Making the crossover from walking to running

[JaxTerri]

I need some encouragement and help in the area of exercise. I'm type 2 and have been on insulin since April 07. I've been going to the gym ever since and taking Zumba classes, walking on the treadmill and working on some of the weight machines. I'm increasing weights on the machines and getting better workout results due to that. Also I'm gradually increasing my speed of my walks on the treadmill. When I began I was walking 2.8 mph (slow) and could only last 15 minutes. I've increased now to walking for a solid hour and my speeds have been consistently 3.0 - 3.2. I've increased to 3.4 - 3.6 a few weeks back and this week have increased it to 3.8 - 4.0. At 4.0 I'm at a slow jog.

My first goal is to sign up for a road race as I've never done this. There is a beach race coming up in September and I have a choice between 1 mile or 5k (which I believe is 3.1 miles). On the treadmill I am already walking 3 miles in an hour. But it's walking not running. I'd like to sign up for the 5k and actually run it but am not sure I can. The mile I know I can do but want a challenge, but I don't want to look like a fool if I can't run 3.1 miles.

You have to know that I've lost about 15 lbs recently but still have 85 to go so I'm not a small woman and I'm only 5' 2" so I have short legs as well. Not the sterotypical runner :) I wanted to talk to you guys first to see what you think I should do...the 5k or the 1 mile. Any advice you can give is much appreciated.

I just recently got my lab results from my doctor and they are tremendously better (as I talked about in another string). A1c, cholesterol, triglicerides, etc are all mostly perfect now. My doctor says he knows that my exercise over the past 3 months has done that....the insulin and eating right got it started but exercise has made those numbers exceptional. I want to do more and shout the benefits of consistent exercise from the rooftops!

[Sharethesecret]

Don't worry about "Running" it. If you want the challenge, do the longer run...but do it at your own pace. Jog a little, walk a little. Do what it takes to make it to the end. The sense of accomplishment...that you finished what you started...will be all you need! How you get there won't matter so much!
Good Luck!

[HelenM]

Walk/ running is fine. Its also helps avoid injury by doing to much, too quickly. If you can get out of the gym, its much nicer running outside (even in towns but its better for your legs on trails). It does feel different from the treadmill. You learn to cope with wind, rain and heat and hills(I hate hills). If you live in an area with lamposts use them as goal posts, walk between two, run between the next two, gradually increasing time and distance runnning. If you can find someone to run with. In the UK they is a women's running network with beginners groups , maybe there is something like that near you.
September might be a bit soon to be running 5k all the way but don't let that stop you. In most races it doesn't matter how you get round but as a slow run/walker myself I look at previous years results to make sure that its not a race full of speedy ahtletes who will leave me standing.
Lots of good advice on making the transition from walking to run walking on Jeff Galloways sitehttp://http://jeffgalloway.com/training/beginners.html
the section on walk breaks is also useful.

Good luck, be prepared to find that running can be addictive:)

[Scratch]

Yes, a 5K is right about 3.1 miles, and you should be fine in covering that distance. You may end up needing to walk some of it and that's perfectly okay. I needed to take a couple of walk breaks in my first 5K ever last December, then I had to take some walk breaks in the first couple I did back in May when I returned to running after having a broken ankle.

You may find the C25K (http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml) program at coolrunning a good way to help you make the transition from walking over to running. I'd advise using the time-based version and that you should try to avoid thinking that you have to go a certain distance. It's okay to take your time and run slow to begin with, running is very different in the leg muscles that get used and I feel it is much better to be patient about this if at all possible.

Trust me, as a guy who managed to break a bone doing too much too soon, it's a very good idea to be patient and think long term. That doesn't mean you can't go out and enjoy a 5K race, I feel it's a great thing to do and it'll let you see there's a whole lot of people at various levels of fitness, most all of them will be urging you on in some way.

[MachineHead]

5 K Training: Novice (http://www.halhigdon.com/5K%20Training/5-Knovice.htm) has a lot of running schedules that may help...

[JaxTerri]

Thanks for all the encouragement! I can always count on DF for that. I will look at all the links provided and keep you posted on my progress.

