Any runners here?

[SuperSize Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close SuperSize]

Hey all, I've decided to start running to build up my stamina and lose overall body fat through this great cardio.
I just have a few questions.
-Do you eat before or after you run? What do you eat? I plan to run every morning.
-Do you run daily? or do you give breaks?

I ran/walked 3 miles today, (I couldn't run the whole thing) and I got a sharp pain in my head, like a headache for the first few blocks, and pains in my stomach. These are just noob runners pains right? They should go away?

Also, I am trying to gain muscle too but I hear that cardio is the anti-gaining muscle thing to do. Is there a way to do both so I can gain muscle, build endurance, and lose fat?

Thanks!

[NSF001 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close NSF001]

-Do you eat before or after you run? What do you eat? I plan to run every morning.
Thanks!

I eat an hour and a half before I run. Simply because I hate running on an empty stomach. I'll down a small portion of oatmeal (or generally anything whole wheat)

-Do you run daily? or do you give breaks?

I give myself breaks. Every alternate day works. I do interval training and I can do them everyday, but then it'd cut into my weight training. I do find that if I don't run for more than 3 days in the row, then when I run, I get tired out a lot quicker.

-I ran/walked 3 miles today, (I couldn't run the whole thing) and I got a sharp pain in my head, like a headache for the first few blocks, and pains in my stomach. These are just noob runners pains right? They should go away?

You'll be fine. These headache symptoms occur when your body isnt conditioned. By stomach pain, do you mean pain in the abdominal muscle?

Also, I am trying to gain muscle too but I hear that cardio is the anti-gaining muscle thing to do. Is there a way to do both so I can gain muscle, build endurance, and lose fat?

Several theories here. Some say don't run at all since it will cut in on calories and possibly make you tired to give you a less than rewarding working out, some say run but eat till you cant feel feelings anymore, and some say sprints and bursts will encourage testosterone levels and help in muscle growth.

I definitely gained muscle when I cut down my cardio to something steady-state. It let my body recover, by being less strenuous.

Best,

[O.G. Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close O.G.]

Hey all, I've decided to start running to build up my stamina and lose overall body fat through this great cardio.
I just have a few questions.
-Do you eat before or after you run? What do you eat? I plan to run every morning.
-Do you run daily? or do you give breaks?

I ran/walked 3 miles today, (I couldn't run the whole thing) and I got a sharp pain in my head, like a headache for the first few blocks, and pains in my stomach. These are just noob runners pains right? They should go away?

Also, I am trying to gain muscle too but I hear that cardio is the anti-gaining muscle thing to do. Is there a way to do both so I can gain muscle, build endurance, and lose fat?

Thanks!

Look into HIIT, that's more or less your answer. And for the love of god eat good food and good amounts of it, I'm tired of runner-boys and curl-jockeys trying to get abs and their "dick v" while eating 1500 calories, ffs, :P

[Batwoman Moderator ReservePEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close Batwoman]

Yup, I'm a runner. I started about 5 years ago; last fall I ran my first marathon. I love running now but it was really hard getting started; it took several months before I enjoyed the actual running part (the satisfaction of running, and feeling good afterwards, came much faster).

What you're doing -- run till you're out of breath, walk a bit, run a bit, etc. -- is exactly how I started. Just be careful not to overdo it at first. If you are feeling pains anywhere, stop and walk until they go away. In a few weeks you should be able to run two or three miles continuously (if slowly). It just takes time for your body to adjust.

Eating: it's not good to run on a totally empty stomach or a full stomach if you can help it. If you are running first thing in the morning, eat a small something high in carbs -- a small bowl of cereal, a granola bar, something like that. Also make sure you hydrate first. Not a ton of liquid, but a small glass of water or gatorade is good say 15-20 minutes before you start out. If it's hot outside, this is a definite must.

Frequency: it is really hard on your body if you try to run every day. 3-4 times a week is great, with rest days or days doing something else in between (gym work, martial arts, swimming, etc). I ran 6 days a week for several months leading up to my marathon, and it was really hard on my body to maintain that even though I was in great running shape; I was always sore and tired. I am back to running 3-4 days a week now and everything feels better.

Rest days: these are critical. Make sure you take at least one day off a week for total rest -- no other sports or anything hard on your body. If you try to work out every single day, you will just get hurt.

As for gaining muscle, you will not get huge by running, but you will be in better shape than anyone else you know.

[vulcan Retired ModeratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close vulcan]

I run a bit. I have done way too much weight training in my time & I am too heavy to do long distance.

So I mix it up, doing intervals & sprint training. Easing into it with the walk/run as you feel - is great advice.

I also try to ensure that I do as much as possible on grass/dirt - the difference in impact force to my knees is huge.

[Batwoman Moderator ReservePEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close Batwoman]

That reminds me -- I forgot my single biggest piece of advice to all new runners: BUY GOOD RUNNING SHOES. They are worth every penny, and can be hugely important to protecting the health of your knees, hips, and ankles. I cannot tell you how many people I have talked to who hurt themselves when starting out running, but then confessed that they were wearing old sneakers or something to run in.

