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2004/03/04, 12:11 PM
I have to run a mile and half in less than 16 minutes. I know this might not be a feat for most of you but it is for me.
In 3 months I have gone from a time of 29 minutes to my lowest time yet being 19:10 yesterday. Im almost there. Couple of questions.
Should I run on the treadmill or on ground? I have been doing mostly treadmill. Everyday by the way.
My problem seems to be my breathing. I don't know how to breath right. I start out slow, pick up the pace, more like jog not run, then I simply have to slow down because I feel so out of breath. The more I fight it the worse it gets.
My legs aren't giving out, so it's not my muscles, I've never gotten cramps either. I want to keep going so badly it makes me mad. It just seems like my lungs won't let me get the air. and I need to slow down.
So basically I am jogging, walking fast, jogging, etc. But I have been stuck around 20 minutes for 3 weeks now.
Any tips on how to get a faster time without passing out. Should I keep a steady speed the whole time or keep doing what Im doing? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated, you guys have helped me so much so far.:)
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It is no fun to be normal!!!
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2004/03/04, 12:54 PM
My suggestion would be to keep an even pace...then pick it up the last 1/4 of the way. As your stamina increases, you'll gradually increase the pace.
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**_Robert_**
Pain is temporary; glory is forever!
E-mail: rpacheco@freetrainers.com
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2004/03/04, 01:32 PM
I have almost the same problem. But I can't get pace started. It is either too slow or too fast. I need to get 3 miles in about 30 minutes. I am training to become a firefighter. My strenth is great, but my endurance sucks! I can do over 1 hour of aerobics at a time,and I can swim a mile. Running just is not my strong point.
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2004/03/04, 01:54 PM
It might seem like an impossible challenge, but taken in attainable goals it can be achieved, no matter if you're charging around the streets or pounding the treadmill. I do however reccommend that you work on the treadmill as in general they are equipped with computers that compute your average speeds, distances, elapsed time and various other stats as you go making target setting more clinical and precise.
Since you have to get through 1.5 miles in 16 minutes you can divide the target into four four minute goals, which means 375 yards in four minutes each. This requires you to establish a consistent pace and manage your distance a little easier. What will be crucial in achieving your goals is keeping to the pace, if you start out too fast you'll get yourself into a bit of oxygen deprivation and will be forced to slow down and lose time, if ou start out too slow then making up the deficiet at the end will have the same effect. So stick with the plan.
Now the crucial part of achieving the goal is to manage your head, you've got to believe that you can do it. You have already said your legs are strong, so your body is coping. You need to be relaxed, consiously let your hands hang limply from your arms, don't hold them in a tight fist, feel your fingers swinging with each stride and now concentrate on breathing NORMALLY, you don't need huge gulps of air just in and out as if you were walking.
A last tip: when you get going and have been out of practise for a while you need to give yourself time to adjust to the new demands on your lungs, muscles and brain, so warm up, stretch, then walk with a couple of long strides and gently break into a run increasing your stride until you are running easily. Now start your timing and don't quit until you've gone the distance. Your brain might feel fatigued and will send impulses encouraging you to stop...ignore those, once you've run through them they go away and before you know it you'll be looking at two miles in 16 minutes!
Hope that helps...
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2004/03/04, 02:09 PM
I disagree with all of the advice given. Not becuase it is not good advice, but because I do not think it is going to help you achieve what you want. Here is why:
Rpacheco says to keep an even pace the whole way and increase the last 1/4 mile. As your stamina increases your time will. I do not believe this because you are basically doing the same thing. How will this improve his time? All it is going to do is get him used to running the same distance at the same pace.
Nerraw I think your advice was sound, however I do not think it is going to help park because he may reach his goal on the treadmill because the treadmill is telling him what to do. When he gets out on the street to run his mile and a half all he is going to have is himself and his feet. No treadmill to tell him exactly how far to run and how fast.
