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 Ok,
everybody, let's say very loud and in unison: WALK. There, that
wasn't so bad, was it! Running and jogging put a lot of
stress on our bodies, and if we're not
careful, that stress can lead to injury. In contrast, walking puts less stress
on our bodies. I learned this many years ago when I had surgery for a hernia. I
couldn't run for six weeks, |
How Far
Question:
How far should I walk or run? As far as you want, as long as you feel great at
the end, no fatigue, no abnormal pain, no injuries. For some of you, the distance
may be 50 feet. For others the distance may be a mile or more.
How Fast
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Question:
How fast should I walk or run? Same answer as how far should you walk: As fast
as you want, as long as you feel great at the end; no huffing and
puffing, no fatigue, no abnormal pain, no injuries. If you feel like a tortoise,
that's ok. The fastest person alive today was once a tortoise. |
Walkers and
runners usually don't talk about speed. Speed is the distance we travel
in a specified time, and that concept has little meaning to runners. Instead of speed,
we talk about pace, the time it takes to do a mile or a kilometer.
Average walking is a pace of about 20 minutes per mile (referred to as a
pace of 20). Typical walkers might have a pace of maybe 15-20. We're all
different, and there is no pace that is expected of us. Set your pace by
how you feel during and at the end of your walk or run.
Increasing Distance or Speed
Question:
When should I increase my distance or speed? When your body tells you
it's ready for an increase. Learn to listen to your body. It will tell
you when it is tired. It will tell you when it is feeling fine. If, at
the end of a walk or run, you're huffing and puffing or you feel tired or
fatigued, you're doing too much and need to back off in your pace or
distance.
Keep in mind that walking, jogging, running, swimming, biking,
any physical movement in fact, put stress on our bodies. If we make big
increases in our distance or speed, our bodies will have difficulty
adjusting to the new levels, and injury may occur later on. This leads
us to the "10% Rule" that is given in the running literature: Keep your
increases small, typically 10% or less, and stay at each new level until you feel
comfortable with it. The number 10 isn't a magic number. Some people can handle more than 10% increments,
while others should have smaller changes.
Heavy/Light Schedule
Question:
Should I walk or run the same every day? Sports
scientists say it takes 48 hours for our bodies to adjust to heavy
applications of stress, such as the stress from a heavy session of walking or
running. Since a day only has 24 hours, we need to follow a
heavy run with a "rest period" to give
us the 48 hours needed for recovery. Some
people do this by walking or running 3 or 4 times a week, with rest days
in between. Others do this by following a heavy walk or run with a light
walk or run. For example, walking 2 miles one day and 1/2 mile to 1 mile
the next day. This is known as "heavy/light". When we speak of "heavy"
or "light" walks or runs, we're not talking about the effort we expend in doing
the walk or run; we're talking about the impact or stress of that exercise on our bodies.
Also, notice that the "rest period" isn't necessarily a day without running.
Many people cross-train on their light days.
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Introducing Running into your Walking
Question:
I've been walking for quite a while and want to do some running. What do
I do? Great question! Basically, you're wanting to increase your pace,
and we discussed that above. Increase your pace in small increments by
mixing a small amount of running with your walking. Let's say, for
example, that you're walking a mile. In the middle of the mile, jog slowly for 300-500
feet. If you feel fine at the end of the jog, continue doing it in
subsequent walks. If you feel achy or tired or are huffing and puffing, reduce the distance and/or
pace of the jog. Follow the 10% (or less) rule and heavy/light in mixing
jogging with your walking.
Referring to
my comment that your running should be at the middle of your
walk. Our bodies need some light exercise to warm up before they do
heavy running or walking, and our bodies need some light exercise to cool down
from the heavy workout. Your walking can provide that warm up and cool down. Thus,
walk before and after you run.
Treadmill or Streets
Question: Is
it ok to use a treadmill, or should I go outside? It
all depends on you, what you enjoy, and what you have available. The
same comment applies to the use of an exercise bike. I have a friend who
uses his exercise bike while watching the morning news on TV. He enjoys
that, and that's great! I enjoy going out on the streets and experiencing
the new day, watching the birds, ducks in the river, geese
flying over, and an occasional Golden Eagle. That's great, too! So, do
what you have available, what you can afford, and what you enjoy.
Be aware,
though, that if you change from a treadmill to the streets, you may find
it harder to use the streets (at first, at least). Streets are uneven
and have a harder surface than a treadmill. They are also curved with a
crown in the middle and a slope down to the edge. The wind may be
blowing. It may be raining or snowing. Dogs may be barking at you. Jerks
in cars may yell stupid comments at you. Again, do what you enjoy. If you change to the streets, give yourself some time to
adjust to the new environment, and then enjoy it for what it is.
Some
runners use the streets during good weather and their treadmill during
inclement weather. Most people add inclines of 1% or so to their treadmill to
simulate the increased difficulty of the streets.