Go to a real running store to buy your shoes -- not some big sporting goods store that just happens to sell running shoes. You need an expert to look at your feet (arch height, degree of pronation or suppination) and evaluate your stance and gait. Once they look you over briefly, they will suggest one or two pairs of shoes in a couple of different brands that might suit you. Try them on, run around the block or on their treadmill (all real running stores will let you try out shoes a bit before purchasing them). Then buy the pair that feels best to you. DO NOT worry about the cost -- trust me, they will will be worth it. A good pair of shoes will last you about 300 miles. Depending on how much you run, that will translate to a lot less then you pay for your daily cup of coffee or soda.

Invest in your long term health: do not run without good running shoes.

[Pirate Retired AdministratorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close Pirate]

I run as well but not as much as I used to. It sounds like you are getting solid advice here already. A couple of points:
Don't skimp on your shoes.Get the right shoes and be prepared to replace them while they still look new, especially f you are a big guy. I am 185 lbs and I replace my shoes after 250 miles.
Drink water. You don't have to drown yourself but all of your body systems work better when they are well hydrated.

[SuperSize Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close SuperSize]

Batwoman - That's a very interesting thing you pointed out. I completely left out shoes of the equation. I definitely do need new shoes because I am wearing really old shoes that I've worn for over a year almost daily.

Unfortunately, I do not have any professional running stores around my area. Just the usual chain shoe stores like Foot Locker and Finish Line.

Funny you should mention martial arts because that is one of the reasons why I decided to start running and build stamina. I do judo and when we spar, I run out of gas very quickly. I get light-headed, weak, etc. So in order to fix that, I want to increase stamina.

I go to the gym on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
I go to Judo sometimes Tuesdays, and every Thursday.
I guess I'll fit in running on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays? Since Judo is cardio as well.
And then Sunday is just a complete rest day.

How does cardio prevent muscle building? It uses the protein as a source of fuel? What if I ate extremely over the amount of calories I usually eat, with a lot of protein. I'm not looking to look big and bulky, but I also don't prefer the skinny runner's body.

Thanks!

[Pirate Retired AdministratorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close Pirate]

I buy my shoes online at a place called RoadRunnerSports. They have a cool tool called "Shoe Dog" that asks you a bunch of questions and then recommends some shoes. If you don't like them, you can send them back.

[SuperSize Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close SuperSize]

Thanks Pirate! I used the shoe dog and it's very helpful. One last thing before I purchase a pair of nice shoes though. As a runner, do I want a pair of shoes that are a snug tight fit or a pair that are slightly loose?

[SuperSize Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close SuperSize]

Look into HIIT, that's more or less your answer. And for the love of god eat good food and good amounts of it, I'm tired of runner-boys and curl-jockeys trying to get abs and their "dick v" while eating 1500 calories, ffs, :P

High Intensity Interval Training huh? I've heard about it but never really understood its concept. How can I make my own workout and how do I know if its considered HIIT?

[Pirate Retired AdministratorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close Pirate]

My feet swell sometimes when I run so I buy my shoes slightly large and wear thickish socks.

[Batwoman Moderator ReservePEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close Batwoman]

I don't know anything about HIIT, but I do know about shoes: I agree with Pirate, you want your shoes to be a bit on the large size, especially in the toe box. If your toes hit the front when you run, you''ll damage your toes and lose your nails. I buy my running shoes a half size larger than my regular shoes,I tie them so they are snug but not tight. When I get going and my feet swell a bit, there is still plenty of room and they stay comfortable.

Unlike, Pirate, I wear thin socks that are made for running. I like the ones that have a tiny bit of extra padding in key places, and they are made to have a "right" sock and a "left" sock. My teenaged son (a cross country and track runner) wears similar. Neither of us has ever had any foot problems at all.

[slowfall Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close slowfall]

Generally you wan't to eat 2-3 hours before you run; Make sure you eat light carbs that are easy on the stomach don't eat a steak or fish or anything exotic you don't wan't to eat something thats gonna be hard to digest; it will not only give you pain but also effect your ability to absorb carbs basically starving you of fuel.

Do you run everyday? That really depends on the distance you plan on running; If your doing it to stay in shape 2-3 miles once or twice a week is enough, I train for marathons and I only run 6-10 miles 2 or 3 times a month, Keep a log of your resting heart rate don't run until it's back in your normal resting range.

I completely disagree with walking when your tired; If you can't run at one pace the entire distance you should run slower walking is detrimental because it allows lactic acid to build up making it significantly harder to start running again.

Did you feel dizzy? Head pains are usually an oxygen issue try to breath deep from your diaphram and in rhythm to your strides if you have to run slower while learning to breath correctly do it!

hope this helps

[MrBigDick Retired ModeratorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close MrBigDick]

I don't know anything about HIIT, but I do know about shoes: I agree with Pirate, you want your shoes to be a bit on the large size, especially in the toe box. If your toes hit the front when you run, you''ll damage your toes and lose your nails. I buy my running shoes a half size larger than my regular shoes,I tie them so they are snug but not tight. When I get going and my feet swell a bit, there is still plenty of room and they stay comfortable.

Unlike, Pirate, I wear thin socks that are made for running. I like the ones that have a tiny bit of extra padding in key places, and they are made to have a "right" sock and a "left" sock. My teenaged son (a cross country and track runner) wears similar. Neither of us has ever had any foot problems at all.

Damn Batwoman, I'm impressed. I didn't know you were a runner. I run only at the gym on the treadmill. I tried running outside many years ago and found it very hard. I didn't like it. But, if running is your passion, go for it. As for a marathon, not if I was paid a million bucks........