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Get Running with Couch to 5K

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Re: Get Running with Couch to 5K

#171

Post by macNchz »

twawaaay wrote: post #85
twosdai wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of the things I've always wondered about, and I don't know if there is a good scientific answer for it (haven't looked deeply), is if you end up committing to running 5 to 10 minutes a day will you end up turning into the type of person you're describing eventually. I guess my question is that is it likely a person would get the outsized health benefits because they commit to the minor health change which then ca…

I noticed on myself that running long distances is also willpower training. Being able to force myself to stick to something hard/painful causes me to also expand my ability to stick to other things. And when I can't run (for example due to injury) it also affects my ability to stick to a lot of other things that should not be affected by my knee. Another reason why I think running is so beneficial is because when yo…

There's definitely a lot of psychological interplay with running and willpower/self discipline. I think I read somewhere that there are disproportionate number of professionals/PhDs/otherwise successful people who are into ultra running, in part because they have the resources and flexibility needed for the training, but also because the ability to delay gratification and work towards a long term goal is required in both venues.

On a more micro level, a good run can make the rest of life's challenges much less daunting...as I say to my wife: busy days seem a lot less overwhelming if you start them by dragging yourself out of a warm bed to run 8 miles in freezing rain.

Re: Get Running with Couch to 5K

#172

Post by addled »

user1234 wrote: post #102
blairbeckwith wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll never tell people they have to, but winter running can be really enjoyable. I committed this year to doing as much of my training outside through the Canadian winter as possible, and so far it's been a dream. I ran through the storm that ripped through Ontario right before Christmas and caught myself thinking that I wasn't sure how much worse conditions would have to be for me to stop having a good time. Like th…

Yeah man I love winter running/walking! I went out during the -45C wind chills too. That's why I had to get some ski goggles. My eyes were freezing shut! Plus during blizzards the snow is like little razors on my eyeballs. That's the last bit of winter gear I think I needed. There's something about it though that I love. I can't force myself to get to the gym a block away but I'll go outside in blizzard conditions an…

Interesting perspective. I could see my inner child treating it like an astronaut going on a spacewalk!

Re: Get Running with Couch to 5K

#173

Post by lamontcg »

rconti wrote: post #159
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…

I highly recommend "80/20 Running: Run Stronger and Race Faster By Training Slower" by Matt Fitzgerald. Don't let the title put anyone off -- it's about performance, but most of the book is about the value of going SLOW. Like you, I was never really a runner, although I did get into running when I met my current partner, who is a runner. I think what's complicated for most not-fit people is that they only have one ru…

My "I can run forever" speed is more like 13 minute miles now, up from 14 minute miles. And it took me a long time to be able to motor for a 5k at a 14 minute/mile pace and not struggle mentally or physically at all. And I'm in the not-obese-but-out-of-shape category.

Re: Get Running with Couch to 5K

#174

Post by FartyMcFarter »

mclouts91 wrote: post #88
dotBen wrote: post #46

Is there a cycling equivalent Couch to 5k app? Given the impact running has on the joints, it would be great to do a program like this with a bike instead. (Other than Peloton which obviously has a high entry cost and even their app-only experience is pretty expensive for what it is)

You need to realise that weight bearing exercises (this means running, walking etc) are good for bone health. Low impact activities like cycling don’t give your bones the right stimulus to stay strong. And as the other commenter has said, the impact damage is probably in the minds of people who say that running does then damage but in reality it doesn’t do damage, it is actually a benefit to bones and joints.

It's a benefit if you do it properly and don't overdo it. The poison is in the dose and intensity.

Re: Get Running with Couch to 5K

#175

Post by FartyMcFarter »

igouy wrote: post #75
dotBen wrote: post #46

Is there a cycling equivalent Couch to 5k app? Given the impact running has on the joints, it would be great to do a program like this with a bike instead. (Other than Peloton which obviously has a high entry cost and even their app-only experience is pretty expensive for what it is)

> Given the impact running has on the joints Now try to find some evidence that the impact is damaging rather than a stimulus.

