congrats on the weight loss! not an easy thing to do

IMO trail running easily trumps running around a track/running on a road/treadmill for a variety of reasons- first and foremost the reason most of us hike is to take in the beautiful scenery, ditto w/ trail running

trail running requires one to change strides, dodge obstacles, ascend/descend inclines, etc- this has several benefits- it strengthens a whole series of small stabilizer muscles- these muscles help very much in preventing injuries (I turned an ankle on a long day hike that I'm quite sure would have been very bad had I not been trail running); trail running works your core much more because of these changing conditions; trail running (for me anyways) is a lot easier on me due to the general softer surface vs pavement- I quickly suffer from shin splints running on pavement, I've never experienced shin splints trail running

definitely take it slow- the run/walk strategy is the way to go- even most ultra runners employ this strategy when racing

I've never used a heart monitor, like Craig, my body does a pretty good job of telling me when to speed up or slow down

I really thinking hiking/backpacking is a natural fit for trail running, both are healthy, both put you in the great outdoors and both give you great piece of mind :)

Please read this as not knocking the listening to your body stuff (as the heart is a part of your blah blah), but rather the option to realize goals safely and quickly

This is a generic example - A sustained effort at 120bpm for 1/2hr will translate to better overall fitness with the least risk to injury rather than simply ramping up and down between running and walking... why? Laurie might be pushing 160bpm before her "body" tells her to start walking and then she might not want to get up to speed again until 90bpm. It's inefficient and the heart just plain old doesn't respond/build/grow the same as when you can find a comfortable area to cruise in.

It's about the sweet spot that can be sustained for aerobic benefit, just saying. There is no doubt that keeping it simple is the way to go, but it is certainly not the only way to go and can potentially lead to alot of sweat to get less results. If her body is not telling her to chill until +150bpm, she can be more prone to injury as well.

Not to hijack this post but, what type of watch would you recommend for a beginner on his way to intermediate that tracks distances, split times and keeps track of training?

I use the garmin 405 and it has worked great. I think it has been replaced by the 410 and 610 which I'm sure have some neat new features.

Brad

Woops!

You look Terrific!

Not a lot to add, but, I have been a moderate runner (3-4 miles a day) for most of my life, with a few brief lapses, and am about to turn 53. I am blessed to have never suffered knee or foot problems--but proceed with caution. Some recent literature suggests that those who have run all their lives tend to escape break down of the knees even in their 50's and 60's, while those who suddenly take up running in their later 30's, or 40's + are more likely to have knee problems. Your hiking my help reduce the risk of that.

I do run in "barefoot" type shoes. They are controversial, but a lot of people are liking them vs. the heavily padded type running shoes that have been popular for decades. YMMV!

Good luck, and I hope you will love running.

I trail run all year round here in the Canadian Rockies. First trail running tip. Look where you put your feet. One great tip for running downhill is to do so without letting your legs fully straighten as you move down hill. Sort of in a slight semi crouch. I call it the gorilla position lol. Play with stride size and you will find more stability with a less than full stride as you go down hills. Lessens the chance of hyperextension and by being in a more athletic position, less chance of rolling an ankle on a root or something. Strengthens the quads too. For winter training screw about a dozen or so 3/8" sheet metal screws into the bottom of your shoes. It will keep you from slipping on ice and packed snow. They can easily be installed and removed with a drill and nut driver bit. I just leave mine in all winter. These work better and are more comfortable than any of the slip on traction devices. I actually have gotten many older people to screw them into their winter boots all year round. You can hear them clicking on the tile floors in the banks etc. :) One other thing, slow runs mean just that. They are for recovery and should feel easy and that you are going too slow. The slowest thing to get into shape is the soft tissues and as you get in shape you will have a tendency to up distance and speed faster than those soft tissues can adapt, So sometimes less is more. Don't ask me how I know some of this stuff. I have made all the mistakes. You probably know some of this already. Good luck, you have lots of time on your side.

Thanks so much everyone... this is great. I'm taking it slow at the moment. Today's walk/run will be between 5.0 kmh and 8.5 kmh. Slow but steady. Here is the interval setup I am using for my second week...

00:00-5:00: Warmup walk
5:00-6:30: Run
6:30-8:30: Walk
8:30-10:00: Run
10:00-12:00: Walk
12:00-13:30: Run
13:30-15:30: Walk
15:30-17:00: Run
17:00-19:00: Walk
19:00-20:30: Run
20:30-22:30: Walk
22:30-24:00: Run
24:00-26:00: Walk
26:00-30:00: Cooldown Walk

Then on Sunday I start my third week and it will look like this for four to five days with Wednesday and Saturdays being rest days.

00:00-5:00: Warmup walk
5:00-6:30: Run
6:30-8:00: Walk
8:00-11:00: Run
11:00-14:00: Walk
14:00-15:30: Run
15:30-17:00: Walk
17:00-20:00: Run
20:00-23:00: Walk
23:00-30:00: Cooldown Walk

Then I ramp it up again. Once I get to the point where I am running for a full 25 minutes I will take it up another notch and work on my distance until I am running most of the 5 K. I'm not into the idea of running in snowy and icy conditions so this will be inside (treadmill at home and track once to twice a week). The track is at the Wayne Gretsky Centre here in Brantford and it circles high above the rink. I'll do some incline/decline work on the treadmill but that won't be the same as when I hit the trail. I'm beginning to think it might be a good idea to day hike some of the more hilly trails to get a feel for the topography for when I am ready to run them.

Thanks again - all of you - for taking the time to chat with me about this. It gives me some great advice and a little extra motivation.

