File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
Ok, I just ran a mile in about 10 minutes which is pretty bad (it's outdoor and very hilly in my defense), then I had to stop. My lungs and legs were so beat up. This was my 4th day in a row since starting my running routine by the way (not really any improvement since day 1).

I still love doing it and don't plan to quit, but when can I expect to see some improvements in distance, time, or pain?

Also, I know you're not really supposed to go every day, but I'm taking a break from my lifting routine to improve my stamina. Would pushing it to every other day make a huge difference?
>> Anonymous
...and by taking a break from my lifting routine, I mean for maybe a month or two, until I can run fairly comfortably.

I stretched a lot beforehand too.
>> Anonymous
>>450554

Well what are you looking for OP? Also try doing HIIT. It really increases your aerobic capability by alot. But if you plan on just running 1 mile a day, step it up to 2 Or just increase the amount of time your running. Also i hope your not doing static stretches pre-work out.
>> Anonymous
>>450554
Either you run 10 miles tomorrow, or you die trying.
>> Anonymous
>>450563
I'm just trying to be able to run further, faster, and longer. If I did HIIT now, I wouldn't make it past the first or second intense portion. I have almost no stamina for running period... I just need to build it up before I can get to the better stuff.

I'd love to do two or go longer, but after one I am seriously out of breath and that's even after taking breaks to walk for a bit in the middle.
>> Anonymous
Come on, is there anyone else here?
I know most of you are lifters, but there's at least a few of you who know stuff about running. How many times must I do this until I start seeing noticable improvements?
What kind of mathematical progression can I expect here? y=x? y=x²? y=logx? (where x is time, y is performance)
>> Anonymous
if you run and don't experience any pain throughout the run then you have failed, I still think running is one of the most painful exercises, mentally and physically.

none of these can compare as far as cardio is concerned: C2, airdyne, stationary bike

of course that's my honest opinion
>> Anonymous
don't do static stretching before hand. only use dynamic and active stretching prior to your run. save the static stretching for afterwards. you temporarily weaken your muscles when you hold static stretches, so it's not the best strat right before a run.
>> Anonymous
>>450607
Ok, so I'll try some active and dynamic stretching (I just read up on it, doesn't seem too difficult to figure out).

What about routine? I went four days in a row so I should probably take tomorrow off and go again on Saturday? Do you think there will be a noticable improvement if I take the day off? That's usually what happens with lifting when I take days off of a muscle, but I know cardio is quite different.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
I started running 4 months ago. Now I run 10 kilometers in almost 1 hour, three times a week.

However, I had to stop doing all my leg routine at the gym, as every day after I went running there was always some pain either in my knees, feet or muscles.

Try to listening to the music you like while doing running, and try to keep the rythm from the song you are listening to. It makes things a little bit more entertaining, for me at least,
>> Anonymous
You might want to go every other day for now, you sound so out of shape (for running) that every other day will give you sufficient rest.

Once you can run a mile no problem in under 8 minutes, you can try to increase the distance a little each week and work on keeping the same or better pace.
>> Anonymous
Is that the Boston marathon or do you live in Boston?
>> Anonymous
Sup OP, I'm>>450563

Trust me, You can do HIIT. Also you should tell us your weight + height so we can check it out. Also run 2 miles everyday for a month. By the end of that month you'd shave a minute or more; and no you won't overwork yourself by running your just being lazy. Humans were designed to run almost all their lives (Predators, Old Stone age times, Back w/ Greece Etc) so don't think running a measly 2 miles a day is overworking yourself. Just make Sunday a rest day or not its up to you.

Running is more of a mental challenge then physical. There comes a time when you start running where after you used up all your carbs, you gotta switch to stored fats aka mental wall. Your mind is telling you to stop and slow down but your body can still go. But once you break that mental wall shit is like nirvana seriously. And if your wondering OP, I did a mixture of HIIT and lifting + 2 mile run on off days and sunday was my off day and from having being able to do 14 minutes in a mile, i shaved it down to... 8 minutes in 2 weeks. So yeah, just try out HIIT it really does work
>> Anonymous
Every few years I decide I should be more cardiovascularly fit. So I start jogging again. I make rapid progress, but I also stop making improvements after just a few weeks. And like the OP, I feel beat up every time I run. Like if I hobble along, I do a 10 minute mile; whereas if I bust my ass, I do a 9 minute mile. Worth the effort? I always conclude that I am simply not a runner and I head back into the gym.
>> Anonymous
Well, I'll lay out the general plan that my coach did throughout cross country. Plus, drink extra water and maybe use a protein/general nutrition supplement to aid recovery (within an hour of working hard for best results).

Monday: Long run. The whole goal is time spent moving, speed does not matter. Slow it down enough so you can go for at least 45 minutes, though an hour would be better.
Tuesday: Recovery day. Just do a slow mile after reading your post.
Wednesday: Speed day. Or, HIIT. All you really need for this is 30 second intervals of maximum effort with 3-5 minutes of rest in between. Do that 5 times or so. There are a lot of other things to do for speed workouts, but meh.
Thursday: Recovery once again.
Friday: Tempo day. This is middle distance, so say you can go 6 miles on your long day; go 3-4 miles and increase your pace for 30-45 second intervals during it. I usually had 6 of those intervals.
Saturday: ...Maybe another long run?...It was always up in the air, Saturday was optional practice. Mix it up a bit!
Sunday: Rest.

Ideally you'd be able to do a warmup with dynamic stretching thrown onto the end of it before your workout, and a cooldown afterwards with static and/or dynamic stretching then too.
>> Anonymous
>>450727
That was me.

And since we're giving personal stories here
>>450710
>>450723

I was decent at CC and track. Best mile was a 4:53, best 10 miles was 65 minutes. And HIIT with only 3 minute breaks still kicked my ass after 5 or 6 times. So naturally I'd stop at 12...

Because as people have said, it's a mental sport.
Plus I lucked out with my genes.
>> Anonymous
>>450750
(I am>>450723)

I just want to put a word in for those of us that don't naturally take to traditional cardiovascular activities.
>> Anonymous
So if running's completely mental, how long into the run does it typically take to get to that mental block and then the pain sort of goes away?
>> Anonymous
>>451495
I suspect it's different for everyone, but for me the first mile or so of a long run I feel like I won't be able to make it very far, but not long after that I settle into a faster pace and keep it up for a while. My best 2 mile time is 12:27 so I'm not bad, but I don't know how much fitness affects it