Fat arse to 10K

OK guys, prompted by Angry’ s motivational post telling us how he just ran a half marathon while training for the Detroit Marathon I’ve gone and done something I’ve been threatening to do for a while. I’ve just signed up for the annual ‘Turkey trot’ in Detroit on Thanksgiving day prior to the Turkey day parade. It’s ‘only’ 10Km, but that seems like a long way from here. 20 years and 40lb’s ago I regularly did 10k’s in 45-50 mins. I’m being realistic and signed up for the slowest of the running target times, just ahead of the walkers.

So, I’ve got to get from 229lb’s and out of shape to running again in 115 days. I’ve run on and off over the last 10 fatty years and it goes something like this. Start of doing about a mile 2-3 times a week. Feel great and up it to 2-3 miles. Hurt ankle and give up in disgust. Add 5lb’s, panic. Repeat.

I’ll post my progress here for inspiration to stop me wussing out again.

Adrian, perhaps you could mix in some other exercise to aid in the weight loss and cardio building without endangering your ankle? Your ankle will be less prone to injury if it has less body weight to support, right?

Mezzanine wrote: Adrian, perhaps you could mix in some other exercise to aid in the weight loss and cardio building without endangering your ankle? Your ankle will be less prone to injury if it has less body weight to support, right?

Yup. I've got a lateral pull down machine in the basement, I need to figure out how much I can do with that. Also regular Yoga, hopefully 2-3 times a week to help prevent muscle injuries.

i started running in December. one mile was all i could do on the first day, and it took me 10:15 iirc. i have been bicycling pretty regularly for about 20 years, so it's not like i was starting from scratch, but running is definitely not the same as riding.

Do:
- stretch;
- start slowly;
- pay close attention to aches and pains;
- rest;
- exercise your core (planks, side planks, etc);
- get good shoes (go to a running store and tell the salesperson your exact situation);
- stick with it! it gets better!

Don't:
- let your ego tell you how far you should run;
- be embarrassed if you have to walk a block for every two that you run;
- increase your total weekly mileage more than 10% per week (OK, maybe 20% the first few weeks because the numbers are relatively small);
- quit.

Go mango!

Good advice thanks. I'm going to do my old 1 mile(ish) run tonight. Not sure the exact distance as it's through the park and Google Maps can't measure it, but being partly in the park it's on softer ground to lessan the impact.

I did specificaly get some new running shoes when I decided to do tihs earlier in the year, but that's as far as I got. Now signing up has given me a target and time frame to shoot for.

• Walk out your front door and keep walking for 30 minutes, then turn around and slowly jog as far back as you can but make sure you walk the last 5 min. Then stretch. Use a whole hour.
• Do that for a week, more if it it's really hard
• Then, increase the jog time but keep a slow pace until you can do a whole hour w/o walking. Don't rush it. 230lbs can wreak havoc on weak knee and foot muscles. Take it easy and let them build. Mix up the surfaces too - hit some dirt road or soccer fields or well kept trails.
• Then, go faster (or keep pace up hills) in very small increments but keep the the same one hour time.
• Mix in a few sprints once you can do a whole hour at 10 min miles.

Or run for a half mile, then go into sprint/walk mode for the other half? Sprint for 40-45 seconds, walk for a 50-60 seconds, repeat. Its a take on HIIT "high intensity interval training. Its considered by some to be a great way to jump start your metabolism and keep it running during non exercise time more than regular running/jogging.

I followed this training program and it shockingly worked:

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

I literally couldn't run more than a quarter mile at a time and was able to do a 5k in ~29 minutes after finishing that program. Granted thats only 5k but its a start and a good way to ease your body back into running without hurting yourself. I'll +1 the opinion of getting a decent pair of running shoes and listening to your body when it says its hurt.

There are plenty of body weight exercises you can do to compliment your running. Body weight squats, sumo squats, body weight dead lifts, wall squats, squat thrusts, burpies, etc. For upper body, push-ups and pull up are great push and pull workouts you can do at home.

Don't forget your core! Probably the most important thing about getting back in shape. Windshield wipers, bird dogs, planks, all kinds of sit ups, etc.

As far as getting back into running. Something I've always done after taking a break from running is take an hour for your run. Run for a minute walk for a minute, repeat until you get to an hour mark. Build upon this each week. Like week two do 1 minute 10 seconds run 50 second walk, etc.

Drinking a glass of chilled water first thing in the morning is also said to stimulate your metabolism!

CarRamRod wrote: I followed this training program and it shockingly worked: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml I literally couldn't run more than a quarter mile at a time and was able to do a 5k in ~29 minutes after finishing that program. Granted thats only 5k but its a start and a good way to ease your body back into running without hurting yourself. I'll +1 the opinion of getting a decent pair of running shoes and listening to your body when it says its hurt.

