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 jamesg85 02 Jun 2018

I've decided I need to get fit. I've hardly been doing any exercise but I find when I do go for a long brisk walk that I feel so much better. I play quite a bit of snooker and have been reading Ronnie O'Sullvan's book, "Running", and it has got me thinking about starting. I'm just wondering how I should start off, with a 3 mile run each day? I'm 5ft3 and just under 12 stone so hat might be a bit ambitious.

Post edited at 23:59
 wbo 03 Jun 2018
In reply to jamesg85:there are online programs for 'couch to 5k ' - have a look at those.  Get some half decent shoes and maybe some shorts and off you go.

 

OP jamesg85 03 Jun 2018
In reply to wbo:

Cheers, I've seen those but they seem to progress too slowly. I reckon I'll be up to 5k pretty soon. Although I might be wrong as I'm overweight compared to when I last did some running.

Post edited at 00:06
1
 SouthernSteve 03 Jun 2018
In reply to jamesg85:

Go slow, running injuries are most often insidious and chronic. Put some strength and conditioning exercises in as well. C25K is a good plan.

 JayPee630 03 Jun 2018
In reply to jamesg85:

Don't rush it! Classic way to get injured. You don't just need to 'get fit' you need your body (especially soft tissue) to get used to exercise which takes much longer than just getting fit.

Slowly slowly. Couch to 5k is a good start, and follow the program, even if it seems easy and too slow. It'll be better in the long run.

 Phil1919 03 Jun 2018
In reply to jamesg85:

Yes, its difficult, but go slow enough to enjoy yourself, and you will find you start running faster and longer without noticing it.

Moley 03 Jun 2018
In reply to jamesg85:

You are clearly carrying a bit of weight and although young and strong if you are overambitious in training you will pick up injuries - believe us all, you will!

So take it steady, curb your enthusiasm and move forward slowly and sensibly. You will soon notice as your weight drops that you can move on a gear, but 12 stone on a short guy is a lot of stress on joints and muscles.

OP jamesg85 03 Jun 2018
In reply to jamesg85:

Thanks everyone, yh, I think the consensus is to take things slowly. I'll bear that in mind, maybe even start with long brisk walks. When I was climbing regularly I was under ten stone so I've put on quite a bit of weight!

 hbeevers 03 Jun 2018
In reply to jamesg85:

Just to add a personal anecdote. I started running and found I could run 5K straight off, then I started trying to do it quicker every single run. To no ones surprise I ended up with "runner's knee" which put me off for a few months.

Now my advice would be to train for speed with long (slowly build up distance), slow runs and mixed pace training runs. Parkrun or a race day are the place to try for a fast time, not your weekday training runs!

Stick to a plan and your fitness will increase quickly, providing all the motivation you need. 

 

 Murderous_Crow 03 Jun 2018
In reply to jamesg85:

Some great advice above.

But forgive me for asking - why running in particular, if your goal is simply to get fit?

 Murderous_Crow 03 Jun 2018

Long post, sorry.

 

Some cautionary words: running does seem to predispose to injury especially in novices. The data does bear this out; it's not just an opinion. As such, it's worth noting that CV development can take place in 'safer' contexts, such as using a bike or indoor rower.  

 

In preventing injury from running it's likely that good technique is of the greatest importance, so get your form assessed by someone who knows what they're doing. Any strong athletics / running club should have access to a decent coach who can guide and develop you.

 

Novices to any exercise should pursue quality of movement as the most important factor. As others have mentioned this generally takes much longer than developing CV fitness alone. So while you may be able to smash out a 5k right now, it won't be a 'good' 5k. You'll be moving with all the inherent dysfunction of your current detrained status. Be patient and get any additional CV you wish to do from activities like those mentioned above.

 

A few tips:

 

- Don't run tired. When you feel your motion breaking down and becoming ragged, this is when you need to stop or walk - at least for a short while. Being exhausted is NOT your cue to stop. Definitely agree with other posters who suggest taking an easy pace, this should be slow enough that your form is good and you feel in control for the entire workout - as if you could easily sprint away at any time...

 

- When increasing distance, keep your loops short and close to home, and just re-run a segment. This will allow you to slow down and walk if needs be, without risking cooling down too much. Take a warm top in a small running rucksack or bum-bag.

