Beginning Runners

littlefroggy · January 15, 2009

So I am SORT OF following the couch to 5k idea. I'm starting by walking/running.

I have run 5 times now, and run 1.2 miles, which is to the end of my street (before it turns into a hill) and back home again. I'm running very early in the morning while it's still dark. I see all the delivery trucks dropping things off for the restaurants so it's kind of fun.

Anyway, what is a GOOD time for a mile? Yesterday my 1.2 miles took about 17 minutes. That only burns about 170 calories. I was hoping it would burn more, but I guess not. Eventually I want to be able to do the 5k, so I need to build up to that. I have until May.

Anyway, is that a good time???

Training Calculator for Runners: Runner's World

I found this, which calculated that I am running a 14 minute mile. Any tips or pointers on going faster? Or is this a decent pace?

Jachut · January 15, 2009

A "good" time is what you can do, dont be so hard on yourself. You dont *really* burn a lot more by running faster, and going slowly and being able to breath actually trains your body's aerobic systems so that you will slowly gain stamina. You want more mitochondria in your cells to process the oxygen to give you energy and working too hard (to go fast) in the anaerobic heart range doesnt lend itself to that. Slow steady exercise is necessary for good aerobic fitness.

So if a 14 minute mile is challenging enough to have you breathing hard and sweating, it is doing your body good. And whilst it may be discouraging to only burn 170 calories for your efforts, over time you become fitter and one day you will be running 10ksm in an hour and buring 700 calories doing it. But you have to get from now to then and you're doing exactly what you need to to achieve that.

Here's how I would approach it. To lose weight, we have to burn calories, so 170 is a bit frustrating. I would map out the 5kms. I would go out and just run as much of it as I could to get a base from which to start, you have 1.2 miles. I would say right, for the next 2 weeks, I run 1.2 miles, walk the rest. Then I would run 1.5 miles, walk the rest. Then maybe 2 miles if you can make that big a jump. And so on. If after I had cooled down with a bit of walking and i felt like running a bit more, I would, but that's a bonus.

Over time, you will find you can run the 5K. Take it slowly but surely.

At least this way, you're covering 5K, you're pushing yourself to run as much as you can and then the rest can be easy walking, and you will have the distance nailed in your head.

this is how I'm approaching a half marathon. DH and I currently walk 15kms. I *can* run that far, but it is very very tiring. It really is helping me to visualise 15km, to be familiar with it, rather than it being the occasional thing I manage to do. We are going to run/walk our first half together becuase for some reason, I've always been a bit afraid to just go for the half, the distance scares me and whilst I love running, running for 3 hours on my lonesome is not that much fun and it feels absolutely awful to boot (think utter utter crying exhaustion). I need to do it this way to get there. I'm not even thinking about bridging kilometres 15 to 21.1 until I have 15 well and truly mastered.

I hope it will work, I think it will. I remember my first 7.5k race and I thougth the end would never come, it was horrendous. Now 10K feels like nothing to me, nothing at all. Its easily visualised and anticipated.

I woudl suggest not worrying about your pace. You will see all shapes, sizes and abilities in any race and you wont be as slow as you think. As a beginning runnner, you will have HUGE gains in speed and fitness that I could only dream about now. You will get faster without having to do anything.

Does that make any sense?

Keep up the good work!

Edited January 15, 2009 by Jachut

littlefroggy · January 15, 2009

Thanks Jaqui,

That's all good advice. I think I want to get to a 15 minute mile, and then start increasing. At this point, I'm feeling like I'm doing a lot.

Fortunately, the running is not my only exercise. I'm also still swimming and going to the gym. I need to map out the distance for the 5 k and figure out a route that works for me. Once I do that, I'll add the rest of the distance.

The other thing I was thinking was that I could run for 15 minutes, turn around and go back... that way at least I'd be getting in a 1/2 hour. Then I could test the distance. I'm mostly interested in distance though... since I'm preparing for a 5k.