# Learn how to start running 3 miles a day in 9 weeks!



## Phyra (Jun 1, 2011)

Hi all!

Exercise has proven to be the trick for me to deal with the depression associated with my SA. The endorphines are cheaper than pills, and have fewer side effects. I don't have the money for a gym membership though, and that doesn't leave a lot of options other than...

RUNNING! :clap

I know, a lot of people don't like running. I didn't used to either. But the reason they don't is because they start too fast. They get winded, or feel sore the next day and decide they can't do it.

It's easy to overcome this. The trick is with INTERVAL training. Interval training involves intervals of running (or jogging, rather) amidst intervals of walking. You start out with more walking than running (approximately 60 seconds of jogging to two minutes of walking), and each week the jogging intervals get longer until you're running for 30 minutes solid (3 miles, or 5 kilometers).

When I decided to do this, I looked up an interval program online called "Couch to 5-k" and timed everything manually on a tread mill. After the fact, I found these awesome FREE podcasts (found through iTunes) called "Podrunner Intervals" that do the same thing, but with music. You run in time with the beat. Slower music for walking, faster music for jogging. These podcasts are approximately 30 minutes long, and are designed to be used 3 times a week, with at least a day of rest between each workout. Each week there is a new mix with different length intervals. Again, they are FREE and can be downloaded onto ANY mp3 player.

I thought I'd share this with you all, because it made such a big difference in my life. I went from being anti-exercise because of asthma, to a true runner! This same podcast series also has a "freeway to 10k" series that takes you from running 3 miles a session to 6 miles a session. And I hear they are coming up with a half marathon (13.1 miles) program next.

Anyone who does it (or has done it before), please let me know what you think!


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## Christina123 (May 26, 2011)

I'm doing the exact same programme. Downloaded it off the NHS website.


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## prepb4 (May 11, 2011)

I never did this program. But I'm a big runner. Not as much now as I invest more of my time in lifting. Also, if you're 'running' under 9 minutes a mile, then you are running. If you are 'running' above 9 minutes a mile, you are jogging.


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## Sapphiress (Jun 15, 2010)

very cool.. I've been doing the interval thing but I guess I haven't been doing it at frequent enough intervals haha .. I was running today but could only do it for like half a minute then walked again.. I suppose I'll have to try to do it more than once every couple of weeks in order to get better  I don't have an mp3 player but that's great they have that for you!


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## Fantas Eyes (Mar 23, 2011)

I'm doing this right now. I'm only on the third week and the only day I've had problems with so far is the first one, I couldn't finish it. I will admit I had to stop for a little yesterday though.


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## eh3120 (Nov 16, 2010)

Thanks so much for the podcast suggestion, I love it!


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## modus (Apr 27, 2011)

Yeah, cardio has done more for my mood/anxiety than any pill I've been on. I just wish I didn't hate it with a passion because it's so boring (even with music) and painful.

When I'm sucking air in like a space vacuum to breathe, it's kind of hard to enjoy or think about music at all.


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## trendyfool (Apr 11, 2010)

went running and was able to run 1.7 miles without stopping...well, it's a start!!!


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

I'm going to try this! :yes


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## modus (Apr 27, 2011)

I just ran 3 miles without stopping today.. I still don't know how I did it. Just the day before, I ran 1 mile and was wheezing to catch my breath. After today's run, I wasn't even tired.. must have been the more even pace OP encouraged me to try.

This thread is giving us magic powers o_o


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## epic (Aug 9, 2007)

You should all join dailymile.com and post up your progress of your runs, we can friend and motivate each other  Here is my profile if you want to see what I'm talking about: http://www.dailymile.com/people/vperspective


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## modus (Apr 27, 2011)

epic said:


> You should all join dailymile.com and post up your progress of your runs, we can friend and motivate each other  Here is my profile if you want to see what I'm talking about: http://www.dailymile.com/people/vperspective


Dude, that is a brilliant site!


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## StevenGlansberg (Apr 1, 2009)

I kind of wanted to do this but then I thought about how stupid I would look alternating running and walking every 60 seconds around my neighborhood. So I've just been running as far as I can and then walking until I'm able to run the rest of the way back.

