Thinking about "trying" to run...YIKES!
 

So I've been browsing here for a while and I've been following my eating plan for a bit but I know I need to incorporate some exercise. I've been lurking some blogs and other posts and have decided that I want to start running. I found a website that has a "Beginners Guide to a 5k", which is something I am interested in doing. I posted the plan and I was hoping someone with running experience could take a look at it. I figure it would be a good starting point but I'm slightly confused on the Walk/ Cross Train part. Does that mean I run when I can and walk the rest? Also I know there are a bunch of runners out there, is this a good way to start off or do you have any other recommendations?



Week 1 8/13-8/19

W: Walk/XT 20 minutes
Th: Run 10 Minutes
F: Walk/XT 20 minutes
S: Run 15 minutes
Su: Walk/XT 20 minutes
M: Rest
T: Run 2 miles

Week 2 8/20-8/26

W: Walk/XT 20 minutes
Th: Run 15 minutes
F: Walk/XT 20 minutes
S: Run 20 minutes
Su: Walk/XT 20 minutes
M: Rest
T: Run 2.5 miles


Week 3 8/27-9/2

W: Walk/XT 30 minutes
Th: Run 20 minutes
F: Walk/XT 30 minutes
S: Run 25 minutes
Su: Walk/XT 30 minutes
M: Rest
T: Run 3 miles (on race course if possible)


Week 4 9/3-9/9

W: Walk/XT 30 minutes
Th: Run 25 minutes
F: Walk/XT 30 minutes
S: Run 30 minutes
Su: Walk/XT 30 minutes or off
M: Rest
T: Run 3.5 miles

Week 5 9/10-9/16

W: Walk/XT 30 minutes
Th: Run 30 minutes
F: Walk/XT 30 minutes
S: Run 30 minutes
Su: Walk/XT 30 minutes
M: Rest
T: RUN 5 K RACE

This looks very similar to a Couch to 5k - Google that if you're interested in a program that starts with almost NO running and eases you up over a greater number of weeks - and is a very good way to ease into running.

Walk/XT means DON'T run...walk at a good pace, or do some other cardio activity that isn't running.

wooo mandalinn, thanks for such a fast response, and clearing that up for me! I just checked out the couch to 5k thing, and it looks like a good way to start so thank you so much, I'm going to do that plan instead!

Another thing to keep in mind is not to try to run too fast. Try to find a pace that is sustainable for you -- if you are huffing and puffing and feel like you are going to pass out, you're going too fast! Slow it down, even if you are jogging at a pace that isn't much faster than walking. If that seems too much, then try walk/run intervals. It still counts as running! Lots of people start that way ... gradually increasing the time that you run and decreasing the walk breaks. Heck, people run whole marathons doing run/walk intervals, so there's nothing wrong with that! Just be patient and you will progress faster than you think you will. Stretch well after running, especially your calves and hamstrings.

And be sure to get good, properly-fitting shoes! A running specialty store can fit you in a pair. It's worth the investment.

Agree that walk/XT refers to NOT running, but walking or cycling/swimming/elliptical. When I started running I could not have run 10 minutes without stopping as in the first week of the plan. :eek: I would have exploded on the track and it wouldn't have been pretty. I started out jogging the straight sides of a track and walking the curves. That was more like 4 minutes of slow slow jogging and then 3 minutes recovery. I built from there, trying to run a little farther each week.

I agree with MBN on 2 points. Slow is FINE. Better to go slow and keep going for a few minutes than to try to bust it out and kill yourself in 30 seconds. You do NOT have to be a speed demon, ever really, but especially not when you are starting.

Also the SHOES. Absolutely get fitted for good shoes. Worth every penny. Go somewhere they will watch your stride. Brands and styles vary greatly and you need one that fits your feet and your stride to avoid injury.

I agree with her stretching advice too. :)

There's always C25K threads going on. A recent one is on week 2, but several of us in it are on week 1 for various reasons. Join us at:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/show...=148204&page=2

Thanks so much everyone for the help! I did my Day One today, and I feel great! I even made my own mix on Audacity so I had my own music instead of awful techno, and that was a biig help! Hopefully I can save up and get a good pair of shoes. Can you go to any sporting goods store for a fitting?

I'd recommend going to a running specialty store rather than a generic sporting goods store. You won't spend any more money on the comparable quality shoe, but you should budget for more than a low-end shoe. A specialist can analyze your gait, foot shape, and size. Yes, it gets that technical, but the shoe support structure varies according to these things. A properly fitting and supportive shoe really helps to prevent injuries down the road. I pay upwards of $90 per pair, and generally change out after about 6 months ... which is between 600-700 miles for me at an average of 25 miles per week. But that's probably TMI. :-)

I have a small local running store and that is the only place I buy running shoes for myself or my dd. They videotape the runner on the treadmill, play it back in slow-motion and analyze the gait. By now they know what shoes and sizes we need, and yes, we replace our shoes every 500 miles or so.

If you can't find a speciality store by googling or checking the phone book, I would call your local high school and talk to the cross country or track coach to see where he or she recommends the athletes buy their shoes. You might do that anyway. The only person who is pickier about my dd's shoes than I am is her coach. And maybe her sports podiatrist---who also only sends his patients to this particular running shoe store.