Everyone I used to run with that had Nike had them fall apart in short order. I used to prefer Brooks, then moved to Asics and New Balance. Some shoes are specifically built for people that pronate or supinate (site), so if you know your feet that well, you might want to look into that and invest in the shoe that will really work best for you.
There’s a reason why everyone’s recommending a running store. At the ones I go to, if you come in in athletic shoes, they watch you run in those, then they watch you run in socks. They’ll listen to your feelings about athletic shoes in your past. They haul out several pairs of shoes that might be decent for your feet and watch you run in those (to make sure you look ok, and aren’t overpronating or whatever else can go wrong with your feet). And end up giving suggestions for a few pairs of shoes that are suitable for you - at which point you choose which one is most comfortable (feeling and price wise). And no, they do not always recommend the most expensive shoes in the store. (My last pair were Adidas, which I loved - I’m now breaking in a pair of Asics, and longing for my old shoes)
I used to sing musical scores to myself (in my head) which worked surprisingly well for runs under 40 minutes. Once I started doing multiple hour runs, I’d drive myself nuts without a walkman. And if you’re running in traffic, you need to hear the cars.
If you are going to run, it’s important to have running shoes and not tennis shoes. The support is different, and so’s the application. Tennis shoes are for side to side motion, heavier and built differently.
I have no issues with my feet, and I go to Super Shoes, and buy whatever is on sale when I need new running shoes, as long as it fits good.
I haven’t noticed much difference between brands. I have Adidas now.
MMM…elliptical trainer…
I love this machine. Love it. Love it.
I alternate going up a level and adding five or ten minutes. I’m still pretty flabby (ew) but I can do four miles at a jog without being unhappy at all. (Plus its inside, with AC, no heat, no bugs, and no chance of tripping over a sidewalk crack and breaking my nose. One of these days I’ll get brave and go outside and run…but I’m pretty sure I’ll hurt myself.)
Other than that, make sure you get some good shoes (find a neat running store. The local one here is blessed with cute and helpful guys who will spend as long as it takes to findyou something perfect for your feet.) and set a schedule. just go and soon it will be fun and you will be happy with it and happier with yourself.
Wow — I was going to start a thread on this sort of thing. (I very rarely start threads, so I was building myself up to it)
My current exercise:
At the moment, I do 20-30 minutes on a static cycle at home twice/three times a week (I try to make it every other day, I but it turns out more like twice a week) I go for a 3 mile walk around my village a couple of times a week. I know this isn’t enough.
(When I was at college, I did no ‘formal’ exercise at all, but I walked about 3 or 4 miles ever day, to and from lectures and supervisions. I went out dancing at the local goth night every week. I got laid a lot. I was a damn sight fitter then than now. Damn desk job.)
My goal:
I don’t so much want to lose weight, but I’d like my coating of fat to be thinner. I’d ideally like to get back to a 29inch waist from a 32. I don’t even have a set of scales, so the only way to measure is a tape measure, the fit of my clothes, and the way I feel.
My action points: I think I’m going to try this running lark.
I thought that Scylla would give some good advice, and it seems he has. Even though this isn’t my thread, I’d like to thank Scylla and BunnyGirl for their advice.
And thank you, Eve, for starting this thread. I will start a real thread of my own one day, I will, I will.
Last thing - I have a question. I live in a hilly area. None of the potential running routes near me are flat. How do you recommend I deal with inclines - should I just walk up them at a brisk pace?
Do what I do: just jog slower, taking littler steps. The graveyard I run in has a couple pretty steep hills and it I can keep running if I just take smaller steps and slow down a little.
Eve, here’s some completely anecdotal information from a fellow sufferer of LBS:
First of all, I got on the scale 2 months ago and discovered that I weighed <choke> 139 lbs. I am 5’1", 40 years old and have always weighed around 118 - 128. I ran screaming from the scale and vowing to turn over a new leaf. Specifically, a 1000 calorie diet and a 30 minute run every day. This new leaf lasted 5 days. It was just too hard to maintain.
A couple of weeks go by, and I buy a new scale. On the new scale I weigh 144. Panicky crying and screams of rage give way to the turning over of a new new leaf. This time I was more temporate. 1200 - 1300 calories a day, using the food pyramid as a guide. Much easier to live with than 1000 calories - you wouldn’t think that 200 calories would make such a difference, but it does. I scaled back the running to 20 minutes, 3 times a week, and added some minor dumbell exercises 2 times a week. I checked a book-on-tape out of the library and stole my husband’s Walkman to use while I do my thing in the morning. I found this has helped to motivate me. I will not listen to a book-on-tape otherwise, and I want to “hear” what comes next in the book. I’m careful to pick something I’ve always wanted to read, but haven’t got around to (Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey was the first; now I’m “reading” that Stephen King thing that was only released as a book-on-tape.) One side of a tape is about 1/2 an hour – just right counting the warmup, run or dumbell workout and cooldown. Results? I lost 2 lbs. the first week, and another 3 the second. I won’t weigh myself again until Saturday, but I’ve stuck with it this week, so I’m anticipating another couple of pounds lost. I don’t know anything about nutrition or weight lose or exercise, but this moderate approach seems to be working for me.
