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So a little background about my life: I love doing physical activities, even if it's the first time I've ever tried it. I've been practicing no-gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu for roughly about 3 years with Carlos Machado here in Texas until money became an issue and I stopped, but I still try to keep myself fresh by rolling with a few friends here and there. I also play soccer, basketball, football, etc., but one thing was always an issue with me. My diet, and my cardio.
My diet consists of literally, nothing but meat. Chicken, beef, and pork. Very rarely would I eat things like fruits, and I've never had any vegetables voluntarily. I also drank things like soda on a daily basis and ate ramen noodles and chips very often, multiple times a day.
I've always been more of the type of guy that can sprint very fast for a short period of time, and unable to run for the next hour. After the first 5 minutes of soccer, basketball, or whatever, I would immediately gas out and start slowing down, like walking and lazily kicking the ball, or just shooting a half-hearted 3-pointer.
About a month ago, I had nothing to do at my house, and was a little motivated when I was watching a replay of a soccer game (I believe it was Barcelona and PSG?), and I was wondering... "How was he not gasping for air after 45 minutes of running?" Obviously, as Messi is a professional soccer player, he had exceptional cardio, but of course, that went past my head.
I got on the treadmill at our house, and tried to run a mile to see if I was even capable of running a mile. I couldn't. After running roughly about .45 miles on a 5.0 MPH pace, I was gasping for air, wanting to drink in as much water as I could. I started getting pissed off at myself, asking myself why do I slowly kill myself this way, by eating crappy food and not running and ruining myself like this. I began to change my diet, but at a rather slow pace. I would eat two mandarin oranges and one apple a day. I also aimed for at least .750 miles a day, 5 days a week, and Wednesday/Saturday would be my break days.
Now, although I didn't change my entire diet around, I've been voluntarily eating things like celery and tomatoes, fruits on a daily basis, and hardly any chips or soda have touched my mouth. I can also run for 25 minutes on a 5.0 MPH pace, a little over 2 miles, without stopping or even feeling tired. I know that that's not much, and hardly on a level of cardio that an aspiring professional athlete would be at, but I just wanna share with all of you that even a stubborn kid like me, with a crappy diet like I had, can go through such a change through motivation and taking out the bad things in life, like junk food, and changing the way you live life.
Yuh, and I even got a 6-pack~
  
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On May 03 2013 11:11 SynC[gm] wrote:
Yuh, and I even got a 6-pack~
Worth.
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On May 03 2013 11:51 ILuMiNaTe wrote:Worth.
pics or it didn't happen, bro  . Congrats though, totally worth it getting in shape :D.
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I can also run for 25 minutes on a 5.0 MPH pace, a little over 2 miles, without stopping or even feeling tired.
I am impressed. Your already a big step ahead of most newer runners in that you are learning to listen to your body and run at an appropriate pace.
Most newer runners I know run like idiots. They will start off at like 6:30 pace, make it a quarter mile before the pace starts hurting them, gasp for air and gut out another quarter mile. Then stop and walk. Then repeat the cycle.
There is certainly a time and place for hard/fast training, but it's best to learn how to run easy as it helps you learn to listen to your body and gives the ligaments, tendons, and muscles time to build up strength to handle actual training.
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United States24755 Posts
This has been inspirational. I might start running soon as well. My initial performance will be awful, but that just gives you more room to progress! Same thing with pushups/situps/etc
When in doubt just pretend it's a jrpg.
edit: I will need to decide how to run. I do not have a treadmill. Running around the neighborhood is a possibility.
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I just started running again after a few month break and it feels really really good to do it again. My current routine is 100 pushups 200 situps then a 5 mile run with pullups interspersed and then some stairs.
It feels really good to stretch afterwards to. I'll probably do this everyother day or so. I think the biggest thing is chaning the way I eat.
