newbie to jogging/running

Quoted message said:

have lost 80 lbs. Last week, I was actually able to jog (1 mile) non-stop

without too much

Quoted message said:

problem. I try to do at least a mile a day and then raise the platform on my

treadmill to a 10 percent grade and do another 1 or 2 laps. The thing is, I haven't been able to do
more than a mile since. When can I expect my stamina to increase? I thought I would be doing at
least a mile and a half by now. Monday will be my 2nd full week. Also, are skechers and filas good
enough for jogging?

Georgetta:

You will find lots of people here ready to offer you lots of sound advice (plus, no doubt, the usual
assortment of internet jerks who will "flame" you simply for showing up -- just ignore them), but
for sure the key thing will be that more info about you and you situation is needed to provide a
meaningful answer:

(1) What is your current weight and height?

(2) What is your age?

(3) Do you have any significant medical conditions?

(4) Do you have any prior significant background in aerobic activity?

(5) Are you doing anything else besides running?

(6) Are you still eating an "Atkins" diet?

(7) When you say you "haven't been able" to exceed a mile, what do you really mean? What is stopping
you? Shortness of wind? Muscles that feel like lead? Pain? Sideache?

As to your shoes, they may prove adequate for short treadmill workouts, since, as you say, a
treadmill has some built-in elasticity. For the road, however, very few on this newsgroup would be
in favor of not having you in real running shoes, though a few very-qualified persons have been
known to state that they think cross-trainers are okay for low mileage runners.

Congrats on dropping 80 lbs. Not easy.

Hey Georgetta,

Congratulations on making so many positive changes in your life. 80lbs. is pretty impressive. To
answer your questions...

1. The general rule is not to increase your distance by more than 10% per week. If you can do 1 mile
after just one week... that's actually very impressive, and if anything you might be pushing to
hard. Running can carry a high risk of injury if you do too far too fast. Your goal should be to
be injury-free. Don't worry about speed or distance. That will come in time. Many people take 2-3
months when first starting out to build up to 3 miles / 5k. Also... a really good way to increase
your distance is to take walk breaks... walk for a minute every 2 to 10 minutes or whatever and
gradually take fewer walking breaks and longer running intervals until you can run 3 miles non-
stop. The Runners world web site should have some programs you could look at.

2. Sketchers are NOT good for running!!! You may be getting away with it on the treadmill and your
short distances... but they will KILL you on the street! You are just asking for injury if you
run with those outside... esp. as your distance increases. Go to a RUNNING store (NOT a generic
sports store) and get someone there to look at your feet and your stride and recommend a running
shoe for you.

Again... congratulations on everything. I love seeing people make such positive changes. One side
note... if you are going to run on a regular basis, you should probably reconsider Atkins. It may
work for weight loss in the short term, but in the long term you will probably want a more standard,
healthful and balanced diet including plenty of complex carbs (and even some simple carbs maybe
right before a run) to fuel your new active lifestyle. Bacon and sausage doesn't do much to fuel
running. And it's murder on your arteries. I know that's an extreme example... but anyway 🙂

In article said:

Hi all! I just recently went on the Atkins WOE and have lost 80 lbs. Last week, I was actually
able to jog (1 mile) non-stop without too much problem. I try to do at least a mile a day and then
raise the platform on my treadmill to a 10 percent grade and do another 1 or 2 laps. The thing is,
I haven't been able to do more than a mile since. When can I expect my stamina to increase? I
thought I would be doing at least a mile and a half by now. Monday will be my 2nd full week. Also,
are skechers and filas good enough for jogging? They are comfortable and my feet don't hurt. Could
be because my treadmill is cushioned. Eventually, I want to be able to do my exercising outside,
but I am afraid I am not ready for that yet!

Thanks for any help you "experts" can dish my way! Georgetta

--
Nova Scotia, Canada

Quoted message said:

Georgetta:

You will find lots of people here ready to offer you lots of sound advice (plus, no doubt, the
usual assortment of internet jerks who will "flame" you simply for showing up -- just ignore
them), but for sure the key thing will be that more info about you and you situation is needed to
provide a meaningful answer:

(1) What is your current weight and height?

170 lbs. 5' 8"

Quoted message said:

(2) What is your age?

36

Quoted message said:

(3) Do you have any significant medical conditions?

no

Quoted message said:

(4) Do you have any prior significant background in aerobic activity?

when I was a teen, I jogged a couple of miles a day for a few months, but that's about all
I'm afraid.

Quoted message said:

(5) Are you doing anything else besides running?

weight training, although I am an absolute beginner in that area also. I also use a stability ball
for my crunches and I just started to do leg lifts by hanging from my roof as I don't have a
chinup bar.