[labob]

My two cents: I'd sign up for the mile and be happy with however fast or slow I ran/walked. Running or jogging outdoors is a whole different world from doing the same thing on a treadmill, and I think that running on a beach is even harder still because the sand is so unstable. Try this run just for the heck of it, have fun, want more when it's over, and sign up for a longer race in a couple of months.

The great thing about exercise is that the more you do it, the better you get at it, no matter where you start. Can't say that about everything.

Good luck!

[coconut]

You could also do HIIT (high intensity interval training).

For example:

5 min warm up (say 2.8-3.0 on the tread mill)
1 min - jog/run/sprint (say 3.5 and up)
2 min - walk/race walk
^ alternate for 10-20 min
5 min cool down

You can also start with 30 sec/1 min.

:)

You can also start to play with the inclines as well - high/med/flat or all high your choice.

[Ronin]

Hi JaxTerri!

If I were in your position I'd sign up for the 5k but do the actual distance as a speed-walk (not a race-walk which is a whole different process). You might surprise yourself in that a good brisk stride with just the right amount of shoulder movement will get you to a sustainable pace that may find you ahead of some of the "runners" in the event. Speed walking is also a lot easier on your joints than jogging, and as you still have some significant pounds to remove you don't want to be injuring your joints for a one-day event.

Participating, getting out there is the most important thing.

[JaxTerri]

Well, I signed up for what I thought was a 5k but in actuality is a 5 mile run/jog/walk. I talked to the folks sponsoring it to make sure walking was allowed since it's that distance and they said Absolutely! So I'm going for it. I'm going to get to the beach each weekend to train in the sand but will be hitting the treadmill the rest of the time (heat indices are ~ 115 - 120 degrees outside). With the storms brewing in the Atlantic that should change very soon I'm guessing. Anyhow, I'm meeting with a personal trainer at my gym tomorrow as well so she can help point me in the right direction. That should help as well. This is my very first race EVER so I'm very excited about finishing it, whether I run, walk, or crawl across the finish line. Thanks for the help/motivation!

:trytofly:

[volleyball]

I am not a runner myself but have several friends that do. I have no problem doing 5k on a treadmill circuit but outside, it's tougher. I've gone to national races where a few are trying for the record but there are dozens just trying to walk it. If you have someone there that is in better shape than you, buy them admission and have them record your progress as well as crossing the finish time under the clock. Put your race stuff in a book. If you keep at it, you can track your progress, a great motivator. My friends never did this and regret not having anything to remember the event with except the t-shirt.

[JaxTerri]

20 days till my first race ever! I'm excited! I've been training hard on the treadmill but still haven't made it to the beach yet. I'm gonna be walking it mostly so that helps out with the stress I felt when I found out it was 5 miles instead of 5K. I'm supposed to have my first personal training session this Wednesday. I have to do 30 minutes on the treadmill first then an hour of working out with her. I'll keep you posted on the race and the personal training! I'm also gonna start in a program at my local YMCA called "Commit to be fit!". It's their version of the biggest loser and kicks of on September 21 and ends on December 7. It's a total weight loss, nutrition, personal training, & group exercise program. They promise to even have a beach obstacle race between the 3 member teams just like Biggest Loser. I'm anxious to get started there as well. It will be interested to see how different they treat me because I'm diabetic and on insulin.

[volleyball]

So do you feel that you'll do well at the race? Have you've been outside? And don't worry what others think

[slipperyelm]

Was the walk-run-jog September 15? Were you able to participate?

Even though I walk 6 miles a day at 4.10 miles per hour, I am sure I could not have done the 5K beach walk, unless, maybe I got to walk it all on compacted, wet sand. Walking in dry sand is a killer to me. It uses muscles in a way that mine here in the ocean-free mid-continent never get used. When I visit my Florida in-laws I always feel embarrassed at how exhausted I get just walking across the dry sand to the shore edge! :o Nobody else mentions the difficulty, though, so maybe it is just me. Heck, all we have is mud along our Midwest river and lake shores. A friend of mine got dangerously near being swallowed up in riverside quicksand (quick-MUD!) this summer. Moving through that requires different muscles, too! :D

[JaxTerri]

