I want to expand on this, most people seriously underestimate how slowly they need to be running when they first start out. Also words like “slow” and “easy” are relative and can be hard to define from one runner to the next.
Think of it as “conversational pace,” meaning that you are running so slowly that you can control your breathing well enough to speak in complete sentences while you’re moving.
Whether you are a beginning runner or someone who has been doing it for years, your easy pace should always be conversational. As you gain more fitness, your conversational pace will get faster. As a beginner, all of your runs should be at conversational pace.
@kmar123 From what I’ve heard from my friends who run it is a skill in itself. The pace, breathing, the way you run e.g how you strike the ground all adds up to a successful run. They practice most days and focus on endurance.
I just don’t enjoy running myself because I have sinus issues so I roller-skate instead. Lots of alternatives out there.
@kmar123 Start with a 5k program. You can't expect to go out and just be able to run. I started running at 37 and I always hated because no one ever told me how to start at the bottom and get better. The programs exist because they work. HIIT is a lot different than continuous running.
Most people start out at a fast pace that feels right but that is not sustainable. Run slower than that. Run EVEN slower! It might feel ridiculously slow. (what does it feel like to jog in place?) The goal is to run the same pace for the whole run.
@megalicious The lifehack from my uni coach is that for a relaxing jog you should maintain the speed that would allow you to talk. That's why we would run in pairs or groups of three. Still works for me
@kmar123 I have the same issue with skating. I bike and do the elliptical and skate twice a week, but get winded going fast for more than 2-3 minutes or so.
@kmar123 If you really do find yourself choking up while running, you might want to consider going to your doctor just to ask about asthma.
I always considered myself fairly fit growing up since I played soccer and did cheerleading and hiked regularly, but occasionally, running or hiking an extremely steep hill made my throat feel like it was closing up. Turns out I have exercise induced asthma! I know how to not push myself to that level now but it is still very annoying! Good luck on your training!!
@kmar123 Sounds like you’re having an experience similar to me lol!
I thought I was very fit from doing lots of hiking, hot yoga, and HIIT. But girrrllll when I started doing “real” cardio goddamn.
I personally found it much easier and enjoyable to build a base on the bike then switched to running. But if you want to do a marathon idk how feasible that timeline is. I’d say just to go run. Don’t do intervals you don’t need speed work. Just run slow and comfortable and then that slow/comfortable pace isn’t comfortable then take a walk break, when you feel ready then run again! Listen to your body.
@kmar123 I don’t know about you, but I thought I was bad at running for years until I happened to have a doctors appointment immediately after I walked up a steep hill in winter. The doctor told me I had asthma. Turns out breathing like that is not normal!
I can run now, and I’ve done a marathon. I had to work up to it for a couple of years before I was able to run for a sustained period. I did Couch to 5 k two or three times.
@kmar123 Fix your form and slow down. New runners tend to go to fast to start with (gassing you), as well as over-striding (greater impact on the legs that they're not ready for). The only ones that tend to transition well are people who have significant prior experience in a field sport with a significant running component like soccer.
Your pace should be slow enough that you can still manage to speak in ~10 word sentences, and your stride should be short and choppy while going that slow, which will minimize the impact of your footstrike on your muscles and joints. Once you've mastered those two things, then you can start putting in miles and learning how to add speed.
@dawn16 Besides all the people who said "get checked for asthma" and "watch your pace" I think form is really important. I'm not a regular runner, but it got a lot easier for me when someone pointed out changes I could make to my stride.
@dawn16 This is the answer here. One thing that helped me with short choppy strides was to run with a metronome (on a treadmill) and listen to playlist with at least 160 BPM
@kmar123 Ah. You are learning the joys of PACING yourself, which is hard for those of us who are used to short bursts of intensity! You'll probably have to go slower than you think. Running on a treadmill really helped me figure out my pace, and then I built a running playlist that helps me stay at that speed and not go faster lol