Quoted message said:

(6) Are you still eating an "Atkins" diet?

To a certain extent I am. I have added carbs to my diet although it is still a fairly low carb diet.
I still won't touch sugar bread or potatoes though. Sorry, Atkins was responsible for my 80 pound
loss and I'm going to have a hard time abandoning my new WOE. I will NOT put those pounds back on. I
know muscle weighs more than fat as I am already fairly muscular from previous jobs I have had. I do
not look like I weigh 170 lbs because of my muscle either.

Quoted message said:

(7) When you say you "haven't been able" to exceed a mile, what do you really mean? What is
stopping you? Shortness of wind? Muscles that feel like lead? Pain? Sideache?

This is probably to be blamed on rookie mistakes. I thought I had to go faster than I needed to to
burn fat, so I have been running between 5.5 and 6.2 mph (on the treadmill, that is). tomorrow, I
plan on slowing down and seeing if I can run more than 1 mile. When I am cooling down, I have been
raising the grade to 10 percent and walking between 3.5 and 4 mph for 2 laps and then at 1.5 at
around 2mph for a lap. (I just started doing that this week).

Quoted message said:

As to your shoes, they may prove adequate for short treadmill workouts, since, as you say, a
treadmill has some built-in elasticity. For the road, however, very few on this newsgroup would be
in favor of not having you in real running shoes, though a few very-qualified persons have been
known to state that they think cross-trainers are okay for low mileage runners.

That's what I thought. I figure when I am ready to go out on the street, I will get some good
running shoes. It seems a lot of people are recommending Asics, so I will check those out.

Quoted message said:

Congrats on dropping 80 lbs. Not easy.

Thanks for the help, and I hope to be able to come back a lot for the support and encouragement. I
will let you know how the exercise is going. l8r Georgetta

nunya bitnizz <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Hi all! I just recently went on the Atkins WOE and have lost 80 lbs. Last week, I was actually
able to jog (1 mile) non-stop without too much problem. I try to do at least a mile a day and then
raise the platform on

Don't run everyday. That is probably the reason why you are not improving as fast. Regular and high
quality rest is essential for your body to build up.

Quoted message said:

my treadmill to a 10 percent grade and do another 1 or 2 laps. The thing is, I haven't been able
to do more than a mile since. When can I expect my stamina to increase? I thought I would be doing
at least a mile and a half by now. Monday will be my 2nd full week. Also, are skechers and filas
good enough for jogging? They are comfortable and my feet don't hurt. Could be because my
treadmill is cushioned. Eventually, I want to be able to do my exercising outside, but I am afraid
I am not ready for that yet! Thanks for any help you "experts" can dish my way! Georgetta

nunya bitnizz <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>... [deleted]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

(6) Are you still eating an "Atkins" diet?

To a certain extent I am. I have added carbs to my diet although it is still a fairly low carb
diet. I still won't touch sugar bread or potatoes though. Sorry, Atkins was responsible for my 80
pound loss and I'm going to have a hard time abandoning my new WOE. I will NOT put those pounds
back on. I know muscle weighs more than fat as I am already fairly muscular from previous jobs I
have had. I do not look like I weigh 170 lbs because of my muscle either.

If you are low on carb and try to run, you will feel pretty crappy. I know because I tried that. I
lost some weight quickly but I also developed gout. It took me a month to recover from that. Now
that I am only 5 lbs from my weight goal, I am just reducing my carb intake. (Incidentally, I am
also 5'8" my weight goal is 137 lbs.)

[deleted]

Quoted message said:

That's what I thought. I figure when I am ready to go out on the street, I will get some good
running shoes. It seems a lot of people are recommending Asics, so I will check those out.

New Balance are nice too. I was running on the street when I was 192 lbs. It is a lot more
interesting than the treadmill. I love running when it is snowing. [deleted]

On Sat, 17 Jan 2004 02:40:57 GMT, nunya bitnizz <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

(1) What is your current weight and height?

170 lbs. 5' 8"

is this your goal. i'm 6 feet and at 158 pounds still have a belly. i would need to lose about 5
more to get rid of it. from your sig, it appears you are a woman. 170 is definitely too high. ...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

(7) When you say you "haven't been able" to exceed a mile, what do you really mean? What is
stopping you? Shortness of wind? Muscles that feel like lead? Pain? Sideache?

