Needing advice on improvement!

The ideal place to discuss running or ways to start. Anything from clothing, equipment, technique and race meets goes.

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Caledonia
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Needing advice on improvement!

Post by Caledonia »

Hey everyone,

I'm new to the forum, but I'm not that new to exercise. I am, however, not a great runner. I can run a mile and a half in around 13 minutes (which is acceptable) but I'm trying out for a program where we will be running 5 miles on a beach in heavy boots and I was told I need to be able to run 6 miles comfortably to be prepared enough to get through it with relative ease. Unfortunately 3 miles tends to be where I hit limit and I have a hard time going past it. Any advice on how to build up to it or just improve running in general?

Thank you!
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Boss Man
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Re: Needing advice on improvement!

Post by Boss Man »

Try this.

Walk for 2 minutes 50 seconds, then jog for 10 seconds on a fairly flat course. Repeat this 3 minute cycle for 30 minutes, so effectively 10 cycles per session. Do this 5 days a week with two off days, making sure the off days are not consecutive.

The second week walk for 2 minutes 40 seconds and jog for 20 seconds.

The third week walk for 2 minutes 30 seconds, jog for 30 seconds.

You should see a pattern emerging.

You will then in a few weeks hopefully be ready for 30 minutes consistently jogging, then you can choose to change things, by adding another 5 minutes jogging per week, or choosing a hillier course for 30 minutes, or trying to run a bit quicker and cover more distance in 30 minutes.
Caledonia
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Re: Needing advice on improvement!

Post by Caledonia »

Thank you for your reply!

I mean, I CAN run, I've been running about 3 miles in half an hour, and I'm running around base where there are lots of hills (and I add staircases too), I am going (hopefully) aircrew and I will be expected to run 5 mile runs in full gear on the beach and I don't feel like that's within capabilities yet and I want to prepare, that's the main thing.
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Boss Man
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Re: Needing advice on improvement!

Post by Boss Man »

Well then if you're comfortably going for 3 miles in around 30 minutes, then it's simply a case of the long game I feel, as you will get more stamina doing that.

However you could improve matters, by doing things that positively help stamina like improving the VO2 Max, the amount of oxygen your body uses in a minute, based on a kg of mass.

One thing to do if you consume caffeine is cut it out completely.

Caffeine blocks iron uptake to some extent, which will inhibit Erythrocyte, (red blood cell production) and those are the oxygen carrying ones, that carry oxygen in the hemoglobin, as Iron is used to make Erythrocytes, I think with B6 and B9 Vitamins.

Iron is also used to make myoglobin, a substance that stores oxygen in the muscles and the ATP, (Adinosine Tri-phosphate), that helps muscles contract carries oxygen and when the body goes through glycolysis, the process of converting the stored glucose in your body, (glycogen), into an end product, you can get a process where lactic acid occurs, (think "the burn"), if oxygen is not present when glycogen breakdown happens.

Also caffeine constricts blood vessels, so reduced blood cell count and slower blood flow, will help to partially inhibit the oxygen delivery to muscles including the heart obviously and might hinder the formation of ATP as well.

You can boost iron intake by consuming capsicum and vit c, so a vit c supplement 1-2 x a day could be beneficial. Take either 500mg or 1g at a time. If you consume once a day go for first thing, but twice a day add in a nightly dose and if it's a bit harsh, as some people find it, then go for buffered as it offers a gentler vit c consumption solution.

Also make sure water intake is good to allow more oxygen consumption through water and keep your carbs reasonably good, but no overdoing it. For active people 40-50g per is about all that is required, unless you're going for the Zydrunus Savickas look, which you're not; then you might need more.

Hopefully all that makes sense and you might be able to slightly improve the bodies oxygenation and usage capabilities.
Caledonia
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Re: Needing advice on improvement!

Post by Caledonia »

Thank you so much! I will definitely get right onto these things, I really do appreciate your insightful and clear responses, hopefully by doing these things I will start seeing results in the upcoming months! I have a little less than 3 months till transferring so as much as I can get done before then I will.

One final question, I'm trying to get a hold of diet because I love to cook and I usually cook for taste but lately I've been really focusing on making healthy things. So far days look like this...

Breakfast (0550)--2 slices of 12 grain whole wheat bread, 2 slices of turkey bacon, 1 sunny side up egg, half a glass of whole milk

Lunch (1200)-- some sort of fish or chicken breast with a pile of steamed mixed vegetables from the chow hall

Dinner (1700)--salad (lately with apples and a LITTLE bit of goat cheese crumbles, but that's just cos it's what I have with, usually I put tuna and lots of different veg in it)

And I always have almonds and carrots with me for a snack throughout the day, and clementines lately too.

I usually have coffee in the morning but I am 100% going to give that up now, as well as adding a vitamin C supplement.
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Boss Man
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Re: Needing advice on improvement!

Post by Boss Man »

Caledonia wrote:Breakfast (0550)--2 slices of 12 grain whole wheat bread, 2 slices of turkey bacon, 1 sunny side up egg, half a glass of whole milk

(That's fine.)

(You're getting a rather large meal gap between the first two meals and your snack choices may not really be satiating you like they should.

There's plenty of choices that make up whole partial snacks like microwave baked beans, soup and rice dishes, vegetables like pineapple, carrot sticks and celery sticks, fruits including tomatoes and cucumber, oat granolas, nuts, peanuts, low fat cheese, flax seeds, low sugar yoghurts, beef, chicken, ham and turkey from packet, bread and sandwiches, so there's plenty of choice.

I'd suggest another meal around 8:00AM and again at 10:00AM)


Lunch (1200)-- some sort of fish or chicken breast with a pile of steamed mixed vegetables from the chow hall

(That's good.)

(I'd also include another meal using the listed options earlier and have that around 2:30 - 3:00PM)


Dinner (1700)--salad (lately with apples and a LITTLE bit of goat cheese crumbles, but that's just cos it's what I have with, usually I put tuna and lots of different veg in it)

(That's okay but due to the metal content in tuna and tuna being recommended at around 3 portions a week, I'd substitute the tuna sometimes for some of the meats I listed earlier.)
I am curious though how something called whole grain bread can have 12 grains, as I'm not sure there are 12 different wheat's apart from wheat and bulgur wheat :?.
rohanjain
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Re: Needing advice on improvement!

Post by rohanjain »

Running is very beneficial for health.It can reduce your heart related diseases and control your weight.Good quality of running shoes will reduce the risk of injury.You can get advice from specialist trainer.
fitncer
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Re: Needing advice on improvement!

Post by fitncer »

Caledonia wrote:Hey everyone,

I'm new to the forum, but I'm not that new to exercise. I am, however, not a great runner. I can run a mile and a half in around 13 minutes (which is acceptable) but I'm trying out for a program where we will be running 5 miles on a beach in heavy boots and I was told I need to be able to run 6 miles comfortably to be prepared enough to get through it with relative ease. Unfortunately 3 miles tends to be where I hit limit and I have a hard time going past it. Any advice on how to build up to it or just improve running in general?

Thank you!
Caledonia one thing that is very important for running is hydration and it has actually 3 components:

1. Hydration before running
2. Hydration during running
3. Hydration after running

Here is a source that discusses all these and why each is importance. We sometimes forget about hydration before running.

http://www.emaxhealth.com/12893/importa ... -after-run

Hydration, among other things such as diet, good sleep, clothing and training, is one of the major factors that will effect your performance. With the heat of summer in full swing, sufficient hydration is pivotal in maintaining efficient and continually successful runs. This includes keeping your body hydrated before a run, during a run, and even after the completion of one.
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