running is easy, put on your shorts, t-shirt and trainers, go out the front door and off you go - sounds easy doesn't it?
I am assuming that you mean to run a long distance rather than short sprints. One first thing to consider is why you want to run. Is it fitness, to loose weight (common reasons), to complete a specific event such as a half marathon (a common reason), or perhaps joining the Armed Forces. Remember this goal as you run through the wind and the rain.
The hardest part of running is actually leaving the front door, really it is. There is a part of everyoneâs brain that as they run down the street it is saying 'Look, there is Mr Jones at number 42 peering out the window staring at me, how embarrassing... and there is Mrs Smith at number 40 doing the same - I can't stand that and I am going to go home now'. The reality is that most people will be too busy watching Coronation Street and the rest will be watching BBC2. After you have run down the street a little this voice disappears and you can get on with your running. Like I said, the hardest part is the first 5 steps after leaving the front door.
So what to do? The first thing is to pick a route to run along. I have often just set out running and feeling good run and run, then when I start feeling a little tired turn round to go home - by the time I get home again I am very tired having run too far. Picking a route before hand gives you a goal and a limit to how far to run. As a beginner you should be looking for a half hour run which might be 3 or 4 miles. You can make this route a circular route or a there and back route (you run say 2 miles and then turn round and retrace your steps to get home). You don't have to start the run from home either, you might start from work, or travel to a local park or nice area of town - somewhere where you are safe and comfortable to run but also somewhere where you are happy to do repeated runs along the same route. You can measure the route by driving round it in a car and use its odometer, or a bike with one or use a mapping website like mapmyrun.
On a first run, you go along your chosen route and run-walk. Most people start with this technique and its where you run for a while until you can't run any further and then you walk to recover. When you can run again you run until you need to walk again and so on around the route. For some people you might do the whole 3 miles on your first session without waking, for others you might run for a minute and then have to walk. Both are OK, and you have to remember that these few run-walks are part of a process to get you running a long distance. One common mistake when setting off running is to go too fast. To avoid this for the first few runs and until you know what your body can do, run at a pace where you can say to your self 'This is easy, I can run faster' - and run at this easy pace. You will find that you will be able to run further, not as fast but you will cover the distance quicker because you arn'tât stopping.
After your first run have a couple of days rest then repeat the same run. Run along it and run further each section than you did before. For example, if you started walking at a road sign, then make sure that you run past the sign - even 3 steps past it before you walk. Then walk to the point where you started running last time. It helps to look ahead as you are getting tired and think 'I'll stop at that sign, then start running at the next one' - that gives you a short term goal to aim for, a definite point start running from and a challenge for the next run.
One thing to know from your first run is that your legs will feel sore, and this is normal, its the muscles complaining but all you have to do is have a couple of says rest then run again when they arn'tât sore, and then a couple of days rest and then run again.
Repeat these runs a few times and you will find that each time you are running that little bit further and doing the whole run a little quicker each time. With time you will be able to run the whole 3 or 4 miles without stopping often (some days you just can't run - we all find that and these are the days when an easy, say 3 mile run needs 4 or 5 rest stops). With work going from non-runner to running 4 miles can take about a month. When you can run for a whole half hour then its time to start considering your running goals a little more and to figure out how to get there. Build on the base fitness of these half hour runs. If you want to do well with your running you will want to run a few days a week.
You need to include rests in your schedule - running every day is not so good. Run a day, then rest a day is better.
You might like to run with a friend, it is more sociable and you run better with company. Its part due to the fact you are chatting rather than thinking about legs and lungs hurting and part that you always get competitive and want to do as we
This is quite a common question really. Beginning running is easy, put on your shorts, t-shirt and trainers, go out the front door and off you go - sounds easy doesn't it?
I am assuming that you mean to run a long distance rather than short sprints. One first thing to consider is why you want to run. Is it fitness, to loose weight (common reasons), to complete a specific event such as a half marathon (a common reason), or perhaps joining the Armed Forces. Remember this goal as you run through the wind and the rain.
The hardest part of running is actually leaving the front door, really it is. There is a part of everyoneâs brain that as they run down the street it is saying 'Look, there is Mr Jones at number 42 peering out the window staring at me, how embarrassing... and there is Mrs Smith at number 40 doing the same - I can't stand that and I am going to go home now'. The reality is that most people will be too busy watching Coronation Street and the rest will be watching BBC2. After you have run down the street a little this voice disappears and you can get on with your running. Like I said, the hardest part is the first 5 steps after leaving the front door.
So what to do? The first thing is to pick a route to run along. I have often just set out running and feeling good run and run, then when I start feeling a little tired turn round to go home - by the time I get home again I am very tired having run too far. Picking a route before hand gives you a goal and a limit to how far to run. As a beginner you should be looking for a half hour run which might be 3 or 4 miles. You can make this route a circular route or a there and back route (you run say 2 miles and then turn round and retrace your steps to get home). You don't have to start the run from home either, you might start from work, or travel to a local park or nice area of town - somewhere where you are safe and comfortable to run but also somewhere where you are happy to do repeated runs along the same route. You can measure the route by driving round it in a car and use its odometer, or a bike with one or use a mapping website like mapmyrun.
On a first run, you go along your chosen route and run-walk. Most people start with this technique and its where you run for a while until you can't run any further and then you walk to recover. When you can run again you run until you need to walk again and so on around the route. For some people you might do the whole 3 miles on your first session without waking, for others you might run for a minute and then have to walk. Both are OK, and you have to remember that these few run-walks are part of a process to get you running a long distance. One common mistake when setting off running is to go too fast. To avoid this for the first few runs and until you know what your body can do, run at a pace where you can say to your self 'This is easy, I can run faster' - and run at this easy pace. You will find that you will be able to run further, not as fast but you will cover the distance quicker because you arn'tât stopping.
After your first run have a couple of days rest then repeat the same run. Run along it and run further each section than you did before. For example, if you started walking at a road sign, then make sure that you run past the sign - even 3 steps past it before you walk. Then walk to the point where you started running last time. It helps to look ahead as you are getting tired and think 'I'll stop at that sign, then start running at the next one' - that gives you a short term goal to aim for, a definite point start running from and a challenge for the next run.
One thing to know from your first run is that your legs will feel sore, and this is normal, its the muscles complaining but all you have to do is have a couple of says rest then run again when they arn'tât sore, and then a couple of days rest and then run again.
Repeat these runs a few times and you will find that each time you are running that little bit further and doing the whole run a little quicker each time. With time you will be able to run the whole 3 or 4 miles without stopping often (some days you just can't run - we all find that and these are the days when an easy, say 3 mile run needs 4 or 5 rest stops). With work going from non-runner to running 4 miles can take about a month. When you can run for a whole half hour then its time to start considering your running goals a little more and to figure out how to get there. Build on the base fitness of these half hour runs. If you want to do well with your running you will want to run a few days a week.
You need to include rests in your schedule - running every day is not so good. Run a day, then rest a day is better.
You might like to run with a friend, it is more sociable and you run better with company. Its part due to the fact you are chatting rather than thinking about legs and lungs hurting and part that you always get competitive and want to do as we
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