This is probably to be blamed on rookie mistakes. I thought I had to go faster than I needed to to
burn fat, so I have been running between 5.5 and 6.2 mph (on the treadmill, that is). tomorrow, I
plan on slowing

no kidding. at first go for time. at whatever speed you can. if you can only walk and not run for
30 minutes, that's fine. it's where you are. given time, you will improve. you can't stop the
improvement. it will come. in a few weeks try adding a little bit of higher speed to that half
hour. if that means runnin, that's ok. if it just means you can walk faster and still finish,
that's ok too.

don't get hung up on "running". if your goal is fitnesss, it's important to get there. not how you
got there. eventually your fitness level will improve sufficiently that you will have to run to get
your HR up. it'll happen all by itself. all you have to do is put in the time on the 'mill or
outdoors and stress your body.

Quoted message said:

down and seeing if I can run more than 1 mile. When I am cooling down, I have been raising the
grade to 10 percent and walking between 3.5 and 4 mph for 2 laps and then at 1.5 at around 2mph for
a lap. (I just started doing that this week).

this is not a cooldown. this is a workout in itself. at the beginning, i would suggest just do flat.
hard/easy days. a hard day is a workout that's tough on you because you went fast, long or some
combination. the next day should be easy (could even be a cross-training day or just a weights day).

after a while (maybe a year or so), you might start thinking about inclines to add to the calorie
usage or to vary your workout to gain in different areas of fitness.

just to make myself clear, if you've reached the limit of your treadmill speed and still can go for
30 minutes, go 45. Then. if that's still easy, you could add some incline. ...thehick

nunya bitnizz <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Hi all! I just recently went on the Atkins

UR an idiot.

Congrats on the weight loss. Welcome to this ng. You'll soon be looking
forward to your first race ... :-)
But why try to run for a mile non-stop already?
Check out a running web site like Runners World and look at their beginners
programmes. You'll get plenty of sound advice there.
Jonathan
"TopCounsel" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

have lost 80 lbs. Last week, I was actually able to jog (1 mile) non-stop

without too much

Quoted message said:

problem. I try to do at least a mile a day and then raise the platform

on my

Quoted message said:

treadmill to a 10 percent grade and do another 1 or 2 laps. The thing is,

I

Quoted message said:

haven't been able to do more than a mile since. When can I expect my

stamina

Quoted message said:

to increase? I thought I would be doing at least a mile and a half by

now.

Quoted message said:

Monday will be my 2nd full week. Also, are skechers and filas good enough

for

Quoted message said:

jogging?

Georgetta:

You will find lots of people here ready to offer you lots of sound advice (plus, no doubt, the
usual assortment of internet jerks who will "flame"

you

Quoted message said:

simply for showing up -- just ignore them), but for sure the key thing

will be

Quoted message said:

that more info about you and you situation is needed to provide a

meaningful

Quoted message said:

answer:

(1) What is your current weight and height?

(2) What is your age?

(3) Do you have any significant medical conditions?

(4) Do you have any prior significant background in aerobic activity?

(5) Are you doing anything else besides running?

(6) Are you still eating an "Atkins" diet?

(7) When you say you "haven't been able" to exceed a mile, what do you

really

Quoted message said:

mean? What is stopping you? Shortness of wind? Muscles that feel like

lead?

Quoted message said:

Pain? Sideache?

As to your shoes, they may prove adequate for short treadmill workouts,

since,

Quoted message said:

as you say, a treadmill has some built-in elasticity. For the road,

however,

Quoted message said:

very few on this newsgroup would be in favor of not having you in real

running

Quoted message said:

shoes, though a few very-qualified persons have been known to state that

they

Quoted message said:

think cross-trainers are okay for low mileage runners.

Congrats on dropping 80 lbs. Not easy.

You said:

weight training, although I am an absolute beginner in that area also. I also use a stability ball
for my crunches and I just started to do leg lifts by hanging from my roof as I don't have a
chinup bar.

Take a look at this site. It's one of the greatest things I've seen on the web.
stumptuous.comweights.htmlOpen ↗

Jonathan

"nunya bitnizz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

(7) When you say you "haven't been able" to exceed a mile, what do you really mean? What is
stopping you? Shortness of wind? Muscles that feel like lead? Pain? Sideache?

This is probably to be blamed on rookie mistakes. I thought I had to go faster than I needed to to
burn fat, so I have been running between 5.5 and 6.2 mph (on the treadmill, that is). tomorrow, I
plan on slowing down and seeing if I can run more than 1 mile. When I am cooling down, I have been
raising the grade to 10 percent and walking between 3.5 and 4 mph for 2 laps and then at 1.5 at
around 2mph for a lap. (I just started doing that this week).