 

- Run as much as possible on grass, earth, gravel, wet sand. It's much, much kinder to the joints. Really try to avoid running significant distances on tarmac or concrete, and particularly on roads which have an additional camber.

 

- If you feel any kind of niggle / pain, STOP. Walk it off, rebuild pace gently if it goes away, and be prepared to walk home if needs be. The neurotransmitters released during exercise are great for disguising pain signals, which means that *any* abnormal sensation while running may well be an injury.

 

- Work on mobility. Get a foam roller and introduce the outside of your thighs to it. Learn to love the discomfort, as it will allow you to keep running. (The hip abductors, specifically Tensor Fasciae Lata at the hip / upper outer thigh, have a tendency to over-activate in new runners. Over time this can cause a chronic shortening and tightening of the muscle's long tendinous end, the ilio-tibial tract, predisposing to lateral knee pain and injury.)

 

- Work on strength. At a minimum for your lower body you should incorporate a full range of motion squatting movement such as the goblet squat, a hingeing motion such as the deadlift or kettlebell swing, and core work involving planks, hip bridges and hollow-body holds.

 

- Look into buying a heart rate monitor. These do two important things: firstly they allow you to chart your progress over time - you will see a reduction in average HR for a given distance at a given pace, or an increase in distance / pace at a given HR. Secondly they can stop you from working too hard, by alerting you when HR goes over a given limit. Google 'heart rate reserve' to work out your individual training ranges.

 

- Make sure you're getting adequate protein, carbohydrate and hydration to fuel your recovery. Fat loss will be essential if you wish to develop your running, but don't skimp on nutrition post-exercise, that's not the time for a calorie deficit.

 

- Moving well is not a punishment. Be consistent and aim to finish a workout feeling worked, but happy.

OP jamesg85 03 Jun 2018
In reply to Murderous_Crow:

Thanks for your advice, I've been reading Ronnie O'Sullivan's book and that has got me inspired. I play quite a bit of snooker and he said that running helped with his concentration. Also, I want to do it to help with stress and anxiety, and because I find I can focus with my work better after exercise. 

Yh, it could be anything really, I used to ride a bike. I want to lose some weight and feel better basically. Thanks

 Murderous_Crow 03 Jun 2018
In reply to jamesg85:

Don't get me wrong - running is ace, and many people really like it. Just be cautious as everyone is advising, focusing on that movement quality.

Have you got access to a gym with a squat rack?

 Neil Williams 03 Jun 2018
In reply to jamesg85:

Parkrun is a very good way to start.

 Tricadam 03 Jun 2018
In reply to jamesg85:

I reckon the main thing running has got going for it (compared to other cardiovascular activities like cycling and rowing) is the fact you can do it so easily in the hills - if it's hills you're into. Compared to other activities there is less outlay on kit too - till you realise you need that fancy Garmin watch!

I would echo what others say above about injuries. I got into running/hill running a year ago, went fairly hard at it and have, I think, been very lucky to escape thus far with only a minor knee injury that sorted itself with three or four weeks' rest and then very gradual resumption of exercise. If I got away with it, I think it is because of having done a lot of hillwalking etc which will have strengthened the relevant muscles, tendons and other soft tissues over a period of years.

OP jamesg85 03 Jun 2018
In reply to Murderous_Crow:

I'm not sure what a squat rack is to be honest. I don't have gym membership, I prefer getting out outdoors for exercise.

I see your point, it's going to be a shock to the system. I'm planning to start off with more regular long walks. 

OP jamesg85 03 Jun 2018
In reply to Tricadam:

Yh, that's an attraction, that there's little outlay. I would consider getting back into climbing but that can be costly. I'm paying off debts so I've got to keep things ultra cheap. I know when I climbed a lot I lost a lot of weight.

Yh, like you say, better to be sensible and take things easy at first, maybe just do brisk walks at first and then maybe progress from there.

 Murderous_Crow 03 Jun 2018
In reply to jamesg85:

> I'm not sure what a squat rack is to be honest. I don't have gym membership, I prefer getting out outdoors for exercise.

