Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

After watching the summer Olympics every night since they have begun, I've decided to start getting myself whipped into shape. I'm not heavy or anything (I'm 5'7" and 120 pounds) but I also have skinny little arms and a rather flabby tum which could use a little toning. Plus, physical fitness does correlate with mental acuity, so if getting into shape can increase my brain power, I'm all for it. Plus, I'm heading off to college next August.

So, I'm going to start running. I live on a gravel road in the Missouri river bottoms (surrounded by meth-heads). Starting from my house, it is a little over one mile to the river. This will be my run. I plan on doing it every day, both morning and evening, so I will be running a total of 4 miles a day/28 miles a week. For motivation, my iPod is gonna be pumping Led Zeppelin.

My goal is to get to gradually increase my endurance and therefore the length of my runs. I may even go in for a marathon coming up this September, though that may be a rather quixotic goal.

Does anyone here have any advice for me?

Cheers!

_Tim?

Drink water

Well, seeing as water, milk, and the occasional coffee are the only beverages I ever drink, I think I'm good there.

I will be bringing along a canteen of water on the run, though. There is nothing worse than running in hot, humid weather than having a cottonmouth.

_Tim?

Camelback..get a camelback

I've recently started running too, so best of luck! I'm doing pretty much the same length of course as you, actually. The only thing I will say is that I was advised not to do it every day initially, as, not being used to it, I would be putting a fair bit of strain on my body, particularly my joints. That advice came from our very own mattyrm, ex-Royal Marine and god of running, so I trust it - that said, I AM taller and heavier than you (6' 3" and 18st), so that might be a factor. I go out every other day, sometimes more.


Tell you what, if you've never really done it before (as I hadn't) you'll be shocked at how quickly your fitness levels increase - I couldn't get round the first time, but it wasn't long before I was doing doing a mile in around 8-9 mins, which I guess isn't bad going for a chap of my size and frame. Still early days, mind you. Try to set yourself realistic goals, and don't try to do too much too soon, as you may find yourself getting discouraged. Once again, best of British to you!

I'd second the not running every day, use every second or third day to instead do a circuit of different exercises, it'll help both your fitness and your motivation, so you aren't doing the same thing every time. Also, vary your running route if you can, its more challenging running somewhere you have never run before (atleast it is for me) rather than my normal stomping grounds.

Changing the route up, even if it is just a little bit, is good advice. I usually run in my neighborhood, but I take different streets every day to keep things interesting.

Good shoes are probably your most important equipment.

Another tip is to run on opposite sides of the road on different days. Most roads have a grade to keep the rain water draining from the surface. It's not much, but if you are always running on the right side of the road you can eventually get some damage from running on an uneven surface all the time. Your ankles, knees, and hips are going to let you know about it eventually.

Running will drop the weight but it wont change your body shape, if that is what you are interested in doing. At 5'7" 120lbs you may not notice any change. I would recommend Crossfit. Strengthening your entire body will help with the run. These workouts alone are just as good as the miles and they are fun. Good luck!

Can you swim in the river?

The best thing for you to do is breaststroke.

But here is the trick. For your tummy + upper ab, you do breaststroke without using your arms, while keeping your head above water at all times.

To work on your upper torso, do head up front crawl.

Some_Call_Me_Tim? wrote:After watching the summer Olympics every night since they have begun, I've decided to start getting myself whipped into shape. I'm not heavy or anything (I'm 5'7" and 120 pounds) but I also have skinny little arms and a rather flabby tum which could use a little toning. Plus, physical fitness does correlate with mental acuity, so if getting into shape can increase my brain power, I'm all for it. Plus, I'm heading off to college next August.

So, I'm going to start running. I live on a gravel road in the Missouri river bottoms (surrounded by meth-heads). Starting from my house, it is a little over one mile to the river. This will be my run. I plan on doing it every day, both morning and evening, so I will be running a total of 4 miles a day/28 miles a week. For motivation, my iPod is gonna be pumping Led Zeppelin.

My goal is to get to gradually increase my endurance and therefore the length of my runs. I may even go in for a marathon coming up this September, though that may be a rather quixotic goal.

Does anyone here have any advice for me?

Cheers!

_Tim?

5'7" 120 pounds? Holy crud man, do you eat? Seriously though. If you want to get more shredded (toning your muscles is for women) then you'll need to pack on a little muscle. Running is certainly good, though some lifting would also help. If you're not within range of a gym, no worries.
You can start by beating up and benching the meth heads. Then sell the meth and acquire gym equipment and then you can start!

