Well, let me give you some perspective about running, heart-strength, and "natural-ness". When I was 18, I could *run*. Not just jog, but *run*. So I know I can run. Maybe I don't have *the* runner's body - my inseam is 29-30 inches and I'm 6' tall, and I know that means I have kinda-short legs. (Um - not engaging in understatement there - not really short, just, you know, kinda short.)
Over the course of 9 months, I've gone from huffing and puffing after 30, then 60, seconds of not-very-fast running for interval training, to just barely being able to do a 3 minute interval at 5.8 miles an hour, with a 90 second rest, and do that 7-8 times in a row. I can jog at 5.3 miles per hour for 25-30 minutes, but that's slow. They used to say you're just jogging until you hit a mile in 8 minutes, and I'm not even at a mile in 11 minutes at that pace!
So, running for endurance is *hard*. Really hard. If you're having a hard time getting there, that's normal and natural.
One thing that can help is making sure you're not over-training; if you push your heart to the limit, you can feel *awful* for a day or so until your heart recovers. I've been doing that - so I know how stupid it can be. I also know how I can keep doing it, while realizing it's stupid :-).
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2012-03-26 11:06 pm (UTC)Over the course of 9 months, I've gone from huffing and puffing after 30, then 60, seconds of not-very-fast running for interval training, to just barely being able to do a 3 minute interval at 5.8 miles an hour, with a 90 second rest, and do that 7-8 times in a row. I can jog at 5.3 miles per hour for 25-30 minutes, but that's slow. They used to say you're just jogging until you hit a mile in 8 minutes, and I'm not even at a mile in 11 minutes at that pace!
So, running for endurance is *hard*. Really hard. If you're having a hard time getting there, that's normal and natural.
One thing that can help is making sure you're not over-training; if you push your heart to the limit, you can feel *awful* for a day or so until your heart recovers. I've been doing that - so I know how stupid it can be. I also know how I can keep doing it, while realizing it's stupid :-).