Jogs in the morning - where to start? (1 Viewer)

[allisonplop]

I want to start running in the morning for fitness. I'm thinking of doing the Couch to 5k program. I downloaded the app and tomorrow, before school, I'm going jogging for the first time!

I have questions though ..
- Do I eat something before I run? I don't want to lose weight or anything, just improve my endurance (it's REALLY bad right now haha)
- What's the best way to pick my route?
- Jogging technique?
- Breathing technique?

 

[mitchy_boy]

I'd eat after, less chance of stitch. If you eat before or after it won't make much of a difference to weight, becuase you total calorie balance will be the same.
If you're really hungry, maybe a small muesli bar.

For the route, find something with some hills, and some flat, so you engage the various energy systems, kind of a form of fartlek training. That way you'll build aerobic, anaerobic and atp/pc fitness.

Not sure what you mean by jogging technique. Just stay at a comfortable pace, potentially building that pace as you progress through the program. And always stretch properly, and cool down properly.

I've always found nice deep breathes while you're running work, nothing to unnatural though.

I actually remembered some year 12 pdhpe! Haha, hope that made some sense.

 

[zombie omie jay]

good warm up is better than stretching

 

[bitumen]

eat something before, but make it small. when i used to go the gym in the mornings i'd usually have something like a banana + almonds, then i'd have a normal breakfast when i got home

 

[Cianyx]

- Do I eat something before I run? I don't want to lose weight or anything, just improve my endurance (it's REALLY bad right now haha)
Depends when you run. Don't run on empty, don't run on full.
- What's the best way to pick my route?
Somewhere pretty
- Jogging technique?
Raise your leg till it's at a 45 degree with your hips and extend your knee while pushing forward with your back foot.
- Breathing technique?
Normal

 

[zombie omie jay]

increase distance every week by half a kay or whatever until you are doing 60km a morning

 

[allisonplop]

increase distance every week by half a kay or whatever until you are doing 60km a morning

60Km ....... D:

 

[allisonplop]

- Do I eat something before I run? I don't want to lose weight or anything, just improve my endurance (it's REALLY bad right now haha)
Depends when you run. Don't run on empty, don't run on full.
- What's the best way to pick my route?
Somewhere pretty
- Jogging technique?
Raise your leg till it's at a 45 degree with your hips and extend your knee while pushing forward with your back foot.
- Breathing technique?
Normal

thanks! this was really helpful!

 

[Kittikhun]

I want to start running in the morning for fitness. I'm thinking of doing the Couch to 5k program. I downloaded the app and tomorrow, before school, I'm going jogging for the first time!

I have questions though ..
- Do I eat something before I run? I don't want to lose weight or anything, just improve my endurance (it's REALLY bad right now haha)
- What's the best way to pick my route?
- Jogging technique?
- Breathing technique?

OK, some people are going to criticise me for this, but anyway, if you have the choice, refrain from running in the morning; it's sort of a bad idea. When you run in the morning you have just woken up from bed therefore your body temperature is at its lowest for the day, your muscles aren't pumped up yet, and you haven't eaten for 10+ hours. You'll discover that when you run your legs will be rather lethargic and will start to cramp really bad, and your breathing will be difficult, especially during winter where you feel like your heart and throat is constantly being filled with ice. As well, running in the morning increases your chance of a heart attack, though I think you're too young to experience one. Run in the afternoon or evening before sunset if you have the chance-- somewhere around 5pm so that you have a good hour of cardio to run (though, as you are a beginner, I recommend you start running for 30 minutes first and then gradually increase. Don't worry about pace or distance; you'll improve the more you run). This is the time where your body is at its best for physical exercise as your body temperature is at its optimal temperature and your muscles are primed for exercise. In fact, you'll find out that most of the WRs for running, cycling, swimming etc. have been done in the afternoon or evening. I assume that you wish to run in the morning also to get a good start to the day and to be freshened up for school. I admit that running in the morning does freshen you up and makes you mentally tougher and more attentive in class but there are some other ways that will also freshen you up and yet also lower your chances of incurring an injury. You could get yourself right in the sun in the morning for five minutes, get a cold shower, or have a 30 minute session on a stationary bike in light to moderate pace with a cup of Milo in hand. These activities will also freshen you up. Anyway, I digress. Run in the evening, if you can.

