Ok, I'm a 44 year old woman who is active. I go to the gym & work on the Treadmill, do some hiking etc. I have mild Asthma and about 20 pounds overweight but I really want to run. I actually have dreams about running & at least in my dreams it feels great! :)

So, I started a few weeks ago. I went out and tried running down the street basically and found my Shins were absolutely killing me. I was stretching but I wasn't warming up first. Now I warm up by walking at least 1/2 a mile first then I try to run. Don't laugh but I've worked up to 1/4 mile run and then I do intervals of walking & running. I feel like I pretty much suck so far. I have been sick recently & that dragged me down-yesterday I went out and could not run at all. My legs & feet were stiff & sore, from nothing...maybe its the medication Im on.

Bottom line, once i feel 100% better, how should I train? How much should I push myself to add running mileage?  Could my diet be holding me back? I eat relatively healthy but wonder if I should take it up a notch. My boyfriend is an Ironman Triathlete. He can eat anything & do anything so he doesnt really understand what could be holding me back. he is very supportive however.

Apolgize for all the questions. I'm still learning.

 Karen

 o

 I have re-started my training after a less that stellar performance in the 2008 Melbourne Marathon. I am about 6 weeks back in to easing my way into the joys of running - we all know what the first dozen or so returning runs are like.

 Here's my problem.

I've moved from Melbourne - a town condusive to running due to the temperature etc. to the middle east (Abu Dhabi UAE). We are still technically in spring and it's already 40+ (104F)during the day. Which means that I'm running in the evenings at around 36deg celsius (96F).

THe humidity is also high...

Has anyone experienced these sort of training temperatures over a longish period? It's going to get hotter, and this will go through to October.

I want to do the Dubai Marathon in January (cool temperatures by comparison).

 But because of the heat I am curently struggling to get over the 12 km mark for the longer runs - I have a hydration pack that holds 1500ml, this usually runs out at the 9km stage. The traffic here is dangerous and thick (combined with high humidity, can be VERY unpleasant) So I try to run in out of the way places - which means little access to extra water.

When it's humid I just don't feel like I am getting any air in my lungs. I am looking at the positive that I am probably making them work harder as a esult... so that can't be bad.

Can probably do shorter runs on a treadmill - but find that tready's flare up pirifomis/sciatic/knee (gait is poor due to previous injury) issues so prefer to be outside.

 I'm not looking for excuses NOT to run.. I am just hoping that all of this is normal, and ideally beneficial in the long term, and that I am not just wasting my time.

I don't run in the middle of the day obviously - evening is hot, but without the radiant aspect from the sun, early mornings are not that much ooler and heat up quickly anyway when the sun rises...

Does anyone have tips/experience?

My Schedule at the moment (for acclimatisation purposes) is

3k brisk morning walk Sunday to Thursday - 3k/30 mins - really warm.

Running One day on One off - 12km slow. 8.5km Medium. 5kms fast.

And will probably have to stay that way through to the last 3rd of summer,I've not been so exhausted in my life.. the heat just ips it out of you.

For the record - I am not now, nor have I ever been a fast runner, (fastest 10km is 49.40) but I love it... just want to know that I'm not being pushed too far back for January...

 Thanks!

 I have a half-marathon coming up in slightly less than three weeks. My training program suggests that I start tapering after my 11 mile run this past weekend. This weekend's long run is supposed to be around 8 miles.

My question is :

If I keep my total mileage for the week down, would it be harmful to do a 10+ mile trail run for training this week?  I don't particularly have a time goal for the half, because it is my first one and I mostly am aiming to finish. I do regularly run on trails and often do 8-10 miles on the trail for my long runs.

thanks!

spengie

 So I was wondering if anyone could offer some advice as to whether I can ammend my training or whether I should choose a half-marathon when I know I can stick to all the training?

Thanks for your help in advance - I'm sure there's an easy answer but I'm relatively new to running so please forgive my ignorance :-)

How often should I run when I come back to let them strengthen slowly? and what should my effort be each run?

PB 5K: 19:49. 10K:46:00.