Fat burning is, generally speaking, more a function of distance than of speed. If you set the t'mill
for 3.5 mph and walked for 10 miles, you'd burn about 10 times as much fat as you do running your
little lungs off at 6 mph for 10 minutes. The problem is, few folks have time in the schedule to
walk for 10 miles a day. In fact, my rudimentary understanding of these things is that running
"anaerobically" (which running as fast as you can manage for a mile mostly will be) is not a good
way to burn fat at all. That's while all the public service annoucements and blurbs in the news tell
you to try to get in at least 30 minutes of *aerobic* exercise, X times a week. If you don't have a
heart-rate monitor, you can use your breathing as a rough guide of when you're in the aeobic zone.
If you are breathless/couldn't utter a sentence to your imaginary running partner, you're in the
anaerobic zone. If you can manage short phrases, you're in a good aerobic zone. If you can hold
extended philosophical discussions, then it's possible you're below the aerobic zone.

So, that being said, you might aim for 30 minutes of total aerobic workout time, alternating between
slow jogging and brisk walking at a ratio that will allow you to complete the 30 minutes without
ever getting really out of breath. You might try starting with a 3-min run/1-min walk ratio and
slowly working up from there (with the run speed set about as slow as you can run and still maintain
a natural running stride). Add onto that a 5 minute warmup and 5 minute cooldown at a brisk walk,
and you've got a nice little routine.

Allow for the fact that it may take you a few months to build up to running the whole 30 minutes.
Forget everything the told you about "feeling the burn"--for right now, if you butt aches the next
morning when you go up and down stairs, it's because you Went Too Fast. And only run every other day
for now--if you're committed to doing weights as well, that's great--you can alternate them (because
you shouldn't be doing weights every day, either).

An important reason for going slower, and interspersing walk breaks as you need them, is because Too
Fast, Too Far, Too Soon is a good recipe for injuries. The faster you run, the more stress you put
on the various tendons, ligaments, and joints that have not had time to adapt. A very gradual
buildup of slow miles will strengthen them.

[email hidden] (Frikin' Looney) wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

nunya bitnizz <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Hi all! I just recently went on the Atkins

UR an idiot.

and I guess you would be what everyone calls a troll. No need to get nasty with someone just because
they don't do things exactly as you do. I came here for advice, not flames.

Hey Georgetta,

No question... sugar bread is not good for anyone (and white potatoes really have no fiber to speak
of either) 🙂 The key is gylcemic index... the simple carbs really spike your bloor sugar... which
spikes insulin... which then leads to a crash in bloor sugar... which makes you feel hungry again...
etc etc... I'm sure you know the drill 🙂 As a runner, I would say that you *DO* need carbs... but
just go with complex carbs with a lower GI... whole wheat pasta, brown rice (brown basmanti is
really good), non-starchy fruits... etc. And on the flip side... protein... try to get as much of
your protein from low fat, high fiber sources like beans and other plant-based protein... or leaner
meats like fish and chicken. The thought of Atkins dieters thinking that bun-less Whoppers and Bacon
and Sausage is good for them is what horrifies me 🙂 I know that may be a misconception or a
stereotype... but that's what I think of when I think of Atkins. Saturated fat and cholesteral are
just not good for you. Period.

Anyway... one step at a time eh!!! 🙂 All this talk about diet. The main thing is that you are
active and have a new healthy mindset. Diet modifications may come in time. I understand the fear of
giving up Atkins... I really do... but as time goes by and you start being more comfortable about
adding more carbs (of the complex variety)... you may be surprised to find that you don't gain any
weight back. What makes you gain weight is *NOT* carbs or fat or whatever... it's taking in more
calories than you burn... period! It's that simple. And now that you are running and adding muscle
your metabolism has probably gotten a lot higher. I don't think you would gain any weight by weaning
off a strict Atkins diet (as long as you don't go to the other extreme and start eating twinkies
everyday)... but I understand the fear. I wouldn't worry about it for now. As I say... any diet
tweaks can happen in time... and really... the best and most sustainable changes are usually the
ones that happen slowly over time. I'm kind of anti-"Diet Plan" in that way. I say... eat your
fruits and veggies... keep the carbs complex and the proteins lean... move your body... and you'll
do just fine 🙂

Congratulations once again Georgetta. And best of luck with the running. Don't worry about speed and
distance right now... that will come. And again... a really good way to increase distance is the
walk/run technique... and remember to increase distance gradually!!!

Cheers.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Georgetta:

To a certain extent I am. I have added carbs to my diet although it is still a fairly low carb
diet. I still won't touch sugar bread or potatoes though. Sorry, Atkins was responsible for my 80
pound loss and I'm going to have a hard time abandoning my new WOE.

