Help Me Train and Not Train Wreck

June 23, 2015 6:04 PM

I'm training to run the Falmouth Road Race for charity (yay!). This is my third time trying to do this race and the last two, I had my ass handed to me. I'm have real problems getting endurance. Special snowflake details...

In previous attempts, I started cold in late March and tried to work up endurance and couldn't do it, figuring that there just wasn't enough time between March and August to get there.

This year, I ran through the winter doing the Couch to 5K, running 3x week and by May I could do a solid 25 minutes at a 12.5 min/mile pace. I tentatively added another run through of the Cto5K plan and found that I could do the 5 minute warmup, 25 minute run, then 5 minute cool down then the week 1 regimen very well (the short intervals I could do at a 10 min/mile pace very easily). I stepped up to 5/25/5 followed by week 2, still no problems. Week three I started getting worse on the 25. I repeated, still bad. I repeated, got worse, and I have been getting worse still. Two weeks ago, I took Friday off and the following week was better but shaky. I took Friday off again and I was much worse on Monday this week.

By worse, I mean the wheels fall off the bus at around 15 minutes. I'm breathing OK, but I just can't move my legs.

Overtraining? Probably.

What can I do at this point to salvage? I had wanted to cover two 2.5 mile intervals at the start and end with a 2 mile walk in the middle. I feel like that should be possible, but my 48 year old body isn't cooperating. It's frustrating beyond words.

When I was in my 20's, I had a pretty nasty deep vein thrombosis that has ruined my circulation, which I'm sure is no small part of my inability to keep moving. My doctor is on board with me running as exercise. I have run on and off since then and is by far my favorite exercise just for the head time.

I'm eating about 2000 calories/day, my bp is good, my resting pulse is around 60.

I'm looking for wisdom/experience to help me make the best showing I can.
Or barring that, help me figure out how to come to terms with my limitations, especially in the context of a charity race.

posted by plinth to Health & Fitness (12 answers total)

First, try slowing down even further. To the point where you are actually going slower than a walking pace.

Then, consider that if you can push through that 15 minute point hurdle, things might improve. I can run for an hour and a half without stopping now and I STILL find the 15 minute point is where I want to give up and go home, and every time I start thinking that maybe there is actually something physically wrong with me and that I'm getting ill or my blood sugar is too low or something, but if I push through, from the 30 minute point onwards, it's smooth sailing.

In the past to get past the 15 minute hump I have sometimes taken a small snack with me that I can eat while running, something like a couple of dates, or a few squares of chocolate. It might be psychological, but I think that helps. Also if you can run past a drinking fountain about then, or cache some water at that point, that helps too.
posted by lollusc at 6:25 PM on June 23, 2015 [1 favorite]

Also, it's tempting to think that if you are only doing a short run, you only need a short warm-up, but you might actually need longer. My easiest runs (even the 5k ones) come after really long warm-ups. Like, walk for 5 minutes, jog one minute intervals very slowly for another 5 or 6 minutes, and then do about five 100m sprints interspersed with walking until your heartrate and breathing return to normal. Then stretch. THEN run. You might really find that helps.
posted by lollusc at 6:27 PM on June 23, 2015 [1 favorite]

You're running too fast. Try slowing down on your running intervals. Or switch up your intervals completely and try a 30/30, or a 45/15.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:48 PM on June 23, 2015

I personally always found something like C25K harder than just running longer (eg. 20 minutes of run/walk intervals is harder than just running slowly the total time). I always felt like the walking bits cooled me down too much and I was always in the first 10-15 minutes of a run.

I appreciate the C25K program and have done it more than once, but if you can already run more than 2 miles, it may not be and effective way to bridge from your current level (able to slowly run/walk a 5k) to your goal (double it +).

What happens if you just try to run longer? Or run 25 minutes, walk a little (5 minutes would cool me down too much) and then try running for another 10-25 minutes?

Intervals are hard. I think even slow intervals are harder than steady measured running. I'm your age and understand struggling with this and I wish you good luck.
posted by jclarkin at 9:08 PM on June 23, 2015 [1 favorite]

Slow down and work on running a 5K, and maybe switch to a 10K training plan (with maybe an extra week or two of padding to get up to 7 miles) instead of doing C25K after that. Once you can run a 5K, adding a little bit of distance every week/each longer run is easier IMO than trying to mess around with intervals.
posted by MadamM at 9:13 PM on June 23, 2015

Also, sometimes you have bad weeks when you're training for a race. It's no big deal in the long run (ha). Do the best you can, do a little cross training to distract yourself from your running struggles and rest.
posted by MadamM at 9:16 PM on June 23, 2015

Yeah, agreed that you're probably running too fast. If you have a GPS watch, try slowing down to ~14 minute miles or thereabouts (or even slower if that's already where you're at) and see if you can break the 15-minute barrier.

