Training Again After 6 Years Off

Quoted message said:

Hello,

I'm 51 years old, 5'11" tall, and weigh about 200 pounds. About 4 months

ago

Quoted message said:

I was about 215-220 pounds. I lost about 10 pounds before I began training and have lost more
weight since I began.

I began training 2 months ago with a 30 minute walk with a couple of 10 second jogs mixed in.
After about a week I was walking 60 minutes with

11 -

Quoted message said:

20 second jogs mixed in. My basic routine is to walk the first 5 minutes then jog every 5 minutes
after that through 55 minutes. That is, I jog at

5,

Quoted message said:

10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55 minutes. After my last jog I

walk

Quoted message said:

very slowly until 60 minutes have expired.

I haven't changed the length of my workout since the end of the first

week.

Quoted message said:

I do 60 minutes 5 times a week. Every 4 weeks I take an extra day off so I only exercies 4 times
instead of 5. Currently, I'm doing 11 jogs (every 5 minutes) of 1 minute and 40 seconds. I'm doing
about 10 minute pace. So

I'm

Quoted message said:

jogging a total of 1100 seconds (18 min, 20 sec.).

I've been in shape several times before but it has been about 6 years

since

Quoted message said:

I was in good shape last. I'm training to run the Utica Boilermaker (15K) next July. I will have
been training for about 10 months by the time the race rolls around. My current goal is only to be
able to run (jog really) the whole 9.3 miles. As I get closer to the race date I'll probably add a
time goal as well.

My real goal is to lose more weight and get into good shape. I'm doing the race because that will
help motivate me during my training sessions over

the

Quoted message said:

winter. It's really cold/snowy in upstate New York so I'll need all of the motivation I can muster
to continue to train during bad weather.

When I get to where I'm doing 2 minute jogs every 5 minutes (11 of them) I'll begin to consolidate
my jogging. The week after I'm doing 11 - 2

minute

Quoted message said:

jogs, I'll switch to 9 - 2-1/2 minute jogs. Over time I'll continue to consolidate to the point
where my normal workout will be to walk 5 minutes then jog 50 minutes then walk 5 minutes. I
expect this will take 2-3 more months.

I'll continue to do base training until about 4 months before the Boilermaker (about mid March)
then I'll begin to work in some strength and speed training although I don't plan to do a lot of
speed this first year. If I run the Boilermaker a second year I'll plan to go a good bit faster
which will require more speed work.

My main strategy is to slowly increase the amount of my jogging so I don't get injured. If
necessary I'll take even longer to get to the point where I'm doing one long jog.

Let me know if you have any comments as to what I should be doing differently. I've gotten into
decent shape several times over the years

but

Quoted message said:

it definitely gets harder and harder as I get older.

Sounds like the mother of all plans. Hard to find fault with it. Shows commitment.

Hopefully, it will become a welcome part of your day, not a major burden, a curse that comes
with life.

Your plan allows you to make tremendous progress in small steps without a lot of pain and risk. Can
you work on other aspects of your life in the same way, such as diet and stress, to achieve weight
reduction and increased physical energy? That might take some of burden out of the run.

Taking a crosstraining week every 4-5 weeks, once your running durations get higher, might insure
you recover fully. Also, you may eventually find that 5 identical longer runs each week allows
insufficient recovery.

That last increment when you finally run for an extended time and do not include walking breaks is a
bigger step than you might expect. I find that stopping for traffic or walking a few steps at a
light during a long run can be restorative.

Running point to point has phsychological advantages, for example, a commute home from work. Running
on grass has physical advantages. Finding others to run with once in a while can work. And, doing
some very long XC skiing or snowshoeing this winter would burn up more calories, give running legs a
rest, and uplift spirits.

I find the local gym invaluable and not that expensive, though it is only 2-3 minutes jog away
from home.

Bill,

Thanks for the advice. I have a great deal of commitment towards getting into shape. I've always
hated the notion of getting old and fat and there is only one of these that I can do anything
about :-).

I've made other major changes in my life lately as well including getting out of the computer
business after leading the pack in the rat race for about 25 years. I now plan to work to live
rather than live to work. This is the change that will permit me to have the time to get into and
stay in good shape .... if I remain healthy of course.

The program I described is what I'm currently doing and planning to do. I will in fact change this
program any time I feel like I have a better plan and as necessary due to the weather. When the
weather gets worse with much snow and bitter cold, I'll likely do some cross country skiing and
workouts at the gym on the treadmill. But, I plan to do as many workouts outside as I can
reasonably do.

Although I've never dieted before in my life, I'm currently considering it. Anything I can do to
lose weight a bit faster will make everything else a LOT easier. It's hard dragging 200 lbs. up
hills. A friend of mine is an expert on nutrition and is helping me in this area. The first thing I
need to do is educate myself. Once I understand it better, maybe I can begin to make some small
changes in my eating habits that will help.

