Advice for beginning runner

I am just beginning the "Couch to 5k" Program. It recommends not running back to back days so that your body has time to rest. Does this mean I just should not do THAT two days in a row or I should not do cardio all together? (For example, I ran yesterday, can I do the cross trainer today or take the day off?)

Tue. Mar 14, 8:58am

I often cross-train and it works well for me. I'd recommend doing cardio that uses some different muscles and is lower-impact, though, like maybe an erg (rowing machine) or swimming.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006, 9:04 AM

I agree with the above advice. I started a running program 10 weeks ago. In between running days, I do something...be it weight lifting, elliptical, walking, rowing or biking. And I make sure I have one day of total rest every week. Your muscles and body need down time.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006, 9:14 AM

Me too

I started the "Couch to 5K" training program about a month ago. :o) I run/walk everyday except Monday and Friday. On Mondays and Fridays I either don't do anything, or I do something that uses muscles other than my running muscles. Yesterday I walked...I"ve had the flu so I'm slowly getting my energy back up. There is a 5K in my city the second week in May...I'm hoping to be able to run the whole thing by then. We'll see I guess!

Good Luck to you! :o)

Tuesday, March 14, 2006, 2:40 PM

it's mostly about your tendons and joints not being tough enough yet to handle the jarring of running. you are gradually strengthening the tendons and muscles so that when you do run longer and harder, you won't get an injury to them (which totally sucks because then you can't run for a long time). keep running, slow and steady and build up gradually. running feels so damn good!

Friday, March 24, 2006, 2:11 AM

Also remember to train your leg muscles from all sides. Running is only a forward movement. Add some lateral and backward movements - run or walk backwards for a short time (or go backwards on an elliptical machine if you go to the gym), do some grapvines or side sashays and you'll see a difference in your strength quickly!

Friday, March 24, 2006, 12:33 PM

To the above poster - Really?? i have never heard of that. I will have to try running backwards. How do you keep from falling over on the treadmill? (my machine of choice)

Friday, March 24, 2006, 3:12 PM

Hehe, you have to go very slow if you walk backwards on the treadmill, and hold on to the handrails. Not sure if you could also do lateral movements on the treadmill... I run outside, so it's obviously much easier.

Friday, March 24, 2006, 3:17 PM

Be careful running backwards! Make sure you are on a very flat surface (on the treadmill holding on sounds good to me). I have seen too many people fall down and break their wrists because they were going backwards and tried to catch their fall.

Friday, March 24, 2006, 4:14 PM

Sorry - a little more from the poster directly above.

Running is definitely just a forward movement, so finding exercises that use other muscles in your legs will help building strength. Biking, for example, uses your quadracepts a lot more than running. Cross training is good for you, just be careful doing things we weren't built to do fast.

Friday, March 24, 2006, 4:16 PM

There are many people on PEERtrainer who start to run. We tell as many people as possible to do two things.

1.) Take it slow, and focus on enjoying it. You need to expect that running will reveal weaknesses- in your diet, energy, strength. If you set the expectation early that challenges will arise and you need to welcome them, then you'll do great long term.

2.) Make SURE to understand the difference between fat burning and sugar burning. This is the #1 reason people get hurt, they don't understand these two modes well.

This is an article we create that teaches you how to "be a fat burner" when you run:

How To Burn Fat When You Run

-PEERtrainer

Saturday, March 12, 2011, 11:50 AM

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