Edited by Laurie_Ann on 12/01/2011 07:26:29 MST.

awesome plan, Laurie.

motivation sometimes can be found in unlikely places, I had never thought of an internet forum until you. Thanks!

I did use a reward system of sorts. I would set a short term goal, after reaching it I did things like buy myself that book or record that I had been wanting.

Two best pieces of advice from the support group IMO - keep it fun and when you start the trails up again, watch your footing. I got used to trails by running forest service roads, a bit more forgiving.

Taking your pulse before you get out of bed in the morning can do wonders in telling you whether you recovered from the previous day's workout. Recovery is just as important as the quality of workout.

Craig Wisner turned me onto this blog a while back and I enjoy it thoroughly, it is always fresh and though provoking. The most recent post seemed pretty relevant to the discussion here, runner or not.

Each Good Effort

thanks Eugene...

I love what he wrote near the end... ‎"And, with each good effort, I become a better version of myself. I feel younger, stronger, more secure and more free. I peel away another layer of slowness and weakness."

That's how I felt with canoeing, then backpacking and now running. Interesting blog - thanks for showing it to me.

Edited by Laurie_Ann on 12/01/2011 19:55:26 MST.

One more thimg to add aftwr running all winter on a treadmill take it easy when you start going outside over terrain. All of the stbilizer muscles dont get worked out as much on the treadmill so they need to be strengthened when going outside. I know it takes me about two weeks to transition back to outside after winter and that is with a few outdoor runs during the chinooks in the winter.

Thanks Greg... I hadn't really thought of that much. Are there any squats or other exercises I could add to my indoor workouts to aid in the transition? Or is it just better to get out there and let the terrain guide me?

getting out will be of the most benefit, but short of that a bosu ball can help strengthen many of the stabilizer muscles as well as improve balance

squats are a great exercise that will strengthen you quads/hams/glutes- all important muscles for running :)

"It's a 5K race and I merely want to finish this one..."


I would recommend amending your goal to "finish this one comfortably". Good luck.

geoff
(long-term runner, 33 years)

Best advice I got for running was one line from the book "Born To Run"...

"Easy, light, smooth"

A simple thing but I've found if I think about it while I run it helps tremendously. The other bit of advice that helped me is don't limit yourself. Maybe a training program is good for starting out, but I actually think it limits you in a way too if you stick with it. Run whenever you feel healthy enough to (try every day) and try to run as long as you can (comfortably) once a week. That got me to a point where I LOVE running.

"Maybe a training program is good for starting out, but I actually think it limits you in a way too if you stick with it."

great observation. This idea of taking each day fresh helped get me out of a plateau, when you level out and can't seem to break that next level of fitness? Kinda zaps the motivation

What I've been doing is trying to boost my speed in each interval a tiny bit... then each week I increase the interval for running. I have the foot clinic/fitting tomorrow so maybe on Sunday it would be neat for me to run as long as I can and time it. That will give me a benchmark to strive to better as I work through the training.

I just got the news that my dear friend is going to train and run with me. She used to be a runner and hasn't done so in awhile (she had 4 babies instead). So I am pretty excited that seeing my workouts on FB have inspired her to join me. And... now there is no backing out lol... sometimes the best motivation is putting out there that I am going to do something, knowing that I'll look like a wuss if I don't try to make my goal.

The inspiration from here is great and was just what I needed today. Bryan is on his way home from Montreal and then I am going to go for a barefoot interval session on the treadmill while he watches the wee one. I didn't feel like doing it today after dealing with a cranky, teething toddler but it is just the type of downtime I need after being single mom for a week.

Well I'm into week 5 of this training bit. Still love it.

Hubby has been bit by the running bug and he's training for a somewhat hilly trail race in May.

Here's the link...

TREAD 6 Hour Trail Run Relay

"Probably some way more experienced runners on the board, so I'm interested in knowing how they avoid tripping on obstacles on a descent? I ripped up a lot of skin tripping coming down the Baylor Canyon Pass trail a few years back. I've also run in soft sand to make it tougher yet easier on my joints. Maybe look into IT (interval training) as well?"

You get used to it. fast short steps and just like mountain biking.. look where you want to go not where you want to avoid. I've always played sports with eye-foot coordination (17yrs of competitive soccer) so running on trails is second nature. If you are just starting out with trails then you will need to control your speed so you can avoid tripping but over time you get more comfortable and can increase.


Re: HRM for women. I believe a few companies make sports bras that the strap slides right into the lower band so that is an option too.

What a difference 4 months makes. Yesterday I did another 5K trail run with my family and friends. My pace still isn't where I want it to be but 5.18 km was run/walked in 49:37 (I walk for 1 minute and run for 10 - plus there is stop in there to take a blood glucose reading). I'm getting there. It was very cold and windy... good little bit of training for me.

So... here we are, a mere 5 sleeps (as my 11 year old would say) away from my first 5K race. I'm not nervous like I had expected to be... probably because I know I can run 5K. I'll be thinking of George Matthews on my run. I'm also running for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Between my son and I we've raised just over $1500 for the foundation and maybe one day they'll find a cure for Type 1 diabetes.

I've also signed up for a trail run in the ski hills of Mansfield, Ontario. As soon as my race on Saturday is over, I will be kicking it into high gear with hill training. I'll be running as the fourth member of an all-girl team called the Sole Sisters. I think the link is in one of my earlier posts. It is the TREAD Relay - the same race I mentioned that my husband is running. One night I had a single glass of wine with the girls and next thing I knew they had shot down all the excuses I had about being part of the team... such a cheap date, am I. My son is also signed up on a team and he's pretty charged up about it. Running through downhill ski areas... oh boy!

Wish me luck!!

Edited by Laurie_Ann on 04/23/2012 08:03:11 MDT.