Couldn’t let the conjunction of “Eve” and “jog bra” pass without mentioning the appropriateness of before and after photos in any training regimen. Please!
You might wish to consider a heart monitor. Not everyone need run at the same pace. And if trying to run too fast gets your heart too high, you aren’t doing yourself any good.
I suggest skipping the running and simply switching to light tonic water to mix with your gin.
Personally, I find running by myself extremely boring. A workout/running partner might help, if only to guilt you into not wimping out when you feel lazy.
I found a couple of guys at work to run with over the lunch hour. On the hot days we have been having lately, we run to the lakefront, go about 2 miles to the 12th Street beach, jump in the lake for a brief swim, and then jog back. I have found few things as satisfying as floating in Lake Michigan (when the fecal bacteria is at an acceptable level) on a steamy day, looking at the skyline and thinking of all the poor schmucks who are chained to their desks instead of floating in the lake.
As far as exercise routines are concerned, my idea is to simply get the carcass moving a few times, say 3, a week. Don’t set out some schedule that you aren’t going to stick with and then you’ll feel all guilty and end up eating Cherry Garcia out of the carton. So run a couple of times a week. Then maybe ride your bike one weekend day. And go the the gym and/or a pool one other day. And stretch a lot, and maybe lift some light weights to tone and maintain bone density.
Keep firmly in mind what you are training for. To lose a couple of pounds, tone up, and stay in decent health. Don’t go overboard. More is not necessarily better.
A little more - there are some good workout tapes on the market - the missus likes some of the ones from “The Firm.” Might be useful on the days the weather is lousy, or simply for a little variety. Suggestion, find some people who already have tapes, and check out the library before buying. Not all tapes are good, and not everyone likes the same ones.
Finally, don’t be a slave to the scale. Weight is merely a number. Concentrate on getting your body to look how you like it, and where your clothes fit well and look good. If you must weigh yourself, make sure you do it at the same time of day, either naked or wearing the same kind of clothes, with the same scale in the same place.
Everyone else covered the shoes pretty well, so I guess I get left with the sports bra. Champion makes the best in my opinion. I am have large breasts so I like the full support. They are about $20-$30 each, but they last forever. Also, they cover enough that if you ever get the urge you can pull your shirt off and use it to wipe the sweat from your brow. That makes me feel like the girl from the old Gatorade commercials.
Cement is the worse surface you can run on. Run on the street (facing traffic) wherever possible. The asphalt is much softer then the concrete. At 6:00 in the morning there shouldn’t be too much traffic. Wear reflective clothing. The graveyard sounds like fun.
It doesn’t get very cold here. But, when it is hot or raining I run anyway. I LOVE running in the rain. You do need two pairs of shoes though because it takes a couple of days for them to dry out if you get soaked. For the heat, stay well hydrated. Running in the morning is wonderful berceuse that is when it is coolest.
Another note on running shoes:
I haven’t seen this mentioned (I’m just skimming), but the first time I bought running shoes, I went to a place that filmed my feet as I ran on the treadmill for about thirty seconds and then played the tape back in slow-motion. This allowed the owner/salesguy (it was a small place) to make recommendations on the type of shoe I should wear. See if you can find a place like that for your initial shoe purchase.
My feet pronate, so I lean toward New Balance shoes. This last pair I bought is really light, which I’m figuring is a good thing.
I’ll second {b]Zumba** on Champion jogging bras. I am busty (34D) and finding a supportive bra was a major first step in any running program. The first day out I just wore a cheapie sports bra that I had leftover from an old gym membership. Ouch. Remember the stupid old joke about black eyes and bloody knees? Well, that was me. So, I went out in search of something with more infrastructure. The Champion jobs are it. The one I got has floating underwires and a big ol’ elastic bottom band as well as a heavy duty hook in the back. I balked a bit at the price – it was around $25.00 and that was at the Navy Exchange – but it was worth every cent. I could jump on a trampoline and my hooters wouldn’t budge an inch – everything else might be movin’ and shakin’, but the boobs would be standing still!
Jess
I will go out shopping for various running stuff at lunchtime, thanks! Not feeling very well today, haven’t slept well in a week, and it’s supposed to be 100º again today, so I think I will put off the actual running till next week . . .