Thanks, I've heard of that site before and was meaning to look for it

DirtyBird222 wrote: There are plenty of body weight exercises you can do to compliment your running. Body weight squats, sumo squats, body weight dead lifts, wall squats, squat thrusts, burpies, etc. For upper body, push-ups and pull up are great push and pull workouts you can do at home. Don't forget your core! Probably the most important thing about getting back in shape. Windshield wipers, bird dogs, planks, all kinds of sit ups, etc. As far as getting back into running. Something I've always done after taking a break from running is take an hour for your run. Run for a minute walk for a minute, repeat until you get to an hour mark. Build upon this each week. Like week two do 1 minute 10 seconds run 50 second walk, etc.

I need more details on this side of things, any good links? The

If you are starting feom scratch, couch to 5k really works. Slow enough to not hurt, fast wnough to get things moving. Really helped the wife and I get out there and do our first races in 10+ years.

For "other body workouts" the Mens Health "sparticus" series and "bootcamp" are both good. Just need a few free weights.

Use MyFitnessPal. I lost 30 pounds without even really trying.

My first run was a 10k, with Ines doing a half marathon at the same time for her first. So it can be done.

But one very important thing- especially while you are staring out- don't run too hard. That's why heart rate monitors are so important- you will know before that you are going too hard. I had a very simple one that just had heart rate- worked wonders.

The rest of the suggestions are great.

(FWIW, I've progressed to a pretty regular runner, have done a few half marathons- a few cool races- the Paris-Versailles 10mile and the Mezza di Monza- a half marathon that starts and finishes on the track- running is an amazing way to be a tourist)

As one gets older, one becomes less elastic. Dumb things that didn't bother us as a kid will now debilitate us for weeks, even months.

229lbs and you try to run 2-3 miles one day. Yep, not surprising you hurt yourself. Too much too soon. BTDT to myself, quite a few times (I'm a slow learner).

Few minor things I've learned about my body and running, especially at the young age of 50 now.

Stop when it hurts. If I do that, I might be able to run again in a day or two. If I don't, I may not be able to run for a month or two.

Stupid stretches before running hurt me. Warming up is fine. But over stretching muscles before I run is not. It's a great way to ensure lousy running form and promote injuries.

A long cool down helps me. Like half a mile of walking, at least.

"The groeve" is a bad place. Get into "the groove" on a track and I can pound away for thousands of strides, each just like the other, killing my knees or shoulders or even my forearms. Changing it up instead helps me go further. Not faster, just further. Basically, it's a rationalization for cross country running instead of track running. Up a hill, down a hill, through some grass, over a curb, etc.

Use an app like mapmywalk. I walk 3 miles x 5 days a week. It is encouraging to see your times and it helps to push you to improve.

Wow guys, thanks for all the support. I will sit down and read couch to 5k later. One of my issues is that I don't have a smart phone, so I can't use phone based apps.

Despite my weight, I'm not fundamentally unfit. I walk at least 1 mile a day and do 2-3 mile walks 2-3 times a week. On vacation I can walk/hike 10 miles in a day with no undue issues other than fatigue the next day. I can up and run anytime without any apparent ill effects at the time. In fact I love it. My issue is increasing slowly and not hurting my ankle.

I went on my '1 mile' run last night for the first time in probably 3 months (there's a pattern here with the ankle) No issue, within 5 mins of returning my breathing and heart rate (per feeling, not measured) were fine and I feel I could have done it again immediately. I timed myself which is something I haven't done before and was disappointed to find it took me 14:35 which seemed slow. Worse I'd taken my pedometer with me and it said I'd only done .89 miles. Later after dinner I went for a dog walk over the exact same route and it came out as I expected from estimating on Google maps at 1.25miles, I guess I have a much longer stride when running. Let's call it 1.2 miles. That means I did approx. a 12:09 mile, OK for a beginner. What I have to do is not get carried away and hurt myself. 20 years and 40 lb’s ago I could happily do 10k’s at just below 8 min miles. Sigh.

Off to Amazon to look at heart rate monitors.

I have one of these as a heart rate monitor. I'm well pleased with it for several reasons.

http://www.amazon.com/Sportline-Unisex-M-E-T-A-Monitor-Player/dp/B002GGGPI2

One, having the MP3 player built into it I can listen to music, books, whatever. It's great for relieving boredom.

Two, having it talk to me, telling me the heart rate is much easier for me than trying to push a button, read a display, or calculate things.

Adrian_Thompson wrote: I went on my '1 mile' run last night for the first time in probably 3 months (there's a pattern here with the ankle) No issue, within 5 mins of returning my breathing and heart rate (per feeling, not measured) were fine and I feel I could have done it again immediately. I timed myself which is something I haven't done before and was disappointed to find it took me 14:35 which seemed slow. Worse I'd taken my pedometer with me and it said I'd only done .89 miles. Later after dinner I went for a dog walk over the exact same route and it came out as I expected from estimating on Google maps at 1.25miles, I guess I have a much longer stride when running. Let's call it 1.2 miles. That means I did approx. a 12:09 mile, OK for a beginner. What I have to do is not get carried away and hurt myself. 20 years and 40 lb’s ago I could happily do 10k’s at just below 8 min miles. Sigh.

