A Question for the Runners

[closer]

Foods that you buy raw and cook at home actually turn out to be cheaper. Its cheaper to buy ingredients to make bread at home than to buy it. Whole chicken costs less at the grocery store than pre-cut, cleaned, etc. Steel cut oatmeal is good for you, tastes better, and is cheaper in bulk than buying breakfast cereal. In addition, cutting out the chips, candy, etc will actually save you money. If you bake whole wheat bread at home, cook fresh meats, eat raw veggies and fruit, and incorporate some milk/yogurt, you will be well on your way. Cut down on the portion sizes, and keep snacks handy for between meals - I like nuts (almonds), fruit and plain yogurt.

Whole grains are so much better for you, if you don't enjoy the taste, give it some time. I love my whole wheat and whole grain breads. The one thing that took me a lot longer to cut down was sugar. Even though I had reduced my sugar intake over the summer, I still added sweetener to my coffee and sugar to my chocolate milk. I've now cut down the sweetener in my coffee drastically, and completely eliminated the sugar in my chocolate milk.

In terms of exercise, you should have 2 goals - a) create a caloric deficit so that you can lose weight and b) increase your fitness level so that as the weeks roll by, you are able to exercise at longer / more intense levels to continue to create that caloric deficit. While I like the idea of taking it slow and not overreaching, I'm not sure that walking for 6 months will get you there. My suggestion is to start with 20min jogging sessions, jog as slow as you possibly can without actually walking. If you don't work up a sweat, the intensity is not enough to lose weight. Alternate steady pace jogging sessions with intervals, where you jog at a slightly faster pace for 3min, then fall back to a slower pace for 2min. Every week or two, up the interval from 3min to 4min, then to 5min, etc, until you get to the point where the higher intensity becomes your steady pace intensity for 20min. After the first month, up the total time to 25min, the next month up it to 30min, etc.

I'd also suggest to add a good 15-20min of stretching, it will help to develop some flexibility which will make you feel better and help avoid injuries.

One more thing to caution, since you mention getting up earlier in the morning. You'll need to ensure that you are getting enough sleep at night, and this may mean getting to bed early. You will not be able to keep up the intensity or the motivation if you are constantly fatigued due to sleep deprivation.

 

[HollisBT]

And to answer your first question, no it never gets easier. Because as soon as it does you'll start running further and/or faster

This is true. 5K's were my gateway drug, before you know it you will be distance running, doing half marathons, and complaining when you have a slow run.

 

[dklaiman]

Janna,

One more option for you (and not to hijack the thread) is a weight loss pledge. I've read some articles recently that have indicated great success with these plans. Basically, the person who wants to lose weights makes a pledge to someone else that they'll lose X number of pounds by a certain date or pay that person $Y. The money has to be sufficient to be a motivator, so it differs for each for each person depending on his or her financial situation. Also, the person you make the pledge to holds the money in advance and only gives it back if you lose the weight, so it has to be someone who is willing to take on that role.

 

[Egmont]

This is my first time in this category. Being an avid runner (and somewhat regular marathoner--13 full so far) I just read the entire thread. Here are some random thoughts.

- We were made to move, almost anyone can run once you've worked your way (slowly!) into modest condition
- Lower leg and body adaptation (required for running to be enjoyable and relaxing) takes much longer that improving cardio/vascular conditioning, so be patient and don't give up
- Run slowly, but once every week or 2, run far (at least far for you). Greta Waitz (9 consecutive NY marathon wins!) said, to run faster, you need to slow down.
- Mix in walking as much as you want (this will vary if your are training for a specific race, e.g., 10K, where you will need more discipline, more speed work, etc.; but generally walk breaks add to your work outs, not detract, especially for Masters (old) runners. See various authors for more on this subject.)

Janna, All the best to you in your quest. Let us know how it's going and how we can help. God bless you!

See you on the trails, roads, and tracks...

 

[erickson]

First mile or two are always painful, after about 3 miles you get into a groove. Keep at it.

Yeah, it seems like there is something magical about the 3 mile mark. Once you pass that it seems that your miles quickly increase from there.

I have been a runner for nearly 50 years now and after any major setbacks, I always knew that if/when I reached the 3 mile mark that I was back in the game.