I spent this past weekend in a spa, where I had some time to talk to one of the speakers whose name is Jay Olshansky. He wrote a book titled, “The Quest for Immortality.” Not to be confused with a quest for immorality.
Anyway, his opinion, after a lenghty study of the aging process and numerous publications on the topic, is that our mechanism for determining when we’re hungry breaks down as we age. His explanation was that ordinarily when the sides of the stomach touch, a hormone is released that signals hunger (stomach growling, etc.). However, it becomes faulty fairly early in life and therefore it’s really NOT always wise to “listen to your body.” I know Scylla said “avoid junk,” so I suppose he agrees with me. I just wanted to point out that it’s better to develop a reasonable food plan that covers what you need (maybe with a registered dietician) and stick to it, avoiding second helpings and avoiding giving in to your body’s cries for fat and sugar.
My other bit of advice is a mini-tramp for use between runs or in lousy weather. I know you said you don’t have money or space for home exercise equipment, but this is completely different. It only takes up a little space in front of you air conditioner and television set. It is pretty light and can easily be stored under a bed or against a wall. They cost between $25 and $30. I love mine! This is a really great, gentle-impact way to get some good exercise when other options are ruled out.
I do think it’s better to get outside and away from the television during exercise. But I know that’s not always possible.
-L
Eve,
There’s been some great advice here, so let me just chime in with a few personal observations from my own running.
I actually found that I gained weight when I started running, granted I also worked in sit ups and push-ups everday, but I was seriously peeved at first. I gained about 8 lbs, but when I really looked at my body, I could see the changes, and feel the differance in the way my clothes fit.
I started easy, the only goal that I set that I **had[/] to make was 20 minutes a day. At first, I could hardly do 1.5 miles, but after a week or two, I made it to 2 miles…then I upped my time and tried to go a little farther. For example, when I reached the 20 minute mark, I’d tell myself “Just one more minute” or “another quarter of a mile” or something like that. I found that this gave me a mini-goal to set for myself that wasn’t totally out of site…and once I did it one day, I could goad myself into keeping that distance/time as my new “normal”, so that I increased gradually, yet steadily.
That’s one of the main reasons that I like a treadmill. I can see exactlly how far I’ve run, and how long it’s taken me. Although if you switch between treadmill and road work, keep in mind that you’ll probably run farther/faster on the treadmill than you will on the road. The treadmill forces you to keep pace with it, while on the road, you have to force yourself to keep moving at a pace. The race idea was a good one…you meet some facinating people at 5k’s, and it also helps to both motivate you, and reassure you. You’ll see people that run slower than you that look to be in far better shape, and people that run a lot faster, that look to be in terrible condition. Keep in mind that while the adrenalin of the moment will make you go out faster, don’t be discouraged if your final time isn’t as fast as what you do on your own, or on a treadmill. The important part is to finish.
Good luck, and let us know how you’re doing. Another good site is:
If one has a lot of fat they really shouldn’t be running. It bounces up & down with each step & some people might make comments on that. Most of the big people here are walking.
Lots of good advice - I’m not a runner (I’m too loose-jointed) but have had a wonderful time on the elliptical machine, and I must underscore the hydration point - keeping yourself hydrated post-workout will diminish achiness, which will be particularly noticeable at first. Be especially careful if, like me, you need coffee first thing in the morning - you’ll have to compensate with still more H[sub]2[/sub]O.
I’m also a BIG believer in yoga, which is a great way to stretch and limber up before a workout. There are lots of good introductory yoga tapes out there, and anymore most of them aren’t hosted by people named CrystalAnalBreeze.
Depending on how much control you have over your work schedule, you might also try going to the gym during “off-peak” hours - like 8:30-11:30 a.m. or 2-4 pm. If you want to go after lunch, make sure your meal is light, emphasizing vegetables and protein rather than sugars and simple starches - otherwise you’ll want to fall asleep with a weight in hand. That can hurt.
Eve, I have to agree with Oxy’s comments on yoga. I HATE, nay loathe, to run in the winter, mostly cause I’m a big puss and don’t like to be too cold.
So I do yoga. It kicks butt. I bought a book called Power Yoga and its really good. You will surprise yourself at how much it works you.
Plus, and I swear this is true, I think it got rid of some of the cellulite I have on my rear. Honest.
What in the world was the purpose of that??
I guess overweight people should be really careful to only move slowly so no one comments on their “bouncing”.
My large breasts bounce when I run. I guess I should just stay home so no one comments.
Eve told us that she has already been walking for awhile. She is ready to increase the intensity of her workout. Why should she care if rude strangers comment? She will be more fit then them in no time.
At best that wasn’t very encouraging handy. At worst it was just plain mean.