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Get Running with Couch to 5K

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Re: Get Running with Couch to 5K

#161

Post by rconti »

MarcScott wrote: post #39

I did this about four years ago. I hated it. Even running with my collie or listening to audio books didn't help. It just felt like a miserable chore, every time I put on my running shoes. In the end I just quit. Now I hike every weekend, at least 10 miles, which lets me go out with family and friends. I also do various martial arts with my son, which as a shared activity is so much more enjoyable. The only time I'll…

If you ever try it again-- run slower. Like, really slow. It took me YEARS to figure this out.

Re: Get Running with Couch to 5K

#162

Post by rconti »

Someone1234 wrote: post #133
sw030695 wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think running is attractive because it's one of the most effective sports at burning energy, and it's entry level. Shoes, and some loose clothes. In the past I've lost weight from a bunch of different sports and running worked the best. It's just the most intense pure sport, without mechanical assistance.

> most effective sports at burning energy I'm pretty sure it is one of the least effective sports at burning energy. Humans have evolved to be highly efficient runners, therefore we exert less energy when we run (plus compared alternative we're under-using our upper bodies). Swimming is almost certainly the most effective sport for burning energy. That being said: Losing body fat from exercise is a bad strategy anywa…

[citation needed]

I've spent a lot of time running and cycling, and personally, I can burn 800 calories an hour running, and 600 cycling. I can easily sustain heartrates of 150-160bpm but struggle to break 130 swimming.

Found a few source that also put running at the top.

https://revelsports.com/which-sport-burns-the-most-calories/

Re: Get Running with Couch to 5K

#163

Post by meitham »

I'm 42 and though always been into weight lifting, never ran for more than 30 seconds (usually to catch a train). I started on Couch to 5K on August last year, when I realised I was the one member in my team that didn't sign up for a 5K charity run in September!

Running for a whole minute on the first week was extremely challenging and physically painful in the heart. I genuinely worried thinking I was going to have a heart stroke. The second week was even harder, as I realised my first week run wasn't truth whole minute as my podcast app was set to listen to 1.3x speed, so I ran less!

Anyway, in 7 weeks I was able to do eight whole minutes and I could push myself to do more. I managed to finish the 5K charity run in 38 minutes, but due to covid wasn't able to run since.

I highly recommend this podcast and once the weather gets better I will be resuming these jogs!

Re: Get Running with Couch to 5K

#164

Post by str1k3 »

twawaaay wrote: post #154
arcade79 wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with you, but there's one big "Oh, right..." in there. Up until a year and a half ago, I had never enjoyed a jog in my life. I had done plenty of "jogging" during school years, as part of gym class, but nobody had ever explained to me difference between a pleasant jog and running until you drop. I stopped exercising for many years. Then started powerlifting. A couple of years ago I decided that I should take…

Yep. This is the thing that I wish somebody told me when I first ventured to start running. Light run is when I run with somebody else and I still can have a pleasant conversation. I take phonecalls when I am running and I had situations where people were surprised when I told them I am running (they expected me to be panting probably). IMO there is no need to run any harder than that if your goal is maximising your…

The other option is run faster but intermittently.

It came as a surprise to me that many people are self-conscious about stopping to walk during running -- that's how I've always done it! I never thought anything of it because I have always been in shape as 100m / 200m sprinter... I'd encourage others to try this, because although I love running, I also could never really get into jogging.

Re: Get Running with Couch to 5K

#165

Post by macNchz »

arcade79 wrote: post #142
twawaaay wrote: post #48

Personally, I think aren't many better return on investment activities than spending half an hour every day on a morning jog. You can run more than that but I think half an hour steady state easy run each morning gives you 80% of results. If you love running (I do), knock yourself out. But that half an hour is enough to do wonders to your health over long periods of time with minimum chance for negative consequences.…

I agree with you, but there's one big "Oh, right..." in there. Up until a year and a half ago, I had never enjoyed a jog in my life. I had done plenty of "jogging" during school years, as part of gym class, but nobody had ever explained to me difference between a pleasant jog and running until you drop. I stopped exercising for many years. Then started powerlifting. A couple of years ago I decided that I should take…

I think some of the ability to differentiate a light run from a hard run requires having a degree of baseline fitness. A lot of people who are not especially fit will find that they can run quickly for a minute or two, or very slowly for maybe ten minutes, but either way they find themselves completely winded and sore. Folks will read advice online about running at a pace where you can have a conversation, but find that there's literally no pace above a walk where this is possible for them.

