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[chamcham]

Yesterday, I started to take up running again in the park.
There is a 1 mile trail that goes in a loop and I run two laps.

Since I'm very weak, I alternate between running and walking.
I running until I'm tired, then I walk for 1 or 2 minutes and then
I run as far as I can again.

Yesterday was quite a surprise since I ran 4/5 of a mile without
stopping during my first lap. Maybe it's because I'm been exercising
for the last few weeks(pushups, and dips). Breathing doesn't seem to be much of a problem for me. My legs that would always tire first.

Anyway, during the second lap, my legs felt so heavy they could hardly move. Initially, it was too hard to even run for 30 seconds without tiring.
But I found out if I ran a slow pace with very hard steps it worked out much better for me and the second lap was bearable(although not as good as the first).

I wouldn't really call it a cramp, since it wasn't uncomfortable at all. But just that I was too weak to move.

Did I pace myself too fast on the first lap? Or is it just because I hadn't run for a while?

Thanks.

[Boss Man]

Could be one the other or both.

If you hadn't run for a while Cardiovscular ability would decrease slightly.

Then again, pacing yourself too fast, for your limits, would use more energy, and possibly more Muscle Oxygen and increase Lactic Acid buildup.

I would think it wise to cut your pace though, and then slowly build it back up again, and perhaps develop some sprint mentality at the end, so you aim to go faster in the last few metres, like many people do at the end of races, and attempt to shave a second or two off, each time you run.

So you're constantly challening yourself to finish a tad quicker each time, but not doing it in a way, where pacing too fast too soon, is detrimental, to the end result.

You could also pick some point like a large stone, or a tree perhaps, near the end point, where you pick the pace up, so you have a referance point by which to quicken up near the end, and make that final push.

[swanso5]

[Boss Man]

I appreciate where you're coming from. I'm not saying the person should be reaching bullet speeds, after endurance, but if they cut their pace back, and keep some energy in reserve for later, they hopefully shouldn't flag as much, and might be able to crank a bit more out near the end, in the style of a proffessional endurance runner.

It sounded to me like the possiblity, of them pushing themselves too much, with too high a pace.

I understand your approach of doing a sort of interval style thing, and I agree with that as well.

[swanso5]

yeah it's just that saving yourself "for the end" will most likely result in a slower time as your pace for the first 3/4 of the race might have been slower than you actually could have done because you were saving for your big sprint at the end

[Boss Man]

I concur on that point .