How long shall I run before it get's easier?

[jwz]

Hi.
At last I've started running again.
I am currently a smoker but the running will help me to quit soon.

After a couple of "sessions" of

2-3 x 10 mins ~ 11 kmph
And then some fast uphill walking and maybe a bit more running

I still feel odd. Feels like the trash that has build up in my body is being
slowly removed.
My stomach feels odd, my pulse gets up too easily.
Even though I'm not comletely tired, it feels like a living hell to keep up the pace.

Anyone else just started running?

How long did it take you until it got better? Until you could run for miles and miles each session without feeling like this?

Just for the record, I am slightly (not much) overweight. If I lose ~5kgs I would be "normal" according to my BMI.

[JorgeHTQH]

I started running a couple of weeks ago at least 3 to 4 times per week and i still smoke. I'm trying to quit though. Today i purposely spent all my pocket cash so that i won't have money to buy smokes tomorrow. If i can make it just 3 days without smoking then I should be fine.

But I have been running on the treadmill like this: 2 minutes running (not sure of speed) then 2 minutes walking, then 2 min running, then 2 minutes walking or i should say jogging. I get to around 16 minutes in this method and then i'm tired...

But I have quit smoking before and then started running and normally I could do 20 minutes straight jogging no problem.

I think that even if you smoke you should be able to jog 15 to 20 minutes on the treadmill with no problem.

The key is, you have to keep doing it every day or at least 5 to 6 days per week, in the morning is best. You may want to lift weights as well before you go running.

Just keep on going and keep trying to quit smoking... you may want to visit quitsmoking.com they have some good articles there.

And to keep you motivated you may want to subscribe to Muscle and Fitness magazine..

You could do it!!! good luck.

[Kanger]

I ran a marathon a few years ago and whenever I've tried getting back into running I always take it too fast, I think cos I used to be able to run for ages I think I can just go out and run 20 mins and build up from there. But I've found I need to take it more slowly and go back to as if I were a total beginner cos I end up aching or injuring myself. So as from about 5 days ago I decided to walk for 30 mins every morning at 6am for 30 days and to jog within the 30 min as much as I feel like, but the minimum is 30 min walk.

I've found so far I've been running about 13-15 mins out of the 30. Which may not sound great, but I've not had any injuries, don't ache and I'm finding it easy to keep up and motivated. I think next week I'll probably be doing 20 min and the following 25. Also the time walking means I also warm down and don't ache. A new pair of trainers helped and I also slow down my pace to sometimes walking (but still jogging) as it takes a while for all the musles to build up. I found once I could run 30 min comfortably I could keep going, it'd be my leg musles that ended it not my lungs! Also after 10 min my head would just empty and it'd become an amazingly relaxing, enjoyable experience.

Keep on running!
Enjoy

[khookie]

Sounds like you're on a treadmill. And that you're pushing yourself too hard.

To be honest, I'd just go outside and run. It's unnatural to run at a set speed for a long period of time, as everyone has multiple peaks and troughs during their session.

Until treadmills can adjust speed in realtime according to your current pace, it's suboptimal compared to outside footwork. For example, when the treadmill is set to a certain speed and you're getting puffed, you can't slow down and eventually you might stop your workout altogether. Or when endorphins kick in and you want to run faster, you can't because the treadmill is set to a certain speed. Sure there's the manual setting, but it becomes tedious after you adjust the speed for the tenth time - and especially if it makes a noise when you press the buttons and there's other people in the gym (can anyone say embarassing?)

BTW, if you do outside running already, sorry for my diatribe! Anyhow, let me continue :-).

I have personally found that 30 minutes is good for maintenance, however I can see improvement when I run for 45mins daily.

If you don't have a proper heart rate (HR) monitor watch like Polar, ensure you get one so you don't pass out from running too hard.

If you're a beginner, run a bit, and once your HR gets too high, walk until it goes down and repeat until 45mins is up. The key here is not to push yourself too hard and give up before 45mins are up. If you persist daily, you'll learn to listen to your body better and judge better whether you can push yourself or not. Eventually, you'll be able to run the whole distance :-).