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On May 03 2013 14:51 micronesia wrote:
This has been inspirational. I might start running soon as well. My initial performance will be awful, but that just gives you more room to progress! Same thing with pushups/situps/etc
When in doubt just pretend it's a jrpg.
edit: I will need to decide how to run. I do not have a treadmill. Running around the neighborhood is a possibility.
Yep. Do that.
Unless you have weather issues I don't really know why you would opt for a treadmill. Running outside is like 10x more enjoyable than the devils hamster wheel.
As for the how, start off with runs of 20-30 minutes that are easy. It should not hurt, leave you feeling refreshed at the end, and you should easily be able to converse the whole way. The kind of pace you could imagine running for multiple hours at and not being winded.
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Congratulations! Good job getting there. It definitely feels amazing to see that improvement in yourself. From starting a total noob and struggling just to make it for a few minutes, to beasting it up, it's a really nice feeling to experience that tangible improvement :D
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On May 03 2013 15:22 L_Master wrote:Show nested quote +On May 03 2013 14:51 micronesia wrote:
This has been inspirational. I might start running soon as well. My initial performance will be awful, but that just gives you more room to progress! Same thing with pushups/situps/etc
When in doubt just pretend it's a jrpg.
edit: I will need to decide how to run. I do not have a treadmill. Running around the neighborhood is a possibility. Yep. Do that. Unless you have weather issues I don't really know why you would opt for a treadmill. Running outside is like 10x more enjoyable than the devils hamster wheel. As for the how, start off with runs of 20-30 minutes that are easy. It should not hurt, leave you feeling refreshed at the end, and you should easily be able to converse the whole way. The kind of pace you could imagine running for multiple hours at and not being winded.
And if its painful ur doing it wrong unless ur like a super athlete and u know what ur doing. Even then your still kind of doing it wrong.
I think the biggest barrier to working out is to not give a dam what other people are thinking. "Oh look at him hes walking cause he couldn't run the whole way" No one cares and if you can't run the whole 20-30 minutes then just walk and jog when you feel like it.
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On May 03 2013 15:39 MysteryMeat1 wrote:Show nested quote +On May 03 2013 15:22 L_Master wrote:On May 03 2013 14:51 micronesia wrote:
This has been inspirational. I might start running soon as well. My initial performance will be awful, but that just gives you more room to progress! Same thing with pushups/situps/etc
When in doubt just pretend it's a jrpg.
edit: I will need to decide how to run. I do not have a treadmill. Running around the neighborhood is a possibility. Yep. Do that. Unless you have weather issues I don't really know why you would opt for a treadmill. Running outside is like 10x more enjoyable than the devils hamster wheel. As for the how, start off with runs of 20-30 minutes that are easy. It should not hurt, leave you feeling refreshed at the end, and you should easily be able to converse the whole way. The kind of pace you could imagine running for multiple hours at and not being winded. And if its painful ur doing it wrong unless ur like a super athlete and u know what ur doing. Even then your still kind of doing it wrong. I think the biggest barrier to working out is to not give a dam what other people are thinking. "Oh look at him hes walking cause he couldn't run the whole way" No one cares and if you can't run the whole 20-30 minutes then just walk and jog when you feel like it.
Yea, their is a time and place for good, hard workouts. But not when you are starting out. One needs to learn to listen and control the body, as well as develop muscle/tendon/ligament/bone strength before you throw in a bunch of the harder stuff.
If you just want health/basic fitness pretty much jogging all the time is fine. If you want to become a good runner you need the training and faster workouts as well.
Races will always be painful as all hell though.
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United States24755 Posts
On May 03 2013 15:22 L_Master wrote:Show nested quote +On May 03 2013 14:51 micronesia wrote:
This has been inspirational. I might start running soon as well. My initial performance will be awful, but that just gives you more room to progress! Same thing with pushups/situps/etc
When in doubt just pretend it's a jrpg.
edit: I will need to decide how to run. I do not have a treadmill. Running around the neighborhood is a possibility. Yep. Do that. Unless you have weather issues I don't really know why you would opt for a treadmill. Running outside is like 10x more enjoyable than the devils hamster wheel. As for the how, start off with runs of 20-30 minutes that are easy. It should not hurt, leave you feeling refreshed at the end, and you should easily be able to converse the whole way. The kind of pace you could imagine running for multiple hours at and not being winded.