I was thinking that when I start up again I'll run 5km every other day for the first week at 25min per run then keep running every other day and every week up the km by 1 per run. So week two i will run 6km every other day, week 3 7km every other day, week 4 8km every other day, week 5 8 km every other day... ect. Would this work or do you see a failed attempt?

 Any suggestions for strength programs that will compliment my running?

Sunday-off

Monday- 5-6km run

Tuesday- 9-10km run

Wednesday-off

Thursday- 3k speed test, so like as fast as I can do it.

Friday- 5-6km run

Saturday- off

Last september for cross country i ran a 31 min 7k. I need that time to go down to 29 minutes, I have 5 months. Any advice? Is it possible to do that? If so I would really like to aim for 28:30, good time to ensure I advance past zone qualifications.

EcoGirl

A friend recommended this site and it's great to read all the comments. I have just started into running and am taking it easy with starting 30sec walking, 30 sec jogging. I am a pretty big guy topping out at 270 lbs so it's taking me a while to get longer runs in between rests. I have signed up for a 5k run 8 weeks from now on June 20th and would like to do more runs after that but though thtat would be a good goal.

I just got fitted for new running shoes which are nice and help but I also have  bad shin splints and the front of my ankle sometimes hurts . I stretch before I jog and am just pushing through them for now and I think they're getting a bit better but it certainly slows me down.

Are there any specific techniques for improving running with shin splints? I know I can take anti-inflammatories and wrap my leg, ice it and all that but I don't want to do all that unless I have to.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

WildernessBoy

fyi last year i did a 10k in 38:40 and a half in just under 1:30.  Am i shooting for the right time?

 Any suggestions, or is breathing as you can the way to go?

 For the past 8 weeks or so I've been running 3 times a week most weeks (usually Tues/Thurs around 8km and Sat/Sun a longer run up to 15km so far). This week, because of work I've actually run three days in a row but shorter distances (roughly 5km each day totalling 15km across the 3 days) and I'm really sore from it! These runs have also tended to turn into interval sessions because I've had the dogs with me. So although the frequency has increased the distance has essentially stayed the same for my midweek runs but I physically feel like I've done a lot more!

Is this normal or has anyone else experienced this? Also what are peoples thoughts on what is the best training method or should I break it up depending on schedules etc? I'm going to have a rest day tomorrow and see how my legs feel on Sunday but that may have to be a 10km run instead of 15km.

Thanks

I am new to running and only started 2 weeks ago. I am training for a 5k Race For Life in June and have a training plan which I am following. It involves interval running and increases by minutes each week. Today I ran 3min followed by walking 3min and I did that four times.

However, after the third running interval I felt a bit 'woozy'. By woozy I mean that my head felt a bit spacey, but not dizzy or faint. If I looked at a building or a tree it seemed to move slightly....It settled down as I walked and then when I began my last 3min running interval it was gone. But when I finished my run and had a 5min walk back to my house I had the same feeling again. When I got in I had to lie down for 15min with my eyes shut and taking deep breaths before it went. Its now half an hour since I got back and I feel ok- a bit chilly but I've read that is normal. I also had this feeling the other day after I did this same running plan i.e run 3min walk 3min.

Has anybody experienced this/know what is causing it?

I'll add that I have never done excercise really, before the past 2 weeks. I weigh about 116lbs at 5ft 1 so am not overweight nor underweight. Is it becasue maybe I am just unfit and as I run more I wont feel like this?

Any comments would be much appreciated, Thanks :)

p.s. I ate a bowl of cereal mid morning for beakfast and had a large glass of water (maybe 450ml) 45min before my run

I've been training for my first half marathon (the More in NYC) for the last 12 weeks. I ran my practice 13 last week (actually it was 13.36) and tomorrow I have a nice "short" 8 miler. Then I've been instructed to taper. I know vaguely what this means, but I'm not sure. Should I run with the same frequency (3 times) but lower mileage or reduce my frequency AND mileage? Under normal circumstances I'd do a long run on Sunday, run 3-6 (distance dictated by recovery from long run) on Tuesday, run 3.75 on Thursday and then 4-5 on Friday. I never run the day before a long run (I did once and it was an obvious mistake). My long run is on Saturday this week, so I've got a full seven days to taper.