I'm constantly listening to my body as I workout. If my legs don't get enough time to recover as
running becomes a larger and larger portion of my workouts, I might begin to vary my workouts. That
is, I might only do 2 or 3 longer runs along with 2 or 3 shorter runs each week. However, in any
case I believe I'll continue to have my total workout be 60 minutes. I'll just do more walking on
the days that I do less running.

Thanks again for your input. I look forward to getting into shape again and any encouragement and
advice I can get is very much appreciated :-).

Regards,

Doug Gilliam

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

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Hello,

I'm 51 years old, 5'11" tall, and weigh about 200 pounds. About 4 months

ago

Quoted message said:

I was about 215-220 pounds. I lost about 10 pounds before I began

training

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and have lost more weight since I began.

I began training 2 months ago with a 30 minute walk with a couple of 10 second jogs mixed in.
After about a week I was walking 60 minutes with

11 -

Quoted message said:

20 second jogs mixed in. My basic routine is to walk the first 5 minutes then jog every 5
minutes after that through 55 minutes. That is, I jog

at

Quoted message said:

5,

Quoted message said:

10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55 minutes. After my last jog I

walk

Quoted message said:

very slowly until 60 minutes have expired.

I haven't changed the length of my workout since the end of the first

week.

Quoted message said:

I do 60 minutes 5 times a week. Every 4 weeks I take an extra day off so

I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

only exercies 4 times instead of 5. Currently, I'm doing 11 jogs (every

5

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

minutes) of 1 minute and 40 seconds. I'm doing about 10 minute pace. So

I'm

Quoted message said:

jogging a total of 1100 seconds (18 min, 20 sec.).

I've been in shape several times before but it has been about 6 years

since

Quoted message said:

I was in good shape last. I'm training to run the Utica Boilermaker

(15K)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

next July. I will have been training for about 10 months by the time the race rolls around. My
current goal is only to be able to run (jog

really)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the whole 9.3 miles. As I get closer to the race date I'll probably add

a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

time goal as well.

My real goal is to lose more weight and get into good shape. I'm doing

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

race because that will help motivate me during my training sessions over

the

Quoted message said:

winter. It's really cold/snowy in upstate New York so I'll need all of

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

motivation I can muster to continue to train during bad weather.

When I get to where I'm doing 2 minute jogs every 5 minutes (11 of them) I'll begin to
consolidate my jogging. The week after I'm doing 11 - 2

minute

Quoted message said:

jogs, I'll switch to 9 - 2-1/2 minute jogs. Over time I'll continue to consolidate to the point
where my normal workout will be to walk 5

minutes

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

then jog 50 minutes then walk 5 minutes. I expect this will take 2-3

more

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

months.

I'll continue to do base training until about 4 months before the Boilermaker (about mid March)
then I'll begin to work in some strength

and

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

speed training although I don't plan to do a lot of speed this first

year.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

If I run the Boilermaker a second year I'll plan to go a good bit faster which will require more
speed work.

My main strategy is to slowly increase the amount of my jogging so I

don't

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

get injured. If necessary I'll take even longer to get to the point

where

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I'm doing one long jog.

Let me know if you have any comments as to what I should be doing differently. I've gotten into
decent shape several times over the years

but

Quoted message said:

it definitely gets harder and harder as I get older.

Sounds like the mother of all plans. Hard to find fault with it. Shows commitment.

Hopefully, it will become a welcome part of your day, not a major burden,

a

Quoted message said:

curse that comes with life.

Your plan allows you to make tremendous progress in small steps without a lot of pain and risk.
Can you work on other aspects of your life in the same way, such as diet and stress, to achieve
weight reduction and

increased

Quoted message said:

physical energy? That might take some of burden out of the run.

Taking a crosstraining week every 4-5 weeks, once your running durations

get

Quoted message said:

higher, might insure you recover fully. Also, you may eventually find

that

Quoted message said:

5 identical longer runs each week allows insufficient recovery.

That last increment when you finally run for an extended time and do not include walking breaks is
a bigger step than you might expect. I find

that

Quoted message said:

stopping for traffic or walking a few steps at a light during a long run

can

Quoted message said:

be restorative.

Running point to point has phsychological advantages, for example, a

commute

Quoted message said:

home from work. Running on grass has physical advantages. Finding others to run with once in a
while can work. And, doing some very long XC skiing or snowshoeing this winter would burn up more
calories, give running legs

a

Quoted message said:

rest, and uplift spirits.

I find the local gym invaluable and not that expensive, though it is only 2-3 minutes jog away
from home.