another newbie - Beginners

ultra meerkat

05/09/2002 at 15:10

Hi - been lurking for a while but thought I would put a paw in the air and ask for your thoughts...I started running just over a month ago at the rather geriatric age of 44. On my very first day I managed about 3 minutes before collapsing in a jibbering heap - then discovered the walk/run thing. This week I'm on R7W2 x3 (four times a week), which covers about 2 miles, I think...still struggling with OS maps and a bit of string. At the moment I'm finding that on the third 7 minute run I'm going much faster than on the first two...I don't plan it this way, but my legs just seem to say 'Let's go!!', even though my calves still feel fairly lead-like on the first 14 mins. Is this wise?? Is this normal?? Any thoughts welcome...and thanks for all the inspiration so far.
Meerkat

Pamela

05/09/2002 at 15:30

Hi Meerkat - nice to see you!
I've been running for about a month, too, but haven't got to R7W2 yet - I'm still trundling along at R5W1. But feels good. I have noticed that during the secong half of my run I usually feel much speedier and have more comfortable breathing nad legs than at the beginning. As a newbie myself, iI can't say if this is wise, but two of us together can't be too abnormal....can we?
keep up the good work,
Pamela x

Barkles

05/09/2002 at 15:38

Welcome young sir. D0on't paninc about age - it's attitude that counts. keep it going.
Don't be afriad to ask.. there's plenty of knowledge on this here forum.
Just not me - I know very little.

Mij

05/09/2002 at 16:06

Welcome both of you. Yes it is perfectly normal for it to start hard and then get easier during the run before getting hard again. This is why the warmup was invented.

You should always plan to start slower and speed up once your legs "get into it". After your run you should stretch your uupper body as well as your lower and then walk some more to cool down. This way you will recover faster and hurt yourself less.

The only other think I can tell you is don't believe Barkles when he says he knows nothing! And as for 44 I've still got a couple more to go till get to that mark. And at 45 you can run in the next age category if you want to race so that's a good goal to consider.

ultra meerkat

05/09/2002 at 16:34

Thanks, guys!
Pamela - good to meet you too! And I'm really glad you're experiencing the same thing as me. At the moment I'm finding that even though the last/'fast' 7 mins is the hardest, it's also the most fun, and the one that makes me think, bl**dy hell, maybe I can do this...
Barkles - thanks for your welcome and the reassurance. I have to confess to being a female mongoose, though, as recent girly gear frenzy will testify...
Mij - that makes perfect sense. I'm doing the stretches, and I'm lucky enough to live within eight minutes walk of a canal and miles and miles of towpath, so I do a brisk walk before and after my run. Thank you for the info about age groups and races - that's really good news. I have to confess that I'm beginning to have scarey thoughts about trying a 5K race, and I'll need all the help I can get!
Meerkat

Sassie

05/09/2002 at 21:06

It's so good to hear about others struggling, and at a grand age, like me! At 44, I've just started running again after a gap of 13 years. This time round feels more 'real', but I don't know how to move on from my one and a half miles three times a week. As an overweight (only slightly!) asthmatic, I'm so grateful to be alive at the end of it that I can't imagine making myself run any further! But I want to tackle a 5k, sometime in November. Any tips chaps and chapesses?

Sore Toes

05/09/2002 at 21:37

Welcome to the forum Meercat - there are loads of beginners lurking here, so you're not alone! Now I'm a mere youngster at 42 :o), but I started running in April (for the first time since school days). At first I was really shocked at how slowly I gained fitness - I thought it would happen quickly, but it didn't. However, almost 6 months down the line, I can say that its really worthwhile and I am definitely hooked - so keep at it!

ultra meerkat

06/09/2002 at 09:26

So glad there are some other 40-something beginners around! Like you, Jo, this is the first fitness thing I've done since school, where I used to zip round hockey and lacrosse pitches with no problem at all. Boy, do the years tell. Sassie, have you had a look at the beginner's running schedule under the Training section? It's the one I'm following (although I've stuck in an extra week of R7W2 at week 5) and so far, so good, if wheezy. Do you have a particular 5K in mind yet?

Sassie

06/09/2002 at 10:43

Meerkat (my favourite animals, by the way!), I don't know of any 5K near me (Surrey), so suggestions welcome. I'll check out the training page - thanx.

Christopher P.

06/09/2002 at 12:25

Hiya Meerkat,

I started just over a month ago age 43. It's good to know that those of us from a time of ten bob notes; steam engines and little bags of salt in your crisps can
still get out there and mix it with the rest.

Best Wishes

Chris

ultra meerkat

07/09/2002 at 09:39

Hmm, yes...and watching the very first episodes of Dr Who from behind the sofa...not to mention discovering a wonderful new dessert: butterscotch Instant Whip...

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