Another of my sporadic updates on being fat and trying to be not so fat.
Let’s see.
I ran my first (and only) 5K on the 19th. Since then, I’ve embarked on something called the One Hour Runner plan. Here it is in a nutshell: build my running time up, without getting injured, so that I can run one hour at a time. Simple enough!
So this week I will run a total of 100 minutes, spread over three runs. By the beginning of October I’ll be up to about 130 minutes, also spread over three runs. After this plan, I’ll probably add a fourth running day. Right now I’m being over-careful and trying NOT to hurt my legs / knees / ankles etc. in part because I’ve been a lard-ass for so many decades and also because the effect of that lardiness is that I’m 100 pounds overweight (well, about 90 now) and that puts more stress on anything that hits the pavement.
So, I’m running, I’m adding time, I’m feeling pretty good about it. My speed is nothing right now. I’m deliberately keeping my pace slow to control my heart rate and breathing (my cardio system is just as shot as the rest of me) and later I’ll worry about the speed.
Good for you! You have great dedication.
And that’s exactly how you’re supposed to do it. By keeping your heart range in your “zone” you burn more fat and calories than by high-cardio. This site has a few calculators. http://www.marathonguide.com/fitnesscalcs/index.cfm
The heart rate calculator will help you define your ranges. http://www.marathonguide.com/fitnesscalcs/HeartRate2calc.cfm
And then if you have a heart rate monitor, you can closely monitor your ranges during your workout.
So proud of you!
Yep, well done that man. Keep on runnin’
keep up the great work! you’re on the right path and you’re going slow and adding in the minutes gradually. As you continue, you’ll either get faster or it will get easier, or if you’re lucky — BOTH! (It’s easier for me now, but I’m not any faster than when I started four years ago!)
Sounds very very very smart. So..when you say you are trying to keep your HR down… what does that mean? I can’t keep mine “down”. Seems to go to about 145-155 and that’s where it is. Whether I shuffle at 3.8 or actually jog at 4.6. What about you? Are you following the Mafftone principles?
Keep up the good work. It’s inspiring and I love having someone going through the same pain as me 🙂
There’s almost as many formulas as there are joggers (it seems), but according to the Karvonen formula (which seems as good as any)
my max rate is 179 – that’s too low, I know I’ve crossed 180 just running.
65% would be 136 (which I can’t hit just walking) and 85% would be 161.
Soo…
If I stay under 85% that means I should stay under 161. My last three runs I have averaged 155 and maxed around 162-163. And I have an alarm that triggers at 161, so I know I’m only spiking when I go up a hill or something. And when the alarm goes, I slow my stride or whatever (haven’t had to walk yet).
The guide that Interstellar Lass listed above has the aerobic range at 70 – 80% of max, which would mean I should stay below 155. I’m thinking I’m in about the right place – it feels good, and I can go for quite a while following this method. Theoretically, at least, my body should get more efficient and I should be a little faster even when keeping my heart rate around the same place. Time will tell.
Sorry this got so long, probably should be another entry..
Oh, and for reference (I had to look it up), I averaged 172 bpm when I ran the 5K a couple weeks ago. Some of that was the heat, but most of it was pushing the pace. The next run (at 5 AM – no heat) I still averaged 167, and I was trying to take it easy.