Training for a 10k
Discussion
Right chaps,
I'm fat. I need to sort this.. Wor lass did the Manchester 10k today, and it seemed to me that if there was an end goal, it'd be easier to motivate my beer gut into action.
So, whats the best plan training wise?
Ideas:
Do an hour on the treadmill each time, and simply put the speed up .1 mph each go (from a low start), until I can do 10k in <1hr
Do 10k each time, starting slow as above and doing speed up .1 each time
Start at right speed, add distance each time till I get to 10k
Other.
Any experts care to chip in?
Cheers
Gump
I'm fat. I need to sort this.. Wor lass did the Manchester 10k today, and it seemed to me that if there was an end goal, it'd be easier to motivate my beer gut into action.
So, whats the best plan training wise?
Ideas:
Do an hour on the treadmill each time, and simply put the speed up .1 mph each go (from a low start), until I can do 10k in <1hr
Do 10k each time, starting slow as above and doing speed up .1 each time
Start at right speed, add distance each time till I get to 10k
Other.
Any experts care to chip in?
Cheers
Gump
I've gone from no running at Christmas to doing a half marathon in 2 weeks time. My training is a couple of 5k runs at a fast pace, and a slower 10k (55 mins). Get something booked so you have no choice but to train. 10k is not so bad anyway, worse case you can walk it in an hour and a half!
Have you had a look at RunKeeper?
It's an app on the iPhone or Android. It also has these things called 'FitnessClasses' that are really worth looking into: you'll be able to find a class that suits your distance/date goal. The app itself is free but the Classes are paid for. I've been using the app for a few months now to track my running and cycling. The classes themselves are only a tiny part of the app. Seeing your progress on the phone and then the graphs and stuff on the website is highly motivating if you need a bit of a push.
It's got voice notifications like your pace, time etc while you run while you listen to your tunes.
Read their website to get a good idea, rather than just downloading the app.
www.runkeeper.com
It's an app on the iPhone or Android. It also has these things called 'FitnessClasses' that are really worth looking into: you'll be able to find a class that suits your distance/date goal. The app itself is free but the Classes are paid for. I've been using the app for a few months now to track my running and cycling. The classes themselves are only a tiny part of the app. Seeing your progress on the phone and then the graphs and stuff on the website is highly motivating if you need a bit of a push.
It's got voice notifications like your pace, time etc while you run while you listen to your tunes.
Read their website to get a good idea, rather than just downloading the app.
www.runkeeper.com
Just take it steady. Start with a one mile run. Then slowly build the distance up bit by bit. If you're overweight and haven't run for years your first few runs will be tough.
Buy a pair of good running shoes, and go to a proper running shop to get them fitted with proper advice. Do not wear them for anything except running. This is essential to stand a good chance of avoiding injury.
Buy a pair of good running shoes, and go to a proper running shop to get them fitted with proper advice. Do not wear them for anything except running. This is essential to stand a good chance of avoiding injury.
as above, you want to start slow and short, then progress both gradually. only run alternate days at most, at least for a good while, it will give your joints and muscles a chance to recover. if you're overweight, run to a lamp post, walk to the next, and so on. once you feel like "a runner" do some slow, long runs and some days do shorter faster runs. don't ever just keep doing the same old same old!
good luck, and enjoy!
good luck, and enjoy!
Lots of info on The Running Thread and sample training plans on www.runnersworld.co.uk
My advice: Build up gradually, have some variety, make sure you run outside sometimes.
My advice: Build up gradually, have some variety, make sure you run outside sometimes.
yeah, outside whenever possible! providing you have an app or use mapmyrun type sites so you can track your progress, being outside is a great help!
if your like some of my friends/family, who have so far avoided getting in to shape by being worried about "being seen" then run early or later, avoid the crowds!
if your like some of my friends/family, who have so far avoided getting in to shape by being worried about "being seen" then run early or later, avoid the crowds!
Have a look on the NHS choices website for their couch to 5K podcasts - it's a 9-week program that does exactly what it says in the title. You start off mixing walking and running, and slowly up the amount of running until you're doing a solid 30minutes of running at the end.
I have been doing it for a while, and have my first 20 minute run tonight (I'm at the end of week 5, and my longest so far has been 8-minutes, so it's going to be quite a test!) - I'm also using runkeeper to track my progress, which is very useful, and am putting my results and thoughts into my other thread.