If it is the unfortunate case that you have no other alternative to running in the morning here are the answers to your questions, from my experience-
1). No, I wouldn't recommend it unless if you either wake up 4am in the morning and eat a light meal, e.g. a bowl of cereal, at 4.30am and then start your run at 5am or if it's a small snack like a muesli bar or something similar. Have a hot cup of Milo or something similar instead. This should get you rather warmed up and pumped but make sure you piss before going out for a run. It's not fun running when you start to feel like you have to hold your piss midway through your run, especially if it's a long one!
2). Try your best to find a route that has grass or something that gives a little give. Your knees will thank you in the future. The park is the best place. Do runs around the park. If you don't live near a park or have a desire to explore your town find a route that is quiet and not busy with traffic --a route where you don't have to cross many roads-- and mostly flat. Please refrain from running on hills in the morning; you don't want to get injured. If you want to do some hill running (technical term is fell running) do it in the evening and make sure to swing those arms when you do so!
3). Watch a video on youtube of long distance runners and try to emulate their technique. Here's a good one-

[youtube]FSoqqIgX5jo&feature=related[/youtube]
The fundamentals are to keep your head looking straight ahead, your back straight with a slight lean forward, shoulders relaxed, arms rather sideways in motion (do not let your arms cross each other whilst running), hands maintained in a cup-like position like you're holding a delicate egg in each hand, and elbows never to pass in front of the torso unless if you are sprinting by doing that fartlek thing (this is good if you are pressed for time and want to increase your cardio but do NOT DO THIS IN THE MORNING). Your legs will follow and be in good form if you do the above. If you want to run a bit faster and get your heart pumping more, and still maintain a good pace whilst preserving energy, try to make you elbow go rather high up in the back swing (not too high up so that your humerus is parallel to the ground, say that the angle from the back of your humerus to the imaginary parallel line of your shoulder to the ground is 20 to 40 degrees is good) so that you're using your leg muscles to their best potential in the moment, though, keep in mind that you shouldn't run too fast and too strong in the morning for the sake of protecting yourself form getting injured from a torn muscle or cramp. Never run with full effort in the morning. Make it light. If you want a good workout, make the run longer but do not not faster or stronger. Read the bottom paragraphs under the sub-heading 'running at a slower pace' of the following link to clear some stuff that might have been unclear for you because of my poor command of English to describe this well (sorry, if so)-
http://www.momentumsports.co.uk/TtRunTechnique.asp
4). Just breathe naturally and soon you'll find a comfortable rhythm to breathe in whilst running. Don't pant and take short breaths. Forget that stuff about breathing in your nose and out your mouth. Breath in through both your nose and mouth; you'll get more oxygen in your system from this.

Sorry for the long post.

 

[Silver Persian]

I'm a little bit sceptical whether you're going to be able to maintain a commitment to training regularly by getting up early several times a week. I think this is the kind of thing that you'll do twice and then avoid because you want to stay in your warm and comfy bed.

I think it's better to try and integrate a run into your daily routine someone - maybe getting off the bus four or five bus stops early when you're going home and running the rest of the way.

 

[Kittikhun]

I'm a little bit sceptical whether you're going to be able to maintain a commitment to training regularly by getting up early several times a week. I think this is the kind of thing that you'll do twice and then avoid because you want to stay in your warm and comfy bed.

I think it's better to try and integrate a run into your daily routine someone - maybe getting off the bus four or five bus stops early when you're going home and running the rest of the way.

