Run-Down Forums

[andreas]

I have always been 230-240lbs mostly due to years of weightlifting and bodybuilding. I want to start running, and have done in the past when I was lighter, but now I have reached the grand old age of 35. Should I lose weight first -which is hard- and do stationery bike and boring things like that- or just go out and bloody run?!?!?

When I do go out and run I do feel my weight a lot.

[Micah Ward]

I'm a 200 pounder so I am sympathetic. Go ahead and hit the roads but first make sure you have the right shoes. Go to a specialty running store and get a well cushioned shoe. Whether or not you need motion control too needs to be determined. Some big guys need it but not everyone.

If you haven't been running any I would recommend a combination of walking/running for 30 minutes. Gradually decrease the walking time and increase the running time until you are running 30 minutes. Where you go from there will depend on your goals...fitness, weight loss, competition?

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Dan]

What he said.

Another thing to pay attention to is to try and run on soft surfaces. If you feel your weight when you run, staying on softer stuff should keep your knees much happier.

Dan

[andreas]

Thanks guys for the info. I am trying to lose weight anyway as I am getting older and keep my diet -relatively- clean and with low (ish) carbs. Have you heard of a supplement called Hydroxycut? Mainly used by bodybuilders to cut up for contests but works -allegedly- for losing weight as it is an appetite suppresant and stimulant. (bit like caffeine and nicotine- but I have given those up) Any views on that?

[jagorny]

I'm right up there with ya.. I went through a fitness program to adjust my diet and lose a few pounds... I ended up going from 230-250 after doing more body work and it made running tough.

I'd agree with posters so far... I'd add one thing about supplements, just because I have tried a few and found that most are temporary fixes. As for appetite suppresants, it really depends on what it is you crave and what signals your body is giving you regarding food. If you experience a lot of joint pain, sometimes that drives one to eat more oils... Some needs carbos and sugars during the day as their bodies run hot... others lose salts and minerals during the day.

From my own experience, I found that using a plain Citrimax supplement abated my carbo cravings, while being sure to take a multivitamin and mineral supplement also prevented me from feeling hungry during the day. Again, my goal hasn't been to bulk, but to find out what my body wants rather than what I want it to have... finding a good appetite supressant is a good way to do this for a little while... but I would be wary of taking miracle pills with a lot of things in them... When I found citrimax worked, it was because I had swtched from one superpill to another and felt different... by deducting the labels from each other, I found the ingredient that was different and basically got lucky. It is a lengthy process, but once you find a supplement that really works, it then becomes fairly cheap to get what is helpful.

[Dan]

I would second Jacob's (doh, I blew his cover! that's the second time recently that old college acquaintences have tracked me down through the web site) distrust of bodybuilding-oriented supplements. My belief is that you are always better off sticking to the non-processed sources of nutrients. With heavily hyped supplements, I always have to ask if they are more concerned about your health or their income. The same cannot be said of fruits and vegetables (aside from pesticide issues).

Dan

[andreas]

I guess the nutrition/supplementation question opens a whole new -important- can of worms. (or a can of important worms - !?!) so this debate could go on forever. I have been advised low-carbs, high-carbs you name it even vegetarian diets. But sorry tree-hugging runners out there, I am not a vegetarian and will never be, period.
I know actually what works for me as far as losing fat is concerned through years of bodybuilding(I admit my sins).But this never included cardio training as I cut right down on the carbs and preserved any energy left for weight training which is metabolically more stimulating as it preserves muscle mass.
I can't reduce carbs now as I need them for me running. If go it the scientific way I should calculate how many calories I burn running and add them to me daily diet in the form of carbs. But what about weights? I have been advising my overweight clients -yes I am a personal trainer - another sin - to use cardio only to get fit and not lose weight. Train with weights in preference as it raises the metabolism more than cardio and cut right down on the carbs. A lot of them look at me with disbelief as it goes against convention and some people on this forum might disagree with me as well. But it works for me and I am naturally a porker - have you guessed where i come from yet?
One strategy I thought of is go back on my precontest regime -minus the fake tan and baby oil-, lose the weight and then start running. I am 230 now and can go to 210 in less than 8 weeks. OR SHOULD I TRY SOMETHING NEW?!?!?

[Dan]

[training2run]

Thirty-five, huh. I ran my first marathon the year I was 40, my first ulta the year I was 45 and my first ultra-ultra-mountain trail race at 50. You're getting an early start.

I suggest you start losing weight by cutting back on fats, oils and baked goods.

Get a pair of firm (not mooshy) training shoes. Remove the sockline (inner sole) and replace it with an after-market shock absorbing sockliner.

Begin training by jogging a few seconds, then walkiing a few seconds. After a couple of weeks you should be doing this for a total of no less than 30 minutes, three to five times a week.

Gradually increase the jogging periods and reduce the walking periods, until you're able to jog continuously for thirty minutes (three to five times a week).

Considering your size, it's important that you run smoothly and quietly to reduce impact: glide, don't pound. Mike www.training2run.com

[Paul]

I agree with these posts myself, except for some of the weightlifting issues. In competitive weightlifting events, you are governed by weight classes, so you tend to modify your diet so as to stay in the weight class you want to lift in.
As a competitive lifter myself, I found it hard to get into a fitness training mode when I retired. Even though I am in agreement with the main posters to this website concerning Runner's World, the idea of running with walk breaks is sound because it breaks up the stress to your joints (ankles, knees, hips) and allows you to extend your workout time.

Paul

[training2run]

While jog/walking is a great way to start - and even advance - it's extremely important to keep the walking breaks short: one minute or less.

If the walking breaks are longer than that, the heart rate drops too low to provide aerobic benefit.

A more techno-method would be to wear a heart-rate monitor, and begin jogging as soon bpm approach 120.

Many runners are forced to walk late in a marathon. Here too, it's important to keep the individual walking breaks down to under a minute...this reduces the likelyhood of losing "mental momentum," developing cramps. Mike www.training2run.com