Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 61 total)
  • As the clock of life ticks by – it's time to take up running
  • ourmaninthenorth
    Full Member

    So, I ride a bike a reasonable amount (though lately have been slacking). I take no other exercise.

    I have a child on the way and knowing that my free time is now under threat, I want to maximise exercise for minimum time. Riding bikes will take up too much time (to begin with).

    I am short, stocky and heavy. Running and I have never previously got on. Now we're going to have to live together like Windsor Davies and Donald Sinden in Never the Twain.

    Where do I begin?

    RealMan
    Free Member

    If you're heavy, and you take up running seriously, you may find you get injured. Have you considered swimming? Or even road riding? Quite easy to just spend an hour doing those.

    BigDummy
    Free Member

    When you least expect it, by running down a muddy bank, through a stream and then up some steep concrete steps. GO!!!!

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    davedodd
    Free Member

    Do you road ride as well? Can do this straight from the house, no prep time etc, and as tough as you want it to be. Non weight bearing too, which will save your knees!!

    sofatester
    Free Member

    If you're heavy, and you take up running seriously, you may find you get injured fit.

    Fixed that for you 😀

    lookmanohands
    Free Member

    Oh no not another running thread! 😯

    IanMunro
    Free Member
    uplink
    Free Member

    Some stuff here may be of use to you, although it looks to be aimed at new to exercise types
    http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/beginners/start-running-now-our-get-going-guide/4741.html

    Trekster
    Full Member

    child+buggy = lots of walking to start with, get an off road one 😀

    If you are "heavy" time to start dieting, get a pedometer and do your recommended 10k steps. Wife did this last summer and it worked for her, not me for some reason 😕
    http://www.thewalkingsite.com/10000steps.html
    Good for getting you both fit

    ourmaninthenorth
    Full Member

    BD – thank you. It was the pain experienced that prompted this..!

    Realman – I'm heavier than I would like to be, but am not excessively so.

    davedodd – I primarily ride a road bike (only MTB a handful of times each year). Agree it's great from the front door, but it needs at least 2 hours to get real value. Current commute is an hour each way, 5 days a week.

    IanMunro – cheers. Will get a copy. But there's no way I'm ever going to run 50 miles. Ever.

    ourmaninthenorth
    Full Member

    uplink – cheers. My last running was when I was a hockey player (retired 6 years ago). I viewed it as a necessary evil and hated it.

    trekster – have steadily accumulated around a stone since Mrs North became pregnant. She's gone right off veg and wants carb rich food. Guess what I've been eating..?

    Surf-Mat
    Free Member

    Ourman – are you overweight heavy or built like a brick outhouse heavy? Or a bit of both?

    I'm on the high side for BMI (but only just shy of 12 stone – shortish) and took to running pretty quickly having ridden for years – the base fitness really helped.

    Try and run off road if you can – more interesting and better for your knees.
    Don't overdo it but do push yourself a bit.
    Get some shoes fitted at a good running shop (if possible).

    Enjoy a sport that you can do anywhere, any time with the tiniest amount of kit – great for working away, holidays, etc.

    Racing is good but hard work – I always push it really hard, get good results (always top 10%) but suffer big time afterwards! Probably ought to take it a bit easier.

    Anyway enjoy!

    RealMan
    Free Member

    I'm heavier than I would like to be, but am not excessively so.

    When I started running, I took it up with a lot of enthusiasm, and was doing it regularly. I got injured, and wasn't really walking properly for around 6 months, and not back in sport properly for another 6 months after that. On Monday whilst at training, I had to stop and put a support bandage I carry around with me on as it was painful. And the injury happened over 3 years ago, and I haven't really run since.

    Oh, and I'm 55kg, and pretty much at the heaviest I've ever been.

    Cougar
    Full Member

    Go to a running shop, get your gait analysed on a treadmill, get correct footwear.

    ourmaninthenorth
    Full Member

    Ourman – are you overweight heavy or built like a brick outhouse heavy? Or a bit of both?

    Both.

    *Need to lose a stone of lard.
    *Need to maintain (and increase) fitness.
    *Need to achieve the same/more with less time.
    *Need to be more flexible with time.
    *Need to ensure good bone strength – riding road bikes isn't good for that long term.

    I live very near the River Mersey, so have access to non-tarmac. I like the idea of running along there.

    IainGillam
    Free Member

    If you don't already, join a local road club and do some time trials and road races. If you think you need 2 hours on a road bike to see any benefit a 1 hour circuit race will soon cure that! Around this time of year you should be able to get to at least one tt a week possibly more and probably one race a week as well.

    Iain

    mastiles_fanylion
    Free Member

    Go to a running shop, get your gait analysed on a treadmill, get correct footwear.

    Over-rated by 100000% The running shoes I bought blind on the interweb are much better than the ones I had fitted at Up & Running in Harrogate.

    That is my experience anyway.