Hahaha but seriously, don't do Crossfit. It's super expensive and isn't really all that much better than lifting+running.

Swimming is also a good idea. You seem like one of those types that says that he doesn't "want to get too big" so that would be something to look into.

Uncle Sargie Wilki Run Schedule for you

Tues and Thurs
Mon Wens and Fri
Tues and Thurs
Mon Wens Fri
Tues and Thurs
Mon Wens Fri
so on and so on and so on

The OP specifically asked for running advice, not general fitness advice.

If you're just training to complete a marathon just run for distance and a steady pace, get plenty of sleep, alternate running and recovery days, and most importantly, if you suffer from shin splints, ramp up slowly enough that your shins can handle your work load.

If you want to run a marathon for speed you'll need to do HIIT, sprints, squats, and pack some solid muscle onto your legs.

Some_Call_Me_Tim? wrote:
So, I'm going to start running. I live on a gravel road in the Missouri river bottoms (surrounded by meth-heads). Starting from my house, it is a little over one mile to the river. This will be my run.

Try it first before you commit to anything. One of the worst things you can do is set goals that are too high.

LunaHound wrote:...you do breaststroke without using your arms...

Isn't that called drowning?

How is your fitness generally? If you really are just begining and you do pretty much feth all exercise, bear in mind that running is an excellent way to get into great shape if you are in decent shape already, but its also a good way to feth yourself up if you are in gak order and you suddenly start trying to crack some epic distance or times.

Going from nothing to suddenly running twice a day doesn't sound smart unless you are already fit. You will also get bored quicker and piss yourself off if you start at a sprint (going from nothing to running twice a day)

The good news is you are very light, so I cant see you fething your knees or anything.

Basically the first bit of advice I would give you is that I would run every other day at first. Do a Monday, Wednesday and a Friday for a fortnight and see how your feeling, and then ramp it up from there.

I find running empty a little easy now so I bought some 2lb weights and I run carrying them. That's a smart idea for you if your arms are weedy, you can tone them up a little simultaneously!

After 10 years of running, 10km per day every day until the last year when due to injuries I've dropped to 5km the last year and ran last tuesday for the first time in 6 weeks thanks to a knee injury.

At my best I was running 10km hill course on cement paths - 35 minutes flat.

I'm 35 years old.
My knees are shot, my right hamstring is as tight as something that is really tight and I know that I will never, ever run like I used to.

I'm taking up swimming.

Tips.
1: Buy good shoes from people who know what they are talking about. Most cities will have running specific shops, with runners working as staff. Tell them what you are planning and listen to them.
2: Jog slow first time you run over a set course that you have measured out with car/pushbike. Then next time you run it beat the time by 10-15 seconds. Repeat, and as you get quicker, decrease the time saving. Motivates you and lets you not go stupid from the start.
3: Warm up!

In light of Gonad's post, I forgot to mention to look into buying a pair of Vibram's Fivefinger shoes. For some people they're much more comfortable than regular running shoes.

Personally, I recommend swimming and light weights. THe weights will help your scrawny arms, just don't overdo it-- a large number of reps with lighter weights will build endurance, and that's what you need more than anything if you're out of shape.

Swimming, well, it's hard to injure yourself as long as you pay attention to your need to breathe and stretch before you swim. And on hot summer days, it feels good, too. A full body exercise if done right, and you can usually do it for longer than you can running.

So, taking y'alls advice, here is what I'm gonna be doing:

1: One run every other day, preferably in the evening/early afternoon. I will also attempt to mix things up, which shouldn't be hard-if I'm feeling especially motivated I can hit our woods, which are the closest thing to a temperate jungle you will ever find.
2: I will carry a 5 pound weight in each hand. I have no gym equipment, so this is the best way to combine my running with weight training.
3: I'm going to start my runs slowly, then build up speed.
4: I will wear good shoes. Or I could go barefoot, which is supposedly better for you than wearing shoes.

(I'd like to swim, but the only body of water around here which isn't inundated with agricultural chemicals, mud, mutant catfish, massive snapping turtles, sinkholes, rusted out chunks of metal, swift currents and crazed boaters is the family pond. As suggested by the name "pond" it is very small. And disgusting.)

Anything else that I'm forgetting?

_Tim?

Going barefoot is probably a bad idea.... you are far more likely to injure yourself by stepping on something.

