Hell must be pretty cold right now... mtn is running a 5k

Signed up for a 5k on April 17th. That isn't much time to train (I started a week ago), and this 220lb fatty isn't liking this so far.

Tonight my wife and I are attempting our first "5k" (actually just under, I think it is 2.9 miles) tonight. Wish me luck She is loving it; she ran a half marathon not too long ago and is barely breaking a sweat. I'm dying every night.

(Oh, and yes--I have running shoes from a real running store, my wife is an RD so we're eating right, I'm using an adaptation of a couch to 5k, and she used to run track and cross country for one of the premier high schools in the nation for it, and I make her slow to my pace if she wants me to run with her--so I should be in good shape)

Nice. Good luck.

Made it about 2.8 miles in 35 minutes. We had 12 minutes of running, 7 minutes of walking, then about 8 minutes of running and 8 more minutes of walking. We would have run til the end rather than walk the last 8 minutes, but my wife ate too much for dinner and had to walk. She also said that I came out too fast and she couldn't keep the pace up. Never thought I'd here that.

Tomorrow we're going to try for 20 minutes, 5-10 minute walk, then 20 minutes again at a slow pace. Wednesday we are off and Thursday is just a mile (I play hockey on Thursdays).

(I know no one cares, but this makes sure I'm keeping myself to my plan)

Nice. That's the way to do it. Work it up slowly. Watch it though, it gets to be addictive.

I have gotten to the point that a day without running or biking and I'm just not feeling the same.

Good job. 5'10" and 220 here so I understand. Started doing a bunch of 5Ks last year and intended to ramp it up this year in preparation for the Peachtree Road Race this year. Training fell off over the winter but I still signed up for the Peachtree.

My advise (the real runners might have better) is to run the pace you can run. When I try to keep up with faster runners I just hurt myself. Not making myself miserable has gone a long way to helping me keep my motivation.

mapper wrote: My advise (the real runners might have better) is to run the pace you can run. When I try to keep up with faster runners I just hurt myself. Not making myself miserable has gone a long way to helping me keep my motivation.

I'm not a real runner, but have been since 2009. To me, your advice is spot on.

Two ways to figure that out- as it's mostly an effort thing. The cheap way is to find someone of your same pace that you like to talk to. Talk for the entire run. Not just three words and a hard breath, but long sentences.

The more expensive and high tech way is to have a heart rate monitor. And then go through the work of figuring our your best aerobic heart rate.

Both will limit your effort to roughly the same point- your aerobic limit. Which is where your heart and lungs can keep up with you, and injuries are much lessened.

Not to say that one should not include speed work, but that should be only once a week until you get far more advanced (I can't).

Because of my current shape, I kept my wife pretty slow the last few weeks on our long runs. So when she ran a half just this past Sunday, she beat her target by about a min/mile.

There are a lot of good effort based training strategies out there.

I'm doing my first chair one later this month and am going to attempt the mile fun walk afterwards. I'm feeling better about my chances on the walk the past 2 weeks. I'm looking forward to the bay bridge swim this summer, I'll probably be the only person to backstroke the entire thing. I think that I could backstroke from the keys to Cuba at this point, I don't even get fatigued doing it anymore, staying hydrated would be to only concern.

I need to emphasize, when I say "real runner", I mean the dedicated and experienced folks out there. I'm of the mind that if you run you are a runner. Some are just more "runnery" than others.

You didn't give yourself a lot of time to adapt, so it's probably going to feel like work for a little while. I'm sure you'll do fine though. I understand your "fatty" talk but don't be too hard on yourself. Your body will adapt and you'll feel better about running before long if you stick with it.

P.S. I am 6'1" and weigh almost 250 pounds right now (gained quite a bit of weight over the winter, was 230 last summer, yikes) and run quite a bit. I try to run 15-20 miles every week and I'll be doing a half this fall. Just go your own pace. LOTS of people sign up for these and just have fun going whatever pace they feel comfortable.

Oh and as far as size goes, That is misleading. I'm a Clydesdale in running terms at 6'1 225 but I'm also a very active runner (about 30-40 miles a week right now) and have been doing 3-5 races a year for the last 5 years (Halfs and Fulls) and I don't feel fat at least. I'll just never be under 200 and healthy. You will find your happy place.

Keep it fun and find fun places to run. I do a bunch of new routes a month and spend the time looking at the houses and just the different scenery. Trail running is a lot of fun too. I love spending the time in the woods as well. Yeah it's work but I've also met a lot of great people running and in the running community and it is a lot of fun. We go out and exercise then sit back and have a dinner after we are done. It's a great way to cap off a day.

I've been running for a long time (15yrs) for my own benefit - and only started doing races in the last 5yrs or so. I'm in the 30 mile a week camp and mostly do halves - but I did my 1st full in October. It was a lot of work - I probably won't do another. In any case - I had been running a long time when I started racing once in a while and I was OK at it because I had a long time on my feet before the idea occurred to me to go flat out.

