Subreddit dedicated to helping new runners get started: Running programs, nutrition, race reports and overall motivation
Hello, I’m a 27-year-old Male weighing 270 lbs. (122kg), down from a high of 380lbs (172kg) with a target of 170lb (77kg). I love IT but with the current state it’s in, it’s extremely hard to get into, yet alone get a job that meets my survival needs. I’ve decided to train for the police academy indirectly if I’m not able to break into IT in the next 2-3 years. My biggest challenge will be the running portion. I have never run a sub-12-minute mile. My fastest time is 12:40 for 1 mile.
To pass the running portion of the academy, I need to do 1.5 miles in 14 minutes or less, which seems impossible to someone like me, a complete novice at running. I am just looking for advice and tips overall on how I can improve and eventually get to that sub 14-minute 1.5 mile mark in a time frame of 2-3 years. I strength train 3-4 times a week, would I have to stop doing that to focus on my running and increasing my cardiovascular system? How many times should I run ideally in a 7-day stretch? I know one of the tips is just to do it and I will, but I want to know how to maximize the gains while doing it.
The four major components are:
Timed 1 minute sit ups minimum - 33 One rep bench - 88% body weight Sit and reach - 14.4 inch 1.5 mile - 14 minutes or less.
All tips and advice will be greatly appreciated!
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run 3 days a week. build up one day to at least 5 miles. getting down to 170 will help your running more than any training program could.
I absolutely agree and thats my plan but I want to start building my cardio now so I won’t have essentially start from scratch when it comes to running you know? Running at 270 my legs get tired well before my heart and lungs do. Just a lot of entertainment to move at this weight. thank you for the tip!
As a runner just starting out, do this for 1-2 months, 3x a week...run 3 minutes (easy/slow), walk 30 seconds and repeat for your desired distance. In week 3, run 5 minutes, walk 1 minute. When you get into the 2nd month try running 10 minutes, walking 1 minute. Keep the runs easy/slow. You aren't trying to hit your 1.5 mile times here. You're just getting your body used to the impacts of running. The walking portions are huge...keeps you from getting spent, let's you run for longer compared to a nonstop run, and helps prevent injuries by letting your body recoup during walking (we tend to lose form and posture as we get tired towards the end of runs).
Weight is the single biggest factor here and that alone will likely get you to your goals. Intermittent fasting, OMAD, eating only after exercise, calorie counting etc. find a plan and stick to it. Measure every day and keep a record so you can see trends rather than point measurements.
Running endurance is all about volume at low speeds. For me, I set a minimum distance or minimum time that I had to do every day and kept up a streak. That was motivating enough for me.
The cardiovascular gains come in spurts. After about 2 months of steady activity, my HR will not spike nearly as high without significant effort, hills, or speed work. After about 6 months, my HR floor basically drops out; I can always slow my pace to achieve basically any HR.
As for some running tips, there are some things you can do to improve your efficiency. 1. Dorsiflexion, or leaning from your ankles, gives you more forward momentum and can help save your knees and shoes from excessive wear. 2. Faster turnover of your steps feels more effortful the first few times you do it, but will eventually be very cheap additional speed for little additional effort. Play with very high steps per minute on some runs and settle into something more comfortable but higher than normal. 3. Drive with your knees. Many beginner runners want to put their feet as far forward as possible but it actually works against your momentum. If you think of leading each stride with your knees, you foot is more apt to land under you and drive you forward than to land too far forward and act essentially as a brake.
On your “off days” from running, you can do long slow rides on a stationary cycle. It really improved my endurance.
Hmm, never thought of that. How so if you don’t mind me asking?
Because it’s low heart rate training. Train for longer but easier. Brilliant for you.
Dropping weight will help, but Zone 2 training will also help increase your cardiovascular fitness to increase your endurance which will result in the ability run faster with less cardiovascular effort.
Floris can help you out, which running a sub-3-hour marathon just prove it: https://youtu.be/taO8kKsx448?si=SEm4VAP72sdAX0jc
If Apple Watch is reliable at all, all of my workouts are at 145+ heart rate for 30 minutes. Just trying to maximize my vo2
That may be your problem. Simply redlining your workouts may not be giving your engine time to build and recover. Where the real, gradual cardiovascular development happens is in in Zone 2 -- medium efforts in which you're working, but able to maintain a conversation without being out of breath. Watch that video I posted above and he will explain why.
You’ve already lost a whole small person in weight. You’re doing the right things. Keep going, eat right, lots of slow walking/ running and burn off that additional weight and you’ll be right. I dropped only 8kg when I started running and the difference was really noticeable. So losing another 45 for you and you’ll be tearing up the streets ❤️ good luck!
Thank you for this!
You’re welcome 👍
Weight dropping might help. How tall are you?
5’7.
Same. I’m 5’7 and 145 LBs. I do have muscle though 💪
Well… when I joined the army my 1 mile was like 20 minutes and by the end of 5 months it was 2 miles in 16:45 so a marked improvement.
We did a lot of 30/60s so run as fast as possible for 30 seconds and walk for 60. Lots of running a quarter of a mile and walking a quarter of a mile. And then about 1 time a week we went on distance runs of 5-10 miles. Also, when we all stopped dying after 30 seconds of sprinting we moved to 60/120s.
My fastest run on the test was achieved by doing a bastard form of 30/60s so I’d run almost as fast as I could then I’d walk really fast for a bit then run again.
I got lazy and fat so here I am starting running again and I’ve learned about zone 2 training (run slow enough you can carry a conversation and breathe through your nose the whole time with walking breaks to keep your heart rate down) and the 80/20 rule (80% of training at an easy pace and 20% at around max effort) so now my schedule is 1.5-3 miles of zone 2 four times a week and then 30 minutes of shuttle sprints or 30/60s two times a week with Sunday being a rest day. I just started this but I’ve already seen a bit of improvement in my distances.