My first race is tomorrow @ 6:00 pm. I've got 2 people at my work signed up to walk/jog with me. I went yesterday to pick up my race packet and that took away some of my fear and got me really excited. I got a cool t-shirt to wear and I got my race number...I'm #47 out of over 2,000 people. The guys there said "wow, you must have been excited since you were one of the first to register". I said, no, I wanted to lock it in so I don't back out :)

They are predicting rain and possibly thunderstorms tomorrow afternoon/evening. The race will go on unless there is lightening so pray that the weather cooperates. I keep telling myself that even if I can't jog that far at least I can run. I plan to get lot's of rest tonight and not do much tomorrow to save my energy for the race. Everybody told me today that I should be "carb loading". How does someone who doesn't eat carbs, "carb load"?????? I plan to eat a good lunch tomorrow then will be eating Carrabbas food afterward so I think I'll be fine. Any suggestions about this is much appreciated.

I'll post my results tomorrow night :) Thanks for the encouragement and motivation you guys have given me!!!!!!!

[volleyball]

If you want to carb load, just cut back on your meds and your BG will rise. Since you aren't going to be doing 7 min miles, you are not going to be exhausing your supplies. It like weekend jock think they need gatorade. Yo may want to bring a couple of small snacks and you meter with you just in case.

[Scratch]

Don't worry about carb loading. Carb loading is done by people running races in excess of 20 miles. In general, the human body has enough glycogen on hand to fuel itself for 20 miles of running, and around the 20th mile is the famed wall -- where it can become extremely hard for a runner to keep going as the glycogen supply becomes depleted. Carb loading is an attempt to top off the glycogen stores to the absolute max and avoid the wall.

[JaxTerri]

Well I did it....I finished my first race ever....5 miles on the beach! It didn't look pretty and I'm so sore I can hardly move today but I did it! My time was 1 hour 38 minutes. Sounds bad but I'm still carrying about 85 extra pounds on me so really, really am grateful just to make it.

[Ronin]

Way to Go JaxTerri!

Yor are miles-and-miles ahead of most of your age peers who don't do anything. You now have both your base-line and first Personal Record. The trick now is to keep on doing what you've been doing.

Congratualtions!

[volleyball]

Way to go, now you're going to have to do it in less than than 90 minutes

[JaxTerri]

I went to my first 5K last weekend - Komen Run for the cure. I did it in 53 minutes...my new personal best for a 5K. I have another 5K tomorrow - it's called the Pumpkin Run and is in a downtown cemetary and the path will be lined with pumpkins. I look forward to trying to beat my first 5K record of 53 minutes. I hope to actually run some of this race instead of walking the whole thing. It's supposed to be raining as well so that will suck but if no lightening I'll be there. At least it won't be 90 degrees like the other 2 races I've done so that will be good. Wish me luck!

p.s. I went to the gym today and did 30 minutes on the Eliptical doing the hard weight loss program (killer on the quads and glutes). Have been doing it for a while so hope it helps tomorrow. Also put arch supports in my shoes so will see if that helps with the shin pain I experience.:cool:

[JediSurfer]

Good look fella keep up the good work

[volleyball]

Working out hard the day before a race is not a good idea. Good luck

[JaxTerri]

Well, I finished the pumpkin run today in 54 mins. I'm thinking that my last 5K time of 53 minutes was not right (I was not in the timed race that day but timed myself....so I could have been wrong about my time.) I finished today in 54 minutes and that was jogging and walking. I was able to do more jogging today than I ever have. When I finished I was winded but felt great otherwise. That is a vast improvement from my first race. I don't think the work out yesterday hurt me as I've been getting in the hot tub every night just to help my aching muscles (especially my legs). I do think that helped.

I know on this exercise forum there are many hard core runners and I greatly admire them...but I'm not one of them and have never been even remotely athletic my whole life. The fact that I'm signing up and walking/jogging in these races is phenomenal to me and to my family. My next race is in early December and is called the Jingle Bell run and I'll walk/jog with jingle bells attached to my shoes. I really, really look forward to it. Thanks for letting me ramble on but I'm soooo proud of myself and can't wait to see my lab result next week to confirm how much impact all this exercise is making on my health.