My advice (I am sure it will be debated.) would be to run 3 times a week; all outside. The first day would be 2-3 miles at your own pace (dont cheese it). The 2nd day would be track work. 400 yds 3x, 200 yds 3x, 100 yds 3x. Basically what you do is 1 lap around a track at top speed, then walk or jog to recover etc... The 3rd and last day would be a long run 4-5 miles (slow and relaxed). Do this routine for a month and I guarantee that this will take minutes off of your time. Before I get hammered and told I am crazy let me say that this is what I do about a month out before my physical fitness test. I consistantly run 3 miles in 18:00-19:00 minutes.
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Hecdarec in full effect.
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2004/03/04, 02:19 PM
I would try it all. I myself am going to begin a running program now that it is warming up. Running for me has always been a head game. The body is willing but the mind is weak. Good Luck.
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2004/03/04, 02:47 PM
Hey Hec... not doing battle, but was trying to answer the question of HOW to run faster, not neccessarily get fitter although they do work together. I did make the assumption that parko was making fitness gains as she has dropped from 29 minutes to 19, so think she's already getting there.
Given those factors I suspect that (as she says her lungs give in)that she's getting through the initial distance too fast and by being more measured in tackling the total goal will assist her to get through the distance in the right time. Lastly the only reason I motivated the treadmill was to effectively measure elapsed time, distance covered, outstanding distance and time to achieve it. I agree that getting to time trial conditions by running on track or road would be better, however once again I was not offering a training regimen, rather advice on attaining a goal.
Your advise is sound and your time for 3 miles is GREAT.
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2004/03/04, 02:57 PM
With respects, hecdarec is dead on. I've done the whole master fitness trainer routine during my time in the Army as I've had a number of jobs where I've had to take people who were either 1) just coming on active duty from college, or 2)new recruits from the nintendo generation.
I could give you routines that I know would work if you're interested but if what hecarec offered is something you can handle and are OK with than you'll get results.
I can't leave you though w/out mentioning a couple things. If you take hecarec's routine the speed work he mentions is absolutely critical. Without this you're wasting your time. If you can you might try working some intermittent sprints into your 2-3 mile run. Say one 100 meter dash per half mile. Not essential but will help if you can work it in.
Most importantly - if speed is what you're after DO NOT run on a treadmill. I can't tell you how many folks I know who fail PT tests cause they relied on a treadmill to maintain their run times. If you absolutely must use a treadmill ensure you work it up to a challenging grade.
I'm not slamming treadmills. They're great for overall fitness - but not for speed training.
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2004/03/04, 03:00 PM
Good post treadhead. Park sorry for referring to you as "he" I wasn't paying attention =)
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Hecdarec in full effect.
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2004/03/04, 03:17 PM
Thanks hec - now if I could just get off my lazy paper pushing arse I might get back to those super run times of lore. As I'm now 44 the standard I have to achieve is very forgiving so I struggle with keeping up a run regimen. Right now I"m working with weights again trying to see if I can get my metabolism kick started. I actually have love handles now which is just working on me big time. Gotta lose these friggin things. SO much for all those years of hoping that old age was just a bad rumor someone started.
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2004/03/04, 03:25 PM
Wow, you guys rock.
Hec: don't worry about it, I've never been accused of being a 'lady' anyway:big_smile:
Ok, I know not to clench my fists, it's hard though sometimes.
I have found that i get a better time when I run on flat ground then on treadmill. Husband claims it's because with my long legs I get larger strides with less effort. I have been starting off, with what I thought was a good pace, but maybe that is what is wearing me down, to the point of out of breath. So I will start off slower I guess.
When Im not timing myself, I do what you say Hec, I just wasn't sure if it is helping because I seem to have stalled in improvement. I need to gain the stamina to keep it continuous, even if it's slow but I always run out of breath. It's so frustrating, becuse I have never felt so empowered and proud of my self than these last months. And I love the way I feel afterwards.
I just worry because sometimes I feel like Im on the verge of hyperventilating, but when i slow my breathing down I run out of steam. I just don't get it.
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It is no fun to be normal!!!
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2004/03/04, 03:32 PM
How do you breathe when you run?
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Hecdarec in full effect.