It's definitely working for me - I've had a few weeks where I've heard what I'm supposed to be doing and thought "I'll never manage that", but I've managed to build it up so far, and the slow build along with the tips on the podcasts has been really helpful.
I have been doing it for a while, and have my first 20 minute run tonight (I'm at the end of week 5, and my longest so far has been 8-minutes, so it's going to be quite a test!) - I'm also using runkeeper to track my progress, which is very useful, and am putting my results and thoughts into my other thread.
It's definitely working for me - I've had a few weeks where I've heard what I'm supposed to be doing and thought "I'll never manage that", but I've managed to build it up so far, and the slow build along with the tips on the podcasts has been really helpful.
ewenm said:
Lots of info on The Running Thread and sample training plans on www.runnersworld.co.uk
My advice: Build up gradually, have some variety, make sure you run outside sometimes.
Follow that advice!! You're a heavyweight so don't do too much to soon cause set-backs can put you back months!! I know!!My advice: Build up gradually, have some variety, make sure you run outside sometimes.
Well, thats run 1 of the couch to 5k done.
Shins hurt like buggery (they did after 10 mins, but finshed it anyway) - it was good beacuse if it wasn't for the programme, I'd have called it a day after1 15 mins, lol
Not knackered or owt though, if it wasn't for the sore shins it'd be easy. Sadly, I think by week 3 i'll be keeling over after every run..
I used 3mph for walking, 6mph for running - so should be on target for 5k in 30 mins by the end of it?
I'll keep this thread updated so that it's an extra level of motivation.
Shins hurt like buggery (they did after 10 mins, but finshed it anyway) - it was good beacuse if it wasn't for the programme, I'd have called it a day after1 15 mins, lol
Not knackered or owt though, if it wasn't for the sore shins it'd be easy. Sadly, I think by week 3 i'll be keeling over after every run..
I used 3mph for walking, 6mph for running - so should be on target for 5k in 30 mins by the end of it?
I'll keep this thread updated so that it's an extra level of motivation.
Some Gump said:
Well, thats run 1 of the couch to 5k done.
Shins hurt like buggery (they did after 10 mins, but finshed it anyway) - it was good beacuse if it wasn't for the programme, I'd have called it a day after1 15 mins, lol
Not knackered or owt though, if it wasn't for the sore shins it'd be easy. Sadly, I think by week 3 i'll be keeling over after every run..
I used 3mph for walking, 6mph for running - so should be on target for 5k in 30 mins by the end of it?
I'll keep this thread updated so that it's an extra level of motivation.
Mmm take it easy with the shins. I'm 23 and not fat, but can no longer run because of shin and nerve problems, (although I went to a sports college and did several hours sports everyday for all my life!)Shins hurt like buggery (they did after 10 mins, but finshed it anyway) - it was good beacuse if it wasn't for the programme, I'd have called it a day after1 15 mins, lol
Not knackered or owt though, if it wasn't for the sore shins it'd be easy. Sadly, I think by week 3 i'll be keeling over after every run..
I used 3mph for walking, 6mph for running - so should be on target for 5k in 30 mins by the end of it?
I'll keep this thread updated so that it's an extra level of motivation.
Have you got decent trainers? It's the most important thing. Plus for future reference if it hurts then stop, you'll do damage.
russy01 said:
Have you got decent trainers? It's the most important thing.
In a paper for the British Journal Of Sports Medicine last year, Dr Craig Richards, a researcher at the University of Newcastle in Australia, revealed there are no evidence-based studies that demonstrate running shoes make you less prone to injury. Not one.Runners wearing top-of-the-line trainers are 123 per cent more likely to get injured than runners in cheap ones. This was discovered as far back as 1989, according to a study led by Dr Bernard Marti, the leading preventative-medicine specialist at Switzerland's University of Bern.
It wasn't even body weight or a history of previous injury. It was the price of the shoe. Runners in shoes that cost more than $95 were more than twice as likely to get hurt as runners in shoes that cost less than $40.
Just some food for thought. I use to have all sorts of injury problems (back, knees and hips). Decided to switch to barefoot after a 3 month injury rest and haven't been injured since (during 6 months of running).
Not saying for the OP to start running barefoot but just because something is more expensive doesn't mean it is better or will keep you free from injury. I now run in either Vibram Five Fingers or ProGrid Kinvaras depending on where I am running.