Yeah, keep this in mind. I tried to maintain a routine of running in the morning a couple of years ago but it was too difficult to maintain due to sleep deprivation and sheer laziness. I quit after two or three days but did run here and there in the morning after quitting the routine.

That would look a bit silly, mate, running from the bus stop in the afternoon in all that traffic! But if you're not scared of that then go for it. It's better than nothing since you will be busy and losing your fitness during your study. You will get fat and lazy. Try playing a game of basketball (play full court, not half court), touch footy or soccer (and use the whole field) during lunch or recess to build your endurance together with running. Maybe use it as a substitute for a day when you couldn't run. You'll find that the library is usually loud when it is open so there isn't really any point in studying and you'll find that playing those aforementioned team sports will give you a pretty good aerobic workout as well.

 

[sick_kent]

its great that you'r motivated to get out and jog, you don't necesarily have to get yourself a training program just get out and jog.
My advice would be to not measure distances just run for however long you want to and make sure that you'r egoing at a pace thats not too hard to start with.

and i disagree with Kittikhun, cardiovascular training is most effective in the morning.

To start off maybe try this;
Mon - easy 20minute run, to recover from Sunday's run
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - harder 30 minute run at a faster pace than monday however keep it controlled. (*)
Thursday - Rest
Friday - easier 20 minute run (around same pace as monday)
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Longest run of the week, maybe start at 40mins and build by another 5 minutes a week till you can run around 75mins confortably.

(*) When jogging there's usually two different breathing techniques/paces,
1. breathing every three or so steps (3steps in, 3 steps out) and at this pace you shouls be able to hold a conversation without being out of breath.
2. breathing every two or less steps (2 steps in, 2 out or even 2 steps in, 1 step out) at this pace you shouldn't be able to chat only focus on running.

On monday, friday and Sunday run at 1. pace, on wed run at 2. pace

Also it is often good to have a goal in mind, maybe a local fun run or a race of some sort, if you tell me what suburb you're in i could suggest some.

now as to your questions
- Do I eat something before I run? I don't want to lose weight or anything, just improve my endurance (it's REALLY bad right now haha)
nope just get out and jog then when you return make sure you rehydrate with mainly water seeing as you haven't been running for too long and make sure you eat a good brekkie to refuel and replenish glycogen stores.

- What's the best way to pick my route?
Just get out and jog, run any which way but make sure you remember the way home!

- Jogging technique?
relaxed shoulders (this is a common error with most new runners and they often experience tired or sore shoulders), focus on high knees, look ahead not down at the ground

- Breathing technique?
as above.

hope this helps.

 

[pete000]

I would like to make a recommendation based on this concept of cardiovascular activity in the form of running.

NEVER, and i mean "NEVER" should you jog. It is known to be of catabolic substance, and will severely hinder the capabilities on muscle repair. If you are to perform such cardiovascular activity, consume this practice in the form of HIIT (high intensity interval training) which has actually proven to be quite anabolic to muscle tissue fibres in the body.

 

[Azure]

I would like to make a recommendation based on this concept of cardiovascular activity in the form of running.

NEVER, and i mean "NEVER" should you jog. It is known to be of catabolic substance, and will severely hinder the capabilities on muscle repair. If you are to perform such cardiovascular activity, consume this practice in the form of HIIT (high intensity interval training) which has actually proven to be quite anabolic to muscle tissue fibres in the body.

I've actually heard the complete opposite of this. To be honest when doing HIIT in conjunction with weights I often notice worse results in terms of muscular development. Any form of slow cardio on the contrary has worked pretty decently for me.

I'm often skeptical of a lot of the studies behind this (there are studies for both sides I guess) and I think it really comes down to what personally works for each individual.

 

[scarybunny]

If you want to get up early in the morning, you need to go to bed early the night before.

I get up at 5.30 most mornings to exercise before work, and I know I have more motivation if I just roll out of bed and into my exercise gear. If I tried to exercise later in the day I'd have a whole day to make up excuses not to!

 

[dog on heat]