    Back to the OP – start VERY slowly. Your lungs will take you much further than your legs can cope with.

    Don't even try to attempt more than 10 minutes for the first few runs – build up slowly and don't get injured.

    PiknMix
    Free Member

    Definitely get a decent pair of shoes, I ran in the wrong shoes for 1 month and was out of action for a further 3 🙁

    Me and running don't get on at all, I hate it but… it gets you proper fit and lean. Put your trainers on and just go running matey you will soon get into the swing of it.

    Don't worry that it feels completely unnatural at first you will soon find your running stride.

    ourmaninthenorth
    Full Member

    Iain – am secretary of a road club. This season has, mainly for reasons of complications in Mrs North's pregnancy, meant that I have only ridden half a dozen races.

    Next season, I want to be different, and hope it can be (even with a baby).

    You know what I mean about needing to be out for a minimum period on a road bike….

    Yak
    Full Member

    ourmaninthenorth,

    running – i've never got on with it either. You've seen my 2 little uns at mayhem and running around after them is excercise of sorts. I don't ride particularly regularly now either as we're doing up a house, but i do sneak an hour when i can. I find the main thing is to keep entering events and then you either train for them, or as i do, just rock up on the day in awful condition and do the best you can. The latter strategy sort of works if you enter a lot of events close together. Me and Mrs Yak turned up at Mayhem in bad condition late on the Fri due to the house move- cheers for the tent pitching help! – and then rode as best we could. I remember the first few laps feeling pretty bad, but on the sunday, i felt like i could attack the hills, not just endure them, then the race ended, just as i thought i was riding fit again… Not ridden since mind… So the answer is… not running, not riding much either – just race!

    ourmaninthenorth
    Full Member

    Definitely get a decent pair of shoes, I ran in the wrong shoes for 1 month and was out of action for a further 3

    Seems to be some consistent advice on this. Only trainers I own are some Asics bought a couple of years ago for gym use. No idea if they'd be any good for running.

    mactheknife
    Full Member

    RealMan – Member

    If you're heavy, and you take up running seriously, you may find you get injured. Have you considered swimming? Or even road riding? Quite easy to just spend an hour doing those.

    Realman you gave this advice last week to someone else. You are talking bollocks and that is a fact.

    OP- start slowly and build up pace and distance after a few weeks of getting your body used to slowly jogging. There have been a couple of threads on here recently that had some excellent advice, apart from Realman's tripe.

    ourmaninthenorth
    Full Member

    yak – you (and Mrs yak) are definitely more "naturally" fit than me..!

    Mayhem was fun though, even putting up a tent at midnight….! 😀

    trb
    Free Member

    When I started running, me & the mrs went out with the local Hash house harriers.

    * Plenty of company to motivate you
    * Go as fast / slow as you need to
    * Normally a couple of runs a week
    * Plenty of contacts there that do "proper" running as well
    * You get to drink beer afterwards!

    They are a funny bunch mind!

    RealMan
    Free Member

    Realman you gave this advice last week to someone else. You are talking bollocks and that is a fact.

    I'm just going from my own experience, and from the fact that I don't think I've ever met a runner who hasn't been injured.

    Running is great, I love it. Its just dangerous, and not in a cool way.

    Yak
    Full Member

    ourmaninthenorth,

    have just had a nice vomiting bug from the kids- not feeling 'naturally' fit at all at the mo…! this sort of thing will be a common occurance and will also reduce the running/ biking.. watch out!

    Yes mayhem was fun too.
    If you are keen to run- get in touch with dot as he tends to do a bit of local fell-running, + some races which to my mind appeals a tiny bit more than pounding roads.

    HeatherBash
    Free Member

    Shoes, schmooze – I thought it was better running barefoot?

    2tyred
    Full Member

    Snap!

    (apart from the forthcoming baby bit, done all that)

    Without question, the most important thing I've done so far is get decent shoes. Went from being painful and awkward to suddenly being comfortable and quite enjoyable.

    I've found my 'happy stride' now, where I'm running at a decent enough pace and feel like I could just keep going. I'm working on doing 10 miles comfortably just now, in preparation for a half marathon at the beginning of September and I think I'll be fine. Time's the biggest barrier for me – I can do 7.5k at lunchtime but making time to go out running from home is hard, especially with bikes there waiting to be ridden.

    I found it unpleasant to start, but the bike fitness soon kicked in and it didn't take long to find a groove. Enjoy!

    steve-g
    Free Member

    Build up distances gradually.

    Don't run on consecutive days.

    Get some trainers that suit your style/pronation or whatever

    Learn some good stretches for your calves, hammys, quads, glutes and do them after every run, and in front of the tele or whatever on your off days.

    Mix up your routes.

    Enjoy.

    mastiles_fanylion
    Free Member

    Learn some good stretches for your calves, hammys, quads, glutes and do them after every run, and in front of the tele or whatever on your off days.

