Running

[evylprincess]

I need an exercise routine I can start/keep up during the summer when I'm at my parents' house. We live miles from anywhere and I can't drive, so the gym is out as a regular form of exercise, though I'll go when my (driving) sister goes, and I'll go for walks when my mum does

Comments

[nailsie]

I've recently started running again, and found that this schedule eases you into it gently.

When you're back at uni, it might be worth investigating the running/athletics club. They might have sessions geared towards beginners, and I've always found it more enjoyable training with others. But then I don't have an mp3 player. :o)

[evylprincess]

Cheers for the schedule. I found one like it elsewere so it seems there's a bit of consensus on how to start. I once went to start running before but did zero research so I ran for twenty minutes the first day, hated it, suffered for days afterwards, and never ran again. What an eejit.

I've looked into the uni running club but I think I'm with Ali on this one -- I'm going with running because it's something I can do alone, when it's convenient for me, as something to chill out and clear my head. Plus, I think I'll have enough problems of my own without adding pacing myself to others!

[jaanquidam]

Okay, lemme 'splain. No, I lack sobriety, lemme sum up

[themusesbitch]

I asked my doctor about my knees when I started running and he said that recent studies are showing that just running doesn't do anything to damage your knees: running improperly can, so long as you're not overdoing it and are stretching properly and wearing proper shoes, it really shouldn't cause any more harm than, say, carrying too much excess weight over the course of decades

[jaanquidam]

That's interesting about running...I imagine lots of people do it wrong? Would lower-impact stuff still be better? On another note: I always felt like running wasn't the best exercise because my legs did all the work, so I got tired faster than if the whole body was sharing the work, like on a ski machine or elliptical. But tha's just me. I do miss running regardless....

[evylprincess]

Well, your first paragraph is fantastic news, since I am all about warming up, cooling down and buying good shoes. Can I ask, did he have anything to say against running on the road? Most things I've read have said it's horrific for your knees, but they also talk about running for 45 minutes five times a week and all sorts of craziness, so. Roads are really all I have round me once I come back to uni and I'd rather not be forced to spend all my time in the gym, since that gets pretty boring pretty quick. And, as you say, I'm not sure it could do my knees more harm than getting slowly fatter over 40 years would, which is what's going to happen if I don't get a decent exercise routine in order before my metabolism starts winding down. (Apparently it peaks around 23 years old. How terrifying.)

I'll bear the 10 minutes running/1 minute walking thing in mind. As you say, there are a lot of different theories about all this and I really don't know what one to go with. But hurrah for a cheering story of running success. Thanks :)

[jipsy_girl]

I started up running from scratch (I am currently not running, but that is because I am lazy) and can offer the following suggestions

[evylprincess]

Thanks for the advice! I think I'll not stay in the gym though, just because I'd get bored and then demotivated pretty quickly. I only enjoy it now because I only go every few weeks. Oh dear ;).

[evylprincess]

That's great advice, thank you. I've been playing with that route planner for possibly too long -- I never realised how many loops there are near my house. It's like mapgeek heaven!

[texaslawchick]

Running for me was building up. I didn't run full on for a long time, and I still take walk breaks every mile or so. Stop and walk to recover yourself, and you'll go a lot farther for a lot longer. Your goal isn't, initially, to break any speed records. You want to run for a little while, then walk for a little while, then run some more, and walk some more. There are a variety of run/walk schedules out there (I used Jeff Galloway, though there are plenty of others), so google it and see what works for you.

About a year ago, I couldn't run a mile straight. I run three miles, three days a week now, though when I was training for the half-marathon in January, I ran four or five days a week, up to 20 miles a week. The thing to think about, though, is the next mile, not the next 20 miles. Building up will get you faster and will keep you going for a lot longer than you think you can go.

[evylprincess]

Thanks I've seen a lot of advice about making sure to alternate running and walking, especially at the start. I'll definitely bear that in mind, and build up distance over time instead of reaching for the moon.