Aside from your exercise make sure you eat right!

Try using something like MyFitnessPal.com to help you keep track of calories. Also there's tons of people on there that advise and support each other. I'm on there and its helped me a little.

(I've actually hit a 'wall' with my wanting to exercise lately and this thread has me motivated).

Good luck!

Some_Call_Me_Tim? wrote: So, taking y'alls advice, here is what I'm gonna be doing:

1: One run every other day, preferably in the evening/early afternoon. I will also attempt to mix things up, which shouldn't be hard-if I'm feeling especially motivated I can hit our woods, which are the closest thing to a temperate jungle you will ever find.
2: I will carry a 5 pound weight in each hand. I have no gym equipment, so this is the best way to combine my running with weight training.
3: I'm going to start my runs slowly, then build up speed.
4: I will wear good shoes. Or I could go barefoot, which is supposedly better for you than wearing shoes.

Anything else that I'm forgetting?

_Tim?

Don't bring the weights on the runs. If you don't have access to gym equipment just do a mixture of push ups, chin ups, wide grip pull ups, and such.

Melissia wrote:Going barefoot is probably a bad idea.... you are far more likely to injure yourself by stepping on something.

Yeah amaya is throwing you in at the deep end there, I read a long article about those shoes and barefoot running a year or so ago.

Its a training tool for more advanced runners, I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner.

I wouldn't call myself an advanced runner when I started using them. I tried them out because I have a history of suffering shin splints unless I ramp up my progression extremely slowly. I didn't have any shin splints with Vibram Fivefingers, so I could run to my cardiovascular/muscular limit instead of being impeded by shin pain.

I did step on a small rock once while running once and that fether hurt. Those shoes are not for trail running.

I bought a pair of free a few years back, I'm a good runner and I found I cramped up in my calves really early in them.. I started using them once or twice a week, and I found they increased the strength in my calves over time, but I didn't like using them regularly, each to their own I suppose, but I wouldn't recommend them for beginners.

I was warned about that, but it never happened even though I ran a lot more than was advised in my first weeks with them. /shrug Everyone's different.

Humans ran in flat sandals or barefoot for thousands of years. I find it hard to believe that these modern running shoes are safe or good for you, especially because of all the knee problems I hear about concerning runners.

As regards the whole fivefingers/barefooting, yeah, it's not for beginning runners. However, running barefoot will strengthen your feet and in the long run (no pun intended) is better for your joints. I've been running for years in addition to playing sports back in school, and I always had knee problems and my feet were as flat as Kiera Knightley.

On the advice of a friend I tried barefoot running and in the space of a few months my arches were showing signs of strengthening, and after the first run my knee pain was gone. Sure, my feet hurt for a while, but that's because they were weak and the muscles atrophied. All the cushioning of modern running shoes weakens the muscles in the feet and leads to more problems than it fixes. An arch is an incredibly strong structure, designed for bearing weight. You wouldn't put a pillar underneath an arch holding up a roof, would you? It weaken the whole design. So why would you do the same for the arches in your feet?

After two years of running barefoot my flat feet have disappeared, my knees never ache after a run, and the soles of my feet are tough as leather. I used to wear the fivefingers for trail running, but if you just bite the bullet and deal with the initial pain, your soles will toughen up and running barefoot on even the gnarliest trails will be a pleasure.

As for the OP, the advice everyone else has given is pretty much solid. But consider leaving the shoes at home once you think you're ready.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Melissia wrote:Going barefoot is probably a bad idea.... you are far more likely to injure yourself by stepping on something.

Eventually your soles toughen up and you can ignore most little things on the trails, aside from that, all you have to do is watch where you step.

Also, it's stupid to walk barefoot anywhere in Texas during the summer anyway. Even in the mornings at the coolest time of day.

Melissia wrote:Also, it's stupid to walk barefoot anywhere in Texas during the summer anyway. Even in the mornings at the coolest time of day.

If you're on dirt trails in the woods it's significantly cooler than pavement. In addition, tougher soles are more heat resistant soles as well. You won't blister as easily.

Melissia wrote:
Swimming, well, it's hard to injure yourself as long as you pay attention to your need to breathe and stretch before you swim. And on hot summer days, it feels good, too. A full body exercise if done right, and you can usually do it for longer than you can running.

Actually stretching makes you worse off in an exercise.

http://www.cracked.com/article_19954_5-ways-to-trick-your-body-into-being-more-awesome.html