No way I could run for 20 to 30 minutes nonstop yet lol
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On May 03 2013 23:44 micronesia wrote:Show nested quote +On May 03 2013 15:22 L_Master wrote:On May 03 2013 14:51 micronesia wrote:
This has been inspirational. I might start running soon as well. My initial performance will be awful, but that just gives you more room to progress! Same thing with pushups/situps/etc
When in doubt just pretend it's a jrpg.
edit: I will need to decide how to run. I do not have a treadmill. Running around the neighborhood is a possibility. Yep. Do that. Unless you have weather issues I don't really know why you would opt for a treadmill. Running outside is like 10x more enjoyable than the devils hamster wheel. As for the how, start off with runs of 20-30 minutes that are easy. It should not hurt, leave you feeling refreshed at the end, and you should easily be able to converse the whole way. The kind of pace you could imagine running for multiple hours at and not being winded. No way I could run for 20 to 30 minutes nonstop yet lol
I bet otherwise!
Can you walk for 20-30 minutes?
Assuming the answer is yes, then you can run for 30 minutes. Just go at the same pace as you walk. Or slower. Point I'm making here is that it is all about pacing, if you go slow enough you absolutely can manage it. To be honest, unless your somewhat overweight you will probably surprise yourself with how well you do IF you get the pacing right.
Start out absurdly slow for the first 5 minutes, barely move. If you find yourself getting winded you are fooling yourself and probably going more like 6-7 mph rather than the 3-4 of walking pace. Then gradually let your body pick it up to something slightly more natural but still easy. Cruise for the remaining 10-20 minutes.
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I started to run as well. I run on the days I don't go to the gym so about 3/4 times a week depending on the week. And I'm pretty much exactly where you are right now. About 2 miles in 25 minutes without stopping. I did this by just increasing the distance by 0.2 miles every time when I started 2/3 weeks ago. The best thing to keep motivated is to keep track of your progress. Exercising 7 times a week can get tough on my legs but so far I am still feeling good. I'm just gonna keep running and lifting  It's amazing to be in shape. I can bike so much faster to everything, I can run harder and faster, and longer during my weekly soccer practice with friends. I can run up the stairs and I will only feel the slightest change in my heartbeat.
And ofcourse: dat sixpack.
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United States163 Posts
I like your use of significant figures. I used to run when I was real small, but it either hurts or is incredibly boring now. Maybe one day I will be able to do a perfect cartwheel though. perfect cartwheel
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United States24755 Posts
On May 04 2013 00:19 L_Master wrote:Show nested quote +On May 03 2013 23:44 micronesia wrote:On May 03 2013 15:22 L_Master wrote:On May 03 2013 14:51 micronesia wrote:
This has been inspirational. I might start running soon as well. My initial performance will be awful, but that just gives you more room to progress! Same thing with pushups/situps/etc
When in doubt just pretend it's a jrpg.
edit: I will need to decide how to run. I do not have a treadmill. Running around the neighborhood is a possibility. Yep. Do that. Unless you have weather issues I don't really know why you would opt for a treadmill. Running outside is like 10x more enjoyable than the devils hamster wheel. As for the how, start off with runs of 20-30 minutes that are easy. It should not hurt, leave you feeling refreshed at the end, and you should easily be able to converse the whole way. The kind of pace you could imagine running for multiple hours at and not being winded. No way I could run for 20 to 30 minutes nonstop yet lol I bet otherwise! Can you walk for 20-30 minutes? Assuming the answer is yes, then you can run for 30 minutes. Just go at the same pace as you walk. Or slower. Point I'm making here is that it is all about pacing, if you go slow enough you absolutely can manage it. To be honest, unless your somewhat overweight you will probably surprise yourself with how well you do IF you get the pacing right. Start out absurdly slow for the first 5 minutes, barely move. If you find yourself getting winded you are fooling yourself and probably going more like 6-7 mph rather than the 3-4 of walking pace. Then gradually let your body pick it up to something slightly more natural but still easy. Cruise for the remaining 10-20 minutes.
