I finally have a goal but need some help

[fitharp]

Cathe,
I have finally realized the importance of having goals in my life. When I work out I am trying lots of rotations but never finish them probably because I don't have a specific goal in mind so don't see a need to complete. I also often go days without exercising for probably similar reasons. So I have set a goal for myself and was wondering if you could help me. I can't run very far at all. I enjoy running and would like to be able to run more than a couple of minutes at a time. I have found a walk/run program that I really like but I am not sure what Cathe workout to do to assist in my goal to be able to run. Running is hard for me because of the endurance but also tired legs that don't go for very long. So I know I will need leg tapes but not sure which ones would be best for the endurance part of running. I am also not sure what to do with my upper body and would like even to know which cardio tapes would help with running. I have all your current tapes though there are many I haven't used because I am not sure how to use them becaue I haven't had any goals!
Thanks for you help
Michele

 

[maddiesmum]

You want to be a runner and you want to be a better runner. This means that you are prioritizing running as your main form of cardio. If you don't, the goal of becoming a good runner and making running easier will not happen. Ideally you will start off with 3 days running per week as your base, and as you get fitter, increase to 4 times per week, more if desired.

The only way to become a better, more efficient runner is to run. No other cardio DVDs will help you with this goal specifically, only running will do this for you. Cardio DVDs will help improve your cardiovascular fitness, but they will not help you run better and the best way to increase your cardiovascular fitness is through running anyway, so make that your priority for now.

You say you have found a run/walk program that suits you, so you can see that with consistency in your running workouts, you can quickly work up to running for 3 10 minute sessions per workout. Once you get to there, you can start branching out in terms of your running training and decide what your goals for running are. Websites like runnersworld.com will explain all this to you and offer suggestions for further reading.

What I would suggest to you is to concentrate solely on the running for the first couple of weeks, as far as leg training is concerned. The running itself will provide enough challenge to the muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints of the legs. Your rest days are vital for helping your joints and muscles, etc, to recover and strengthen.
After a couple of weeks, you can add in one day of resistance training for the legs, than after you are used to that, add a second day of resistance training. As far as Cathe's DVDs go, you have quite a few choices. Take a look at the Gym Style series for legs, this one is excellent. It includes full weighted workout (squats, lunges, etc) and a floor workout to target hamstrings, hips, glutes, etc. Also you could take a look at Legs & Glutes, and Butts & Guts.

As far as upper body weight training is concerned, yes, you should do some. Having a stronger upper body helps you keep going when the running gets tough. You can start this as soon as you start your running. Start with working the entire upper body each session, doing 1 or 2 sessions per week. Take a look at DVDs like Muscle Max and Muscle Endurance for example. You can also use these DVDs to provide the necessary leg work for your first few months.

Everyone talks about cross training as necessary to prevent burnout and injury. If you are serious about your running goal, then your resistance training becomes your cross training, in addition to providing power and strength to your legs for running. I would recommend getting your running up and going and your resistance training days up and going before thinking about adding in other forms of cardio. You need to first find out how much more energy you have, and again, your legs will need their rest days.

As you have surmised, you get so much more out of your fitness training when you have specific and well defined goals. You can become a runner and arranging your fitness training around this goal --becoming a runner and then becoming a better runner-- will help you achieve success. Good luck and enjoy the journey!

Hope this helps,

Clare

 

[Vee]

I agree with what Clare said - especially focusing on upper body weight training to complement running when starting out.

I started running in my mid thirties. I was doing Cathe's advanced cardio DVDs at that time (as well as doing split body training with Cathe DVDs or on my own at the gym), but I still found running hard. I too started out combining walking/run intervals until I could run non stop. At first I did not focus on speed. I just worked on being able to run non-stop at a steady pace for longer and longer durations. When steady state runs of 45 minutes became effortless, I started interval training combining sprinting, hills and jogging with Cardio Coach. (www.cardiocoach.com) My speed improved very fast with interval training.

When my goal became running, I cut down on other forms of cardio. I ran 2 to 3 times a week and did elliptical or Cathe cardio once a week for variety.

Plyo is great training to help you develop speed, but that can come later after your body accomodates to impact of running. I like Legs & Glutes from Cathe. It is not just an effective and fun lower body workout, it combines a variety of ways to work the legs including some plyo. I also love the explosive work she does in her cardio workouts like her iMaxes. The pictures of plyo in the optional Meso 3 leg work make me drool.

Running is high impact, so make sure you increase intensity gradually each week, even if your cardio capacity inceases faster, to stay injury free. Increase mileage and speed in small increments each week. I never felt any discomfort while running but I ended up hurting my knee and developing plantar fasciitis (an inflamation of the plantar fascia or connective tissues under the foot) from increasing intensity too quickly. Both times it was because I returned to running after a break and did not have the patience to work up my intensity slowly.

Flexibility is important to prevent running injury. I do stretches for hip-opening, glutes, hamstrings, calves, quads, IT band after every run. I also do seated twists and low back stretches. In my experience you can lose flexibility especially in hips and hamstrings if you run regularly but dont stretch.

I think weight training is a great idea (either split or total body and with specific emphasis on core strength and stability) as a complement to running. Both sprinters and long distance runners do resistance training.

Finally, until Cathe replies, here is a link on complementary training with running:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KGB/is_3_5/ai_n6033003
It talks about preventing injuries that running could bring on and improving your endurance and speed at running.

Good luck.

~* Vrinda *~