Training Check-in/Encouragement Thread

[BrerGnat]

Hello! I am SO HAPPY this thread was started. THANK YOU!

I am starting Week 8 of C25K tomorrow. I'm running my first 5k on St. Patrick's Day and I'm nervous that I won't be ready even though the program will technically be over. My pace so far (best was just under a 13 minute mile) doesn't seem fast enough to do a 5k in the time C25k expects you too, so I downloaded 5kto10k and will start that program once this ends. The way I see it, even if I have to walk a bit on St. Patty's day, my goal is to finish the first one.

I've started getting some pain in my knee... I have been debating if it is bad enough that I should seek out an ortho or just get a new pair of shoes. It doesn't hurt while I'm running but after I run it barks a bit, but not sharp-can't-walk-pain, more like "ow gotta limp and ice but I'll be fine" pain. When do you see a doctor about pain from running? I know everone and every situation is different - I could just use a guage if what I'm dealing with is normal aches and pains of trying something new or a possible problem.

Also, I'm wondering if anyone can offer insight into changes in weight-loss-pace after starting a running program. I've been losing more slowly than I'm used to on WW and wonder if I should be increasing or decreasing consumption of anything specific because I'm running this time around.

Looking forward to participating in this thread!!!

Don't worry about running "fast enough" at this point. Just worry about finishing! There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing a combo of walk/run/walk/run throughout the race. In fact, you might get a faster time by doing intervals and running faster during the run portions, than if you just jog the whole time. You'd be surprised.

As for the knee pain. It really depends on how long you have pain following the run. Is it for an hour, several hours, a day, more than a day? If you are not experiencing pain during the run, I'd say you don't have an injury, per se. However, if the pain lasts for a long time, or won't subside without the use of pain relievers, you should probably see a doctor and get it checked out. No need to see a specialist though, just your regular doc can do a quick check to see if it's something that needs to be investigated further or not. New shoes might be a good first step, in addition to taking a day off after every run. You may also benefit from some type of support brace for running. Many people require patellar support straps, or something similar, while they run.

When you have a true knee injury, the pain will not allow you to continue running, most of the time.

As for the weight loss. Here's a fact: WOMEN who exercise heavily usually DON'T lose weight as much as women who simply reduce calorie consumption (with no exercise). The female metabolism is very finicky. As soon as you start using up more calories, the body hangs onto fat like it's a life preserver and the ship is sinking. You have to remember that the female body's ultimate goal (biologically) is to maintain a pregnancy. Once you start making your body burn calories, it becomes VERY difficult to take off weight. So, what you are experiencing is very normal. The way to deal with it is to eat more. You need to eat to compensate for the calories you are burning while running. Most women require at least 1200 NET calories per day, for basic metabolic functions. If you are trying to lose weight, this will get you there. However, that means you need to eat 1200 calories PLUS whatever you burn off running. A basic mile run will burn 100 calories (give or take). So, if you run 3 miles one day, you will need to eat 1500 calories that day to net 1200.

Usually, when people plateau, or don't lose weight, it's because they are working out too hard and not eating enough. If you were on a 1200 calorie per day diet, but then you burned 600 calories doing a hard day's workout, and you only ate 1200 calories that day, your body would be sounding the "starvation" alarms, and the metabolism would slow down further to conserve energy. It's a tricky balancing act.

To sum up, when training hard, eat MORE! Just not too much.

This is where apps like MyFItnessPal come in really handy.

[lettripp]

Wow. Thank you BOTH. I can't even begin to explain how nice it is to be able to get advice from people with expertise in this!! I don't really have anyone who is knowledgable about this stuff in my life and looking it up on the internet has given me a lot of mixed messages and is completely daunting!

The pain goes away pretty quick so I won't look for a specialist but will call my doctor to see if wearing something may help. Also, I've had My Fitness Pal but haven't used it since I started Weight Watchers. That being said, totally gonna start. Going to increase my water intake and start calulating calories as well as points.

I also want to share a mini ahievement: I finally broke 3 miles today and am doing a major happy dance!!! Feels great to know that I can do it!!

[BrerGnat]

I also want to share a mini ahievement: I finally broke 3 miles today and am doing a major happy dance!!! Feels great to know that I can do it!!

That's awesome! It's so motivating to reach a goal that previously felt impossible!

[BrerGnat]

The pain goes away pretty quick so I won't look for a specialist but will call my doctor to see if wearing something may help.

Some simple strengthening exercises may help as well. Running on a flat surface doesn't build muscle, really at all. However, if you run hills or incline your treadmill, you will start noticing more muscle build up in your legs. Knee pain can often be eliminated by strengthening quads, hamstrings, and shins. You can do this by doing squats, knee bends, and "tip toes." The tip toes is the key to strengthening the muscles that run down the sides of your knees. Stand with feet hip width apart, hold on lightly to a chair or something in front of you. Keeping your knees straight, lift your heels up until you are on your "tip toes", hold for a count of 1, then back down. Repeat 20 times. Do this about 3 times a day. After each set, stretch out your calves. Very important to keep your legs straight, and also sort of tuck your pelvis under to make a "straight line" out of your spine. This exercise works wonders for building knee support.