Newbie - help, guidance, inspiration, etc.

Quoted message said:

How should I go about increasing my distance especially when my body
says, "ok, its time to stop".

Don't. Stay at that distance for a few weeks.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Last week I purchased a fresh pair of shoes and they feel great. They
make me want to run every time i see them. The last 4 days i ran 3
times. Each was about 13-15 minutes of actuall running with a nice
brisk walk at the end for at least a 10 mins. I clocked my route in my
car to see how far i was going and it turn out i was only running 1.2
miles :-( This kinda made me feel wimpy and i'm wondering what you all
think.

That's not bad at all - and if you keep following a regular schedule
you will see relatively fast improvements quickly enough to keep
you motivated for a long time. My first run was in May 2000 - I
ran about half a mile and felt like vomiting. Within a year, I could
run a marathon (26.2 miles) at a faster pace than I could run that
first half mile. I just kept at it, and worked hard.

Quoted message said:

How far should i be going? Like i said, this is week 2. I'm not sure
how hard to push myself. After about 1.2 miles i definately have felt
the motions. At first my breathing is crazy, then i kinda settle down
to a comfortable breath, then maybe a stomach cramp, then it goes away,
then a feeling of "damn, this hurts" but then i overcome it and it
feels great.

Try starting off quite slowly. Run at a pace that feels totally wimpy
and far too easy. While you are doing that, concentrate on soft
footstrikes and not overstriding - take little steps, three per second
if you can manage it without feeling too awkward. Be patient and
work at it. Remember to slow down, relax your shoulders and get
into an easy breathing rhythm. Keep reminding yourself to slow down
before the going seems to be getting tough. You want to avoid the
feeling of difficulty increasing by the minute. Take walk breaks if
you have to at first, but don't let it get too hard, especially at the
beginning of the run.

Quoted message said:

How should I go about increasing my distance especially
when my body says, "ok, its time to stop".

See the above. ;-) If you follow this advice, the result will be you
spending longer each time at a level of exercise that helps you
gain what you are looking for - endurance, improved aerobic
capacity, all that good stuff. You want to be out there for 30 - 40
minutes per session as a beginner. Right now you are doing 13-15
minutes of running a little too hard, and then spending 10 minutes
recovering with a walk - this is not "bad" for you, but it is not
going to get you what you are looking for nearly as fast.

cheers,
--
David Hirsh, director
www.urbanburn.com - half marathon, full throttle!
www.absolutelyaccurate.com - Hamilton's summer series!

You are proceeding correctly.
I may just take weeks longer than expected.
After you have been running for a couple decades,
it wont really matter whether it took two weeks
or six weeks to build up to a continuous 20 minutes.

The first goal would be run 20 minutes continuously
and effortlessly. Then build up to and plateau at 30 minutes
for the first six months. Then if you want more,
work up to hour runs over the next six months.

Its my observation that a lot of the annoying injuries
happen when people are moving from 30 minutes
to 60 minutes too fast. Its usually some part of
the body that hasnt caught to the pounding of running,
like the shins or bleeding bladder or digestive problems, etc.

Quoted message said:

Hi Runners,

I am just starting out (again) to create a running habbit.

(about me)
26 years old. Slightly-moderately over weight. Last april with about 2
months of practice i ran a 5K race in just under 29 minutes. After that
i basically gave up on running for a while. Well, now im back at it and
am seeking any sort of helpful hints, inspiration, advice, etc that you
pro's can give me.

I'm no pro, but one bit of advice based on what keeps me running year
after year:

Start a running journal.

Nothing elaborate. Currently I'm using just a small looseleaf binder.
Make it a habit at the end of each run. Put in the basic stuff: date
(and maybe time of day) type of run and distance and/or time.

When starting out, don't be concerned about your speed. Let the
achievement be the time and distance you have devoted to your running.
If you like and the mood strikes, record how your felt.
Comments like:
that run was tough OR glad I got out today, it really cleared my head.

You might never look back at it, but the simple act of writing it all
down will help.

Quoted message said:

Last week I purchased a fresh pair of shoes and they feel great. They
make me want to run every time i see them. The last 4 days i ran 3
times. Each was about 13-15 minutes of actuall running with a nice
brisk walk at the end for at least a 10 mins. I clocked my route in my
car to see how far i was going and it turn out i was only running 1.2
miles :-( This kinda made me feel wimpy and i'm wondering what you all
think.

A pace near 10-12minutes per mile at this point is great. Trust us, you
will get better if you maintain your training. You are not a wimp, just
a beginner. ANd you seem to be right on track.

Quoted message said:

How should I go about increasing my distance especially when my body
says, "ok, its time to stop".

Others covered this question.

My other suggestion is to find someone to run with. The comradery and
conversation will help. And if they are an experienced runner, they can
give you specific advice about things like your running form. And they
likely have a better sense of pae to help you learn not to run too
fast.

That's it. Go out there and enjoy the run.
Ed