My advice (from a guy that doesn't know jack about running) is to not worry about your times, just worry about putting miles in. The times will come down on their own, but this is your first organized race in how many years? As long as you finish and aren't last, you should be satisfied, IMO.

In reply to Tom_Spangler:

I'd make the case that the opposite is true. Time rather than distance... not "pace time" wall clock time... just go for a set amount of time. Use a whole period whether you run, jog, walk or crawl. Start with one hour. Once you can jog for a whole hour without stopping you can easily finish a 10k. When you can run the whole hour at 90% of MHR, you can easily finish a half marathon. If you can do a half... you can do a whole one just by managing your calories better.

Running is about physical conditioning only up to a point. Once you can run - you can run until you can't anymore. It becomes about will power over pain and discomfort. Long distance running is really more about determination to finish something in spite your your body screaming berkeley you I'm going to just lay down right here and wait for a cab. When you hit the 2000 calorie wall because you forgot to bring enough sugar gel packs but committed $125 to finishing the goddamn thing you will know what I mean.

Oh... tothat end... for running more than 10k, have a freaking pocket so you can stuff the free power bars they hand out every 2 miles ... for when there is a hill between them and you want to die.

Don't forget to have your diet in check. As a FFK (former fat kid. Seriously, borderline obese) and now in the best shape of my life (sub 10% BF) at 32, you will lose the weight and physically feel much better just eliminating the junk out of your diet, drinking (tons of) water, dialing back the alcohol if you drink at all, etc. You don't have to do any of the crazy fad diets, or eliminate everything enjoyable. Sometimes taking note of what your eating on a normal basis for a few days, and using something like the My Plate app can help you evaluate what you should be cutting out, and how many calories you should really be taking in.

I know folks who have gotten into amazing shape based mainly on diet first, and exercise second. I also know folks with amazing bodies, but internally they feel terrible because of the junk they put into them. Don't forget the diet aspect!

Diet! YEs I know, needs work. I've tried everything over the years Atkins, South beach, Paleo, Gluten free, yeast free pro this, less that, fasting, liquid, you kname it Ive done it. What I've found is a gluten free low to no grain diet with low simple sugars works best for me. Especially with respect to water retention and inflammation. When I stick to a diet like that I can lose weight hand over fist while eating all I want. My problem is I love bread, I mean I worship at the altar of bagels, croissants, fresh baget’s etc. Put me near chocolate and I'm like a menopausal woman with PMS after a bad break up locked in a candy store watching steel magnolias. Moderation and self-control are rarely mentioned in connection with me. I know I can do it, I just need to do it for more than 6-12 weeks at a time.

Six years ago I had my annual checkup at the doc. I got the dreaded ‘come and see me we need to talk’ phone call. My liver enzymes and cholesterol were off the chart. He wanted to put me on meds, but was concerned about the side effects of one on the other. I said give me a couple of months to work on my diet and I’ll come back. For 10 weeks I completely cut out wheat, almost all yeast, no alcohol, no simple sugars. I lost 20lb’s and when I went back my blood work was all perfect. The doc said he’d never seen anyone improve their numbers so fast ever for either measure, let alone both at the same time with or without medication. I’m not that bad now. Yes I’m way over weight, but at my last physical my blood was fine although my blood sugar is high (NOT Diabetic)

That’s part of this. I know if I’m going to do this and run without hurting myself my diet will have to improve to not just help with the weight side of things, but to help prevent injuries and inflammation. This is a full body make over.

In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker:

There is a point that some actually break themselves. Twice I trained for a marathon. Trial one- once I got up to the 15 mile long runs, I got a foot issue. Time off meant I missed the marathon. The next year, I was ok until I got up to 18 miles- and on the second time I did it, the same foot problem resulted in a broken bone.

Turns out that my step is really wierd- I land on the outside of my foot, and the inside quickly slaps down, and the torque does me no good. So I've limited my longest runs to 14 miles, and settled that a marathon may never be run in my life without significant injury...

What sucked- my wife broke, too. We were both in line for sub 4 hr marathons, which would have qualified her for Boston.

Now that we just run and not train, we are down to slow.... 10-12 min miles. Still got a nice tour of the hills in Alba and 4 miles of Florence last week.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: In reply to Tom_Spangler: I'd make the case that the opposite is true. Time rather than distance... not "pace time" wall clock time... just go for a set amount of time. Use a whole period whether you run, jog, walk or crawl. Start with one hour. Once you can jog for a whole hour without stopping you can easily finish a 10k. When you can run the whole hour at 90% of MHR, you can easily finish a half marathon. If you can do a half... you can do a whole one just by managing your calories better.

Actually, I think we are saying the same thing in different ways. What I mean is don't worry about how fast you are running, just go out and run. Once you have a baseline and an event behind you, then worry about trying to get faster.

What do we always tell noob drivers? Seat time, seat time, seat time. Same thing applies here, IMO.