I recently started jogging/running again. I did track a few years back, in high school, but I was never a distance runner. Firstly, I am now obviously not in the same shape as I was back then so I'm starting over from scratch. I'm looking for advice as to how I can build up endurance and be able to run faster and farther.

Currently, I am doing a cycle of 3 minutes of jogging at 5 mph then 2 minutes of walking at 3.5 mph. I am doing this for an hour at a time, which amounts to about 4 miles total. Ideally, I would like to eventually be able to just straight up jog (and maybe at a faster speed?) and be able to run a 8-10 minute mile.

I'm not really exhausted by 3 minutes at a time, I know I can probably push myself to do more. I'm wondering what would be a good way to work up to my goals? And should I change anything about my workout as it is?

On a semi-related note, anyone know a good stretch for your butt? I swear that is the only part of my body that is sore after I run. Weird.

For me, running at a steady state did very little to increase my endurance OR my speed. I stalled out really easily.

I recently started adding sprint intervals in one day a week, running at a very fast pace for 1 minute (I started at 8 mph, now I'm up to 9 and 9.5 mph for my sprints), then recovering at a slower pace (either a walk or a jog) for 2 minutes. It helps improve your cardiovascular endurance, and gets you used to running faster, and it helped me meet both distance (8 miles in a row today!) and time (a sub-30 min 5K run) goals that I never imagined meeting.

To determine the interval that is right for you, you can use a heart rate monitor if you have one - at the end of your interval, you want to be at around 90% of your max heart rate. I usually try to recover to at least 130 or so before doing another interval.

I never thought it would make such a gigantic difference. It really, really did. I could not be happier with my running progress after adding in some intervals.

One of my favorite stretches is a one-legged chair pose. While standing, lift your right leg up and set your right ankle on your left thigh (like you're crossing your legs). Balance and bend your left leg like you are sitting down in a chair. It really stretches my hip/butt.

As far as getting from a walk/jog combo to all running, you could try the Couch to 5K program. Since you're already running some, you could always start part way in. Looks like you would be around week 3. You can find the plan lots of places, but here's a link to one: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Mandalinn - I would really love to try adding sprint intervals. How long do you keep up the intervals for in total?

You can basically 'push' yourself to your goals in two ways:

- Increasing the speed of your current 3 minutes;
- Increasing the speed of your current walking interval;
- Increasing the duration of your current running interval.

Just try to take it up a notch in some way, and then add some more each week, until you've reached your goal.

For stretching your butt, you can do:

- A lunge stretch;
- Trunk rotation stretch;
- Supine trunk twist.

You'll probably find some demonstrations when you do a search on those.

But it's better to do other stretches as well. You don't want to create imbalances.

Here is a pic of the stretch I love to do for my butt... Except that I put my hands behind my knee and through the opening of the bent knee KWIM?

Ooh yes, I second what Amanda has written! When I added intervals, I was able to up my normal pace considerably. Went from a 38 min 5k to a 33 min 5k. I'm a lot shorter so my top speed is around 6.3 mph, but when I first started jogging a year ago, I was only running about 4.3mph. I read once "if you don't train faster, you won't be faster." Kind of common sense, but speed intervals really do help quite a bit.

Also, the more weight you lose, the faster you'll become. I know - common sense again, but it bears repeating. Someone posted a stat once based on a study that for every 1% in body fat reduction, you gain 1% in speed.

And thirdly - lower body and core weight training did wonders for my endurance. You think as a runner that you're already getting a good lower body work out, but after awhile, you need something more. squats/lunges/planks/etc made a HUGE difference in how long I could run. Now I quit running because I need a lung break, not because I need a leg break... lol

Intervals are a great way to increase speed so are hill workouts (some people say hill work is speed work in disguise). Ilene has suggested one of the stretches I was going to suggest plus the yoga pose called pigeon. Sorry couldn't get a picture of it to post but it is easy to find on google! It helps with my hip and butt!

Oh yes, Pigeon!

I do 10 intervals sets in a row, so it's 30 min of effort (I warm up and cool down before and after).

I am going to come out as the voice of dissent and say that the way to build speed is to first build endurance and the way to build endurance is to go slower and not worry about speed.

Run more to get faster
run slower to run more.

Although speedwork may give you quick small results BIG results come from consistant volume. I went from a 13 minute mile for less than a mile to a <6:30 minute mile (thats a 4.6mph to a 9.2 mph in treadmill talk) with virtually no speedwork but plenty of volume and threshold work (threshold is a hard effort that can be maintained for a fairly long period of time). There is a place for speedwork, but I do not think it is yet and it never is terribly frequent or too large a % of your total work.

What you are doing is already speedwork if you cant hold it for much longer than 3 minutes. Personally I would alternate days of doing what you are doing with days of instead of trying to run at 5.0 slow it down to 4.0 or 4.5 and trying to run longer.

I second ennay. Too many people are too quick to recommend speed work (intervals) and then you get a lot of inexperienced runners out there doing intervals 3 or 4 X a week. That is beyond pointless, in my opinion. ONE interval session a week is all that is needed, and that is AFTER you have a good base of weekly mileage, or distance/run and endurance. Interval work is about developing your VO2Max. I think your better off slowing down and working on upping the amount of time you can run, at a sustained pace--even if its slow right now.

The other really really really great thing that will help with both endurance and speed 9as fat mentioned) is to drop body fat. Its free speed. Focus on the fat loss and the running will fall into place.

Thanks for all the great advice and wonderful butt stretches, everyone!

I will definitely try to work on endurance more, and maybe try out the intervals and see how they work for me. I feel like I have a better grasp of what I should be doing, thanks everyone!