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Bodyweight You need to be fit to run?

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I'm also thinking if you need rest days between 45-60 minute walks, maybe the first goal should be to walk daily without having to take rest days.
 
For anyone looking to get into running and actually enjoying it and avoid injury (which kinda ties in with the enjoying it part..) I can highly recomend the work of Phil Maffetone. I were one of those people who always hated running and kept getting these small nagging injuries every time I did a serious attempt at training for distance running.

MAF-style running allowed me to enjoy the activity and to avoid injuries. In hindsight the answer to my problem were so incredibly simple. Run slower. Basically that is all it is for most beginners, they simply set a pace that is way to taxing for their untrained body.
Get a watch that can track your pulse. Deduct your age from 180 and deduct a further 5 if you have suffered from injuries and voila! There you have your training pulse baseline.

Most people will be amazed by how slow they really have to go in the beginning to keep their pulse at this level. They will be equally amazed when the results of doing this for prolonged time starts to show in a month or so.
 
Hey everyone!

This is my first post on the forum but have been reading and learning a lot from the posts for quite a while now. I'd like to share some of my experiences with running.

A little background: I'm 6'3 and weight 215 (this has been consistent for the past 10 years). I'm a bit heavier than the average runner but my journey into running began while I was training for the military years ago. I didn't consider myself "fit" when I began running. I struggled a lot, often pushing myself beyond what my body was capable of handling. I don't want to write a memoir but here are some of the lessons I've learned:

1-When beginning to run, my goal was to run non-stop for either 20:00 min or 2 miles, not necessarily worrying about speed/pace - a realistic "stretch" goal. If you can't do this right away, no worries, just alternate walking/ jogging in a manner thats not too difficult. This also resonates with a concept in S&S: Own the Weight(or distance/time) before adding more. Let this become easy (which is a sure sign you're progressing). Using the Maffetone method (if you have a HR Monitor) and nasal breathing helps immensely.

2- Consistency is VITAL, but when starting out, I limited myself to 2-3 times per week. Make sure to listen to your body. Do 3 sessions if you feel you can, if not, theres no shame in backing off. You are working on improvement, not screening for a Tier 1 Military Unit.

3- This is probably the most important - Do NOT neglect strength training. I love pushing my limits, so I eventually signed up for several ultra marathons. After completing my last 50 miler, I took 2 weeks off then went to the gym. I've never felt so weak in my life, since I had neglected nearly all strength training. Had I known about S&S or strongfirst in general, I truly believe I would have made everything about my training easier and more enjoyable. I feel that this neglect deeply ingrained the concept of strength as a foundational skill.

4- Besides strength training, running form is HUGE (and I think this comes into play with the idea of being "fit to run" considering the possible causes of being "unfit", such as sitting too much, wearing all sorts of crazy shoes, short/tight muscles, etc...).

Maybe it's just me, but saying "you can't run to get fit, you need to be fit to run" sounds like good fuel for excuses. After all, what EXACTLY does the term "fit" imply? It seems more of a direct, rather than an inverse, correlation between running and being "fit". If you take the time to "Practice" the skills through technique and patience, you will undoubtedly progress.

All the best and stay strong!
 
Another Maffetone fan here. It has worked very well for me. Another good resource is Jeff Galloway. He has decades of experience working with beginners using a walk/run method.

Further on the crossfit tip, both Brian Mckenzie and TJ Murphy have strength endurance hybrids. I haven't read either though.
 
Kelly Starrett's book Ready to Run addresses this. He comes from a crossfit background but is also a Phd and physical therapist, so a pretty smart dude.
I started reading this last night.

I think I'll have to go through this whole thread a few times as there's so much information in it.
 
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