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mrscamire

17 posts since
Dec 7, 2007

Apr 28, 2006 6:37 AM

Warning: Total Newbie question

HI everyone. I just popped in to read up a little. I'm really new. My longest run to date is 2miles. I had anticipated being a little further along by now, but I had 6 weeks out with a knee injury.

Anyhow, I'm beginning to strongly consider trying walk/run method. I'm wondering what type of mpm you guys are getting (the slowest ones). I'm aiming to hit at least a 14 minute mile. Yes, I'm really that slow. LIke i said, NEWBIE!

Is this attainable? I can run a comfortable 13-14 minute mile. Will adding the walking breaks really up my speed between runs? I have noticed that I recover REALLY quickly when my run is over.Any thoughts or advice greatly appreciated!

Achilles58

197 posts since
Dec 8, 2004

1. Apr 28, 2006 7:40 AM

in response to: mrscamire

Congrats on starting. Many people get various injuries when they start cuz their muscles are imbalanced for running and their tendons and ligaments are strong enough yet. Best way is just start slowly and run/walk is a good way to do that. I recommend you stay with your current pace, throwing in the walk breaks as a way of lengthening your runs rather than speeding up the in between pace.
- You just gotta get your miles up before you get your pace up; the miles are what will get the various parts of your body ready for harder more stressful pace.
- One way to keep the pace down is the HRT monitor approach. Maybe check out Basic Training for tips. This is a way that makes you throw in walk breaks but it is based on Heart Rate rather than minutes. Otherwise, try 3 mins running 1 min walking and see if you can go a bit farther than 2 miles.
- Also, maybe your weight is increasing the stress? In this case, hopefully you shed some pounds and this will also help with the injuries. In any case, the trick is to spend more minutes exercising to begin with and only then increase the pace. 45 minutes on your feet run/walk per session is a good goal. Running every-other day is OK in the beginning, maybe even optimal since it allows time for your body to build; after you got the body, you can work on conditioning.
BTW, it takes like 10 years of running to fully achieve your potential since the body builds slowly.

Forestina Gump

84 posts since
Dec 14, 2007

2. Apr 30, 2006 2:07 PM

in response to: mrscamire

Hi! yes I would say it's atainable! but it will take time as speed doesn't come overnite. since you had a injury, don't push yourself too fast too soon to try to run faster between those walk break! if your 13 to 14 minute pace is comfortable to you now keep with it until your knee is completely healed and get's stronger. Hopefully your doing some exercises to do that or if your PT (physcial Therapist) gave you some to do and to keep doing ?

But I also had the same thoughts when I starting using the Run/walk after I had gone through a run/walk beginners class through my Local Running club. Because most feel that once you learn to Run you don't need to walk anymore? That's not the case...Walk breaks can really help you in your body's recovery after your Long Runs or after every run you do! So I would say to keep up the walk breaks!

Your walk breaks if you take 1-2 minute ones, what they are doing for you, is helping you to increase your Distance and Endurance. Unless your planning to run a Race in the near future like a 5k or 10k? You shouldn't be worried too much about speed at this time.

Take it easy ...

Forestina

Beer Gut

68 posts since
May 27, 2003

3. Apr 30, 2006 5:15 PM

in response to: mrscamire

Whether you take walk breaks or not, you should take it easy until you're completely healed.

I usually take walk breaks during my longer (6+ mile) runs, and, honestly, I don't care about the speed. I don't take walks as periodically as some people do ("Oh, there goes the watch, time for a walk!"), I just take them when I feel like it. Hill coming up? Walk it. Cars passing? Walk a bit. Dog looking mean? Better walk past him. Pretty girl across the street? Take a walk. I probably average taking a walk about every 5 minutes.

I also don't time the walks. Twenty seconds, thirty seconds? Rarely do I take a full minute unless I'm in a marathon or longer event. People would be surprised how beneficial a 15 second walk break is.

Speed. In a marathon I'll average somewhere between 12.5 and 13 mpm. Of course, the shorter the run, the faster I go.

I wouldn't worry about speed if I were you. You're out there, right? That's what counts, getting out there and covering ground on foot. Actually, the easier you take it in the beginning of your running, the longer you will run.

Here's my suggestion: Try taking walk breaks during your run, and just see if you feel better with it. I rarely get injured, and I attribute that to my slow (but steady) pace.

Remember: At least you're out there!

Good luck with it.

UncleSteve59

135 posts since
Aug 14, 2007

4. May 1, 2006 8:01 AM

in response to: mrscamire

I agree with the others who've posted a reply. You're in the base-building phase now, the period where you're GRADUALLY building and strengthing all the muscles, tendons, blood vessels, etc. used in running. For example, as you continue to exercise the "running muscles", your body will create new capillaries to supply more fuel and oxygen to the muscles. This, of course, doesn't happen overnight, but over a period of months. And this is just one of the gradual changes that are taking place.

If you try to do speed training before your body is ready for it, you are inviting injury. Take tour time, enjoy the process. Gradually increase your run/walks and weekly milage, guided by the 10% rule. (Don't increase your longest run/walk, or miles per week, more than 10% from week to week.) That doesn't mean you HAVE to increase 10% every week, just don't generally exceed a 10% increase.

