Running Tips?

[Risen]

I was just listening to a Jillian michaels show talking about this subject. She suggested you make sure to get the proper shoes that fit your foot shape and stride to make your running and joint utilization WAY more efficient (I would agree from experience). Practice running in proper form, which she said includes not letting your feet strike too far ahead or behind you. Your tailbone should be vertical/tucked in with your back and torso straight, not leaning, with your head up and looking straight ahead of you. Your feet should strike the ground directly below your hip. Focus on proper breathing technique (breathing technique makes a huge difference for every physical activity). Keep your hands/arms below your heart and close to your body so it doesn't have to work so hard, and keep your lower arms/elbow open at a wider angle so that your biceps don't get tired. Also consult an actual trainer.

 

[kyuuei]

Running and "it's a blast" should never, ever be in a single sentence. EVER.

I entirely concur, Beatster.

I was just listening to a Jillian michaels show talking about this subject. She suggested you make sure to get the proper shoes that fit your foot shape and stride to make your running and joint utilization WAY more efficient (I would agree from experience). Practice running in proper form, which she said includes not letting your feet strike too far ahead or behind you. Your tailbone should be vertical/tucked in with your back and torso straight, not leaning, with your head up and looking straight ahead of you. Your feet should strike the ground directly below your hip. Focus on proper breathing technique (breathing technique makes a huge difference for every physical activity). Keep your hands/arms below your heart and close to your body so it doesn't have to work so hard, and keep your lower arms/elbow open at a wider angle so that your biceps don't get tired. Also consult an actual trainer.

Hey thats the name of the girl on my workout dvd!

I agree on the shoes, and on the posture riiight up until the head straight forward part. If my head is straight forward, I focus on whatever is infront of me instead of thinking about my breathing, my posture, and the run itself. I have to make the ground my focus or I'll never make it. I'd rather surprise myself by which mile marker I'm on than be counting every single one the entire time. It makes the run so much slower for me.

I'm NOT a fantastic runner myself, by any means, I've been working on it all month trying to improve myself. I started out just walking the distances I wanted to run, then power walking it. I started to run the first part of it, then enjoy the walk the rest of the way, and I've been ever-so-gently increasing it as I go.

Though I never timed myself exactly, I go by songs rather, I ran 2.25 miles yesterday in like 5 or 6 songs. It's not a fast pace, but I've never been a fast runner. My goal is to continue this trend until I can slowly run 4 miles. When I can do that much, I will slow run 4 miles, and speed up on 2 mile runs and power walk 3 miles and just alternate the three days. I don't need to be fast, and I don't have any desire to be fast. I just want to be healthy enough to do it period.

Though.. I was always taught if you want to run two miles very well, just be able to run 3-4 miles decently. I think this is a good form of logic

 

[CzeCze]

For any women, I would recommend *not* running if you can avoid it (Kyueii, I'm guessing that's hard to avoid in basic training and in the military in general? LOL) Running is one of the hardest sports on a women's body in terms of frequency of injury, partly because so much technique and technology for SHOES is made for a man's body.

Women's running shoes are usually just men's shoes scaled down for a women's foot, when really for a women's body make-up and frame you need a different kind of shoe to properly distribute and take the impact.

Did someone else already mention this? But yeah, esp. because a women's hips are a larger ratio to her waist and body than a man's, the impact on the knees and joints can be brutal. Plus, not be all vain and stuff but the outdoor elements can kill your skin and after a while all the pounding/up down you do on your body in distance running means the extra effects of gravity add up. My friend is a marathon runner and she got so much sun damage she had an acid peel done to remove the freckles.

If you do run as a woman, I'd research and get the best shoes you can, run on softer surfaces (not a treadmill), and use proper form.

If you want to go *faster* as the OP asked or get less fatigued, you can try "wogging" or walking/jogging. You engage your core muscles more, particularly the core muscles linked to your legs. So you use your abdomen/core more to run than just your calves or thighs. You use less energy and can run longer and faster.

You can also try "chi running" which I don't know the specifics on but supposedly helps a lot with those issues of injury, fatigue, and time.

