** Do most people listen to music when they’re running? *
I don’t typically, but I’d guess more people do than don’t. For very long runs (16+ miles), I sometimes listen to an audiobook. Music is tough for me because I subconsciously start matching my cadence to the music, and I’d rather run at my pace.
** Speaking of the phone, what’s the best way to carry it? *
I like an arm band, but belt packs work fine too.
** Is there anything in particular I need to think about when compared to pounding the streets?*
Not unique to parks but more common in them: footing can be a little more dicey, especially if you are in an area where trees shed their leaves. It takes a little more concentration to not slip.
** I’ve only really got a couple of pairs of everyday sports shorts and normal cotton T-shirts. What should I be looking at in terms of clothing? *
NO COTTON!! Running shirts these days are all “tech fabric” (nylon/polyester/lycra). It does a much better job wicking away moisture and letting your body regulate its temperature. Cotton will be cold in winter and too hot in summer once you start sweating.
** warm-up/cool-down/stretching*
You’ll hear lots of different advice on this. I think a slow warm-up is key, and stretching after the run is really good. I always do a cool-down if I’ve been doing speed work, but I don’t do a separate cool-down at the end of the long run - I just maintain my pace to the end (but also no sprint to the finish). If I’m doing speed work, I’ll usually stretch after my warm-up. Stretching before you do anything isn’t good - you need to get your muscles warmed up first.
Music - personal preference. If you like it, play music. I do sometimes but usually dont.
App - you don’t need it. All you need is the day’s workout & a watch that has seconds, whether a $5000 Rolex or a Wal-Mart special. All you need is to know when 90 seconds or 5 minutes or whenever the time interval ends.
Carrying the phone - held in hand, arm belt, followed by waistbelt is how iI believe the order from most to least popular, again personal preference.
Attire - Shoes breakdown over time, even just sitting in the closet. If they’ve been in there for a # of years, take 'em to your local running store & have them look at them. If they’ve only been in there for a few months, no worries.
Wicking shirts are much better than cotton. However you’re walking more than running the first week in the program & we’re heading towards the cooler weather of fall. You don’t need to run out & buy a new wardrobe today. Many races give out shirts, sometimes cotton sometimes wicking ones. If you decide you like doing races, that’s a good way to build your shirt collection.
As you get later into the program & are running most of your workout it will be fall. The rule of thumb is to dress for about 15° warmer than air temp, so you don’t need lots of cold weather gear yet.
Sorry but it’s tough to edit/fix typos long posts on my phone…
Parks – what are you running on? Paved trails? Packed dirt or true trails, with rocks/roots etc.? II’d stay away from the third for now…& get specialized trail running shoes if you’re going to do that regularly. Less daylight if you’re in deep tree cover; don’t go early/late in the day.
Warm up / stretching - warm up beforehand but static stretching (bend over & touch your toes, etc.) should be saved for afterwards.
To clarify w/ TroutMan, I agree that wicking is better & I use it exclusively. What I was saying is, to start, cotton will work & the cost (free - already have) is right.
I started C25K in March, so I’m still a relatively new runner. However, I’ve kept it up and have been doing 5k 3x per week for several months now. Here are my answers to your questions, plus some bonus unsolicited advice:
Do most people listen to music when they’re running? I’ve got headphones in anyway, because the C25K app is calling out when to start and stop running, and the app itself can play music from the phone. I expect that most of my runs are going to be on the pavements alongside busy roads, so I’ll need to be fairly aware of my surroundings.
I don’t listen to music. Now that I’m done with the app, I just zone out. Personal preference.
Speaking of the phone, what’s the best way to carry it? Even if I don’t listen to music, I’ll still need it (and earbuds) for the C25K app. i was wearing a microfibre fleece for yesterday’s inaugural run, not because I needed it, but because it had a pocket for the phone. But that’s probably not a great long-term plan.
I don’t usually carry my phone, but if I do, I just hold it in my hand.
While most of my runs will need to be of the “out the front door and start running” variety, we have a couple of nice country parks within a 20 minute drive, so on occasion it might be nice to go and do some running on the woodland trails there. This might sound like a daft question, but is there anything in particular I need to think about when compared to pounding the streets?
My usual path is about 1/3 streets and 2/3 unpaved trail. I don’t notice any particular difference.
As mentioned above, I’ve got good running shoes already, but apart from that I’ve only really got a couple of pairs of everyday sports shorts and normal cotton T-shirts. What should I be looking at in terms of clothing? I’m thinking here both in terms of making it easy on myself, but also looking as little like a doofus as possible.
I usually run in a cotton T-shirt, but getting real running shorts was a game changer for me. I have a pair from Old Navy and a pair from Lululemon. The Lululemon shorts are somewhat nicer than the Old Navy shorts, but the Old Navy shorts are much better than the cotton shorts I’d worn previously.
The C25K program includes five minutes of walking at the start and end for warm-up and cool-down. Is there anything else I should be doing? (Apart from stretching - see below)
If anything hurts, ice it when you’re done.
I’m kind of aware I should be stretching, but not really sure WHAT I should be doing. I’ve also seen conflicting advice regarding whether you should stretch both before and after, or just after a run.
I don’t do any particular stretching, at least not in connection with running.
And now for the unsolicited advice: You mention a Mrs. Snowman. Any chance she’d be interested in running with you? When I started C25K, my husband decided to join me. I was skeptical at first, but it’s actually been really nice. Having a shared commitment to run together 3x a week makes both of us more likely to actually get out of bed and hit the road. Also, it’s very nice to have someone there to provide encouragement and to confirm that yes, running really and truly sucks.
Warning: Week 5 of C25K is the pits. It took us about 3 weeks to successfully get through it.