The only advise I'll give you is that as a new runner you do not have the time on your feet to build the muscle and bone density to do very long distance and speed. You will feel like you have progressed rapidly because your lungs and heart will adapt quickly and it will feel great. You will want to push the pace - or one day you will just double your mileage because you can. Or you will sign up for a 5k and try to run it 2min/mi faster than you ever have before. Resist the urge to suddenly try to leap faster or further. Use 10% increases to gauge how you feel. It does not take much to strain something and once you do - it takes a lot longer to get squared again. I watch all the new runners drop like flies because it's too tempting not to try to beat your own time. Of the group of people I train with - only two of us (out of 8) are running the half marathon this weekend because the rest of them are all re-cooperating from excessive asshattery during training.

Now that I've beat that horse to death - cheers and enjoy yourself.

My 220 is a stout, stocky hockey player who discovered beer 220. I'm 5'10" with a 29" inseam--short (but strong) legs. Running really is not my groove.

Figured out last night that running on the rubber "gutter" of the walking/biking path is much better than concrete. I think that after the 5k, I'm going to start walking to the trail (~3/4 mile) and then running on said rubber for about 1-2 miles a run, and that will be it. But up to the 5k I'm going to be including about 1/2 concrete since that is what the 5k is on.

After the 5k I will probably start incorporating sprints for the fast twitch (better for hockey); I just don't have time for it now.

And thanks for the encouragement and advice. I'm trying not to increase pace and distance in the same day; if I increase my pace, I'm not going to increase my distance (and will likely decrease) and vice-versa. I did ignore the 10% rule some since 3 miles isn't much, and if we kept at the 10% rule it would take me about 37 days to even run 3 miles in a single go.

If anyone would like to critique my plan, have at it--I think I may be going too hard this weekend:

• .7 mile jog, 10 minute break, .7 mile jog
• (Off day)
• 5 minute walk, 5 minute jog, 5 minute walk, 8 minute jog, 5 minute walk, 5 minute jog
• 5 minute walk, 10 minute jog, 5 minute walk, 10 minute jog
• (Off day for Hockey)
• (Off day)
• (Off day)
• 1.1 mile “run” at 9:45 (holy cow am I slow)
• 5 minute walk, 12 minute jog, 8 minute walk, 8 minute jog, 8 minute walk. (Last night)
• TONIGHT: 5 minute walk, 20 minute jog, 5 minute walk, 20 minute jog, 5 minute walk (~3 to 3.5 miles)
• Tomorrow is off
• Thursday is a light 1 mile jog/run, and I play hockey
• Friday is a slow 4 mile jog. Aiming for about 3/4 of my pace last night, which was the fastest I think I’ve had.
• Saturday is a 40 minute, 1/2 pace
• Sunday is a 5k, for time
• Monday is a 40 minute, 1/2 pace
• Tuesday is off
• Wednesday is a 3/4 pace 5k
• Thursday is a 1 mile, slow pace jog (and I play hockey)
• Friday is off
• Saturday is either off or 1-2 miles
• Sunday is the race.

I ran a 5k a while back, it was fun. I'm not a runner either, I would much rather do weight based metcon, but I could see making 5k events a regular thing. The 5k I ran had a nice vibe to it, the camaraderie was similar to an Autocross.

I work with a nutcase that does "ultra" marathons. He has one this weekend where he will be running for around 40 hours. I'm not sure if it's a 100 mile or 150 mile event.

Either way, berkeley that E36 M3.

Edit:

Asked him today. It's 150 miles.

Best of luck and have fun!

Good luck.

We finally have someone to blame for this weather!

Good luck!!!

To critique your program, I would try to only run on two consecutive days, and then take a day off. It'll help you recover better and prevent injuries. I'd also count hockey as a run for the purposes of your plan (and rest schedule).

Good luck - looks like you'll do just fine!

dj06482 wrote: To critique your program, I would try to only run on two consecutive days, and then take a day off. It'll help you recover better and prevent injuries. I'd also count hockey as a run for the purposes of your plan (and rest schedule). Good luck - looks like you'll do just fine!

Noted. Scrapping Saturday's workout plan.

alfadriver, care to weigh in on hockey vs. running? I feel like the muscles used are really not the same, or at least not used in the same way.

In reply to mtn:

Not the same- I stopped playing hockey a long time ago, but do a pick up game once in a great while. So 2010 was when the FF was in Detroit, and I organized a game for a forum around it. At the same time, I was warming up to my best half marathon ever.

So, on a relative basis, I was in my best shape.

It was as if it was the fist game played in a season. And I know you can relate to that. Not so far as the normal diaphragm cramps, but not far away, either. I was exhausted.

Hockey is solidly anaerobic vs proper running being aerobic AND the muscles are different.

BTW, I bet you run in almost a perfectly straight line instead of stepping right and left along a line. Skating does that, as well as prevent your hip from turning out. When I got some stretching therapy for free- the guy asked me quickly if I played hockey....

Thanks--that is what I thought. Hockey != running. A skating stride is to the side, not behind--and you don't move your feet past the center of your body on the return stride.

I'll have to look tonight to see if I run in a straight line or not.

In reply to mtn:

I noticed when back tracking when there was a light snow. My feet were in a straight line, my wife's were closer to steps. Odd looking.

BTW, on that note, take partial advantage of the skating form, and try to mid-sole strike. Far easier on your joints than a heel strike.

Race was yesterday. Time was 30:55, which I was happy with.

I hate running. Unfortunately for me, there is heavy pressure from my director to sign up for a corporate 5k that our company needs more people for (we make teams), so it looks like I'm doing another (actually 3.5 miles) in a month.