I will have to test this. Although, to be honest I think I will feel really silly jogging through my neighborhood at a snail's pace. I can just picture people looking at me like "what the heck is that guy doing?" I guess it won't be long before I can up the speed if I keep at it.
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On May 04 2013 01:09 micronesia wrote:Show nested quote +On May 04 2013 00:19 L_Master wrote:On May 03 2013 23:44 micronesia wrote:On May 03 2013 15:22 L_Master wrote:On May 03 2013 14:51 micronesia wrote:
This has been inspirational. I might start running soon as well. My initial performance will be awful, but that just gives you more room to progress! Same thing with pushups/situps/etc
When in doubt just pretend it's a jrpg.
edit: I will need to decide how to run. I do not have a treadmill. Running around the neighborhood is a possibility. Yep. Do that. Unless you have weather issues I don't really know why you would opt for a treadmill. Running outside is like 10x more enjoyable than the devils hamster wheel. As for the how, start off with runs of 20-30 minutes that are easy. It should not hurt, leave you feeling refreshed at the end, and you should easily be able to converse the whole way. The kind of pace you could imagine running for multiple hours at and not being winded. No way I could run for 20 to 30 minutes nonstop yet lol I bet otherwise! Can you walk for 20-30 minutes? Assuming the answer is yes, then you can run for 30 minutes. Just go at the same pace as you walk. Or slower. Point I'm making here is that it is all about pacing, if you go slow enough you absolutely can manage it. To be honest, unless your somewhat overweight you will probably surprise yourself with how well you do IF you get the pacing right. Start out absurdly slow for the first 5 minutes, barely move. If you find yourself getting winded you are fooling yourself and probably going more like 6-7 mph rather than the 3-4 of walking pace. Then gradually let your body pick it up to something slightly more natural but still easy. Cruise for the remaining 10-20 minutes. I will have to test this. Although, to be honest I think I will feel really silly jogging through my neighborhood at a snail's pace. I can just picture people looking at me like "what the heck is that guy doing?" I guess it won't be long before I can up the speed if I keep at it.
If you run 25/30 minutes every day after a month you will be incredibly impressed by how far and how fast you can run.
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On May 04 2013 01:09 micronesia wrote:Show nested quote +On May 04 2013 00:19 L_Master wrote:On May 03 2013 23:44 micronesia wrote:On May 03 2013 15:22 L_Master wrote:On May 03 2013 14:51 micronesia wrote:
This has been inspirational. I might start running soon as well. My initial performance will be awful, but that just gives you more room to progress! Same thing with pushups/situps/etc
When in doubt just pretend it's a jrpg.
edit: I will need to decide how to run. I do not have a treadmill. Running around the neighborhood is a possibility. Yep. Do that. Unless you have weather issues I don't really know why you would opt for a treadmill. Running outside is like 10x more enjoyable than the devils hamster wheel. As for the how, start off with runs of 20-30 minutes that are easy. It should not hurt, leave you feeling refreshed at the end, and you should easily be able to converse the whole way. The kind of pace you could imagine running for multiple hours at and not being winded. No way I could run for 20 to 30 minutes nonstop yet lol I bet otherwise! Can you walk for 20-30 minutes? Assuming the answer is yes, then you can run for 30 minutes. Just go at the same pace as you walk. Or slower. Point I'm making here is that it is all about pacing, if you go slow enough you absolutely can manage it. To be honest, unless your somewhat overweight you will probably surprise yourself with how well you do IF you get the pacing right. Start out absurdly slow for the first 5 minutes, barely move. If you find yourself getting winded you are fooling yourself and probably going more like 6-7 mph rather than the 3-4 of walking pace. Then gradually let your body pick it up to something slightly more natural but still easy. Cruise for the remaining 10-20 minutes. I will have to test this. Although, to be honest I think I will feel really silly jogging through my neighborhood at a snail's pace. I can just picture people looking at me like "what the heck is that guy doing?" I guess it won't be long before I can up the speed if I keep at it.