Fair play. Consider investing in a kettlebell or two to help build strength and power then. Strength is never a weakness, and will help you develop good biomechanics (translates well to climbing too in my experience). Plus KB workouts in the open air can be really enjoyable. Here's an ace little KB workout on youtube which covers much of the ground I mentioned above:

youtube.com/watch?v=5mTLBRNDD5M&

> I see your point, it's going to be a shock to the system. I'm planning to start off with more regular long walks. 

Walking won't build capacity for running. If you want to run, you need to run. Just focus on form and stop before you're over-tired

 

3
 SouthernSteve 03 Jun 2018
In reply to Murderous_Crow

> Walking won't build capacity for running. If you want to run, you need to run. Just focus on form and stop before you're over-tired

I am not sure that is true, hillwalking is good strength and conditioning for running and is recommended by some for cross-training (e.g. Matt Fitzgerald).

In addition, some people who start running haven't even regularly walked the number of steps contemplated in a 5k run and so walking is a really good start!

1
 Tricadam 03 Jun 2018
In reply to SouthernSteve:

> I am not sure that is true, hillwalking is good strength and conditioning for running and is recommended by some for cross-training (e.g. Matt Fitzgerald).

My experience (see above) would testify to that - well, for hill running anyway. I'm not sure how I would have fared had I started going for big road runs rather than big hill runs, having done lots of hillwalking/mountaineering but no running previously...

 petestack 03 Jun 2018
In reply to Murderous_Crow:

> Fair play. Consider investing in a kettlebell or two to help build strength and power then.

You don't need to do gym/exercises or use foam rollers to run. As so neatly expressed by Bernd Heinrich (eminent biologist and top-class ultra-runner) in 'Why We Run':

> I also believe in antelopes. They would not have missed a trick when it comes to running speed and endurance. I had never seen or heard of an antelope who was flexible and did stretching, or who lifted weights for extra strength. I had never heard of one doing much more than eating and running.

For sure you need to listen to your body, avoid too much too soon, and learn to distinguish between minor niggles and things that mean 'stop now'. Of course you can learn from a HRM and appropriate diet helps, but, for the simple joy of running, just run!

 

 

 

2
 Ridge 04 Jun 2018
In reply to petestack:

> You don't need to do gym/exercises or use foam rollers to run. As so neatly expressed by Bernd Heinrich (eminent biologist and top-class ultra-runner) in 'Why We Run':

>  I also believe in antelopes. They would not have missed a trick when it comes to running speed and endurance. I had never seen or heard of an antelope who was flexible and did stretching, or who lifted weights for extra strength. I had never heard of one doing much more than eating and running.

> For sure you need to listen to your body, avoid too much too soon, and learn to distinguish between minor niggles and things that mean 'stop now'. Of course you can learn from a HRM and appropriate diet helps, but, for the simple joy of running, just run!

I take the general point, however I've never seen an antelope who wears glasses either. I'm sure short-sighted antelopes will have been born at some point, as will antelopes with brittle knees or who suffer with dodgy achillies. 

Either they don't exist, or perhaps predators eating the weaker antelopes over millenia mean they're far better at running than the average human, as your average antelope is either very fit or very dead?

 Murderous_Crow 04 Jun 2018
In reply to Ridge:

Precisely, excellent analogy.

 

Of all the common aerobic activities, running is almost uniquely challenging to detrained bodies. Some people take to it like a duck to water - a not-particularly fit friend began running aged 48; he's been doing ultra-marathon events regularly for over 6 years and is never injured. 

 

But the data is clear: there is a relatively strong risk of injury, and subsequent demoralisation leading to not engaging in further training. The type of advice I gave above is intended for those who are beginning their running career, and wish to progress with a minimum of risk.

 Murderous_Crow 04 Jun 2018
In reply to jamesg85:

Re: mobility and strength training to prevent injury. Again the data is really clear on the preventive benefits of such. One can fully disregard opinionated soundbites such as those quoted above, because the strength of the evidence is as good as it gets - scientifically. 

Re: whether hillwalking is good training for running. It's not going to hurt your running goals, unless you prioritise it over running training. If you try to ease into running by just doing hillwalking first, you'll be doing exactly that. With running as everything else, the physiological principle of specificity applies. Here's a good write-up on this, albeit targeted at more experienced runners:

https://www.runnersworld.com/advanced/a20822883/bensons-law-of-specificity/

I'm not saying don't do hillwalking. You could certainly include it as part of a rounded approach to your fitness, just as you would strength and mobility work. Hillwalking is ideal for active recovery for example!