Any input/advice/thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks, Rachel

 I've heard in many places that you should not increase your weekly distance by more then 10%. However I've never heard of a calculation for decreasing time.

Is there such a thing?

For example, I can run 8 minute miles for 2 miles (never said I was a speed demon), but I can't do it for 3 miles, I drop to about 8.5 minute miles. My end goal is to run 8 minute miles for 10 miles by Oct.

I know if you try to increase your mileage to quickly you can overtrain and injure yourself. Can the same happen by trying to decrease your time too quickly?

 Thanks.

Adrian

i have several questions:  what is causing this, for one thing?  i first thought it was shin splints, but it seems that shin splints are usually lower on the shin and tend to feel better during the workout and worse after cooling down?  i have high arches, if that information is helpful.  also, when is too soon to start running on it again, or should i have just run through it?  most importantly, how much have i screwed up my training?  i've thought about going to the doctor, but i have crappy insurance and can't really afford the extra bills right now.  i guess what i'm really looking for is some other experiences to which to compare my current situation.

thanks in advance for your help.

 I am training for my first half-marathon which is next Saturday (4/18). Today after my 12-mile run, I noticed a blister filled with blood on the inside top of my 4th toe. I knew my sock was kinda bunched up but had no idea it was rubbing a blister.

 Should I pop it? My husband says yes, internet searches say no. 

 I don't want this blister to be an issue when I run on Saturday. I've worked too hard to let a little blister stop me!!  Husband says if I pop it today or tomorrow it should be healed by Saturday.

 Thanks in advance for any advice (pertaining to the blister or running my 1st half-marathon).

Thanks

Anyway, my fastest 5k has always been 22:46 and I'm looking to run it faster this year. There are two 5ks I do. One on July 4th and another that's usually either 1 day after, 1 day before, or a week before July 4th, which is a HARD route seemingly designed by a sadist. This route has 3-4 pretty tough hills and the toughest hill comes at the first .25 mile and it goes up for about .50 mile like a pencil. I ran this hard route last year in 24:12 and now I'm running it at 22:49 right now.

My question is what does it take to run a 5k in 18-19 minutes? What type of interval, tempo runs, long runs, and other runs do I need to do? I ran 8.6 mph 800 meter repeats for my half marathon for about 5-7 miles and did 8.4 mph straight or so for about 5-6 miles for my half-marathon. I was also doing 15.25 mile long runs for my half-marathon.

If I can run that tough route in 22:49 I can definitely run the easier, totally flat route on July 4th in probably around 20-21 minutes something.

Thanks in advance.

I have tried lacing my shoes various ways, lacing my shoes looser and tighter, removing the molded insole and using the insole that came with the shoe, completely removing the insole etc. Is there anything else that I can try or does anyone have similar problems.

I usually find that the numbness starts around the ball of my foot sometimes the left foot, sometimes the right, sometimes both, and then spreads gradually to my toes. Usually when I take my shoes off after jogging the bottom of my foot is completely numb.

Anyone got any ideas?

I am running (well, if you could call it that, more like a really fast walk or very slow jog), the Pasadena Marathon 3/22. I'm curious, I have not trained as well as I should have, before I started to actually get mileage in, I averaged 12- 15 miles a week in brisk walks. I am not running for time, I am merely running to prove to myself that I can. One of the reasons I got involved at all was due to the persistent coaxing of my co-worker... a 5 time marathon runner, in excellent shape to boot! I just want to know, will i live to regret this? Not so much because of the run itself, but am I putting myself in some sort of physical danger? (I know, so dramatic)

I have to say though, it's such a nice feeling to go on a run and see the expanse of distance in front of you and you're just there, alone with your thoughts. I envy all of you truly dedicated runners and hope to count myself amongst you all in the near future. Any words of wisdom would be appreciated.

-d

I've just started running again, loaded a few maps, and looking for some advice on training.

