Ouch!!

[Chloewho]

So I've been sticking with the app and the interval training has been interesting to say the least.

Managed 6k on my 45 min steady last week, haven't stuck religiously to running every other day as work and life have to be lived but managing at least 3 times a week.

The app (Runkeeper Run2burnfat) is about building up both speed and stamina and alternates between 45 min steady runs and interval runs of 3 mins full exertion and 3 mins pottering.

Tonight was two 10 minute runs at full effort with a 5 min rest period in between. It says to run slowly during the rest bit and even says to walk if you need to but as I've said before I find going slow a real pain, and I mean literal pain!

I need to bounce, full foot contact with the ground, plodding slowly hurts, but my question is: Is it good for me?

Should I take the pain of running slowly to build muscle? Or is it better to run how I feel comfortable?

On a positive I achieved my fastest ever km tonight, 6:22 mins!!!!

Any advice would be appreciated, I've never experienced muscle pain, stitches, shin splints or any extreme discomfort throughout the C25K (apart from the normal sicky, wanting to die cardio stuff) so this is not welcome and I'm worried about injury.

Haven't logged in for a week or so, so am looking forward to seeing how you're all doing too

[Bazza1234 Graduate]

I think I know where you are coming from. I think that I have read just about all there is to be read about running training - and like you I have read all about "slow" running and have experienced the "pain" of it. Personally, I now prefer to think of training in terms of EASY, MODERATE and HARD , rather than slow, steady and fast. HARD is just that - HARD. It is a workout that leaves you exhausted and you couldn't do 1 minute more after the required time. Hard workouts should be followed by an EASY day/workout - and easy means exactly that- very little perceived effort which you feel that you could do for a longish time. BUT - an easy paced run becomes a HARD workout if you do it for too long or if your running form becomes awkward at that pace and starts to hurt you. !!. The "famous" trainers say that MODERATE runs or effort should be avoided - but is unfortunately what most people slip into - because they don't enjoy easy runs and hard runs are too much effort for them.

SO - after all that, personally I suspect that the slow pace you are adopting over the longish times ( 45 minutes -60 minutes) in your plan are creating a HARD workout for you. Perhaps for these workouts to become easy for you ( at whatever your current level of fitness) , you could try a run/walk strategy for these "runs" so that they become for you what they are supposed to be -- EASY!!!

[Bazza1234 Graduate in reply to Bazza1234]

You may like to read this further runnersconnect.net/running-...

I have been doing a fair amount of heart rate training to try to run longer distances at lowish heartrates . At first I could not run non-stop at a low HR - and had to use run/walk to do so. But it has been slowly improving and I am finding these days that I am more capable of running non-stop more easily at these low HR's - I ran for 1 hour recently at a HR of 112 on a treadmill-- and can now run for shorter periods than that outside. It is supposed to be easy - but running easy is not "easy" !! I also find that forcing myself to breath ONLY through my nose when running "easy" stops me from getting faster and faster ( to the point where I can no longer breath only through my nose)