Its amazing how quickly you get out of shape

[mav]

I have no idea what got into me tonight, but as I was perusing TGO I decided I was going to go run tonight. The weather was nice, so why not.

I put on my clothes, jumped in the car, and drove over to our local high school track. I walked the first lap to warmup, and then started to run. I haven't ran in about 6 months, but I was determined to get in three miles without walking.

The first mile wasn't bad, but not good either, 9:31. I didn't really feel all that winded so I decided to pick up the pace. After the 6th lap, I had to keep encouraging myself not to quit. At the 2 mile mark, I was feeling pretty rough, 18:18. After 10 laps, I started praying that I wouldn't have a heart attack. Either through determination or foolishness, I wasn't going to quit.

I finally completed the 12th lap and my time was 26:53. While the time isn't very good, I think it is okay considering the long layoff. I don't think I will be doing this again this week. That was the closest I came to puking while exercising. It sucks getting old.

[Warbird]

While it usually takes several months to start losing muscle, unless there's an injury, it only takes a few weeks to significantly lose cardiovascular endurance. Fortunately it comes back fairly quickly with regular exercise. I know that I sometimes take a couple of weeks off of cardio exercise because my body so quickly adapts to routines, even ones changed up often. I always lose endurance in that short period of time.

[Punisher84]

That's pretty good though considering I can't even run 3 miles. I'm like Gimli in Lord of the Rings...very dangerous over short distances lol

[Il Duce]

im like jerome bettis. put me on the goal line and ill bulldoze you, but youll need someone else further out from that

[Mike.357]

It sucks getting old.

get back to me when you actually get old.

[JPS]

Run? I don't do run. I'm always up for a nice long walk, but my parts don't cooperate at faster speeds.

[Bubba0031]

What Mike357 & JPS said

[Guest db99wj]

Umm, you ran 3 miles in 26:53, which is an 8:58 mile. So you would have run around a 27:30 on a 5K, maybe a little better, depending on how you finished. That time is very good. Not elite running status, but if you look at finish times in 5K's, that time will put you in top half of finishers for your age group. By the way, our age group is a very competitive age group, many elite runners are in this group. For example, if you finished at 27 minutes flat on the St. Jude 5K here in memphis, which had over 2,800 runners overall, and 123 runners in the age group, you would have placed 36th in the age group and 303 overall. The overall 2nd place finisher came out of our age group with a time of 17:53. Overall winner was 40 yrs old and ran it in 17:19. So, if you put all this together, your time is pretty dang good, unless you are a former elite runner and running 5K's in sub 20's, if so, that sucks!

I ran in a 24hour race this weekend on a team, ran 6 miles with a time of 57:50 (9:38 minute miles). I'm super excited about that. My next goal will be a sub 25 minute 5K. Thinking about the St. Jude run I mentioned above since I'm not running the half marathon this year.

[Guest Archminister01]

LOL...the wife and I joined a fitness center just over a month ago after approximately 10 years of doing nothing. Its is amazing what you lose and how fast you get out of shape. I am finally working up to 2 miles on the elliptical trainer and its amazing. You should be proud that you can run as you do. I have dropped 10 lbs this first month and am looking to drop 50 more by my next birthday. Fitness for the win. I used to run about 5 miles at least three times a week. I got sock of having "Used To" in my vocabulary. Its am motivated by these posts because even though I have a long way to go, my mindset is in the right place. Awesome job and keep posting. One day when I am fit enough to show a decent before and after picture I will. For now I will keep it top secret.

[Guest Glock23ForMe]

im like jerome bettis. put me on the goal line and ill bulldoze you, but youll need someone else further out from that

Yes, Sir.

If you're not the steamroller you're just part of the road.

[Guest Archminister01]

Well there was a day when i was the steam roller...the key word being "was". The transformation is in the works.

[Guest Glock23ForMe]

Yeah... I always start a running regiment, and honestly, I think I do quite well for someone my size. However, my schedule being soo whacky all the time, it's hard to keep to it.

I had a regiment started and was doing it for about a month... Till I had surgery on both my feet, and he told me not to run for 2 weeks... It's been a few more than 2.

[Guest RemedyCNC]

The wife and I took up Taekwondo about a year ago. I can tell I am in much better shape and have good endurance. I can jump, I can spin, and I can kick. It's doing all three at once that I have trouble with.

[gregintenn]

If you ever see me running down the road, it will be worth your while to look and see what's chasing me!

[wipfel]

LOL...the wife and I joined a fitness center just over a month ago after approximately 10 years of doing nothing. Its is amazing what you lose and how fast you get out of shape. I am finally working up to 2 miles on the elliptical trainer and its amazing. You should be proud that you can run as you do. I have dropped 10 lbs this first month and am looking to drop 50 more by my next birthday. Fitness for the win. I used to run about 5 miles at least three times a week. I got sock of having "Used To" in my vocabulary. Its am motivated by these posts because even though I have a long way to go, my mindset is in the right place. Awesome job and keep posting. One day when I am fit enough to show a decent before and after picture I will. For now I will keep it top secret.

congrats on getting back into it. everybody has to start somewhere!

[mav]

Well, I had to take off a couple of days from that first run. That next day someone at work commented that I was walking like someone shoved their foot up my butt and left it there. Tonights run was a little easier and a little better time. 26:05 total, 8:54, 17:44, 26:05. I am hoping I can hit 25:00 the next run.

Just to clarify my situation, I am not going from couch potato to going out and running three miles. I never do cardio, but I do heavy (at least to me) weight training everyday M-F for 30 minutes during my lunch hour.

Sometime last year I got a wild hair up my butt and I decided I was going to run. I started running about 3-4 times a week for 3-5 miles. My best time for 3 miles was 24:03. I quit after 5 months due to achilles tendon irritation and the fact that I hate to run. I loved the cardio benefit I got from running, just hated the process.

Well, the wild hair has grown back, so I figured I will give it another shot. I doubt I will ever get in the sub 20 range because I really don't want to train for it. I think I could push myself to hit maybe 21-22 minutes without a regimented training program, and that is good enough for me.

[Guest db99wj]

Well, I had to take off a couple of days from that first run. That next day someone at work commented that I was walking like someone shoved their foot up my butt and left it there. Tonights run was a little easier and a little better time. 26:05 total, 8:54, 17:44, 26:05. I am hoping I can hit 25:00 the next run.

Just to clarify my situation, I am not going from couch potato to going out and running three miles. I never do cardio, but I do heavy (at least to me) weight training everyday M-F for 30 minutes during my lunch hour.

Sometime last year I got a wild hair up my butt and I decided I was going to run. I started running about 3-4 times a week for 3-5 miles. My best time for 3 miles was 24:03. I quit after 5 months due to achilles tendon irritation and the fact that I hate to run. I loved the cardio benefit I got from running, just hated the process.

Well, the wild hair has grown back, so I figured I will give it another shot. I doubt I will ever get in the sub 20 range because I really don't want to train for it. I think I could push myself to hit maybe 21-22 minutes without a regimented training program, and that is good enough for me.

Again, 21-22 minute 5K puts you in the "slow" elite status of runners. Most small 5Ks you would place 1st, 2nd or 3rd. Top 10 in bigger races. Incidently, going for a 5-6 mile trail run in the morning with a friend out at Shelby Farms (Wolf River Trails), then going to party on the new "Greenline" that has taken an old CSX railroad line and converted it to a running trail (paved) from Midtown Memphis out to Shelby Farms. For you Memphians, this is a great trail to run, bike, walk. The trail goes over the Wolf River by I-40/I-240 and is a pretty area.