Tips for someone trying to get into long distance running...

[PennyandtheJets]

Yes...I am back for more tips. Except this time, it is for something a bit more positive.

I am trying to become a more frequent runner so that I can lose some weight. I am not overweight really, but I would like to lose somewhere around 10-15 pounds. I am 5 feet 8 inches tall and I weigh about 180 lbs. Not bad really.

The ideal weight for me would probably be in the 165 range...Maybe a little heavier becuase I lift a little too.

So what should I do? How often should I run? What are a few foods I should stop eating? Any tips that worked for you? Thanks guys.

PATJ

[Firemangini Ed]

My advice is don't stretch before you run. If you doubt that try it for 2 weeks and see what happens. Stretching is overrated.

[typeOnegative13NY]

I started at a high school track. I would run a lap,then walk a lap until eventually i was running 12-15 laps at a time. Also,keep up the lifting. Weight training burns more than cardio. I alternate lifting a day and running a day 6 days a week.
As far as food,i think everyone is different. I don't believe that cutting carbs or fat all together is healthy. If you do an atkins type diet,one day you're gonna eat the carbs again and gain twice as fast. I just stick to a good balance,staying away from over doing the obvious... fried foods, cake,chips,soda etc(except sundays,i raid the pancake house on sundays)

[Mr Electric]

We have similar height and weight. I was bouncing back and forth from 175 to 180 for a while, especially after I tore up my knee.

Intervals are great. Sprint, walk, sprint, jog, sprint, walk, jog, sprint -- mix it up. Your heart rate will go nuts.

The more you run, the better you'll will get. My stamina absolutely sucked when I first started. I run in the morning and at night almost every day if I can.

Keep hitting the gym - I stopped lifting weights after high school football and now I'm addicted to it again. It's really helped me get over the top. I work out 5 days a week.

I'm down to 171 - I eat a lot of tuna, chicken, veggies, and fruit. I drink tons of water, occasionally some milf/milk* after working out - no soda or beer...for a while at least. I completely changed my lifestyle. I give myself one cheat meal per week - usually a couple slices of pizza or a philly cheese steak.

[PennyandtheJets]

My advice is don't stretch before you run. If you doubt that try it for 2 weeks and see what happens. Stretching is overrated.

I had a friend tell me that just a couple of days ago...I thought he was full of it, but I guess not lol.

[RevisOfNazareth]

Start your day with a healthy mixture of gunpowder and cocaine. That'll get you running.

[Firemangini Ed]

I had a friend tell me that just a couple of days ago...I thought he was full of it, but I guess not lol.

The Army did a study, fewer injuries in basic training when they didn't stretch. I'm telling you, stretching is bad for you.

[devilonthetownhallroof]

I drink tons of water, occasionally some milf after working out

That sounds like one hell of a diet plan...

[Mr Electric]

That sounds like one hell of a diet plan...

Hahahaha...wow, it's so fucking late.

[Barry the Baptist]

We are also about the same height but I weigh a little more than you, 2 summers ago I started running on a treadmill and dropped down into the high 170's. I was nearly 200 when I started. The key is I never put too much on my plate. I started by seeing if I could run a mile in 12 minutes, then in 10 , then in 8 by the time I was at my peak I was down to running 6 minute miles again.

As far as the foods... I cut out all fast food although I cheated a few days and I cut out all sodas. I still had ice cream nearly every night and would snack on popcorn. I still drank beers but instead of the heavy shit I was drinking I switched to Coors light. (my buddy always had it in his fridge). When I am working out I could eat a whole fucking pizza and not gain a pound but when I'm not if I eat a french fry I gain weight.

[Scikotic]

I'm down to 171 - I eat a lot of tuna, chicken, veggies, and fruit. I drink tons of water, occasionally some milf after working out - no soda or beer...for a while at least. I completely changed my lifestyle. I give myself one cheat meal per week - usually a couple slices of pizza or a philly cheese steak.

Thats....fucking....awesome!!!

To be honest, if you wallet isnt empty, treat yourself to a some fish. I prefer Salmon, and I buy it in bulk. Take a nice piece of it, season it up, and then either broil it or grill it. Its a great part of a healthy diet. Chicken works well. Veggies and fruit, as much as it pains me to say, are probably the best snack you can have. Stay away from the chips and cookies. You will be on your way to a healthy and happy weight.

Fuck, I wish I took my own advice.

[BlairThomas#1]

I went from being overweight (185, high % body fat) and not being a runner (distance or other) in 2002 to running a 3:48 NYC marathon in 2006.

- Start slow. My first run, I wanted to run three miles. I got to 1.5 miles, thought I was going to die and walked to my buddy's house and had him drive me home. (no joke) I'd suggest a few short distances runs during the week and then a slightly longer run on the weekends as you build up your endurance. Importantly...

- To prevent injury, the accepted rule is to not increase weekly mileage by more than 10% per week. When I started, I didn't know this, so I just ran a lot and developed tendinitis in my knee.

- Stretch after you run. In the beginning you'll be recruiting muscles in ways you don't normally use them. Do some longer-hold (20 - 30 seconds) stretching after you run. (As others have said, don't stretch before.)

- Get a decent pair of shoes that fits your running style / bio-mechanics (i.e. over-pronate / under-pronate). Go to a good running shop (not Modell's) and work with someone who knows what they are talking about.

- Set a goal. If you don't run much right now, find a 10K that is 4 - 6 months out and sign-up.

- Find interesting routes or run with some friends. To sustain running for a long period of time, I believe you have to grow to at least like it as a hobby, not just see it as a necessary chore; though some days it will be a chore, especially in the beginning. (I was fortunate to live in Manhattan Beach, CA when I started running and the strand by the beach provided a lot of motivation in the form of attractive young women. That got me out the door a few times when I didn't feel like running.)