 

[ustacood]

I can't say enough about the minimalist techniques for running. (Google Pose technique). Basically using the ball of foot for striking. Yes I would stretch my Achilles' tendon prior to running and after. Your feet will need to adjust so do it slowly. You will pick up speed. You will feel less fatigue in your feet, ankles, knees with running. If not already mentioned, check out Born to Run, an interesting read by Christopher McDougal. Check out the Five Fingers shoes by Vibram. I would have never considered this prior to this past year. I have done up to five miles on concrete with these shoes and never felt better. I'm currently on my second pair of Brooks Ghost shoes for a little more cushion but very lightweight. I have been through plantar fasciitis in both feet. Iliotibial band syndrome in both legs and numerous episodes of shin splints killing an enjoyable run. Don't go to your local running store and ask about a shoe fitting either. You will end up on a treadmill with a video device and then someone telling you to get a shoe for pronators. Those are the most expensive shoes in the store and they don't last any longer for the price.

 

[Go West Young Man]

But remember that minimal shoes DON'T teach you good technique, and if you run poorly you'll just hurt yourself twice as fast in them!

 

[jsrdrnr]

Last time I got running shoes, I got them from a local running store. I was not put on a treadmill. They did 'examine' my run though. I dont remember if I got pronators or not but that does sound very familiar. I do walk on the outside of my feet though and I have high arches. This I know for sure by walking in the sand. I am excited to get started come January. My first goal is going to be walking. Just get moving. I am going to have to get a new pair of shoes when I get to running. My current shoes are a couple of years old and they need to be replaced. They are great for everyday wear but not that great for running any longer. I have a pair of Vibram Five Fingers and wear them almost daily. I would be able to walk in them and even start my program in them since I am doing a run/walk program. They are no more expensive than a good pair of runners and the ones I have are good for running. That would at least keep a bit of money in my pocket a bit longer. I've only had the Vibrams for a couple of months now. Need to get me some good socks to wear with them off amazon to keep the sweating and keep the possibility of blisters down. Anyway. First I am going to walk to the end of the street and back for two weeks and go from there. I have to get moving. I am going from couching it to moving it and have to get my CV and MS systems in order. I want to go slow enough to not hurt myself, but I also want to push myself and not get stuck in a rut. I still have some time to set up more goals and when I want to accomplish them and all that jazz.

 

[Go West Young Man]

I find my VFF's more comfortable without socks, they hold on to my foot without chafing.
You have to wash them more frequently to get the sweat out of else they start to stink, but I'll usually just hop in the shower post-run still wearing them about one a week, that seems to keep them in good condition.

 

[scottish steve]

Your shoes are probably constructed specifically to AVOID let you run with good technique - modern running shoes are abominations of overdesign. Built up heels, soft fluffy padding, motion control features - all work against a natural foot strike. What are you wearing? Try some old-school flats like Converse (or even barefoot) , you'll find your stride shortening up and your foot falling more naturally.

GYWM, I find this comment intriguing. Could you expand on it please? If there was one thing about "modern progress" I thought was certain, it was running shoes. I don't mean Adidas' Star Wars updated originals and the like, I mean good shoes from Asics etc, which take your pronation and terrain into account. Have I been fooled by marketting hype.....again?

 

[scottish steve]

I like what I am hearing so far. Now, you know, I am going to try to throw a monkey wrench into your equation. The only source of income for my husband and I is his SSI. We get state help for food. Lets just say that with his SSI and the food help we still have less that $1000/month. We have a daughter who shares this budget also. We have a few bills that we have to manage as well. How do I go about incorporating fruits, veggies, fish, and whole grains into my diet when they are more expensive than that garbage processed food? I am not trying to be argumentative. I hope it is not coming across that way. I would love to do what you are proposing. The hard part for me is going to be the whole grain. I just dont like the taste. I adore fruit and veggies. I grew up where you always had a meat and at least 2 veggies and one had to be green and if you had more than 2 veggies only 1 could be a starch. I cannot stand having to starches for supper (mac and cheese and mashed potatoes for supper, seriously?).

The peer pressure thing could be doable. The Facebook thing is easy enough. Not to mention the running store here may have a group or something.

Garbage is far more expensive than real food. Get to a local wholesaler and buy 10 kg of rice, 5l of maize or peanut oil, some spices and a load of vegetables. You can literally get 50% or more of your calories from rice and you'll be far better off. Once you get used to it, rice twice a day becomes natural. it;s very healthy and it's not expensive. Through in some meat every other day ( by which I mean 3 rashers of bacon cut up and added to the veg for each person)and you're healthy, losing wight and saving money. Cut out all dairy, sugar and fizzy drinks.

 

[scottish steve]

If it's question of just getting walking, take the bus into town and make sure you have to walk back- go out with only enough money for one way. Or get off the bus a stop earlier so you have to walk home. If you have a car, drive to a local beauty spot and park it, then get the bus 1 mile down the road and walk back. Lots of ways to leave yourself with no choice BUT to walk.

