A recent post by Bull from Life in the Fast Lane made me really want to start running. There is an appeal to knowing your body that well. I've always hated running, since I was a young kid. I'm much more of a sport-playing type. Running is too much time spent by myself, inside my head. Maybe that's just what I need!
I'm going to be 30 soon (well someday!) and I decided that 30 would be a good age to finally be proud of myself. If I can somehow start to enjoy running, I think that would be something to be extremely proud of. For me, at least.
I've heard of a program where you run for 1 minute and walk for 3 (actually you could run and then sit for a while, if your fitness level is that poor) but I don't know what it's called. And is there more to it than that? And at what point to you increase your running time? And is that the best way to start?
6 comments:
Interval training. Take a look at Runner's World Online for some beginner tips. You let your body tell you when to step it up a notch by using heartrate or RPE (rate of perceived exertion). Basically, you just be careful and listen to your body.
I saved a great 4-days per week training program from them some time ago that I could share with you if I can find it.
I was doing pretty good at running a couple years ago, but I got overzealous. I was doing good on my 4 days per week thing, but I was really pushing my long distance runs on Saturdays and got to where I was running for like 2 hours straight every Saturday. I did this all within a span of 3-6 months, can't remember exactly. Anyway, I ended up with a stress fracture on my shin, which forced me to stop running for at least 12 weeks to heal.
After that, I never picked it back up again, although I do run a 5K fun run once or twice a year every year, with no training.
I don't know if I'd say that I actgually liked running, but I liked the feeling of accomplishment, getting in shape, building the endurance, the experience of running with a friend (which was unfortunately very rare), etc.
I hate running too. And I am determined to learn to like it. All I need is a REALLY good sports bra -- you know, the kind that are actually SUPPORTIVE, and don't exist.
AMEN, Rebecca. Thanks, Matt. If you do find that training program, I'd happily use it.
Me and my Ipod on the elliptical at the gym: 25 to 40 minutes of blasting through some song lists, which usually burns over 300 calories and puts me between 2 and 3 miles. I love the elliptical more than the stairmaster.
No go on running. I did cross country in high school and did okay, but then my knees started bothering me. Back in those days when shoes were just being inventented, I'm sure I didn't have the right shoes, but I don't have enough interest in running to worry about what's on the market now, shoe-wise. I don't care if the Half-Yearly Men's Sale at Nordstrom, the entire male modeling team for A&F or Calvin Klein, or a Mediterranian cruise was elusively around the corner... I still wouldn't run. No thanks! :)
Ya you'd would run for those things, and you KNOW it... Stop kidding yourself.
I'd run for that cutie named Nicki Hayden that Bull posted a picture of. Talk about smokin... Damn.
Jeff Galloway highly recommends the run/walk method even for marathons. Note, for beginners this is different than interval training.
You can use perceived exertion, but if you are beginning your perceptions may not be very accurate. In fact, you're probably working harder than you think you are and will only notice it later...
Get an inexpensive heart rate monitor (HRM) and aim for about 65-70% of your max heart rate as a training zone. A rough estimate of your max is 220 minus your age. So it'd be around 190 for you. Your training zone would then be 123-133 bpm. For most people this will feel pretty easy and that's the point.
Run until your heart gets over 133 and then walk until it drops to 123. Then keep doing it for 30 to 40 minutes.
After a few weeks you can increase the intensity a couple of times a week.
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