AhHorseSpit

AhHorseSpit , 1 hour ago (edited 1 hour ago)

Took awhile to get to where I am (5K+, 3xWeek). About a year and a half. I started out alternating my walk and run, running for :30 followed by walking 2:30 for 30 minutes 3 times a week. Doesn’t sound like much but having not been that physical in some years, I did feel it. Forcing myself into the habit of running was a challenge as well. Just had to keep doing it. Once I started pushing myself into the rest cycle, I took 15 seconds from the rest cycle and added it to my work cycle.

I kept doing this until I felt like I hit a plateau where I was no longer trying to push into the rest cycle. Then I talked to someone at work about how I wasn’t progressing and they recommended that I just slow down my run, a lot. They said run like I normally would but once I felt like I was sucking wind or it was getting to be too much, slow down to a point that you can control your breathing without difficulty. That really was the game changer for me, realizing that running, for me, was more about controlling your breath rather than the actual physical activity.

The biggest thing I learned about avoiding injury was to take my time, not to push too hard too fast, stretch before and after, and to give my body time to rest. Hope this helps.