Newbie running questions and frustration

[Mona]

A little about me, over the past ten months, I have lost fifty pounds through small group training and eating much healthier. Trainer keeps pushing running and I know I have seen the benefits of running in weight loss and it is the easiest form of exercise I can carry out while on holidays and at home with kids.

However, feeling very discouraged over my running lately. When I try to increase mileage, right back to hip pain and shin splints. Did a six km last week and back to pain. Try to slowly increase but did need that article of the reminder to be the turtle and increase slowwwwwwwly. So hard to be patient. I did the couch to five km back in the fall.

Still hate running and am very self conscious. Does it ever get easier or is it okay to throw in the towel and say running isn't for me. Is there enough benefit to running to say stick it out, keep at it, one day I'll like running:). Took up stand up paddling boarding this year and love it but not so quick and easy and though a great core workout, not so much a cardio.

Ps. Love this website and it's helpful workouts. Can now do 20 men's push-ups after starting with only five women's.

[Mackleharris]

Running always gets easier over time. It took me a year and a half to be comfortable with running and I only felt good at running after 2 years of running consistently. So, I would say that you should keep at it. It may suck now but it gets better. I get hip pain too from an old injury and it may hurt while running but the hip pain isn't as bad once you get better at running.

[Tinessael]

What helps sometimes (at least for me), it is to stop thinking you HAVE to increase the mileage/speed. It is hard to enjoy if you are always exhausted. Set a goal to run...say 3-4K 2-3 times per week to form a habit. Or even 2K. 

 

And in the end...yes, cardio does help to lose weight, but if you hate running, this ain't high school - you don't have to do it. Swimming, biking, dancing or just fast walking are all great sports. 

For example, I hate walking. It is really individual. 

[Rostov]

Congratulations on your progress so far!

 

Tinessael is spot on - if you don't enjoy running, try something else.  The best diet/exercise regime is the one you can stick to, and if you genuinely don't enjoy running may reach a point at which you can't motivate yourself to do it any more.  If you've already done the couch-to-5k, I don't think anyone can say that you've not given it a good go.  But the trick is to find something else to replace it with that you do enjoy, rather than just stopping.

 

Having said that.... my experience was that I loved running from the start, especially once I got some masterwork running shoes to correct my flat feet.  It might be more useful to hear from anyone who's gone from hating it to loving it.

[ourmisadventures]

WTG on your loss!!!

 

Don't forget your tools -- your shoes. They should be replaced every 300 miles, and you should definitely get fitted by a locally run running shoe store -- they're the best equipped for finding a fit for your running gait and surface. Different gaits need different shoes, different surfaces change your gait -- thus need different shoes. Even though your pain happens later in the run, it still can be your shoes. 

 

& the best exercise for a person is the exercise they'll do. If you don't like increasing your mileage, or even running, then don't do it -- find something else like Zumba.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-best-exercise-there-is-hands-down/

[Mona]

Thanks for the varied responses. It is encouraging to know that for some, it does take longer for it to feel natural. I also recognize that I don't 'have' to do anything and have the option to find other ways to exercise I enjoy more. Completed a triathalon distance swim of 2.4 km and loved every minute of it. However, with young kids, I just can't always disappear to the pool so it is a balance. I think I will keep on running but if 3 km seems reasonable for me, just do that and enjoy and quit worrying about pushing the limit all the time.

[Brovatar Korra]

Hey! I have always had a love-hate relationship with running, and most of the negative feelings also coming from very bad shin splints, and occasionally hip pain as well. I think all the advice above is great, and if you find another form of cardio you enjoy more go with that! One thing that has helped me with reducing pain while running is focusing on "how" I'm running. I don't know anything about form or mechanics, but when I think to myself "you run with your quads, you are propelling yourself forward with your quads!" that mentally does something that affects my stride and I run differently and my shins hurt less! I'm sure someone would need to videotape me to figure out what I'm doing differently... but I would be really curious to hear if you try this and whether it helps or not.

[Mona]

Yes, I think my negative attitude came from the shin splints too. I hear your frustration. After talking with my trainer, he did go over the difference between running on your toes or your heels and one method gives shin splints and the other affects the calves. My shoes and trainer indicate I run on my toes so I am adding some heel walking exercises to retrain.

Funny thing is after a long chat with my trainer, I came out of our session with a plan to run more, not less. Ha, the power of persuasion but I have the 10 km plan now and day one and two success. I found a running partner and that made all the difference with making running fun and not drudgery. I am choosing to persevere, more because I just want to tackle this mental block that says I can't run. Need to prove to myself that I can:). So, onwards in this journey. Sometimes, so much fun, other times a challenge.

[Mona]

Okay, had to update. I persevered with the walk to ten km plan and am very excited to say that this week, I ran 25 km this week injury free and can say that I am enjoying the satisfaction of running now. I am glad that I persisted. Did my first run ever this week and it was a good feeling of accomplishment. Not a fast runner but that's okay. I am a runner.