--
Nova Scotia, Canada

Yup... running too fast is a CLASSIC rookie mistake! It takes a while to get a sense of pace.

By the way... you actually burn a higher percentage of fat by running slow! As you go faster... your
body eventually goes 'anerobic'... meaning without oxygen... and fat needs oxygen in order to burn.
Someone can correct me on this... as I may be way off base... but I think bascially that as you fun
faster your muscles need more and more oxygen... leaving none for fat burning. Anyway... that may be
wrong... I don't quite remember how it works... but suffice it to say that the best way to burn fat
is LONG, SLOW runs 🙂

p.s. 10% is a pretty steep incline!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Georgetta:

This is probably to be blamed on rookie mistakes. I thought I had to go faster than I needed to to
burn fat, so I have been running between 5.5 and 6.2 mph (on the treadmill, that is). tomorrow, I
plan on slowing down and seeing if I can run more than 1 mile. When I am cooling down, I have been
raising the grade to 10 percent and walking between 3.5 and 4 mph for 2 laps and then at 1.5 at
around 2mph for a lap. (I just started doing that this week).

--
Nova Scotia, Canada

(ElfHunter) said:

New Balance are nice too.

Yup... they are. As are Asics... and many other brands. I think the thing with shoes is just to go
to a running store and have a real runner help you. There is no best brand really... although some
do get more consistantly good reviews than others... but in the end... the best shoe is the one that
is right for you... regardless of brand. The only way to find the shoe that is best for your is,
again, to go to a running store, have a knowledgable person help you out... and try out a whole
bunch of different pairs.

--
Nova Scotia, Canada

David <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Yup... running too fast is a CLASSIC rookie mistake! It takes a while to get a sense of pace.

By the way... you actually burn a higher percentage of fat by running slow! As you go faster...
your body eventually goes 'anerobic'... meaning without oxygen... and fat needs oxygen in order to
burn. Someone can correct me on this... as I may be way off base... but I think bascially that as
you fun faster your muscles need more and more oxygen... leaving none for fat burning. Anyway...
that may be wrong... I don't quite remember how it works... but suffice it to say that the best
way to burn fat is LONG, SLOW runs 🙂

I want to thank everyone for the advice. I won't be able to run until Sunday as I pulled a double at
work, but that's o.k., because you guys have let me know I shouldn't run every day. I will let you
guys know how my run goes tomorrow. Thanks again! Georgetta

David <[email hidden]> wrote in news:user-CCFF22.18274717012004
@news.hfx.eastlink.ca:

Quoted message said:

By the way... you actually burn a higher percentage of fat by running slow!

You may be using fat for fuel. However, what is important in loosing body fat is the caloric deficit
not the manner in which you burn the calories.

-Phil

I meant that you burn more fat running slow than running fast...
Gerorgetta thought that the opposite was true. So the manner, in this
case, was actually relevant... i.e. relevant to Gerorgetta's question.
But yes... you are correct 🙂

Phil M. said:

David <[email hidden]> wrote in news:user-CCFF22.18274717012004 @news.hfx.eastlink.ca:

Quoted message said:

By the way... you actually burn a higher percentage of fat by running slow!

You may be using fat for fuel. However, what is important in loosing body fat is the caloric
deficit not the manner in which you burn the calories.

-Phil

--
Nova Scotia, Canada

"David" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I meant that you burn more fat running slow than running fast...

No. You burn a ***greater percentage*** of calories from fat by running slow. You burn an even
greater percentage of fat while you're sleeping.

Neither of the above facts is worth a damn for someone who wants to lose body fat.

Quoted message said:

Gerorgetta thought that the opposite was true. So the manner, in this case, was actually
relevant... i.e. relevant to Gerorgetta's question. But yes... you are correct 🙂

Phil M. said:

David <[email hidden]> wrote in news:user-CCFF22.18274717012004 @news.hfx.eastlink.ca:

Quoted message said:

By the way... you actually burn a higher percentage of fat by running slow!

You may be using fat for fuel. However, what is important in loosing

body

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

fat is the caloric deficit not the manner in which you burn the

calories.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

-Phil

--
Nova Scotia, Canada

"Bob Garrison" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:400b07ef$0$6077
[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I meant that you burn more fat running slow than running fast...

No. You burn a ***greater percentage*** of calories from fat by running slow. You burn an even
greater percentage of fat while you're sleeping.

Neither of the above facts is worth a damn for someone who wants to lose body fat.

Most people get confused between burning fat for fuel and burning body fat. They are 2 different
things. I just wanted to make sure nunya bitnizz was not confused.

-Phil