 

[Go West Young Man]

GYWM, I find this comment intriguing. Could you expand on it please? If there was one thing about "modern progress" I thought was certain, it was running shoes. I don't mean Adidas' Star Wars updated originals and the like, I mean good shoes from Asics etc, which take your pronation and terrain into account. Have I been fooled by marketting hype.....again?

Don't feel bad, we all have! Now, the issue is far from resolved, but there's a growing core of runners who firmly believe that modern shoes cause more problems than they solve. Science is just staring to weigh in, and the early results mostly (but not always) support this viewpoint.

Remember, for millennia humans on rocks and hardbaked mud and never suffered shin splints or hammer toe or whatever. Our grandparents would strap on the most basic pair of Chuck Taylors and run all day without consequence.

The first running injuries started getting widely reported just after running shoe 'technology' took off in the 70s, and now it's an epidemic. Something like 75% of runners will experience an injury every year. Why? The theory is that rather than teach runners proper technique, every 'advance' in shoe is intended as a crutch for some bad habit. If your muscles are weak, you don't prop them up, you work them until they strengthen, right? Same thing with your feet - cushioning and supporting them only makes them weaker, gradually increasing their workload in a biomechanically correct way makes them stronger.

This article's a couple years old, but it gives a good overview of the issue
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/07/barefoot/

Chris McDougall is one of the gurus of the minimal shoe movement, and he explains things very well
http://www.chrismcdougall.com/barefoot.html

Guy on the left- hitting on his heel, hips out of alignment, balance all wrong. Lady on the right - perfect form!

 

[JaDo]

And you won't read much about this in the popular running magazines. Have you seen how many ads there are in those magazines from the shoe companies??

 

[scottish steve]

Those links certainly are food for thought. Thanks. I would say that I imagine many more people run many more miles for pleasure these days, than did before the 70s and >95% do so without professional supervision. This must count for some of the increase in injuries. Having run on grass and sand as a kid, I can see the minimal need for a waffle/EVA sole in these environments. But pounding out X miles a day on concrete is definitely not natural. There has to be some way that modern materials can help us with this sort of running, even if precious few of the thousands of different models of running shoe do so at the moment. I'm sure that you are right that very few people get taught how to run properly, or even imagine they need to be, especially those who start running when totally out of condition, as an emergency response to realising just how overweight they've become. As with almost every aspect of human behaviour, we get some cool gear form a cool shop and just start. I don't run. Never have. I hate it, much like the OP, my body screams as soon as I start. But I love cycling and have cycled past my 2nd and sometimes even 3rd wall, in pouring rain and cold, in order to get home, then fell asleep immediately upon getting out of the bath. It just seems far more natural to cycle than to run.
But if I look at how I personally buy shoes, I really have to extrapolate from experience, trying to work out how all the other shoes I bought felt in-use, from the 15 low-speed steps you have space to take in the shop. I've just found out that I'm an underpronator and the running shoes I just bought (for comfort, not running) are for moderate OVERpronators.
Given the importance of maintaining a reasonable fitness level, especially at my age, I would feel it sensible to start running just a little. But all this talk of injury is off-putting, to say the least!

 

[Go West Young Man]

Yup, the debate is definitely still ongoing. Long-term studies of minimal shoe runners don't exist yet, but the short and mid-term studies are tending towards supporting the belief that modern shoes hurt more than help. There's a lot of anecdotal evidence going back 10 or 15 years that people who take the time to learn proper technique when running this benefit greatly from reduced injuries.

Personally, I've been running this way about 2 years. All my foot and arch pains have disappeared, I no longer need $300 orthotic insoles, and I don't have to take painkillers after long runs anymore. When I DO wear shoes with tight toe boxes, raised heels and arch support, the pains and aches come right back within days. Not scientific, but good enough to convince me!

 

[bassmanlarry]

I haven't gone completely barefoot or minimalist with my shoes, but I tend to go for shoes that are more of a throwback, like old school Pumas. When using the modern overly cushioned shoes, it's real easy to overstride and land on your heel with your foot out in front of you instead of underneath you.

 

[jsrdrnr]

This brings up some very interesting points on proper form. I have no clue what that is and I do tend to strike from heal to toe as that is how I was taught as a kid to run. I have been wearing my VFFs now mostly all the time and am planning on starting in those I think.

 

[scottish steve]

So would you say this kind of shoe is best, rather than the supercool new models that look like a galactic warbird?

 

[bassmanlarry]

So would you say this kind of shoe is best, rather than the supercool new models that look like a galactic warbird?

Something like that is what I go for, but like with anything, YMMV.