I need a Running Routine

[Minus83]

I need to up my cardio, and im getting tired of the stationary bike.

ive been switching between HIIT and the slow but long bouts of cardio.

but i REALLY want to start running / jogging, whatever, i saw a guy and a girl doing this tonight and it inspired me, ive always wanted to but this really sparked something in me.

and here i am, i have tonnes of magazines / books for fitness with cardio plans in them and what not, but what im looking for is real world experience, what has worked for you and others.

i just dont know where to start, i went runnin a while ago but i didnt do to well and got discouraged.

but i REALLY wanna do this now, no matter what it takes.

i just need a plan to build myself up and make sure im making progress towards becoming faster + having more endurance to run farther.

thats my ultimate goal, to be able to run for a significant ammount of time at a significant pace, but i need a routine to build me up.


What should i start off doing?

running as long and as fast as i can, and each day trying to beat that time / distance?

or go for a long distance at a slower pace?

or a shorter distance at a faster pace?

im lost, lol.

and what would be better, running around on the sidewalk at night, or around the track at my old high school? or on a treadmill at the gym?

which should i use first? sidewalk, track, or tradmill, while im building myself up?

thanks for any replies this may get, if this has been done to the death please form a line behind me with torches and pitch forks in a lynch mob fashion, poke me in the ass with a pitch fork, then chase me around town, maybe itll help.

 

[bpmartyr]

You want to start slow, for sure as running can be very stressfull on the body, especially the shins/calfs, knees and hips. First thing is to get fitted correctly for a good running shoe. I personally like the treadmill for their shock absorbtion characteristics and ability to change inclines (which can help to reduce occurance of shin splints) and track distance, speed, calories and time/pace.

I would start out doing 15-20 minutes at 5.5 to 7.5 mph and slowly ramping up duration over time. Once 30-45 minutes is not a problem, slowly ramp up your pace. Their is a rhythm or groove that you will develop that will allow you to go quite some distance/time at the right pace. Stick with it and record every run: incline, speed, time, distance, calories, heartrate as well as a summary of how you felt. An MP3 player can be a life saver to help get your mind off the running and push through plateaus. IMHO

 

[Minus83]

thanks for the reply, i bought small notebooks to write my routines in but have never kept a log of my progress, i should start doing that, thanks for the tip.

i had a feeling the treadmill might be best to start with.

what is the progress typically like for this? (i know everybodys different, but whats a good place to be in 2-3 months in terms of distance?)

and how much does incline factor into helping me get farther / faster? is it like, since im running "uphill" then running on a straight flat surface becomes less taxing?

 

[bpmartyr]

thanks for the reply, i bought small notebooks to write my routines in but have never kept a log of my progress, i should start doing that, thanks for the tip.

i had a feeling the treadmill might be best to start with.

what is the progress typically like for this? (i know everybodys different, but whats a good place to be in 2-3 months in terms of distance?)

and how much does incline factor into helping me get farther / faster? is it like, since im running "uphill" then running on a straight flat surface becomes less taxing?

You should be able to run at least 3 miles in a half hour in a couple months. But like you alluded to, everyone is different.

The treadmill is easier than running a track or on the street. This is simply dictated by physics. The motor on the TM is driving the belt and you are running to maintain position vs. having to propel yourself forward. The incline can help offset this some but it also good to vary the inclines to help simulate real world application. Running on a non-even surface like a trail for example will cause your feet to land and flex at diff angles and work your muscles from a variety of angles.

Main thing is to ease into it and listen to your body. You don't need to be the Flash overnight and an injury will set you back big time both mentally and physically.

 

[Minus83]

damn, this is harder than i thought, i can run at 5.0 (not sure if that is km or mph) on the treadmill for about a minute, and at 4.0 for about 2-3 minutes without stopping, but my calfs start hurting and get really tight.

i think now im just getting my "stride" down, well, its not a stride exactly, but you know, the rhythm, im gonna keep at it, but damn, its more difficult than i thought.

 

[Irish_Rogue]

Get out on a circular track and run one lap walk the other lap at a good pace. Run another lap, walk one. Do this for one week 3X,s. Next week run 2, walk one. Add a run lap every week. In no time you will be running/joggin (there is a difference). Running is a mental sport, keep motivated. Breathing is a key, if you can jog and carry on aconversation with your mate, you have breahting down. Strides are important, learn to strch out your stride, this will feel wierd for a bit, however it will reduce your step ratio and also reduce the energy expended to run. After a bit if running once a week do intervals, run one lap at 80-85% at jog a moderate lap, then repeat for 2 + miles, this will increase your speed.

Airborne