I am never sore after running on the treadmill either. I ran outside last Sunday and was sore until Wednesday.

So, I began the C25K program with the goal of running a certain race, which I did last Sunday. I pretty much hated running through the program, and told myself I would probably drop it after I had achieved my goal of running in a 5K. But I have found myself wanting to go for a run every single day since. I ran four days in the last week since the race. It is such a great stress relief, and I can't believe I am saying this, but I have come to love running.

Hi all - I am new to this site and thread and running. I have been working on the treadmill for about 2 months and I feel stuck. I started out at 290lbs walking 3 min at 3.5 and jogging 1 minute 4.3. I quickly worked my way to 3 minutes walking and 1.5/1.75 minutes jogging at 5. Then I hurt my knee and had to stay off the treadmill for a week and no jogging for almost 3. I am finding that I can manage this pace again just fine for my first and even second round but the longer I am on the treadmill the harder it gets and I'm not increasing my endurance. I also find it really hard to focus on anything but how many more seconds I have to keep it up. My legs are not the problem, it's the cardio - mainly breathing. I really want to push through. Friday I went 2.5 miles in 40 minutes which included warm up and a bit of a cool down. My goal is a May 5k in 45minutes. Has anyone experienced this? Is it normal? Any helpful hints or inspirations?

Thanks!

It was piddling down at 5:15 this morning so I dragged my unwilling behind into the gym and did my two miles on the treadmill. What a yawn fest. My training plan that I have developed from various expert plans (Hal Higdon and the like) calls for a very VERY slow ramp up of mileage, so I'm starting at the base and in 38 weeks - ha, seems like a lifetime - I should be ready for my half marathon. I know I may not need that long, but with my knee issues and life in general sometimes being insane, I want to just take my sweet time and really focus on building a solid base to stay injury free and keep enjoying running. I have some 5k and 10k races in the mix so those will help keep me going. I just want to be outside - this treadmill thing is like punishment.

Rose - I wonder if you're doing too much, too soon? You mention you quickly worked up to longer intervals, and I think for a lot of people, we get a bit too gung-ho and move too fast (no pun intended!). Have you looked at the C25k program? That may help you with the intervals and get your cardio and endurance where you want them. I know personally when I overdo things too quickly, I get sore and discouraged and generally become crabby! If you increase your interval times slowly, you should have no problem hitting your goal in May - a 45 minute 5k is a great goal for your first race.

aimeebell - that's such a great story. I think everyone has a bit of a love/hate relationship with running to some degree, because you always get good runs and then difficult runs for no apparent reason. Do you have your eye on any other races?

rose - i don't know what the literature says best way to train is, but i'd say that what you're experiencing sounds totally normal! It's tough! Especially when you're starting out. And it definitely gets more and more difficult the more repeats you do because your heart rate doesn't fully recover between each one. But every time you're huffing and puffing like that and you're watching the seconds, you're improving your fitness and improving your running. From my position of total ignorance, i'd say focus on increasing the time but not the speed to start with. So if you were running at 4.3 speed, then build up your time at that pace for a bit. Or even better, as jules said, check out the C25K program.

jules - so what date is your half marathon and which is it? Have you done one before? It's definitely important for me to have a decent base before trying to push on too fast, otherwise i get injured, so i reckon that's a great plan you have and especially with the short races thrown in.

I dragged myself out of bed for a run this morning and didn't really feel like it. My program (a mixture of a few official ones with a few of my own tweaks thrown in) says i had to do 35min run then 4x150m sprints, and i ended up doing 56 minutes all together as the playing field i planned to do my sprints on was further away than i thought! Anyway it was a beautiful morning and i feel good now!

My half marathon is 15 May. I did the same one 2 years ago and also 3 years ago, but this year they've changed the course, so not sure yet what that means for my ambition of getting a half marathon pb! Not good i suspect as supposedly there's more hills in it now, and it was already hillyish before.

I am planning on doing a race in June. It is a choice of either a 10K or two miles, and I probably will go with two miles and my 10 and 12 year old will run with me- unless somehow I improve vastly and feel like I could swing a 10K. There is a 5K in my city next month, and my niece's school is having one too, but I think I prefer to stick with the big, fun races.

Ange - the half isn't until December, it's the Las Vegas Rock N Roll one. This year they're doing it in the evening - 5:30pm start - instead of at the ungodly hour of 7am. Even Vegas is cold in December at 7am! I rarely run at any time other than first thing in the morning so I'm curious to see how running later in the day works for me. I have a run planned for this evening as I can not stand another day on the treadmill without getting some fresh air running in!