You'll survive. My girlfriend was on her school's track team and has been getting me to go on runs with her since spring started.
You'll feel like an idiot the first time you go out but you'll get over it pretty quick. Even after your first run at walking speed you'll feel really good and be excited to go out and do it again!
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On May 04 2013 01:20 Recognizable wrote:Show nested quote +On May 04 2013 01:09 micronesia wrote:On May 04 2013 00:19 L_Master wrote:On May 03 2013 23:44 micronesia wrote:On May 03 2013 15:22 L_Master wrote:On May 03 2013 14:51 micronesia wrote:
This has been inspirational. I might start running soon as well. My initial performance will be awful, but that just gives you more room to progress! Same thing with pushups/situps/etc
When in doubt just pretend it's a jrpg.
edit: I will need to decide how to run. I do not have a treadmill. Running around the neighborhood is a possibility. Yep. Do that. Unless you have weather issues I don't really know why you would opt for a treadmill. Running outside is like 10x more enjoyable than the devils hamster wheel. As for the how, start off with runs of 20-30 minutes that are easy. It should not hurt, leave you feeling refreshed at the end, and you should easily be able to converse the whole way. The kind of pace you could imagine running for multiple hours at and not being winded. No way I could run for 20 to 30 minutes nonstop yet lol I bet otherwise! Can you walk for 20-30 minutes? Assuming the answer is yes, then you can run for 30 minutes. Just go at the same pace as you walk. Or slower. Point I'm making here is that it is all about pacing, if you go slow enough you absolutely can manage it. To be honest, unless your somewhat overweight you will probably surprise yourself with how well you do IF you get the pacing right. Start out absurdly slow for the first 5 minutes, barely move. If you find yourself getting winded you are fooling yourself and probably going more like 6-7 mph rather than the 3-4 of walking pace. Then gradually let your body pick it up to something slightly more natural but still easy. Cruise for the remaining 10-20 minutes. I will have to test this. Although, to be honest I think I will feel really silly jogging through my neighborhood at a snail's pace. I can just picture people looking at me like "what the heck is that guy doing?" I guess it won't be long before I can up the speed if I keep at it. If you run 25/30 minutes every day after a month you will be incredibly impressed by how far and how fast you can run.
We have a winner!
Yea, it might feel a little slow/strange at first; but it's the fastest and safest way to start getting in shape. Running for 25 min continuously is better for getting aerobic fitness going than going hard for 2-3min and then stopping, then going hard again, etc. Additionally, you might surprise yourself with the pace you move at, after less than a week I wouldn't be surprised if 9-10 min pace felt totally comfortable.
A month or two of running 20-30 min 3-4 times a week and you will be an entirely different person fitness wise.
I can just picture people looking at me like "what the heck is that guy doing?"
Don't be self-conscious. :p
Most people don't jog too much faster than walking anyways, anywhere for 9-12 min/mile is typical for the average person I see out running, so you won't look hilariously out of place anything. Not to mention I suspect you'll find your pace to be quicker than actual walking speed.
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That's great news, man! I started running in January as a New Years Resolution and I've had a lot of fun. In fact, I'm going to run my first 10k tomorrow - I'm very excited. I can't say that I have a 6 pack though  . Also, to all the people saying to run 30 minutes every day, I would caution against that unless you really know what you are doing because you can get easily injured that way.
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EPT