 

 petestack 04 Jun 2018
In reply to Murderous_Crow:

> One can fully disregard opinionated soundbites such as those quoted above

What opinionated soundbite? A quirky/amusing quote from Bernd Heinrich, who's probably got more credentials than anyone here, or me invoking it to suggest that you don't need to do gym/exercises or use foam rollers to run?

Heinrich's quote, left-field as it may be, articulates an alternative view not deserving outright dismissal. While I took care to follow it with some qualification — of course you still need to watch some things — the fact remains that you can run (indeed be a serious runner) without half the things you advise. What's necessary to you might not be necessary to me. I assume you're an experienced runner, but so am I. And you disagreeing with me doesn't automatically make you right and me wrong. 'For the simple joy of running, just run' is a motivating (and liberating) mindset, not an invitation/instruction to be reckless!

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 Murderous_Crow 04 Jun 2018
In reply to petestack:

I'm not trying to be argumentative. Just presenting clear facts as regards relative risk, and the importance of building movement quality gently and progressively.

Prof Heinrich's quote is definitely both opinionated (it disregards evidence) and a soundbite (it is simplistic and makes unwarranted and undeveloped comparisons). 

He certainly has better 'credentials' than me at least. He's an eminent biologist, albeit an etymologist, and an excellent runner. However that doesn't put him in a position to authoritatively disregard Level 1A evidence. Opinion is always outweighed by systemic review and meta-analysis. And I'm not selling a book.

The points I made are rooted in a solid evidence base - in regard to both incidence of injuries in new runners, and ways to prevent such injuries if one wishes or needs to run.

Fact is, most people assume they know exactly how to run, when they don't. Spend any time at a Parkrun or similar and watch the head movement. Veteran runners are so, so much smoother than novices, and this economy of movement is hard-won: many of their colleagues have departed the sport due to injury over the years; those left are much like Ridge's antelopes. 

> the fact remains that you can run (indeed be a serious runner) without half the things you advise.

Yes. I touch on exactly this in my reply above. Some people take very well to running and are never injured. Others are not so lucky. The measures I suggest tip the balance in any given individual's favour.  Furthermore they're not exactly onerous, and some offer benefits to general health and wellbeing as well.

Think about a run in which all the above suggestions are disregarded: a chronically weak and stiff runner sets out in a calorie-depleted state to run for miles on tarmac and concrete. They develop a persistent niggle in their knee which isn't exactly painful, so they disregard it as they're going to increase the distance tonight and plus, it's miles from home. When the pain finally kicks in they're forced to stop, but it's cold and they cool down quickly and begin shivering. When they finally get their stiff tired body in the door, they ignore the hunger pangs and eat a minimal amount, as it's essential to lose weight. After all, they're doing it again tomorrow. Sensible?

If one can begin running knowing some sensible measures to avoid and prevent injury, one is far more likely to have a fruitful and enjoyable running career. Knowledge is power. 

2
 Murderous_Crow 04 Jun 2018
In reply to Murderous_Crow:

None of the above is in any way contentious. But whatever.

1
 Yanis Nayu 04 Jun 2018
In reply to jamesg85:

> Cheers, I've seen those but they seem to progress too slowly. I reckon I'll be up to 5k pretty soon. Although I might be wrong as I'm overweight compared to when I last did some running.

The slower progression the better. You’ll just get injured otherwise, and be back to square one or worse. Your metabolic fitness tends to get ahead of your structural fitness. Ignore this advice at your peril. 

XXXX 05 Jun 2018
In reply to Murderous_Crow:

The attraction of running is its convenience for many. Shoes on, go.

If you have to consider weights, rollers, plyometrics, shoe technology, gait training and a degree in nutrition just to start, well  lot of people will have no running 'career' at all. They just won't bother.

The only advice I give to a beginner should be start slow and build slow. Don't be tempted to skip runs. If you enjoy it, go buy good shoes.

 

 

 

 

1
 Phil1919 05 Jun 2018
In reply to jamesg85:

I'd second any advice that says to run on soft ground and keep off hard surfaces. Absolutely.