I can barely go a mile without having to stop. ops


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## trendyfool (Apr 11, 2010)

okay, I have this problem. Whenever I try running on a consistent basis, I eventually get this intense pain in my ankles that prevents me from continuing. Today it happened again: I had barely gone a mile when my ankles started hurting a ton, and I had to stop. :/ I have really good running shoes, so I think the problem is probably my running form. (Today this woman stopped me when I was running and told me my form was off/she could tell I was limping.) But I don't know what I should be doing differently. Any advice??


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## epic (Aug 9, 2007)

When you got your shoes did you get them properly fitted? What I mean is some shoe stores will have you walk/run on a treadmill to see how you run. Some people tend to roll their foot which can cause injuries like yours, this is called pronation. There are shoes which are designed for pronators, or people with neutral foot so it's important to get the right one. A cheaper option is to get a molded insole for your shoe. Might be best to go ask your local running shoe store for advice.


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## trendyfool (Apr 11, 2010)

yeah, I got them at a running shoe store. the people there are quite knowledgeable and they watched me run and had me try out like four different pairs. they're good shoes and have a lot of support. i think i pronate but they're supposed to help with that.


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## modus (Apr 27, 2011)

Question.. when I run I feel all the weight on my right foot. Something about my form must have me lopsided but I don't see it.. any ideas?


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## trendyfool (Apr 11, 2010)

Okay, i went on a morning run and the ankle pain is definitely better! my brother has this book on running, and i followed the author's advice: took smaller strides and tried not to slam my feet down like i had been doing. i ran 2.5 miles (not all at once ) so while i'm still pretty unfit, i'm now less unfit than i was before, yay!



exobyte said:


> Question.. when I run I feel all the weight on my right foot. Something about my form must have me lopsided but I don't see it.. any ideas?


ack! i wish i could help with this...maybe try to change up the rhythm in your head from "ONE two ONE two" to something more constant?? if that makes any sense? (not that i know anything about running)


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## Phyra (Jun 1, 2011)

Hey guys! Totally sorry I neglected my thread! My doctor put me on a new medication that literally knocked me out for a week! No kidding! I stopped taking the pills when that interfered with my working out. I was sleeping 15 hours a day and couldn't run more than a mile without fainting. Not worth it.

Now for you guys talking about form and pain. My first questions are:

Are you taking it slow?

and

Are you taking rest days?

I guess I left out of my little pep talk that I started running on my own and got to running 20 miles a week in 3 months and then had to stop because I hurt my ankle so bad it pretty much crippled me for 8 weeks... I'm starting from scratch again. Cardiovascularly (is that a word? lol), I'm very fit, but despite being young and relatively fit, I took everything too fast and stressed my joints out too much.

For all you jumping into this with all this energy: don't increase your milage more than 10% a week! (This means if you ran 5 miles all together this week, you shouldn't run more than 5 1/2 miles all together next week). And it's a lot safer to run a little more every other day, then less every single day. It gives your muscles time to recover.

A really good resource is RunnersWorld.com. They have a great forum for people of all skillsets. I'm on there too! My username is NiaLee.



Oh, and exobyte: Go to runnersworld and do a search on "stride" and "form." There are many reasons you may feel on your weight on your right foot. You may be flat footed in just one foot. One leg might be longer than the other. You might be more flexible in one leg and therefore have a longer stride. Etc. There are a lot of articles and videos you can check out that can help you figure out what is causing your symptoms.


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

^ I will check this out. Thanks for the info. 

If you don't mind sharing, how did you hurt your ankle, did you roll it?


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## Phyra (Jun 1, 2011)

I don't mind sharing. I didn't realized i'm almost flat-footed and therefore an over-pronator (that's when the arch of your foot smacks the ground instead of acting like a springboard). I was wearing good shoes, just not shoes with quite the arch support I needed. This wouldn't have really been a problem had I worked up to my miles slowly like a good girl, lol, but I went from running 3-4 miles a day to randomly doing 6 miles on a saturday. I started feeling tightness in my left foot about 5.5 miles in, but not pain so I finished the run. Didn't think I hurt myself but the next day I could barely walk on it. My pain threshold is very high, so I probably should have stopped as soon as I felt the "tightness."

I also used to be a gymnast and a dancer. When I was 13 I got thrown off stage and landed on my left foot and suffered a severe sprain that left me on crutches for 6 weeks and in a walking brace for... I don't remember how long. The doctor said I would have been better of to have broken my foot and that the injury might never fully heal. It ended my (albiet short) career. That was 6 years ago, but it's the same foot. So it's possible that my recent injury is also due in part to a weakened foot.


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