I'd be interested to know the mileages run in the expensive vs cheaper shoes tests - in my experience people who buy expensive shoes tend to run more miles and people who run more miles tend to get injured more often.
Which shoes are best for you is very much an individual thing. This is why I always recommend going to a specialist running shop, have them analyse your gait and suggest some shoes for you. Ideally, price wouldn't be mentioned until you get to the till with the shoes that are best for you, but obviously sometimes you do have to work to a budget.
There has been a craze recently for "minimalist" shoes (the Vibram 5-fingers are an extreme example of this) and they do suit some people well. They don't suit everyone, as it all depends on your biomechanics. Another thing I've found in my experimentation with different trainers is that it can highlight a muscular weakness that you can work on, and then need a different pair of shoes once the muscle is strong.
Which shoes are best for you is very much an individual thing. This is why I always recommend going to a specialist running shop, have them analyse your gait and suggest some shoes for you. Ideally, price wouldn't be mentioned until you get to the till with the shoes that are best for you, but obviously sometimes you do have to work to a budget.
There has been a craze recently for "minimalist" shoes (the Vibram 5-fingers are an extreme example of this) and they do suit some people well. They don't suit everyone, as it all depends on your biomechanics. Another thing I've found in my experimentation with different trainers is that it can highlight a muscular weakness that you can work on, and then need a different pair of shoes once the muscle is strong.
I'm not trying to push barefoot running on anyone (I don't even fully barefoot run myself).
The phrase 'muscular weakness' is the key here. By wearing trainers that 'support' your feet are in fact making you weaker. Take the arch of the foot. In modern trainers there is a small hump where the arch of your foot sits. This hump is making the arch of your foot weaker because once you put your feet into the trainers you arch doesn't have to work as much. By running barefoot your feet work at maximum efficiency and, basically, they work how they have evolved. The foot is an amazing machine.
Since I've taken up barefoot running (mostly) my feet have become much stronger. My left arch was almost flat, now it is the same as my right arch. Muscles have appeared where they weren't before and overall my feet have been stronger and I haven't had any injuries.
It's not for everyone and it is tough of the skin of your feet but, for me, it has changed my life.
The phrase 'muscular weakness' is the key here. By wearing trainers that 'support' your feet are in fact making you weaker. Take the arch of the foot. In modern trainers there is a small hump where the arch of your foot sits. This hump is making the arch of your foot weaker because once you put your feet into the trainers you arch doesn't have to work as much. By running barefoot your feet work at maximum efficiency and, basically, they work how they have evolved. The foot is an amazing machine.
Since I've taken up barefoot running (mostly) my feet have become much stronger. My left arch was almost flat, now it is the same as my right arch. Muscles have appeared where they weren't before and overall my feet have been stronger and I haven't had any injuries.
It's not for everyone and it is tough of the skin of your feet but, for me, it has changed my life.
Some Gump said:
Thanks everyone.
For the record, I'm 6 foot and 15 stone - so fat, but not extreme by PH standards!
I'll start pinching the missus' ipod for runkeeper, and see how i get on =)
Gump
Great, you're making me feel fat now! 41 years, 6' and 15 1/2 stone.For the record, I'm 6 foot and 15 stone - so fat, but not extreme by PH standards!
I'll start pinching the missus' ipod for runkeeper, and see how i get on =)
Gump
I got back into running at the start of April - a gym challenge to do the marathon distance. Its definitely true that motivation and a goal helps immensely. Did the distance on the bike (in the gym) in 75 minutes. The run - did that over 4 sessions, just over 10k a time.
That got me into doing a 5k last week, which I somehow completed in 25m30. Now I'm signing up for a 10k next month. And I was about a minute or so faster on the real course than I've been on the treadmills - as a runner friend said, you tend to get dragged along by the crowd.
Interesting on those studies of the trainers - ever since I picked up a decent pair of running shoes, I've not had one obvious injury from running (cycling is another matter). Prior to that with a set of relatively basic cross trainers I seemed to be regularly pulling something. Its far from a scientific test, but its definitely worth getting properly fitted.
And its also worth looking into a few sets of decent socks. The older ones I had tended to rub a little. That can get very unpleasant very quickly. Decent socks make running a lot more enjoyable.
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