    Very good point – warm up and down, even if it is just some properly executed stretches.

    Surf-Mat
    Free Member

    I'm just going from my own experience, and from the fact that I don't think I've ever met a runner who hasn't been injured.

    Running is great, I love it. Its just dangerous, and not in a cool way.

    You injured yourself but weigh less than a pygmy shrew then advised Ourman not to run because he's heavy… ermmmm….

    From the barrage of "advice" I see here, Steve G has probably put it most concisely and correctly.

    There's a lot of waffle on here as usual.

    If it helps, I know (only by sight) a guy who has lost around 5 stone by running regularly and eating sensibly. He looks about a million times better.

    I was worried running would lose me weight (took a lot of gym work to gain three stone!) but it hasn't made any difference at all.

    DON'T stretch from cold BTW – you need to stretch after at least a bit of a warm up – stretching from cold is worse than not stretching at all.

    Cougar
    Full Member

    I don't think I've ever met a runner who hasn't been injured.

    Hi, pleased to meet you.

    MostlyBalanced
    Free Member

    Ourmaninthenorth

    You say you need at least 2 hours on the bike for a good session.

    Try riding more like runners do their training sessions. Mix in sprints, intervals and shorter harder rides. I've always been pretty fit but when I started doing sessions such as 10x half mile flat out sprints in too low a gear (singlespeed Mayhem preparation) I soon found I could reduce my legs to jelly in well under an hour.

    brassneck
    Full Member

    You pretty much summed up my build too – I took up running for the same reason, and also because my company was sponsoring a local run and there looked to be no takers from IT.. still running on and off and running the same annual event 3 years later. Doing the occasional 10K just to keep a focus – I'm in no way quick, but I can really tell the difference when I ramp up a bit.

    Get some shoes, anything to start with, and start small. You can probably run for an hour on your roadie fitness but your legs will be murder, if not today then in a day or twos time – and this kills consistency which is the key to it I've found – 20 minutes every other day is far better than and hour a week then nothing.

    Run a few minutes, walk a few minutes, rinbse and repeat. Build it up till you're running 30 minutes non stop, then you're there – as long as you keep at it, and only increas time/distance slowly.

    I keep meaning to get measured etc. but my cheapy SportsDirect reeboks still fit OK and I haven't picked up any injuries. I know for a fact I seriously over pronate as I wear out my shoes in exactly the same way every time.

    mastiles_fanylion
    Free Member

    DON'T stretch from cold BTW – you need to stretch after at least a bit of a warm up – stretching from cold is worse than not stretching at all.

    Well it works for me – never injured myself other than an unconnected knee problem that I have had for years.

    And that is training up to half marathon distance (best time 1hr 45min for the stupidly busy GNR).

    ahwiles
    Free Member

    start slow.

    run somewhere nice.

    you're allowed to stop/walk/rest if you need to.

    stretch afterwards.

    increase distances slowly.

    start your running career slowly.

    corroded
    Free Member

    If you're short and stocky, have you considered power lifting? You could go up against those Turkish chaps at 2012. Plus you get to a wear a big belt and one-piece outfit.

    Surf-Mat
    Free Member

    M-F – there are a zillion references on-line. I've injured a hip and a knee cold stretching for kickboxing tournaments. I know warm up, lightly stretch, do the run/exercise then stretch afterwards. This is from someone that taught pupils to stretch during many years KBing teaching. And someone that hasn't been below the top 10% in a dozen 10k trail races…

    One quote is:

    NEVER stretch a cold muscle before exercise. I like to use the analogy of a rubber band that's been in the freezer. Your muscle, like that rubber band, will tend to tear if stretched when it's cold. However, when they are warm and supple, they stretch much more easily and are much less likely to tear.

    When you stretch cold muscles, you are much more likely to cause muscle strains and other injuries. Always do your stretching after your aerobic exercise session or after you have been exercising for at least ten minutes to give your muscles time to warm up and become more supple. NEVER stretch before you exercise. You are much more likely to injure yourself when you do.

    Stretching is not a "warm-up" for your aerobic exercise. Your warm-up should be a very low intensity version of the exercise that you're doing. Then, you stretch your muscles after they are warm.

    ourmaninthenorth
    Full Member

    Stretching –

    In my hockey days (I played at a decent level – North Premier, so just below National League), I was quite obsessive about stretching (what, when, how long to hold). This was as a result of a serious hamstring tear in my mid-20s.

    But, I'm now in my mid-30s, and so stretching really needs to become part of what I do anyway. Mrs North and I did try yoga and, while we both enjoyed it, she was way too ill in her early pregnancy, so it went by the wayside.

    HTN's run nearly reduced me to tears, and almost finished my race before I even got on the bike. But, I found that, because of the base fitness, that little run held a certain atraction.

    boobs
    Full Member

    null

    try this, At least it's written for a starter by someone who knows what they are doing.

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 61 total)

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