Also, I'd suggest checking in with your doctor for blood work (blood count, thyroid, Vit D, B12, etc.). It sucks to spend months trying to figure out why you seem to be losing stamina and only then discover that the reason is that you have a medical condition (ask me how I know).
posted by pie ninja at 5:21 AM on June 24, 2015

Response by poster: The thing that is confusing/frustrating to me is that I *was* running a strong 25 minutes and I'm barely managing a 15 now.
posted by plinth at 6:30 AM on June 24, 2015

You haven't mentioned weather so I'm not sure if that is a factor- if you are in the Northeast things have really heated up a lot and it's not surprising that you would be struggling.

I would just focus on making slight progress from the previous week every time, even if you have taken a step back. So instead of worrying about running 25 minutes, focus on running more than (say) 15. If you can run 15, you can run 16, right? When I feel like I can't go any further I pretend that there is a finish line a few hundred feet in front of me. If I were in a race, and there were people all around watching at the finish, would I need to stop or would I be able to run for another minute? Probably I would be able to run for another minute. Get to 16 and then get to 17 and before long you'll be at 25. If you need to take a break take a 1-minute break-- you'll build endurance even if you need to take breaks by keeping the breaks fairly short and keeping your heart rate somewhat elevated.

Also, Nth-ing slowing down. I've been running for many years and my 'easy' pace is still right around a 10:00 mile. Long, slow runs are the best way to build endurance-- and short slow runs are the best way to get to the point that you can build up to do long slow runs.
posted by matcha action at 7:29 AM on June 24, 2015

Response by poster: Today's run was 5 minute warm up, 25 minutes at a 13:45 pace, barely finished, 5 minute cool down, 5 minute warm up, 3 run, 1:30 walk, 5 run, 2:30 walk, 3 run, 1:30 walk, 5 run, 5 cool down. Very tired at the end.

I don't feel like I can go much slower.

Heat hasn't been too much of an issue (yet) - I've tried to go out around the same time as the race before things have really heated up.

I also ate a larger breakfast than I usually do.
posted by plinth at 9:43 AM on June 24, 2015

I'm going to be a bit of a heretic (to some of the distance running community anyway) and say that you really don't need to do too much long slow distance running to train for distance events, even up to a marathon. Long slow distance is way overrated.

I would do an activity that spikes your heartrate with rest periods. I always liked basketball, but soccer, ultimate frisbee, or anything like that would work. It's best to try hard when you're doing the sports part. Hustle on defense, don't really worry too much about offense. Go play pickup basketball for an hour twice a week, and over time increase the length of time that you're playing. For distance, maybe work up to one slow distance run a week that's close to your race distance, I'm talking a pace that you can maintain a conversation with effort.

If you're too slow, you need more speed, not more distance.
posted by jefeweiss at 1:26 PM on June 24, 2015

You say that your breathing is OK, but your legs just don't want to move? Then I suspect it's either your head game, or your muscles/ligaments haven't caught up to your cardio and you're starting to overtrain. You mention that you're 48, it might take longer to build up strength. Generally advice is don't increase your mileage more than 10% weekly? I say look back to your total mileage distance when you were feeling best, go back there and then at most increase distance 5% weekly.

How much protein are you eating? "Normal" people are supposed to get 0.8g/kg , but endurance atheletes are supposed to get 1.0-1.6g/kg (cite). If I'm not working on my diet, my weekly average is probably around 0.6g/kg. Adjust your diet to get 1g/kg per day minimum.

The second thought that I have about this is strength training? Part of that will depend upon where exactly your legs are tired? Generally I'd recommend planks and side planks for your core; straight leg lifts, one leg calf raise, walking bridge, clam shells, and squats for your legs. Those can all start off with body weight and help. You'll likely need at least 2-4 weeks to start feeling/witnessing any benefits. Additionally the best way to stay uninjured is to work on strength. I really wish I'd bought into that when I started running instead of believe that running would be all the work needed.

Unlike jefeweiss I don't think that speed is your problem; you're moving slower and having a harder time. But along with jefeweiss I think that doing some intervals might help your body with it's running form/efficiency. On the note of form/efficiency the two things I see most recommended is aim for 180 steps/minute (shorter stridge length if you need to) and make sure that your feet are connecting with the ground under your body, rather than in front of your body. Don't worry about heel/midfoot strike, just care that you're not over striding with a fast turnover.
posted by nobeagle at 11:27 AM on June 26, 2015