I was interested in running for years, but found the walk breaks that the Couch to 5k program uses to deal with this issue to be tedious. I tried it a few times, but it didn't stick until years later after I'd started a gym habit and built a good base. When New Years came around, I was used to going to the gym before work every morning, and it was really disruptive when my gym was suddenly insanely packed with resolutioners, so I just put my stuff in a locker and tried going outside for a run. With the base I'd built in the gym, I found I could run quickly for a few minutes, but when running slowly I could go for 30+ minutes without a break instead of ten, and it finally stuck (that was 4 years ago).

Re: Get Running with Couch to 5K

#166

Post by birken »

twawaaay wrote: post #154
arcade79 wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with you, but there's one big "Oh, right..." in there. Up until a year and a half ago, I had never enjoyed a jog in my life. I had done plenty of "jogging" during school years, as part of gym class, but nobody had ever explained to me difference between a pleasant jog and running until you drop. I stopped exercising for many years. Then started powerlifting. A couple of years ago I decided that I should take…

Yep. This is the thing that I wish somebody told me when I first ventured to start running. Light run is when I run with somebody else and I still can have a pleasant conversation. I take phonecalls when I am running and I had situations where people were surprised when I told them I am running (they expected me to be panting probably). IMO there is no need to run any harder than that if your goal is maximising your…

> IMO there is no need to run any harder than that if your goal is maximising your wellbeing (unless your wellbeing comes from winning races...)

Interestingly the best (or second best) bike racer in the world, Tadej Pogačar, is very big into "zone 2" training, in which the idea is you optimize your aerobic engine by spending the majority of your training time in zone 2 and no faster.

While the zone 2 can be measured formerly with a lot of fancy equipment that monitors the gases you breath out and levels of lactic acid in your blood, the casual guideline for finding your zone 2 is a workout at the level where you can just barely hold a conversation while doing it. The casual definition of zone 1 is you can easily hold a conversation, zone 3 is you can say a few words but can't hold a conversation, and zone 4 is you are breathing so hard you can barely talk.

So basically, even if your wellbeing does come from winning races, zone 2 training might also be the best thing to do (at least for the majority of your workout times).

Re: Get Running with Couch to 5K

#169

Post by rrrrrrrrrrrryan »

cuanim wrote: post #149
dmje wrote: post #120

Been a runner for 30+ years. I love it. I've got 5 bits of advice for anyone starting out. Firstly, just go. As the old trope says, the hardest bit is the distance between couch and front door. Don't even think about it, don't look at the weather, don't worry about that little voice in your head telling you how cold it is. Just get your kit on and go. Once you're outside you're on your way. Secondly - give some focus…

Hey, is it bad to breathe through your mouth while running/jogging? I had a badminton coach who advised us not to do it unless it was unavoidable. But I really struggled with it so was wondering if breathing through nose was fundamentally better for whatever reason.

Your nose is a bit better at humidifying the air before it hits your lungs, so breathing in through your nose makes your throat less likely to dry out.

But some people's noses just don't have the throughout to support running (mine are this way), so you can basically disregard the advice.

Re: Get Running with Couch to 5K

#170

Post by michaelt »

Someone1234 wrote: post #133
sw030695 wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think running is attractive because it's one of the most effective sports at burning energy, and it's entry level. Shoes, and some loose clothes. In the past I've lost weight from a bunch of different sports and running worked the best. It's just the most intense pure sport, without mechanical assistance.

> most effective sports at burning energy I'm pretty sure it is one of the least effective sports at burning energy. Humans have evolved to be highly efficient runners, therefore we exert less energy when we run (plus compared alternative we're under-using our upper bodies). Swimming is almost certainly the most effective sport for burning energy. That being said: Losing body fat from exercise is a bad strategy anywa…

> I'm pretty sure it is one of the least effective sports at burning energy.

Depends on how fast you run :)

According to [1] in terms of calories burned by a 155-pound person in 30 minutes:

Running at 5mph is equivalent to beach volleyball, ice hockey and basketball, at 288 calories.

Running at 6mph is equivalent to kickboxing, cycling at 15 mph, vigorously swimming laps or vigorous step aerobics at 360 calories.

If you're lucky enough to be able to run a 10mph for 30 minutes (which is fast) doing so is one of the fastest ways to burn calories, burning 562 calories. The only thing listed that uses more calories is cycling >20mph.

Of course, people with their weight under control have a much easier time achieving higher speeds - someone who weighs 230 lbs isn't likely to be running at 10 mph, and they'll probably hit their weight goal before they'll hit that speed.

I agree with you that, with 270 calories in a chocolate bar, it's easy for bad diet to undo the benefits of exercise.

[1] https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/calories...

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