Advice for a Novice

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Endorphins Junky Feb 2013 9:29am, 26 Feb 2013 First-time poster!!	0 Endorphins Junky Newbie to Fetch here, and a relative running novice also. So be gentle with me. Been running regularly for about a year, main motive is the endorphins / feel good factor from hard exercise. But I think my approach to running has now run its course - approach to date has been to try to run faster than I have before every time I run! Even basic research tells me that this isn't sustainable, but I'll be damned if I can make sense of all the different types of advice out there as to what I should be doing. So, notwithstanding the fact that I'll probably get differing advice on here, are there some basic rules I should follow? For info, bit of background: Try to run five or six times a week Last week, for example, I did two 10k and four 5k Recently got a heart rate monitor and have been astounded at the difference that has made I'm running on a treadmill at the moment - got a nasty chest infection over Xmas which stopped me running for a month. Not risking that again, so treadmill until it gets warmer. Much, much prefer running outside though! Might get into entering races, but it's not that important to me, happy enough running by myself. Probably missed some vital info - told you I'm a novice!
Vancouver Jogger Feb 2013 9:38am, 26 Feb 2013 3,320 posts	0 Vancouver Jogger Welcome to Fetch EJ - you're guaranteed the gentle treatment until you lose your L-plates. I'm sure you'll get different advice but high on the list will probably be enter a race - this will give you the motivation you need to keep going and it will also provide a structure to your weekly running as you follow a programme with a mix of longer slower runs, easy recovery runs, and shorter faster runs.
Old Croc Feb 2013 9:41am, 26 Feb 2013 23,009 posts	0 Old Croc Definitely racing will pull your speed along - even in terms of motivation - if you doing 5ks how about a Park Run nearby? or a local 10k as a target race. Weclome to Fetch btw
Son of a Pronator Man Feb 2013 9:43am, 26 Feb 2013 6,877 posts	0 Son of a Pronator Man Hi and welcome. I know you said that you are happy on your own but running is much more fun with others. My advice is to join a club.
BanjoBax Feb 2013 10:15am, 26 Feb 2013 3,925 posts	0 BanjoBax Welcome to Fetch EJ What did you do with a heart rate monitor to make the big difference? You might find these Fetch threads interesting :- Heart Rate http://www.fetcheveryone.com/viewtopic.php?id=3882 HADD (another heart rate approach) http://www.fetcheveryone.com/viewtopic.php?id=31192
Endorphins Junky Feb 2013 10:21am, 26 Feb 2013 2 posts	0 Endorphins Junky Thanks for the replies - will look into a club and races - got a lot of domestic commitments with young family etc, so might be a challenge, but worth it maybe. Re heart rate monitor - followed some advice to find out what my maximum heart rate is than ran a 10k based on x% of maximum heart rate - took three minutes off my pb which I thought was amazing. My problem at the moment is that I tend to run flat out every time I run - like I said, always trying to get a new pb blah blah blah. Probably says something my personality as much as anything! So was looking for some advice on how to structure a 5 or 6 run per week schedule - what type of runs, distance, speed. No idea whether I'm asking a 'how long is a piece of string' type question btw.
JohnnyO Feb 2013 10:22am, 26 Feb 2013 15,124 posts	0 JohnnyO The standard advice is going to be to properly structure your training. You need a long slow run (how long depends on your target), some tempo work (sustaining a fairly high work rate such as your 10k pace) for 20-30 minute blocks, and some intervals, where you run very fast, but only for short periods. The question is why do you want to? If you aren't racing, then just chasing your own time on a treadmill might just be enough for you (though as you say, it isn't sustainable in the long run), and restructuring the whole process might not be what you want or need. Most people with a structured plan are working towards something. If you haven't got a target, that might not be for you.
Iris Feb 2013 10:26am, 26 Feb 2013 4,827 posts	0 Iris My advice would be to get back outside. The cold shouldn't give you a chest infection again. I've had pleurisy a couple of times and had to do a steady comeback each time, the cold can hurt at first but outside is the place to be.
Endorphins Junky Feb 2013 10:33am, 26 Feb 2013 3 posts	0 Endorphins Junky JohnnyO - good point, I may get into racing once my boy is older, but it's the sustainability that bothers me - I'm not exactly young so don't want to over do it. Figured that whilst I may not be aiming for this race or that race, I could follow a programme as if I was as it would probably protect me from over doing it. The key for me is that I get the endorphins - I think I should get them from a structured approach.
DeeGee Feb 2013 10:34am, 26 Feb 2013 13,712 posts	0 DeeGee You need to mix it up a little, run at different speeds. You're right that running everything faster and faster just isn't sustainable. However, short bursts of real speed mixed in with steady running will not only stop you getting stale, but will also speed you up in the long term. ON your own you can easily run Fartlek by picking a landmark and running hard to it, then picking another one and running slowly to it, and so on. I often use an MP3 player to do this on the treadmill, running hard for one song, and slowing for another. You can do this with an HRM as well, running hard to your target, then recovering until your heart rate is back down. I reiterate Soapys suggestion above to join a club, as well. Runs just seem easier if you have someone to talk to.