- Try trailrunning if you have access to trails. I swear by it and have a really hard time running streets, tracks or indoors now. Beside the natural beauty, you'll feel like a stud when you are running up hills hikers are struggling to walk up. And, now, trailrunning is my "happy place" and a zen-like activity for me.

- Time is not important. Every now and then you may want to run a particular route for time to see how you are progressing, but to build basic fitness get rid of the watch. Don't worry about stopping at lights if you are running on the street or even stopping to talk with someone. You goal is to burn calories and keep your heart rate up. Anything over 15 minutes is helping your fitness level and you'll be burning calories from the start.

- Don't eat too much before you run. You do need some simple sugars to sustain pace on longer runs (gatorade, bar), but you should try not to have your body digesting too much food while you run, especially fruits. When you run, your blood is diverted away from your intestines / stomach towards your muscles that are doing the work. So, it is easy to have stomach issues if you have a lot of food in your system when you head out for a run.

- Follow healthy eating basics. Whole grains, green leafy vegetables (and others), fruits, protein, etc. I have a simple rule that 95% of the foods I bring into my house are healthy because I know that if there is crap in my house I am going to eat regardless of how much I know it is not good for me. Then, when I go out to eat (10x times a month or so), I don't eat ridiculously
bad, but have some flexibility.

- Get fit, not thin. Focus on getting fit, not just losing weight. Muscle weighs more than fat, so if you are working out and running, you should increase lean muscle mass while decreasing fat and may never get down to 165, but you'll feel and look great. In the last 6 months I've working a more intensely and I have put on 4 pounds, but I am much more fit. If you do want to focus on shedding pounds at the start, you need to run a calorie deficit. So, even if you are "eating healthy" you may not lose weight because you are just eating too many calories.

Hope these are helpful. Let me know if you have any specific questions. I loathed running for the first 24 years of my life but have grown to enjoy it of the last 7, so it is possible.

As my trainer says: Show up, work hard, see results.

[phubbadaman]

John, I have never gotten into it, but I had read some plan in a magazine that Chrissy had. Basically, since you don't run, you have to start from scratch.

On monday, go out for a 35 minute run. Since you have no stamina, run for 5, walk for 5, run for 5 walk for 5. Don't worry about distance, you are trying to build up stamina.

Take a day off ( lift or do whatever you want).

Wednesday, do the exact same thing.

Lift or take off Thursday/Friday and then run again on Saturday.

The next week, start to increase your intervals. Try to run for 10, walk for 5. If you can go further go for it, just remember that you have to get home, so don't push too hard.

I did that for about 2 weeks, and I got to the point where I could run the whole 35 minutes. Once you get that, start to slowly increase your run. Go 40 minutes, if you handle that, go 45.

My advice, would be, don't try to do more than you can, because you can't do it. Build it up.

I never stretched, maybe a little at the end of the run, but that is mostly because my back is awful and I would love to be able to actually touch my toes.

[bigalxc]

Private message me I used to be a fantastic long distancerunner before i got hurt. So i could give you lots of useful advice

[Jtuds]

My advice is don't stretch before you run. If you doubt that try it for 2 weeks and see what happens. Stretching is overrated.

What will happen? And if I only run every once in a while, should I stretch?

[bigalxc]

What will happen? And if I only run every once in a while, should I stretch?

yes because if you don't strech there is a greater chance of injury in a pulled muscle

[Miamipuck]

Jesus I only run when chased.

[Firemangini Ed]

What will happen? And if I only run every once in a while, should I stretch?

The best thing for preventing injury is warming up slowly. When you are warmed up you are less likely to be injured by activity, but you can only get warmed up by being active. Sort of a catch-22. So you need to warm up slowly doing something safe like riding an exercise bicycle. For weightlifting I recommend riding a bike until you break a sweat at least. For jogging I go slow once around the block, walk for a hundred yards and then go into the real running.

[Hobbes3259]

Run. alot.

Don't stretch ever. And if you feel the need do it before working out.

[TheBlairThomasFumble]

Find a hilly neighborhood or area near your house and run it. This will get you in great shape and once you can ascend those hills without too much difficulty, you'll find that runs on flat terrain are much easier.

Push yourself to go farther or run for longer periods of time. If you are running for 30 min at a time, eventually you will go on a run when you know and feel you can go farther - a lot farther. Seize that opportunity to get over that psychological threshold, say by running for another 10-15 minutes or another couple of miles.

Find motivation to run beyond the run itself. As someone mentioned above, if there is a route near your house that takes you through a college campus where there are lots of hotties, run there. It will make the run much less painful as you'll barely notice your own fatigue. Alternately run in new areas to keep yourself from getting bored. I sometimes run in strip malls so I can look at the crap in the windows to keep from getting bored. In my experience, when you get bored, that is when you begin to think about stopping.

Run parking garages. I like to run the steps of them and then run the ramps down, and then run up that vertical slope all the way to the top. Obviously this works best on weekends when there are few cars. This is also great on rainy days.

If you are winded or your legs are burning, drop and do a set of pushups before resuming.

Get a running partner.

If you see a set of stairs on the outside of a building, run up and down it. I am a big believer in stairs. Fatigue in my legs is rarely the reason that I stop running.

[GreenHornet]

Always imagine you are chasing and trying to catch Vitoria Principle (in her prime). This worked for me in my 20's. I used to be able to run back to back 5 minute miles. I also was into extreme distance. I would go out for a run and have no route scheduled. One time I ran over a moutnain; the distance was 14 miles. I also was into extreme running. This is where you avoid roads at all costs. I once ran the Muskenectcong river from Bloomsbury to its confluence with the Delaware and back; yes, in the river. I was a maniac.

[The Green Dude]

I never understood the whole running for fun thing