A bittersweet milestone....running question

It'll be either the time or the shorts that come down. How's that for motivation?


And lanes 4-5 don't add too much distance, but it can be good for motivation if you run a lot of your laps on the outer lanes and then like once a week or so stick to lane 1. It'll seem like you're flying.

But like others said, it's all about the time you put in excercising.

 

Farmer J...once a week forego the distance and go to the track and work on intervals... Start by dividing your mile time by 4 (assuming it's a 400 m track) so in your case 13/4 = 195 sec per lap 3 min 15 sec..... Shoot for 3:10 on the first/rest 2 min/3:10/ rest 2 etc..do four laps for your mile. You can do all tweak the intervals in a million ways depending on your fitness -down the road...BTW by Rest I mean a slow`walk..

 

Farmer J, according to The Runner's World Complete Book of Beginning Running, 95 percent of all Americans can't run a mile without stopping.
I'm not sure if I can or not. I probably could do a mile without stopping if I had to do it, though it would be very slow and I'd be in a lot of pain for several days. Even the most modest run-walk routines have led to the knee problems that I'm rehabbing now, but my longtime neglect of stretching probably had a lot to do with it too.
Most of my cardio is on eliptical and arc trainers now.
Keep up the good work Farmer. Just remember to stretch after you're done and don't increase distance or speed by more than 10 percent a week.

 

Hate to be blunt here, but this is simply bad advice. Some people are just not going to be able to run an 8-minute mile. That's 2 minutes a lap, and it takes some consistent rate of movement for four laps.

It's a hard truth, but it's there.

 

If you're going to commit to running, there's going to be the inevitable monotony. But I keep from getting burned out by alternating the style of my runs. I will do runs where I start out at a certain speed and generally speed up slightly with each quarter-mile or so, runs where I stay at the initial pace and go for distance, runs where I alternate the level of incline and workouts where I alternate between sprinting (if you can call it that) and walking. Basically, stick with it for a while (goals are important but don't put too mch pressure on meeting goals in a specific time frame, just meet 'em eventually) and figure out the best workouts that provide good cardiovascular exercise without overdoing it based on your situation. If you stick with it, you'll be amazed at what you can accomplish in the (no pun intended) long run.

 

Just keep going. You did great. I think the important thing is that you didn't stop. Keep at it, don't find excuses not to run. I started jogging a couple years ago and while my distance has increased, my times still stink. But it does feel good afterward.

Keep it up.

 

Hey, knock off the pollyana crap and tell us how you really feel.

 

First of all, congrats on getting out there and actually running. For the last few weeks I've been trying to get myself out there doing some sort of aerobic activity like running to help slim down. I'm not fat, I'm a little pudgy IMO but not fat by any means; IE, I think I'm fat, everyone thinks I'm small.
Anyway, I'm back to playing basketball every night for a good two hours at the park and I think it's helping. I do about 100 pushups every morning before my shower, cut the pop/soda out of the diet and I'm hoping that's enough. I don't want to get a gym membership because frankly, the local gym is a ripoff (too expensive, very small, hardly any equipment).

Again, congrats for having the motivation to get out there and run.

 

When I first lost weight (in 2004) I was one of these I-don't-run types. Not now. Running is a legit aerobic option for me.

I started with a 11:30 mile. I now can run miles consistently in the 8:30-9:00 range on the streets. On a treadmill, I have gone as low as 7:48. There are people here who warm up with a 7:48. It's all about what is fun for you.

Anyway, 21 speaks the truth. It's about keeping your heart rate elevated. I prefer the arc trainer because it keeps my heart rate up AND I enjoy it more. I run for a couple weeks at a time, then I go back to the arc trainer or eliptical for a month. Just keeping it fresh. Running tends to make my hips hurt. Still, I do it because I can. Never thought it would happen.

Heart-rate elevation + eating less food = weight loss. I proved this.

 

Just keep exercising and eating right.

In the meantime, I'll do you the favor of not showing up in Toronto.

 

I'll say this ... in the Navy a mile-and-a-half run has to be completed within (last time I checked) 14 1/2 minutes for a man under the age of 30, or 18 + minutes for a woman. Considering the distance you did, you're actually not that far off the pace. Keep it up and good job taking charge of your health like this.