Begginer runner, need some do's and dont's for my weight.

M

Mideoan

0
Hey everyone. I have a weight loss goal. And from what I've read and what I've seen from other people that do it, it seems to be the most effective cardio you can do for weight loss. So here are my stats.

Im 25 years old.
Weigh in at 258 lbs.
I'm 5'9".

About a year and a half ago, I started running for about a good month, lost about 10 pounds, and then relapsed back into my "fat" lifestyle.

I'm trying to figure out the best way to start for my weight. I'm a big guy, and that is going to put alot of strain on my legs, knees and joints. I certainly do not want to injure myself. I'm also trying to avoid getting shin splints, if it is at all possible to avoid those.

So I guess to break it down. How many days a week should I run? How long of a distance should I start at? What kind of pace should I start out with to avoid injury? And what is some good motivational music to listen to while running?
 
I would start with some walking, several miles a day. Then bump it up to fast walking. Then move it to jogging. How many miles really depends on you and how comfortable you are with it.

Don't rule out lifting weights as a way to lose weight, as it can be incredibly effective. And keep tabs on your diet. Regardless of how many calories you are burning, if you are throwing even more in, you won't see good results.

Good luck!
 
Bad shoes = Shin splints
Running down hill (with bad form) = shin splints

How many days a week should I run?
-- depends on how you heal... start with 4 and see how it goes... like
M,W,Th,Sat.

How long of a distance should I start at?
Depends what kind of running you want to do... do you want to do more High intensity stuff... (sprints) or do you want to do distance running.

If you want to do HIIT stuff I can't offer you any advice. But if you were to do distance. I think 2 miles is a good place to start. after a couple weeks of 2 miles you can bump your sat run up to 3... and eventually get that one up to 5 with your regular runs of 3 miles...

What kind of pace should I start out with to avoid injury?
Try not to bounce up and down when you run. Go at a pace you can still talk in full sentences with out gasping for air. It might be tough at first to run at any pace without loosing your breath... but try... if you can't run without really breathing then I would suggest you jog until you start loosing your breath then walk to recover (briskly). Once you got your breath start running again. You don't race your training runs! take it easy...

And what is some good motivational music to listen to while running?
The sounds of nature... people wearing earbuds while running are a danger to themselves and others in my opinion. on that note that is just my 2 cents... you make your own choice...

The best advice I was given and still need to listen to more is that if you hurt then rest. 2 days of rest will really help sore muscles.

another one... if you pull something while running don't stretch it you will generally hurt it worse. don't keeping going... stop running...

do some searching on active stretching vs static stretching... I don't do static stretching before my runs anymore.

Warm up and cool down are very important as is post run stretching...

Did I mention shoes...

don't increase your miles by more than 10% a week.

have fun!
 
Get your breathing right. Once you start jogging most people like to stick with a breath in every two steps and a breath out every two steps but that is not to say you should. Set goals for yourself e.g. 10 min. mile by december.
Remember it will will be very rewarding and you will get an endorphin rush after if done properly.

Just remember to relax your shoulders and back so that more oxygenated blood goes to your legs.

Have fun and stick with it. 3 months of hard work and you will actually be a reasonably good runner; you won't break a sweat so easily and will have better recovery time.
Good Luck
 
Just to confirm - so, you're saying you haven't done ANY cardio training for about 14 months or so ?

When you did run ( i.e when you lost 10lbs. ) - how often during the week would you run and for roughly how long each time ?

curious - why did you stop running ? Shin splints ?

Also, do you ( or could you afford to ) belong to a local gym or rec center with exercise facilities ?
 
Here are my 2 cents:

1. You're not ready for HIIT - you need a base of fitness for that. I didn't start this until after8 months of steady training

2. Diet is king, as derwyddon said. If you exercise more but eat more or continue with poor eating, you may become stronger and more fit, but not less fat

3. I don't see a lot of people your size running, but there are thousands of cyclists your size. I think that would be a much better form of cardio than running for you, unless you really enjoy running.

4. If you do start running, start very slowly so you don't get injured or overly sore, disgusted and quit (again). Realistically, 2 or 3 times a week would be a good start. Start with a 1/2 mile run at 12 minute pace and see if you can handle that. If you are not panting too heavily, go a little farther next time and a littler faster. You can build up from there later.

5. As for music, Paradise by the Dashboard Lights by Meatloaf gets my feet moving...
 
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As many have already said, a should be your first priority.

As for walking, don't discount it as a poor means to good fitness. Considering your weight, could definitely be achieved if you're consistent (that is, do it many times a week.) It sounds like you already know what it takes to lose weight. Stick with it!
 
Getting good shoes was mentioned earlier, but I would like to stress this. Bad shoes can lead to a LOT of problems.

If you are not sure of what shoes to get, visit Runner's World website. I don't know if posting the link is legal.
Better yet, go to a specialty running shoe store. You will pay more for the shoes, but they will look at your feet (and take your current pair of shoes or an older pair that shoes some wear on the soles). Once you figure out if you need a "cushioned" shoe or a "stability" shoe or "motion control" then you can go from there.
In some case, custom orthotics are required.
I have a problem with oversupination that motion control shoes alone could not correct and I continued to get medial shin splints. Don't bother with the cheap drugstore type orthotics. You get what you pay for.
 
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