 Murderous_Crow 05 Jun 2018
In reply to XXXX:

> The attraction of running is its convenience for many. Shoes on, go.

Yes.

The downside of running is the huge number - not hyperbole - of people who get injured doing exactly that.

Yearly, the incidence rate for running injuries varies between 37-56%. For all runners. For novices the risk of injury is significantly higher.

Shoes on, go is a great strategy if you're one of the 44-63% of people not getting injured.

> If you have to consider weights, rollers, plyometrics, shoe technology, gait training and a degree in nutrition just to start, well  lot of people will have no running 'career' at all. They just won't bother.

FFS. I’m not suggesting someone needs a ‘degree’ or even needs to do a great deal of learning. Just some basic common sense measures to help healthy progress. If a bit of simple preventative maintenance is enough to put someone off, they’re not going to stick at it anyway.

I’ve had a quick Google and the kinds of things I suggest are widely repeated across many reputable sources, from the NHS to highly-regarded sports coaches.

Can cite if wanted but it seems many folks are just happy to comment from their ivory tower: they’ve never had a training-stopping injury, so hey, why should anyone else?

Post edited at 09:36
XXXX 05 Jun 2018
In reply to Murderous_Crow:

Your assumption is incorrect, I'm two years into a chronic tendon issue and I've also had two other long absences with IT band issues. 

Start slow and build slow is still the advice I give.

 

1
 Murderous_Crow 05 Jun 2018
In reply to XXXX:

I'm sorry. Injuries suck. I hope you get things sorted soon. 

IT band issues are strongly correlated with running; it's not clear whether any of your injuries were caused by such. But if they were, do you really think you should be advising others to just 'get out and run' without doing any strengthening etc. (as you presumably did)? 

 

 Murderous_Crow 05 Jun 2018
In reply to XXXX:

'In 2000, Michael Fredericson, a doctor at Stanford University, discovered that weakness of the hip abductor muscles (mainly the gluteus minimus and gluteus medius) was the leading cause of ITBS. Research in the interim has only served to prove that Fredericson was correct in his original assumptions. In 2007, Brian Noehren, Irene Davis and Joseph Hamill reported in the journal Clinical Biomechanics that studying 3D kinematics of female runners revealed those who develop ITBS have an increased hip abduction motion, along with greater knee internal rotation, both likely caused by weakness in the hip abductors.'

https://www.runnersworld.com/advanced/a20802937/beating-the-band-0/

 

ETA: Increased abduction caused by over-activation of Tensor Fascia Latae (the muscle at the origin of the IT band) is indeed seen in ITBS; there is a characteristic narrow gait width and sometimes an outward-winging recovery phase, often only seen when the runner is tired.

 

Post edited at 09:59
 The New NickB 05 Jun 2018
In reply to Murderous_Crow:

I would interested to see some of this evidence that you refer to. Personally I find a lot of these studies pretty unreliable.

Ive worked with runners of all abilities for years and am now a coach as well as chairman of an athletics club. With beginners we keep it simple, all we do apart from telling them to build slowly is stress the importance of a warm up and cool down and show them a few ways to do that. We have very few injuries, those that we do have tend to be the same types of injury relating to trying to do too much too soon.

We do a little work on technique and things like strength training, but only once they have settled in to their running and we have a good idea of there weaknesses.

Sounds like you are complicating things somewhat.

1
 Murderous_Crow 05 Jun 2018
In reply to The New NickB:

I really don't see how any of the things I suggest are over-complicating it, it's pretty simple really. Perhaps I over-explained things in my first post, I know I have a tendency to do that.

https://www.runnersworld.com/health-injuries/a20819497/the-10-laws-of-injur...

http://www.dartmouth-hitchcock.org/ortho/ten_running_tips.html

https://www.brianmac.co.uk/injury.htm

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/knee-exercises-for-runners/

Of genuine interest, do you collect any data on injury rates in your club, or do any follow-up on those who've dropped out of training?

In reply to The New NickB:

This is interesting and I would welcome your thoughts on this I have been running for many years now up half marathon distance.  This included some longer runs.  at my fittest some 6 years ago I got an injury which has niggled for some time and Im getting back into the running now.  I started a few weeks ago with 3 miles per week adding 1 mile per week.  I ran 9 miles last week in two runs and plan to run 10 miles this week whilst introducing a third run (all weeks have been two runs so far).  Is this the level you are suggesting in terms of build up.