If you want to burn more calories while running engage your thighs/upper legs and pump your arms more.

As for training programs and groups, there are always free run groups in larger cities, specific and general. I know there are well organized GLBT running groups in NYC and DC and also women's fitness and general running enthusiast groups. You can also sign up to train for a marathon and many will set you up with a program or help you meet others to train together.

I refuse to run myself because of the research I've done (plus I ran regularly as a t/w/een and had knee issues because of it) but I have friends who do triathalons/marathons and run regularly.

 

[EcK]

If somebody's training for a marathon, running less than 45 mins is just kind of lame.

Also, you have to know about the 'wall' people get into once their liver's glycogen reserves run out, that can leave you pretty phased out.

I'd kind of recommend trying elliptical bikes to begin with. I have one at home btw, I love to use it while watching movies. it's a good place to start getting your body and mind used to long cardio sessions, and it's much easier on the joints/feet.

 

[WickedQueen]

Good musics will help you to be more focus on running.


.

 

[Risen]

If somebody's training for a marathon, running less than 45 mins is just kind of lame.

Also, you have to know about the 'wall' people get into once their liver's glycogen reserves run out, that can leave you pretty phased out.

I'd kind of recommend trying elliptical bikes to begin with. I have one at home btw, I love to use it while watching movies. it's a good place to start getting your body and mind used to long cardio sessions, and it's much easier on the joints/feet.

Bike riding is much less intense than actually running though since the latter actually uses your whole body and resistance against gravity. Adding in the bike should probably be more like extra training on top of running.

 

[Stanton Moore]

My first thought when I read '3 miles in 35 minutes' is that the average person walks at 3-4 mph. You're running at 5mph. This tells me you could probably work on your form. I don't know how much you weigh, but there's 200+ pound guys running 19 minute 5k's. The best marathon runners are sometimes stocky and 5'5". It's doable, its all in how you do it.

Stocky competitive marathoner? Huh? Power-to-weight ratio is critical for runners too.

 

[run]

Stocky competitive marathoner? Huh? Power-to-weight ratio is critical for runners too.

Yeah you're right, I don't know where I got that from.

 

[rhinosaur]

So I had an idea the other day when I was running, and it went something like this. Tell me if I'm wrong, because I'm pretty new at this too but really need to amp up my training. Here is my idea.

-- Muscles recover faster than joints, ligaments, tendons, whatever
-- Strong muscles help strengthen joints, ligaments, tendons, whatever
-- Therefore, instead of doing intense workouts less frequently, I should do less intense workouts more frequently.

 

[run]

-- Therefore, instead of doing intense workouts less frequently, I should do less intense workouts more frequently.

yeah that's pretty much it



by the way, I was wondering -- I'm getting back into running and I'm wondering how best to increase mileage.

Do you hit it hard and maintain for 3 weeks, or inch up a little bit each week?

 

[AphroditeGoneAwry]

i love running. i'm pretty athletic, but it i had to choose one form of exercise that does the most for me physically, it'd be running. the best shape i've ever been in--and i mean this regarding my muscles, my heart, my joints (as in flexibility and suppleness), and overall general well-being--was due to running. i used to run 5 miles in 45 mins (uphill and down) every other day, alternating with some form of aerobics on 'off' days. when i got pregnant, i quit running and started hiking. anyway, i'm still working back up to 5 miles now.

cross training is where it's at, i think. now i prefer to strenuously hike one day, run the next, and mountain bike the next. followed by a day 'off.' mountain biking really builds quad muscles more than running, but running makes me have better breath control. hiking is just a good break for my mind, but it's still great exercise.

i know runner's world website has a training program cuz my marathon runner friend uses it and likes it. but i always just listen to my body, and increase my distance first, and speed after. if my knees hurt, i know it's because i'm trying to go too far too soon. i just wear New Balance shoes, and have never had a problem with my feet, but i have a decent arch.

good luck!

 

[Clonester]

Here's a list of great running programs for short distances, marathons, beginning runners and experienced ones.

Running Times Magazine