I used to run a fair bit, I won't say 'a lot', but it was enough for me to run a 38min 10k and a 90min 1/2 marathon. But both these times were about 3 years ago (32yo now) and whilst I've kept a reasonable level of fitness, I'm a long way from being able to repeat either of these efforts.

Anyway, I'm aiming for a 3:30 marathon in 6 months or so, then hoping to bring that down to sub 3hr somewhere in the future and looking for some words of advice on a training program. I've seen a lot of programs that are advising walk/run ratios etc, but I just can't bring myself to walk... I know, stubborn.

Maybe I'm kidding myself, but here's how I justify it (to me anyway)

1. I've taken months between runs before and gone for a 6-7km run straight up, at or below 4/km pace and never had a problem

2. I've been for 3 runs in the last 4 days (4.2km, 6.3km, rest day, 9.5km), all intentionally very slow at about 6min/km, and had no aches or pains. In each case I haven't been puffed at all, get home and feel like I could do the whole thing again (although I resist)

3. I used to row (crew) at an elite level, so I know my body pretty well and can tell that my HR is higher that it should be for my speed (no surprise there) and level of exhaustion (80% of max for 30min and easily holding a conversation). This all makes me think that walking 2min for every 5min running is going to do little or nothing for me (why walk when I can run slow?)

I've never had an over-use injury, but my only worry is that I'm going to get 3 weeks or 4 weeks into a program and my knees/ankles/shins will self destruct because I started too fast. Current plan is to intentionally keep the pace down and try to build the distance first.

I've seen schedules for complete beginners to finish or 'survive' their first marathon, and I've seen schedules for people to perform in a marathon. I want to do more than just 'survive' my first 42km race and I'm yet to see a program for an intermediate runner who's out of shape to get in shape and perform in their first marathon.

Many programs only list distances, which I find infuriating as it leaves me to guess about intensity.

Any advice would be much appreciated, criticism welcomed and abuse tolerated.

Thanks for your help.

I need some advice, urgently!!

I went running yesterday and did about 8 miles, which is longish though not unusual for me, but it was on hilly terrain and with a much faster partner whom I was trying to impress so may have pushed myself harder than usual.  Anyway I felt all right at the time, though a bit cold afterwards which usually only happens when I'm really tired.  Was even okay for the next few hours but then began to feel really tired like I needed a nap, which I know is the case for many people after running but has never happened to me before.  Anyway I made it through the rest of the day but that night I just could not get to sleep, I was feeling really breathless and had a really tight, heavy feeling in my chest like there was something on top of me, crushing me.  Now the really crazy thing is that I'm still feeling like that this morning, the feeling has not subsided at all, I feel like my chest is in a vice.

Oh my God, what's happening to me - am I having a heart attack?? 

Or just going crazy?!

Please help!!

I'm just about to launch into half marathon training and I have a dilemma, I was hoping you could help me.

I started running January 2008, I trained for several races over the spring and summer (5k, 10k, 24 hour relay) in October I did my first half marathon coming in at 1hr48. I didn't really stick to a schedule, I was in a running clinic  so stuck to a long slow run - hills - tempo/speed plan more or less although I didn't track distance and speed.

After the half I tried to maintain my long slow run distance (about 10 miles or more). I sort of slacked off over christmas and the new year and have been picking up over the past month or so, I'm back at 11 miles or so now, at about 10'00" pace.

In 15 weeks there is a half marathon I want to do, I have downloaded training plans from Runnersworld.com and looked at the schedules used by the Running Room. I would like to train for a 1hr40 half marathon (I then want to train for another 1/2 in October at 1hr30 ).

All the plans I have found start at shorter distances than I am running now. However I have not been running at the pace or doing hill training / tempo runs. Should I decrease my distance and work on pace? Would that not be a step back. Should I add in the tempo runs/ hill work, etc and keep my long runs at the distance they are now?

I don't want to take a step back in my training so any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 Anyways, I've cut my mileage down to less than half, with 2 complete days of rest (i.e., no exercise) a week, and another 1-2 of biking or walking. Walking does not irritate these shin splints. After my runs I make sure to ice and stretch well. I've had anterior shin splints before, but never posterior, and I'm not sure if there's anything else I can do. Any suggestions?