It's both depending on context (including age, body type, level of fitness etc). If you build gradually towards running fast and for long distances, it's a stimulus. If you run significantly beyond your current ability, it does damage.

Re: Get Running with Couch to 5K

#176

Post by dmje »

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.

Yeh, what @rrrrrrrrrrrryan said, I think it's no great problem either way :-)

Re: Get Running with Couch to 5K

#177

Post by dspillett »

MagicMoonlight wrote: post #138
dspillett wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The “impact on the joints” is massively overstated. Run with good gait & such (there are many good instructional videos on this, but some key points are don't over-stride thinking it'll make you go faster, try not to heal strike, don't push too hard or too fast, make sure you get rest between fast or long sessions, and wear decent shoes) and your knees/ankles/other will be just fine. There is as much evidence for run…

If you haven’t run at all your entire life then your joints don’t have the required strength. Obviously that’s not the case for you so you wouldn’t know.

> If you haven’t run at all your entire life … Obviously that’s not the case for you

Care to make any more assumptions? I practically hadn't run until ~35 when I was significantly overweight, [checks chart] actually officially obese, currently 44 & a bit overweight¹² and running regularly (including doing the occasional ultra event). I know many people with a not dissimilar history and away from anecdata there is plenty of evidence that running is beneficial more than it is detrimental in the general population⁰.

As I said prior: “There is as much evidence for running helping the joins in later life (assume you start earlier) as there is for the opposite.”. I know I know, [citation needed], but as the claim for running being bad for the joins generally was made first: I'll show you my citations if you show me yours. Or just keep downvoting and/or stating I know nothing if that makes you feel more correct.

--

[0] of course with the caveats of “if you don't push to hard/fast too quickly” (that can cause damage, though the same can be said for any other exercise) and “if you don't have pre-existing medical issues” (the most dangerous ones here being cardio-vascular related, not joints)

[1] the excess is definitely fat, not muscle mass, unfortunately!

[2] spent a few years well within a range where I should be, but I have to concentrate to manage excess food intake³ and the last few years have had my mind on other things a lot

[3] old habits die hard

Re: Get Running with Couch to 5K

#179

Post by rzimmerman »

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 think phrasing it as “30 minutes of light runnning” is a great way to explain it. A lot of people get turned off by “3 miles” or “5km” and it doesn’t account for slower paces.

A great way to start is to commit to 15 minutes of run/walk time 3-4x a week. When I decided to start, I did one long block where I’d run one way and walk back for 20 minutes. A few weeks later I’d run 7 minutes out (with occasional breaks at first) and 8 minutes back.

The goal is to feel good afterwards - not like crap. It’s better to do a workout at 80% of your capacity and want more than to go 105% and feel like butt. You want to develop a positive association in your brain so that you crave a run.

So number one piece of advice - go slow! If it helps, get a watch with a heart rate monitor and keep it below your 80% level. Worry about your times after the first 5k.

Re: Get Running with Couch to 5K

#180

Post by jhellan »

macNchz wrote: post #171
twawaaay wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I noticed on myself that running long distances is also willpower training. Being able to force myself to stick to something hard/painful causes me to also expand my ability to stick to other things. And when I can't run (for example due to injury) it also affects my ability to stick to a lot of other things that should not be affected by my knee. Another reason why I think running is so beneficial is because when yo…

There's definitely a lot of psychological interplay with running and willpower/self discipline. I think I read somewhere that there are disproportionate number of professionals/PhDs/otherwise successful people who are into ultra running, in part because they have the resources and flexibility needed for the training, but also because the ability to delay gratification and work towards a long term goal is required in…

Alan Turing was a serious marathon runner and came close to qualifying for the 1948 olympics. https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/Extras/Turing_running/
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