My advice...let the next 6 months be for base-building only. Work on increasing you daily run/walk and your weekly milage. Throw in some aerobic cross training as well if you can...swimming, cycling, elliptical, whatever works for you. And don't forget that REST days are necessary to allow the body to maintain and repair itself.

Welcome to the running club!!!

Wingz

9 posts since
Oct 11, 2007

5. May 2, 2006 3:28 AM

in response to: mrscamire

I'm a slow runner, been doing it about 8 months. When I run straight I run about a 14 minute mile and am working pretty hard the whole time. When I run/walk for 5 min/1 min with a couple of other gals, somehow we end up going at about a 12:30 pace - including walk breaks. And I'm less tired!

My aerobic fitness is very poor still, and I'm going to take the next few months doing just low HR training. But I will vouch for walk breaks making an unfit person actually cover the ground faster! That's been my experience, at least.

Janell

mrscamire

17 posts since
Dec 7, 2007

6. May 2, 2006 6:57 AM

in response to: mrscamire

THanks all!!! I've really enjoyed hearing the advise. I'm not as concerned with pace and I know that building distance first is key, I just was not sure if in between walk breaks I should be pushing harder.

It's funny. I think I"m pretty healed (PT already discharged me) and then I'm sore again. It's been slow but steady in recovering. A good friend (who is also my personal coach and an experienced marathoner) just suggested galloway as a method of increasing miles while decreasing risk of injury.

I actually am running a 5K June 3. It will be my very first. I was hoping to run the whole thing, but with the time lost due to injury I don't have time time to safely build the miles I wanted. I have no problem with stopping and walking. IN fact, since my injury was incurred running downhill, I often stop and walk down long hills or steep hills to prevent ANY possible knee funniness.

Maybe you guys can answer another newbie question. Do most people have a different race and training pace? When I'm running, I'm not funning flat out but it's at a consistent HR for me. I can't imagine going faster just becuase it's a race. I know I have no chance of finishing anywhere near the top so should I really change up my pace from training or just join the race as if it were my normal saturday run, with free food and a cool chip to time me?

Thanks again. You guys have been TREMENDOUSLY helpful and positive.

Viich

326 posts since
May 27, 2004

7. May 2, 2006 8:44 AM

in response to: mrscamire

quote:<HR>Originally posted by sciencegeek:
Maybe you guys can answer another newbie question. Do most people have a different race and training pace? When I'm running, I'm not funning flat out but it's at a consistent HR for me. I can't imagine going faster just becuase it's a race. I know I have no chance of finishing anywhere near the top so should I really change up my pace from training or just join the race as if it were my normal saturday run, with free food and a cool chip to time me?)<HR>

HUGE difference between racing and training pace.... this is where new runners often get bitten.... not that they don't run hard enough in races, but that they run too hard in training.... I have a difference of ~1:10-2:20 min/km for a 5K from my training paces. (I train in a wide range)

mrscamire

17 posts since
Dec 7, 2007

8. May 2, 2006 12:45 PM

in response to: mrscamire

Why do you run faster in a race. I mean I know the obvious answer is to win but for the rest of us. I mean I'm running a training pace at 13-14 minute miles. That's about as fast and as slow as I go. Any slower and I'm walking and faster and I **** out. I assume that this is just that I'm really new. Once I have a few miles under my belt I will be able to keep my 14 mpm training and run faster races??? I dont' aim to win, just to finish and keep it up!

UncleSteve59

135 posts since
Aug 14, 2007

9. May 2, 2006 1:29 PM

in response to: mrscamire

I would say that, Yes, most people have different training vs racing paces. I think that 90% of the entrants in most races aren't there to win anything, but many are there to test their own progress. A race is "official". There's a start line, a finish line, a measured course, (usually) no traffic, mile markers, and, of course, your official finish time. So it's a controlled way to see how you're doing.

Also, there's a phenomenon that often occurs at races in that when running or run/walking the course amongst so many others, you seem to get energy from them. On the one hand, this can lead to PBs (personal bests). On the other, it can enduce you to start too fast and consequently suffer in the later stages. I've done this more than once. It takes a level of discipline to maintain "your" pace during the first mile or so.

Then again, many people are just there for the comraderie, the music, the food and/or the t-shirts.

WrdDm

1 posts since
Apr 29, 2006

10. May 4, 2006 6:25 AM

in response to: mrscamire

Newbie runner here as well. This was a very helpfull discussion, it also confirms that what I am doing is ok. I am currently running 3-4 times a week for 3-4 miles. I participate in a weekly 5K race which is one of my runs for the week. When I am running on my own, I use my HRM to decide when to take a walk break. If my HR exceeds my maximum training rate, I walk until it comes down towards my minimum training rate, then I run again. I have been finding that I can run longer and longer without maxing out my HR. My pace on a training run hovers around 13:30 with the walk breaks. On race night, I am running about 11:30 but again with a few walk breaks.

Dianne

Apr 28, 2006 6:37 AM

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