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2004/03/04, 03:36 PM
I breath normal, or so I thought. I've found that as time passes it seems hard to get a full breath so I think I find myself trying to get a full breath. Then It seems like thats all I'm concentrating on. It's supposed to be in your nose and out your mouth, or is it when your running? Eventually, I have to slow down to get my breathing to slow back down, then I pick up the pace again and it's a recurring cycle. I don't know how to maintain a steady pace of breathing.
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It is no fun to be normal!!!
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2004/03/04, 03:36 PM
seems to me that you're positioned for a break through soon enough and what is getting you is not your level of fitness, but rather managing your breathing?
Next time you start feeling out of breath, don't give in to it, try and find a distraction to focus on, it could be anything but best if it were mental. Give yourself a math problem to solve, see if you can create a sonnet or a rhyme to describe something you can see. Whatever, just distract your head from your craving lungs and keep on running.
Since you're training for the military you might imagine a combat scene and you're in it trying to out run something or other.
Go wild.
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2004/03/04, 03:38 PM
Im afraid I'll pass out Nerraw
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2004/03/04, 03:41 PM
park - this may sound weird but when I run (habit I developed back in the early 80s) I often get a tune I like going in my head that sets a good cadence for the pace I'm trying to keep. Developing a sense of your own pace is very helpful. For instance, I know instinctively how to set myself at say a 9 min, 8 min, or 7 min mile. As I think hec mentioned, using your watch to time yourself over increments of your runs will help in this regard. You'll eventually know about how fast you're going and will be able to maintain the pace of your choosing for your respective runs.
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2004/03/04, 03:47 PM
You should breathe normally when running. Dont go overboard focusing on breathing. Get a good rythm going and like every 5-6 breaths take a good deep breath. When running, relax and let your breathing take care of itself. Also a good pointer when running, pick out an object (tree, pole, car) about 100 yds ahead, focus on it and then pick out another object. Takes your mind off of running. Cadences work great also.
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Hecdarec in full effect.
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2004/03/04, 05:43 PM
ok, I'll try a few new things like you guys have said. I'll let you know how it works out after my trip to the gym tomorrow. So maybe if I quit thinking about it, it won't be a problem. Thanks for everything guys
:)
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It is no fun to be normal!!!
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2004/03/04, 07:15 PM
Practicing good running form can help your breathing out a lot. Keep your hips forward and your chin up. A lot of people kind of hunch over when running and that doesn't help the intake of air. Remember to place your feet heel to toe, heel to toe as you run. Some runners clod along and that can damage your knees.
I do agree with "agamble", running is a head game(that's what makes it interesting), so keep your thoughts positive and think about running through your goal and not just to it.:). Good luck!
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2004/03/05, 01:31 AM
I am not a runner. But it might help to take a day off from running once in awhile. I say this because I have been doing cardio everyday for the last month or so. And for the life of me I couldn't do the stairmaster for longer than 20-25min tops. I got frustrated and took a day off, and the next day I was able to do 30 min with slightly higher intensity. I think doing exercise everyday has wore me out making it impossible to work to my fullest ability. And I believe that one day off has fully charged my body to do my best the next day. It might be a mental thing, but it has helped me. :)
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2004/03/05, 08:51 AM
In addition to the good advice given here, I'd like to also suggest belly breathing. I learned it in HS Track & XC and still use it today. It will prevent cramping, keep you in a good rhythm and get the MAXIMUM amount of air in your lungs which in turn will allow you to run more efficiently... Here's how it's done: When you inhale push your stomach out...Try not to suck up into your chest...What you are trying to is allow your diaphram to make more room for air in your lungs. This isnt the best description but if you search google for belly breathing you can find some good info on some running websites. Generally when I am belly breathing I can open up my stride into a graceful sprint and haul ass past any competitor. My breathing stays calm and releaxed while theirs is violent and erradic. If you're serious about improving your times then this is key... Just make sure you're doing it correctly otherwise you'll just think it doesnt work.
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2004/07/01, 01:50 PM
I'm looking for treadhead but can't find a way to contact him. If you read this, I'm interested in the running routines you offered above for those trying to pass the physical fitness test. Please email me at RenfroCB@yahoo.com. Thanks, Cass
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