Running Road Block

April 19, 201115 yr

Could it be a mental block? I know for me when I started running, i had this mental block at a mile. I thought I could not do it and when I would approach the mile marker my mind kept mentioning "oh no here comes the mile" and I would stop, my legs were like logs. I started thinking of all the things running would do for me and forced "the mile" out of my head and I was able to get past it. Good luck and don't stop you will get there!

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April 27, 201115 yr

Hi Katie, My name is Callie and I was banded on 5/14/09 and I did my 1st 5k only two weeks after surgery. Since then I've walked/ran over 1,000. I've learned several tricks over the last few years that have really helped me, I hope they might help you too.

If you are on the treadmill, slow your speed down and see if you can go for a longer time. When you are outside, really concentrate on your breathing. I do a 2 count when breathing in and out and it really helps in pacing yourself. And as silly as it sounds...chewing gum really helps me keep my pace. Music....are you listening to music while you are jogging? I find that if I have a song with a great beat, it really keeps me going. Don't think that you have to jog the whole way. Its okay to stop and walk. When you hit your brick wall....just remember how far you have gone and push yourself just a little more each day and by the time of your race, you'll be good to go!!!

Good Luck,

~Callie

Hi all,

I need some words of wisdom. I signed up to do a 5K which is at the end of May. I was doing well ... jogging on the treadmill at a speed of 4.8 or so for a distance of about 1.5 miles. Now, since the race is getting closer, I have tried to start jogging outside and I hit a block every time I hit a mile. I know running outside is harder but it has been at least 2 weeks of every other day running that I am at a one mile wall! I feel sore, tight, and frustrated! Any advice?

Thanks!

Katie

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April 27, 201115 yr

Hi Katie, My name is Callie and I was banded on 5/14/09 and I did my 1st 5k only two weeks after surgery. Since then I've walked/ran over 1,000. I've learned several tricks over the last few years that have really helped me, I hope they might help you too.

If you are on the treadmill, slow your speed down and see if you can go for a longer time. When you are outside, really concentrate on your breathing. I do a 2 count when breathing in and out and it really helps in pacing yourself. And as silly as it sounds...chewing gum really helps me keep my pace. Music....are you listening to music while you are jogging? I find that if I have a song with a great beat, it really keeps me going. Don't think that you have to jog the whole way. Its okay to stop and walk. When you hit your brick wall....just remember how far you have gone and push yourself just a little more each day and by the time of your race, you'll be good to go!!!

Good Luck,

~Callie

Hi all,

I need some words of wisdom. I signed up to do a 5K which is at the end of May. I was doing well ... jogging on the treadmill at a speed of 4.8 or so for a distance of about 1.5 miles. Now, since the race is getting closer, I have tried to start jogging outside and I hit a block every time I hit a mile. I know running outside is harder but it has been at least 2 weeks of every other day running that I am at a one mile wall! I feel sore, tight, and frustrated! Any advice?

Thanks!

Katie

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May 6, 201115 yr

Hi Katie,

First of all congratulations on taking the first step and commiting to a 5K and training for it. As you have noted running outside is much different than running on the treadmill. When I started running 5K's I concentrated on finishing and not so much worrying about my time or how much of it I actually ran. I timed myself and would run for 4 min and walk for 2 min and lather rinse repeate till I could run the whole 3.1 miles by increasing my run time by a minute and then decreasing my walk time by a minute.

It is so much a mental game that is for sure and at times when you think you cant run anymore or further it is time to have a come to jesus meeting with yourself and say ok dig deep I can do this...

The things that are important to me in preparing for a race are:

Good Music ( if you don't have an I Pod Invest in one you will be glad you did)

Good Shoes ( go to a running store and get fitted it is not about how pretty you look but how good your feet feel during and after the race)

Fuel ( very important to properly fuel your body I have learned this lesson the hard way and not just on race day but for training runs as well) I eat about 1.5-2 hrs before my run and on race day usually do like 1-2 rice cakes with Peanut Butter

Go to have Fun...

Those that say it can't be done are being passed by those doing it...

Have a great time can't wait to hear how it went

Michele

In the past 6 months I have ran 55 race miles and just completed my first 10 mile race and it was fantastic....

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May 6, 201115 yr

Author

Thanks for all the good advice. I was able to run 2 miles this morning on the treadmill at a 5.0-5.2 pace and a 1.0 incline. I have resolved to "just to my best" and have fun. I am doing a practice run with my friend on the 14th (the race is the 29th) so I will know what to expect. I am just happy to be trying! We will see how it goes!

Katie

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May 9, 201115 yr

Katie,

That is great and yes it is good to do the full 3.1 miles prior to race day so you know what to expect and how your body will feel. Your speeds and incline sound great and you are approaching this with the right attitude and pratice. Good luck and I can't wit to hear how it went so excited for you.

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May 9, 201115 yr

Hi Katie,

What I find works for me is setting a goal during the week that I know I can hit consistently like maybe 1.5 miles and try to do that for say 4 days straight. I then take a few days off of running and maybe just walk those days to keep loose and burn a few calories. I will go back to running on Monday with a new goal being 2 miles. I put it in my mind that 2.0 is the new baseline. 1.5 does not even come into my head as it would be a road block for me as I approached that mark. That 3 day break serves to break the physical memory in my body of coming to the old baseline and it becomes just a mind thing. In my mind I start thinking about 2.5 and whether I could do that. When you concentrate on 2.5 it sure makes 2.0 a lot easier to achieve. If I keep myself mentally 2 steps ahead of where I want to be it makes that one step seem almost easy to reach each week. I hope that makes sense.

If you are running outside you can try changing your route. That can really help as there is not a space on the road that servers at a mental barrier since you are going a new way.

If you are inside maybe take a day where you work on speed intervals. Try boosting the speed up to 6.0 or 6.2 for 30 seconds bursts. After 30 seconds slow it down to a walk for 30 seconds then boost back up. By doing the interval training you body won't recognize the physical barrier it is used to and you mind will function the same way.

I did my first 5K last month. The energy you will feel by being part of a group competing like that is a rush too that can help you that day. I liked it so much that it that I did another on Saturday. I challenged myself this time not to just finish but to actually pace myself to a finish that made me feel like I was racing. I went from 10:02 min/mi pace to 8:08. The rush of shaving 6 minutes off my time was amazing. I am taking Friday off as I want to complete in a 5 mile race. This is further than I have ever run but I believe there is no reason that I cannot make it if I pace myself properly for the distance. As I train this week for the 5 miler my mind will be focused on 10K and 10 Miles. It should make the 5 mile race seem easy.

Good Luck in your race and be sure to come back and let us know how you did.

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