Speed work hasnt come in to it at all yet, just trying to build up mileage.

Post edited at 10:35
 The New NickB 05 Jun 2018
In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

Seems like a reasonable build up. I don’t think there is anything wrong with the 10% rule. Remind me, what was your injury?

 Murderous_Crow 05 Jun 2018
In reply to The New NickB:

Thinking about it, my original post might come over as if I'm saying people MUST NOT RUN unless they've done the following. While I don't say that, it could be implied from the categorical tone I used. 

I'm not saying one needs a high level of strength development, or of mobility. Just do some regular consistent accessory work on such, be aware of the need for movement quality, and be kind to oneself in relation to nutrition, pace, distance and surface. I think maybe if I'd said that, there would be a lot more agreement, although they mean the same thing. 

The studies on injury rates, and to a good extent those on treatment, are reliable. 

However regards studies on injury prevention I actually agree about their poor general reliability. As a clinician this is somewhat frustrating, however as I say above the evidence is as good as it currently gets. There's some exciting research on the applicability of strength to preventing running injury ongoing, but what it says in the final analysis remains to be seen. In the meantime we rely on what we have, and basic measures such as I mention are straight up the middle, the consensus on such is very strong. 

Edited to add, Nick if your club is large and out-performs the general running population in terms of injury rate, extent and recurrence, that's of significant interest. 

Post edited at 10:45
XXXX 05 Jun 2018
In reply to Murderous_Crow:

All my injuries have been caused by running. But as a beginner you're not going to get them unless you build up too quickly.

If someone says, I've been running about 6 months now and really enjoy it what advice do you have? I'd say start a stretching regime and consider it part of your training, concentrate on form, think about your core and do cross training, stretch, you can't spend too much on the right shoes, don't run through pain unless you know what it is, stretch and build slowly. And stretch.

But for someone who wants to start running? Nope.

1
 eb202 05 Jun 2018
In reply to jamesg85:

As a runner of about 10 years who started out a bit too keen and got injured (as lots of new runners do), I’d reiterate all the comments about building up gradually. The stress of running builds up over time and whilst you may feel fine for a while, you will likely end up injured after a couple of months of overdoing it as it takes time for your body to respond to training stress. It can take much longer to recover from injury than it would to patiently build it up slowly and sustainably over a longer period of time, so think long term and consider your soft tissues. Training adaptations take place during recovery, not during training itself. Focus on form and maintaining good posture, not speed. Runners World is a good resource. Prioritise rest. Eat well and get enough sleep. Perhaps have a race (5k?) to aim for later in the year, say 3 months from start of training. If you have a smart phone, the runkeeper (GPS) app is handy for logging your runs – don’t switch on the audio cues at first as it can tempt you into running faster.

If you have no CV fitness base, personally I’d suggest run-walks, where you run for a bit and walk as and when you feel tired before running again when you feel adequately recovered, perhaps only for 15 minutes at a time. It might sound like a very short time, but over several weeks and months it all adds up. Take at least one day off for every day you train, and build it up slowly – the general advice is to increase training load by no more than 10% each week. If you already have some fitness, you might be able to start with more, but if unsure err of side of being conservative – you can always ramp it up later. This is particularly important if you want to be able to keep running over a period of years, rather than just to get fitter now.

Build up running time for 3 weeks then take an easy week, before returning to week 3 and building up from there. Once running for 30 minutes consistently at a steady pace (you should be able to maintain a conversation), start adding a weekly long run, which should be no more than 30% of your total weekly running time (or mileage if you’re running for distance – ignore this until you’re more established). Gradually keep adding 10% total time / distance each week, taking a recovery week each month. You can extend this to 6-week cycles as you get fitter. You’ll find lots of training plans on the internet, but a simple initial plan to get you started might look something like this:

Week 1:

Mon – 15 minute run-walk + stretches (hip flexors, calves, quads, glues, hamstrings – 30 secs per stretch)

Tue – rest / cross training (climbing?)