Time of Day
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Question: What
time of day is best for walking or running? It depends on you and your schedule. Some
people enjoy exercising in the early morning when it is cooler and the air is fresher
and crisper. Others like to do it later in the day. Many people use their lunch
period at work. Be careful, though, being out late at night. |
Walking or Running Partners
Question: How do
I find a walking or running partner? As with most things in life, networking with
others is a major key to success. Local running clubs and sports stores might be
helpful in finding a running partner.
Losing Weight
Question: I
want to lose weight. Will walking or running do that for me? This is
discussed in my Losing Weight page.
Follow your brain or emotions?
Question: Should I
follow my brain or my emotions in making decisions about my running? That is
an important question, because many runners get into trouble by following the
wrong one. The answer is both. Huh? You can get into trouble by following the
wrong one but you should follow both? Yes, let me explain. Many beginners know
(brain) that they should make small increases in their distance and pace, but
they are so excited (emotions) about their walking or running that they push
themselves to go farther and faster. They should have followed their brain.
Conversely, walkers and runners are taught to listen to their body (emotion) and reduce the
intensity of their training when their body tells them it needs more rest. So,
listen to your brain when you plan your walking or running schedule. And, listen to your emotions, how you feel during
and after your walks and runs, and reduce the intensity of your training when
your body tells you it needs more rest.
Becoming Addicted to Walking or Running
Many
new walkers and runners discover they are becoming addicted to
walking or running, and they like that
feeling and they like being in charge of their body. I would suggest, however,
that becoming addicted to walking or running can be dangerous, because it can cause one to
overdo it. I would suggest that we should become addicted to the good feeling of
a healthy body, the good feeling of feeling great during and after we run.
Running is just one way to have those good feelings. Walking, swimming, biking
are also ways of having those good feelings. Become addicted to the result not
the "messenger" so to speak.
What do you conquer?
Some people
conquer the waves with sailboats or surfboards. Others conquer the wind with
hang gliders or paragliders. Many conquer the snow as they ski and snowboard. As
a runner or walker, what do you conquer?
The basic
reason people walk or run is to go to a distant location and then, in most
cases, return to their starting point. These people are conquering distance.
Many runners encounter hills during their run. In order to reach the top of each
hill, they must overcome the effects of gravity on their body; they must conquer
gravity. Many runners experience headwinds as storm fronts move through
their area or because they live in areas of high wind. These runners must
run against the wind in order to reach their destination; they must conquer
wind.
Conquering
distance, gravity, or wind puts increased stress on ones body and thus increases
the likelihood of injury. It is wise for beginning runners to reduce stress by
conquering distance before attempting to run their normal pace against gravity
and wind. This means that the beginner should slow down when doing hills or
experiencing headwinds. Later, after the person has developed body-strength from
running or walking, he/she can learn to do a faster pace on hills and against
wind. As with most aspects of running or walking, the person should follow the
10% and heavy/light rules while conquering distance, gravity, or wind. Also, I
think it is wise to only subject your body to one cause of stress at a time, and
I recommend doing long slow distance
first and
then later speed to conquer distance. Then
do hills to conquer gravity. It is hard
to plan to run in headwinds, because the wind may not be there when you want to
run against it. So, train against headwinds as you encounter them, first slowing
down to reduce stress, and then, as you become stronger, slowly going faster as
you run against headwinds.
A Beginner's Training Program
Most runners want
to run reasonable distances, whether it be a few miles or longer distances such
as a half or a full marathon. I suggest that a
new runner go through two phases of training to become ready to train for longer
distances.
Phase 1: Use the suggestions given above to train to run 3 miles three times a week. Combine walking and running as you need to or would like to, and go at a comfortable pace such that you feel fine at the end and aren't huffing and puffing. Make small weekly increases in your distance. A Plan for Beginning Running will take you through the training so you can run 3 miles three times a week.
Phase 2: An Intermediate Plan for Runners will take you through the training to run 24 miles per week (6 3 6 3 6), a reasonable distance for new runners to run and the prerequisite that many plans specify as a starting point for half or full marathon training.
Other resources
Other pages
in this site will give you good information about walking and running. I
especially recommend the two articles linked in the navigational bar:
Coaching Running reviews the basics,
such as the 10% rule and heavy/light (important for all runners, not
just beginners). Basics of
Jogging answers the questions, How fast, How far, How often.
There are
many good sites for beginning runners and walkers. The links
page of this site has links to some of them. In addition, do an Internet
search on two or three keywords, such as running beginning.
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The information in this site and in my podcasts is for informational purposes only; it does not constitute medical or physical therapy advice. For medical advice, consult a physician. For physical therapy advice, consult a physical therapist.
� Copyright Allen W. Leigh 2003, 2007
All Rights Reserved
