Started running

Iam trying to get in shape so today I decided to go running for the first time in months. Man it wore me out! Does anyone know how many times a week i should run? Im tring to loose 30lbs and then tone up. What other type of work puts should i do?

Run short distances at first and give yourself day off between runs for the first couple of weeks. I like to run for time, not distance. If you want to run for 20 minutes, run for ten minutes, turn around and run back. Once you get comfortable with running, try to do negative splits: the return trip should be quicker than the first half.

Don't focus on losing weight right away, just focus on becoming a runner. Go easy until your muscles and joints are used to it.

In reply to Woody:

So the fact i ran 2 miles in 20 min my first time was bad? Lol

The wife started running recently. She runs for about a half hour 3ish times a week. She's doing a 5k this saturday.

She downloaded an android app that scales up the running time in a rational manner as you progress. I do not remember what it's called though.

In reply to PubBurgers:

Its it the nike running app? Thats what i have

As a suggestion, getting in shape means nothing if your diet sucks.

I use an app called "myfitnesspal" for android. It is da bes, helps me keep on track.

Its not necessarily that you have to deprive yourself of the good stuff, a lot of it is simply being able to recognize when you need to stop. At the end of the day, it all comes down to calories in, calories out.

Silverbrick27 wrote: In reply to Woody: So the fact i ran 2 miles in 20 min my first time was bad? Lol

No, not at all. Too many people try to run too far too fast and end up hating running before the end of the first week. Depending on your size and baseline fitness level, that's probably a good pace and distance for a beginner.

I used to skip them and run longer distances, but I'm a big advocate of 5Ks. They're great motivators, a manageable distance for casual runners and you can just count race day as one of your workouts for the week. Plus, if you register early, you usually get a t-shirt!

Silverbrick27 wrote: In reply to PubBurgers: Its it the nike running app? Thats what i have

It's called rundouble, she's a big fan.

I think 10 min/mile is a great pace. I stopped measuring though, and just found that listening to music was great. Then I really relaxed, and listen to podcasts. One day I ran 13 miles without even really thinking about it. I'm not a natural runner, but that was the day I said "I can do this". I don't do events- I'm not in it for competition, but if it motivates you to get out there, then go for it. I told a buddy (who was egging me on for a marathon) - "if you want to run 26.2, I'll do it with you. I'm just not going to do it with 20k other people." No response.

Just don't pay attention to the distance. Sometimes I even skip the watch. Run for three songs, turn around and try to be back to your starting point before song six ends.

Woody has the right idea... don't waste your time on distance until you are training for a race. In the beginning... put the time in. If you set your goal at 30 minutes and you are dying... walk but stay out the whole time. In fact - I'd say set your early goal at 60 minutes and walk away from home for 15 minutes, then run away from home until the 30 minute mark, turn and get home by any means. Run, walk, crawl, whatever. Just don't take a cab. 60 minutes of whatever you can do will help the weight loss goal and you can work your way up to running as much of it as you can muster. When you can do a whole hour - sign up for a 10k!

"Don't quit on yourself!!" is the best advice ever yelled at me from one of many Drill sergeants in basic and AIT.

Its about what you want and its alright to be selfish here, go for it!!!

All good advice and I would add that you should make sure to have decent shoes. Go to a real running store and have them fit you. Crappy shoes make for a bad time with running, it really is a huge difference.

Silverbrick27 wrote: In reply to Woody: So the fact i ran 2 miles in 20 min my first time was bad? Lol

not at all 2 miles in 20 min is fine … when ever I'd lay off my running for a couple of yrs, I'd start back with a goal of 10min miles … as I got my body back in shape the pace would pick up … + I'd do different training regimes that would help with the foot speed, that would influence my overall pace on training runs and on my race pace

but listen to your body … if you hurt, give it a break … then start back … give it a break .. then start back …etc ...

LOL, I couldn't run a mile if you gave me an hour. Matter of fact trying to run a mile in junior high school to pass P.E. sent me to the hospital. Stupid asthma.

HiTempguy wrote: As a suggestion, getting in shape means nothing if your diet sucks.

True, but even if your diet sucks, IF you are getting all the necessary nutrients, AND you are still burning more than you take in, you're doing ok.

Silverbrick27 wrote: In reply to Woody: So the fact i ran 2 miles in 20 min my first time was bad? Lol

I'm going to be a little counter to the 10min/mi pace. It's a good pace, but without knowing your shape- I know that's now tough for me- at least for anything more than 3 miles.

IMHO, one of the biggest mistakes I've read or heard about that cause people to stop is that they run too hard- various reasons which that leads to.

So to prevent that, one needs to keep the effort down. The easy suggestion is to monitor your heart rate, and keep it below 80%.... but some have suggested being without hardware, which is perfectly fine. When I ran with a "club" our coach had us run in groups, reminding us that we should be able to carry on a conversation (in bits and pieces) while running. That actually turns out to keep your effort right in line with distance running. Which leads me to the suggestion- when you are running right now, try to talk. If you can, 1)really easily- run harder, 2) put a couple of sentances together- right on, 3) can talk, barely- slow down a little, 4) can't talk at all- slow down.

Just running that kind of "pacing" will speed you up as you get into better shape.

The other thing I've found that works for me, if I want to speed up- interval running of some type. Fixed intervals, random intervals, whatever- run hard for 30-90 seconds, walk until heart rate comes down, jog for a bit to recover beyond that, and repeat a few times. That always sped me up on long runs. Amazing.

