Advice on running?

Any advice on getting started with running? I am not the best at cardio. I love weights, yoga, hiking, exercise classes, walking for miles, but running is a challenge.
As it should be, I know.
If I push, it often hurts my knees and back. And when I run, I run out of steam faster, and dont work out as long. Looking for legit advice, not judgement. :blush: I want to take my fitness to the next level. I am guilty of pushing too hard at first and hurtung myself. Then later I wont push as hard so as not,to hurt myself.

Couch to 5k programs are an awesome way to start!

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@DungeonMaster @Mephistopheles

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@TMAC @DungeonMaster and @SinceIAwoke are your go to endurance guys here. I can only advise you on cycling. Ive run a handful of times and Iā€™m awful at best.
Sorry didnā€™t mean to leave out @Mephistopheles

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I second the couch to 5k program. I used the app on my phone. It got me,very comfortably, from being unable to run a mile without having to walk to being to run 3+ miles. Itā€™s a really good way to build up your endurance and speed without pushing so hard that you become injured.

Be sure youā€™re wearing the right shoes. Do you know if youā€™re a pronator? (Your ankles roll inward). If so, a shoe that corrects for that will help your knees and back to feel better and avoid some potential injuries. Some people do better in a neutral shoe that has little-to-no correction. If you have a running shoe store in your area, they can probably help you figure out what kind of shoe you need even if you do t end up buying a pair.

Iā€™m prone to injuries so I canā€™t run two days in a row without risking injury, so I do other workouts instead. Iā€™m not running right now, but when I do I aim for 3-4 days a week at most to stay injury free. I almost always get injured when Iā€™m too ā€œenthusiasticā€ and do too much, too quickly.

Try the app, it really works and keeps the reins on a bit in the early days, helping to avoid injuries. Good luck!

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Iā€™m seconding just about all of the above. I started slowly, with a trainer, and set a goal of a particular 5k. Good shoes are a must, go get fitted donā€™t buy the cool looking cheap ones. I canā€™t care about color or style, I go for fit and function.

Run a little, walk a little, but go the whole distance. Use knee wraps for support.

And do what I donā€™t do - stretch before and after, like 5 minutes. Yoga is great too.

Good luck!

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One of the universal truths about running is the only way to get good at it, is to run.

Lots of lit and information out there for beginners.

Good shoes are a must. Shoes that fit your gait and stride. Heal, toe, or flat-striker, pronation, these all matter. Look at your every day shoes to see where they wear.

Focus on time, not distance at first. Start walking. Brisk walk to get your heartrate up, and warm up the muscles. Then do an easy jog. If you get tired, go back to the brisk walk. Keep doing this and you will soon be able to jog for longer periods.

About week 3 is when you are in danger of shin splints. Walk for week 3. Then, week four, only run. First a mile. Keep working until you can run a mile. 3-4 days a week. Add a quarter mile to your distance each week there after, until you get to 3-5 miles each run.

Hey @Daphne, I recently started running, back in October. I had same issue. My knees and back hurt after 1 to 2 minutes, couldnā€™t go faster than 5mph and could barely make it half a mile before collapsing. But I kept doing it every day. I would push my self just 10 more steps than the previous day, then 10 more the next day and so on. Eventually I made it to a mile, then weeks later 2 miles and eventually I did 4 miles. Now I am running faster and further every time.

So, for the pain, listen to your body. When it becomes pretty to very uncomfortable, stop. Sometimes, the first mile really hurts, then after when Iā€™m warmed up the pain subsides (especially back pain). But push a little harder each day.

Be patient with yourself. It will take a lot of practice!

And most important, invest in a good pair of shoes!

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Thanks everyone! I tried the couch to 5k app today. Thanks for the suggestion. @Dejavu I like what you said about ten steps more at a time. That I can do! There have been a lot of suggestions about shoes. I always just wear sketchers because they are comfy and inexspebsive.
Are the 100 shoes really worth it? Iā€™m game to treat myself, but only for a good reason. :blush:

ā€¦Donā€™tā€¦:grin:

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Voi miesā€¦ oli joogaa tai ei, niin venyttely!

Ill fitting or inappropriate shoes will hurt you or cause you injury. This will lead to disillusion and quitting. Get the good shoes, avoid hurt feet and shin splints (though these will happen, they will go away, as @Yoda-Stevie suggests) that wonā€™t resolve.

Stay away from the minimalist shoes. Those are for working out or walking. More important than what you spend is getting fitted by someone who knows their stuff. I go to a ski/bike/running gear store.

And one more thing, run outdoors as much as possible. Indoor tracks are OK, especially for fartlek. Google that, itā€™s a real thing. Treadmills are good for burning calories only. Easy on the knees, but they also train your body in two bad ways, to run at a constant speed (this didnā€™t happen in real life, thereā€™s always variation), and they train you into bad habits like stride problems by high repetitions.

It might be raining or snowing or 100Ā° on race day so train in all conditions. And hydrate! OKbye.

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What Dan @SinceIAwoke said! I can tell you I started with cheap Target shoes that were loose fitting and flimsy, then bought some Nike running shoes, made a HUGE difference and they were only $60.

@Jante76 I have a stationary bike. Do you have any tips on that for weight loss? I gave my treadmill away and so now I have this but never really had one before so. I guess what I am asking is, is there a specific program I can follow for weight loss. Or just get on and pedal my butt off, lol?

Well, there is the misconception that slow and steady is the optional fat burning zone. I guess it would be a zone 2 for your heart rate. Where you do burn fat at zone youā€™ll also burn it at a higher intensity. Your body just uses different stores of fat for that given effort.
If I was you I would just vary it. Depending on how many days you intend to ride. Do one day in zone 2 then the next day do some intervals. 1 min steady but a very hard effort, then recover for 2 min. Do 5 of those, then take 5 min super easy and do 5 more efforts. Or just do 5 and have a nice long easy spin after for 10 min.
If you have any weights to use do some exercises at home with yoga and you should be golden.
A generic heart rate max is 220 minus your age. That is you max. Some people are higher some are lower.


These are my hr zones. So you can use it as a guide when you have your max figured out. Iā€™m 43 and have been tested a bunch of times for my actual max hr so my max doesnā€™t follow that formula I posted regarding 220- age. But itā€™s a good starting point for you.

No oo sitte uuno :laughing:

Most of what I would say, has been said!

Good shoes are a priority.

I stretch for a minimum of 30 mins before I head out. Nothing worse than feeling tight on a run.

To get your cardio up at the start, you could try light intervalsā€¦1 min run, 1 min walk. 2-min cycles. Then start making the run part longer, and the walk part shorter. Eventually eliminate the walking part.

The key is too not go too hard too early. Ease yourself in, train yourself up, listen to your body.

If you have any specific questions, Iā€™d be happy to try and help :blush:

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i sponsor a guy who runs for Maggies its a cancer charity he 7 years sober now and he does several marathons a year and hes got his coaching cert ,he also fell runs in the hills cycles and swims 2miles a day . it was a path he took to help him get sober hes 49 now and still going strong .my running days are over i used to jump the fence now i use the gate lol , but exercise in any form is good for your body and mind wish you well

Good shoes are worth it. Go somewhere that they had a treadmill and watch you run and can recommend appropriate shoes to your gait and you can try them.

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