I disagree strongly with anyone who advises against cotton t-shirts! Man, I freaking HATE those space-age new-fangled fancy-schmancy running clothes. Everyone says they wick moisture away from your body. So where does it go? It hangs out on the shirt. It also smells vile, much worse than cotton t-shirt sweat.
I sweat like crazy on my face when I run and I like to use my plain ol’ cotton shirt to wipe my face as I run. It’s unbearable to not wipe my face periodically. And whenever I wear one of those fancy running shirts, I wipe my face with it and it has no absorbent qualities whatsoever. I may as well be wiping my face with a sheet of plastic.
A nice cotton t-shirt feel like a handkerchief. Also, I don’t get those people wearing those skin-tight plastic-looking running shorts/leggings. They look really hot and constrictive. My shorts, like my shirt, are loose-fitting and I think this is more comfortable.
Again, it’s a personal preference I guess- but the people who wear shiny skintight running gear are weirdos.
1) Do most people listen to music when they’re running?
I do. My runs are miserable without music. I need a good beat to help get me through. Then again, my husband, who is the "real runner "in the family (he qualified for the Boston Marathon earlier this year) never listens to music and makes fun of me for it. I like jog.fm for finding music that matches my pace.
4) What should I be looking at in terms of clothing?
I started out with whatever I had in the dresser (cotton t-shirts and athletic shorts) and went from there. I quickly found that I did not like running in shorts. I do like the tech material instead of the cotton for shirts - less friction and it breathes much better. I found finding clothes I liked to be mostly about trial and error. Oh, I do recommend some good athletic socks. You don’t have to splurge for the $10/pair ones, but they sure are nice.
5) The C25K program includes five minutes of walking at the start and end for warm-up and cool-down. Is there anything else I should be doing?
I didn’t do anything else. I still start and end my runs with walking.
6) I’m kind of aware I should be stretching, but not really sure WHAT I should be doing.
I have heard that you should either stretch all the time or never, so being lazy I chose never.
I’m guessing you live in relatively high humidity. After wicking sweat off your skin, it should evaporate off the outer layer.
These fabrics are at their best in cold weather under a wind blocking layer or high heat, low humidity.
I’ve owned several brands and never had a problem with the smell.
I’ve had considerable trouble with the abrasiveness of cotton when it gets wet.
Thanks everyone for all the advice. It’s all useful.
I did the second run today. I’d already put it in my diary. I didn’t sleep well last night (nothing to do with the running, just a bad night), and when the alarm went off it was about 50/50 whether I’d get up or go back to sleep.
I got up.
I laid my clothes out last night, which helped, I think - rummaging through drawers is a barrier to getting out. As it was, I was out the door within about 10 minutes of getting up. Running in the morning was MUCH nicer than the lunchtime run I kicked off with - cooler, and far fewer people around. The sun was still coming up, and as I was gawping at that, I brushed past a clump of nettles. Ow.
I found it easier today, possibly because I knew what to expect, and probably because it was cooler. I was quite surprised at how the 60 second run sections flew by. I was slightly disappointed when I got to the end of the eighth and last running section. I say “running” - but I think that I’m running as slowly as you can and still technically call it running. I’m not going to be winning any races anytime soon.
Day Three is tomorrow. Generally speaking, I’m going to try and have a day in-between runs, but the weekend will be quite busy and there’s a risk it won’t happen if I wait until the weekend. So tomorrow it is.
A few years ago, we (high school cross-country) had a girl come out who was very overweight. She went from barely able to run 100 yds. to running 20 minutes non-stop and lost 35 lbs.
I’ve tried C25K numerous times and never finished it. I’m lazy, not going to lie about that one. I’m also overweight - 5’9" and 245lbs. Once I get over the “hump” I do actually enjoy exercising and sports. But I hate-hate-HATE running. Getting started the physical part is hard enough but the mental aspect is what really does me in every time. Running is just so mind-numbing and boring to me and I can’t get out of my own head on runs and into this supposed ‘zen’ place. My internal monologue is “left right left right left right God this is boring left right left right this is a good song left right left right ugh this is so dull and repetitive left right left right this sidewalk is just one long bland ribbon of concrete left right left right bored bored bored bored kill me now bored left right left right” on and on for 30 minutes or more. There is never anything fun or interesting or stimulating when running for me and it defeats me faster than the physical hurdles and the breaking out of bad habits.
When I wake up early for a run or ride, and I am on the fence about going or just laying in bed, I tell myself “you wont regret going out, but you will regret staying here”.
I don’t give myself time to think about it. My workout clothes are laid out next to the bed. When the alarm goes off I’m up and dressed before I have the ability to make a conscious decision.
Speaking as a big guy (I’m not as big as the guy in the ad, but I’m closer to that than slim) I don’t see why Nike should cop flack over that ad. I found it quite moving.
I didn’t realize that was how they were supposed to work! I bought a tech shirt expecting miracles, but at the end of the run it was just as soaked as the cotton tees I’d been using with the unpleasant bonus of clinging to my skin. I’ll try it again should the humidity ever decrease.
I can relate to this. That’s why I strongly prefer cycling to running: you cover a lot more ground and see a lot more stuff in any given time interval, which makes it more interesting. And sometimes you get to coast, which gives you a break while still moving forward.
That said, I do run semi-regularly (because it (a) is a more efficient form of exercise than cycling, and (b) it exercises an overlapping but different set of muscles), but I deal with the boredom by keeping my runs short. I can push myself out the door, run a mile in about 10 minutes, and be back inside, cooling off.
I can deal with boredom for 10 minutes in the interest of fitness. And even running a mile - hell, even a half-mile if that’s all you can deal with - is still real exercise. And any exercise you get is better than the exercise you contemplate but don’t actually do.