If you get a stitch while running, run slower or walk. That just means your core is weak and is slowly strengthening. I got a friend who's a triathlete who can eat a meal and go running straight after with no stitch whatsoever (BTW, I'm not saying it's good thing to do).

Once you're done with the actual run, walk until your HR goes down so you don't feel faint & pass out.

When I started running, my HR would always be around the 170-180 mark. Now it sits around 160 when I'm pushing myself or running up hills, with average being 150 and my pace has improved considerably.

And also, do cardio to improve fitness, not to lose weight. Weight is lost primarily through diet.

Chris

[EnduranceNinja]

I agree you need to start off easy. A great example is to jog 3 X week 20 to 30 minutes. Try this for a month. After a month you can decide if it needs to be revised. Your goal the first month is to get into a habit of running so a manageable 3 x week will get you into a habit. After 30 days you can add speed work, hills, etc. But, make it gradual. If I may make a plug of my website. I am actually going to post sometime today an article on beginning an active lifestyle that includes what I said and more so please check out my blog I hope it helps.

[jwz]

Thank you all for your replies.
This will with no doubt help me.
So how long will it approx take me until I don't feel bad after running for a while?

And WhyQuit - the Internet's leading cold turkey quit smoking resource is also an excellent quit-smoking site

[AttractIt]

Congrats man,

Just keep on going,
You'll have good times, bad times,
Times where you'll find asking yourself what am I doing,
and other times where you'll be on top of the world,

In both cases, just wake up to the next morning,
take your time and run.

I run the semi-marathon 4 month ago, and I'm planning to do the full marathon one day,

NOW, very important, it doesn't matter if I'll run it or not,
as long as I happy when I'm running!

Yeah, I know it's strange to hear it, but I strongly believe that in the end you must enjoy from the phisical exercise you're doing.

If you wake up one day and you don't want to, don't be hard with yourself, just go for the next day, and so on and on,
It is amazing process,

Though, starting can be very hard, soon you'll feel the difference.
Set some goals (not hard one, like running 10K 2 month from now) and see how it goes.

[MasterD]

What I notice if I haven't run for a while it is very hard to get started again; but it is quite easy to run for an hour at say, 7mph. Then do a short run of 15minutes at 9mph, build it up like this and you can run for an hour at that speed. I still have my bad and my good days, and diet is a big factor in how easy the running is. Never smoked; so I don't know about that.

[VacMan]

Great advice on this thread so far.

I agree that ramping up over time is probably the best approach.

I'd even go as far as to say run 10 mins then walk 20.

Then run 15 and walk 15.

Then run 20 and walk 10.

Then run 25 and walk 30.

Then run 30 and walk from zero to as long as you want to run eventually. (For example run 30 and walk 30, then build up to running 60.)

Also I agree with running outside, preferably with a view.

I go out of my way to even drive to places I can run that keep me entertained while I'm running and keep my mind occupied with my surroundings.

Here's a quick video of me doing just that:
YouTube - Running with a view

You can ignore the community for excellence reference at the end.

And never mind me tripping over the bench

[Kanger]

Just thought in answer to your original question I'd say it's taken me 8 days to enjoy it...I wouldn't say the running has necessarily got easier but I am loving the freedom and just getting out the house. My legs are definitely stronger and the minutes I'm running are slowly increasing. I've found doing the 30 min walk a day with as much jogging as I feel like within the 30 min has really helped. Even if I have just walked for the whole 30 min it has still helped putting on my running gear and creating the pattern of getting out there (and usually just stretched out any aches I had from a run the day before). I'm jogging for about 20 min now and usually walking for 40 min after that, just enjoying being out, having head space. Think by the end of month I'll be jogging 30 min straight. But I'm just listening to my body and taking it very very slowly. Sometimes I put on my gear thinking, oh this is just going to be a walk as I feel rubbish but I end up running loads and other days I feel great but really struggle, so making myself do it daily really helps. Once I'm running 30+min a day I may start having one rest day a week, but at the moment I just want to get out there, last week I even went for two runs in one day!
Hope you are starting to enjoy it.
Also have to say the new trainers really helped...whenever I tried getting back into running previously I was using my old trainers and just ended up with sore knees and hips all the time, so was a non starter.