I'm still recovering from plantar fasciitis- which really hurts. Oddly enough, probably due to running too slow, and having a crappy gait.

Good luck- running took me from 200lb to 171, (stopping put me back at 182). IMHO, the most effiecent way to burn calories in a fixed amount of time.

It's not a race. Almost everyone I know who was serious about miles or time in their early 20s has stopped running or runs with lots of pain now. I'm still plodding along at 10 minutes a mile, 3.5 miles x 4 times a week after 18 years. You're in this for the long haul, and running lots of miles or running every day isn't something everyone (or even most people) can do for years on end. And if it's possible to run on a softer surface for some or all of your runs (trails, grass, etc) do it. Easier on the joints and running in the woods is more interesting anyway.

If you're trying to drop pounds quickly, maybe alternate running with cycling. You can get a lot more calories burned per unit of damage on a bike.

However you do it, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY and learn what "good" pain feels like. Muscle pain from working out feels totally different from pain in your joints and tendons. I've got overuse injuries from when I was 20 that still hurt a bit because I was too stubborn to take a few days off.

Sonic wrote: All good advice and I would add that you should make sure to have decent shoes. Go to a real running store and have them fit you. Crappy shoes make for a bad time with running, it really is a huge difference.

So much this!!! Do yourself a huge favor and get good shoes, professionally fitted at a reputable running shop.

And don't worry about the weight number. Remember that as you get in shape you are gaining muscle while you lose fat. You will get smaller and denser but might weigh about what you started at.

KyAllroad wrote:

Sonic wrote: All good advice and I would add that you should make sure to have decent shoes. Go to a real running store and have them fit you. Crappy shoes make for a bad time with running, it really is a huge difference.

So much this!!! Do yourself a huge favor and get good shoes, professionally fitted at a reputable running shop. And don't worry about the weight number. Remember that as you get in shape you are gaining muscle while you lose fat. You will get smaller and denser but might weigh about what you started at.

^x1000!

Also, if you can run on an unpaved surface, it will be exponentially easier on every part of your body

A lot of good points here. Let me add a few from my experiences over the years.

Just to put it in prospective, I've run 4 marathons and many more half marathons now and I'm training for Chicago in the fall.

Start slow and really work on your form over anything else. Listen to your body more than what the clock/watch/GPS says. It will tell you more than any piece of electronics. More people get injured from bad form over anything else. The second most common injury is just too much too fast. Take it easy and work up slowly. Your weight loss will come from a combination of the better diet and exercise. Make sure you stay hydrated too.

There are a lot of good running form videos on YouTube. I use the Chi running style and it works good for me. It's a very natural motion that doesn't feel forced.

Stretch before and after every run. Doesn't have to be a long stretch but work out the muscles.

Most importantly. Enjoy it! If you don't enjoy it then you won't continue long term.

Have a friend who works out like its a religion and can't figure why he cant lose weight. Serious case of "Fork In Mouth" Disease and its not open for discussion. Same deal as an alcoholic. I think he like to reward himself for the workout with ice cream.

I just feed him beer and laugh!

Sonic wrote: All good advice and I would add that you should make sure to have decent shoes. Go to a real running store and have them fit you. Crappy shoes make for a bad time with running, it really is a huge difference.

Gospel right here. I did this when I got back into running after an 18 year break from it. Well worth the extra money.

OP should check out the couch-to-5k app, too. It eases you into running very nicely. As for frequency, starting out, maybe twice a week. 3 times max. Even now, I don't do much more than twice a week (but I also bike a ton). The impact of running still beats me up pretty decently.

The key is to EASE into it. Too much too soon will injure you with a quickness.

I'll add my ++ to the info you've been getting here …

I'll add my best advice (someofwhich has already been voiced) and the main point gets poopooed by lots that should know better

first, what's been said .. don't worry so much about pace, listen to your body … if it hurts, give it a break

second, add distance, pace, and how often at a very controlled pace … (after you get to the place where you're running pretty much every day, and you've reached a pace where you're sorta satisfied) … NEVER add distance at more than 10% per week … really take more time than that

third, if you possibly can, try to learn to run the old fashion way. i.e. landing on the forefoot/mid-food strike … the "modern" running style of heel strike (even with the padded shoes) puts all the landing/strike force up your leg directly into your knees … when I started competitive running (in HS) all there was to run in was spikes … so we learned to run on our forefoot … or at least with a mid-foot strike … there wasn't anything for the heel to land on …

then the Nike waffle trainer (and all the rest of the companies shoes) hit the market … a "new" way of running was put forward … magazines like Runner's World and others all pushed this "new" way to run …

so now the force is all directed through the knee, instead of through the achilles tendon

the achilles tendon acts like a spring, absorbing the strike force (when landing on the forward portion of the foot) whereas the knee is a joint .. not a spring

ok … rant over

if you've never done it the mid-foot strike is tough to learn, and will cause all kinds of leg stress and pain (at first) you're distance will GREATLY suffer for a while… but with time you'll become accustomed to it .. and you're running career will profit greatly

but really … listen to your body

I no longer run … did a couple of hundred 10K's and 5K's … a couple of 20K's and a 17 mile mountain run (3000' climb in 17 mi) … now the knees are really not in that great of shape … the cause of which (IMHO) is directly a result of buying into the heel strike running style

good luck