I did weights yesterday and have the usual soreness today. I love doing the leg press machine but man, it does work the muscles! My butt and hamstrings are achy today, but in that good way that makes you realize you were actually working them the day before!

Jules - i went to Vegas once, it was in February a few years ago and it was absolutely freezing and even more freezing wind to go with it. Absolutely fantastic place though!! Yeah, an evening HM is unusual. Sounds goood! Must be all in the dark though at that time of year. Weird!! Is it through the main streets or does it head out of town?

Plugging along. Ankle feels pretty good. Still a tiny bit of swelling and pain if I turn it too far, but in general it's good. I'm sure it's taking longer to heal because I'm still running so I'm staying aware of that.

So excited to hear about all your upcoming races! My first race isn't til August so training is a ways away. This will be my second half and I'm hoping to get my longest run to 15 miles in preparation. At this point I think I'll make my decision about running a maraton next year.

No run today, ST and yoga and probably 5 miles tomorrow morning. Hope everyones week ends well!

Ange - February can be a lot colder here than December, as we get wind coming down from the north, which is just miserable. December, usually, is cold but calm so I'm hoping for that. The race will be all in the dark but as it runs down the Strip, it'll be lit by neon the entire way! The full marathon is less fun - it mirrors the half then goes off into the industrial areas which I'm sure are boring as ****, so I have no ambitions to run the full ever!

I ran after work yesterday. Yeah, not my thing. I will stick to mornings as much as I can. I just did two miles, and I ran a square - on the first side of it, it was uphill but sheltered; the second side was uphill with a cold and unforgiving headwind... then the last two sides were downhill with the wind behind me. Case in point - I ran the first mile in 13:35, including a couple of walking breaks and heaving for breath in the wind, and ran the second mile in 10:50, which included stopping at no less than THREE stop signs to let traffic go. Another reason to run at 5am instead of 6pm - nobody's out! The second mile was glorious - the first mile was torture. But a couple of the 5k's I have planned are on rolling hills so doing hill work is necessary. Plus there are no flat routes from my house so I have no choice! Got home, stretched, iced the knee, rolled my butt, "sticked" my quads and felt good this morning!

so i'm training for this half marathon on 15th May, and this weekend i'm suposed to be doing a long run of 19km. However, have spotted that there's a low key cheap half marathon this sunday around a parkland area (footpaths and some grass), so i've entered!!! - not to race, but just to see i can do the distance. Eeeeek!!!
Mainly i'm scared that i'm going to be VERY last, and that everyone will be waiting for me to finish so that they can pack up and go home. It's going to take me about 2hr 30 i reckon because i'm slow to start with and i'm supposed to be doing a 'slow long run'.
At least they provide free pancakes afterwards (unless they've all gone home by the time i get there). Slightly aprehensive...

[QUOTE=ange82much;3773853]so i'm training for this half marathon on 15th May, and this weekend i'm suposed to be doing a long run of 19km. However, have spotted that there's a low key cheap half marathon this sunday around a parkland area (footpaths and some grass), so i've entered!!! - not to race, but just to see i can do the distance. Eeeeek!!!QUOTE]

Sounds perfect! It will give you the confidence you need for the big race you are working so hard for!

I usually run in the morning or after work about 4 p.m. Once in awhile I will run at night, but after a sleepless night yesterday, I think I have finally made the connection that I cannot run in the evenings if I would like to sleep.

What is the ice on the knee for? My knees are fine while I run, but the second I am finished, I get a burning sensation and they are achy, especially on stairs. Is this something I could be icing for?

Ange - good luck with the race! Slow and steady is great... that's my goal on pretty much every run I do.

Aimee - I generally don't get home from work til around 7 or so, and it's dark by then, so I tend to run in the mornings. Though right now it's dark until about 6:30am so that's no use either. Hence the treadmill misery for now... I ice my left knee as I had surgery on it in November to remove a torn meniscus. I'm still rehabbing it with physical therapy exercises, strength training, stretching, icing and using a foam roller and The Stick on my IT band. It's amazing how much recovery there is on a weight-bearing joint that's had arthroscopic surgery, so it's going to be ongoing for the best part of a year.

Did my HM! It was ALL cross-country with soft long grass and mud and pine needles, so nice but not good for pace! Pretty flat though so can't claim too much of an excuse based on surface.

Of course i didn't go out slow and steady, i went out too fast! I did well for 17km but my heart rate was going up and up and my speed was dropping by then, so i struggled a bit over the last 4km and walked a bit of it (probably almost a kilometer in all, actually). Struggled in finally at 2hr 14min, which i'm ok about. It was a training run, so i know my endurance isn't too flash, but i have another 5-6 weeks to work on that.

My glutes are feeling pleasantly throbby now!!!