Wed – 15 minute run-walk + stretches

Thu – rest / cross training

Fri – 15 minute run-walk + stretches

Sat – rest

Sun – rest

Week 2: (wk 1 + 10%)

Mon – 16 min run-walk + stretches

Tue – rest / cross training

Wed – 16 min run-walk + stretches

Thu – rest / cross training

Fri – 16 min run-walk + stretches

Sat – rest

Sun – rest

Week 3: (wk 2 + 10%)

Mon – 18 min run-walk + stretches

Tue – rest / cross training

Wed – 18 min run-walk + stretches

Thu – rest / cross training

Fri – 18 min run-walk + stretches

Sat – rest

Sun - rest

Week 4: (wk 3 – 30%)

Mon – 12 min run-walk + stretches

Tue – rest / cross training

Wed – 12 min run-walk + stretches

Thu – rest / cross training

Fri – 12 min run-walk + stretches

Sat – rest

Sun - rest

Week 5:

Repeat week 3

Week 6:

Week 3 + 10%

Week 7:

Week 6 + 10%

Week 8:

Week 7 – 30%

You could look at strength training if you’re interested, but it doesn’t matter that much when you’re building a CV fitness base. Most training models start by building CV endurance, then adding strength work (e.g. squats, lunges, heel raises, hill reps), followed by speed (tempos, fartleks, intervals), usually culminating in a race after a taper period. If anything, work on hip mobility and activating the glutes to run with good form. Yoga is good for staying supple for both running and climbing, and could be incorporated into a cool down or rest day. Swimming is also a low impact cross training activity. Hope that helps.

In reply to The New NickB:

It was a groin injury resulting in this procedure - http://lloydrelease.com/ - which I thing was mis-applied (?).  I got the impression that he saw my insurance number and wanted a long weekend break so after a 5 minute fiddle I was booked in for treatment.

I didnt run for two years and then started back last year and then had another painful groin episode in November and now back on the roads.

 The New NickB 05 Jun 2018
In reply to Murderous_Crow:

It’s not a particularly large club and we don’t keep formal records of injury, but I’ve been doing it long enough to get a feel for prevelance.

 Murderous_Crow 05 Jun 2018
In reply to The New NickB:

You're doing something right, if you're not losing people at the rates found in the general population. To be fair this is the reason I mentioned club coaching.

Many clubs have access to good coaches. But even without a full-time coach, there will be big advantages to running in a club. Novices will be able to observe and emulate good running form in the more experienced runners, swap stories and absorb wisdom in terms of injury occurrence, treatment and avoidance. Clubs can also be really good for morale. 

 

Post edited at 15:20
 The New NickB 05 Jun 2018
In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

Known injury problems are certainly one area where you need to pay specific attention. As it is often a sign of a weakness. Work around hip mobility is likely to be beneficial, but see a physio if you are not already.

 Tom Briggs 06 Jun 2018
In reply to Murderous_Crow:

> Fair play. Consider investing in a kettlebell or two to help build strength and power then. Strength is never a weakness, and will help you develop good biomechanics (translates well to climbing too in my experience). Plus KB workouts in the open air can be really enjoyable. Here's an ace little KB workout on youtube which covers much of the ground I mentioned above:

> Walking won't build capacity for running. If you want to run, you need to run. Just focus on form and stop before you're over-tired

Bizarre. Why the thumbs down to this post?

I took up running 2.5 years ago. I have a climbing/hill walking/mountaineering background. The demands of running on the body are very different. I have been injured a lot and have finally started doing strength exercises such as these (as well as bridging exercises, rolling IT bands etc) for hamstring/glutes problems.

Whilst it does sometimes feel as though the 'experts' are always talking about form/running economy and to a newcomer, this can lead to issues that might not have arisen (I started running too much on my forefoot, leading to achilles pain), I do wonder how many people, especially those who are older, or come to it late, can 'just run'.

Post edited at 13:40
OP jamesg85 06 Jun 2018
In reply to jamesg85:

Thanks for all the helpful posts, including the training programme. The main takeaway for me is to take it easy at first to avoid injury. I might consider some strength exercises too, or even get back into climbing.

OP jamesg85 16 Jun 2018
In reply to jamesg85:

Thanks again everyone for the advice. I've signed up for the Birmingham Great Run half marathon. At least I've committed to a goal now. I'm using the runkeeper app, following a half marathon training plan. It's only a half mile at the start so it builds up slowly.


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