Tuesday, January 13, 2009

So...you want to run 5km ?

Many people start out there fitness regime by starting out running.  
This can sometimes be people's downfall - they start running, can only run for a minute or two, start running out of breath and feel as though they have failed, and give up.
So... what's the answer - how do you get past this and be able to continue to run effortlessly like all those others out there?
Well... firstly, it helps that you gain some understanding as to why you run out of puff so quickly.
When you first start running, your body actually is working anaerobically - ie without oxygen. It takes a little while before your aerobic system kicks in and takes over. Quite often, this is when you've run out of puff and stopped.  So...the answer is...focus and keep going for a bit longer, concentrate on breathing in and out nicely and evenly, and you will find that it appears to get easier. Of course, if you've been sedentary for a while, you're not going to be able to just keep going for 20 minutes - you will need to build up to that - so aim for small chunks to start - 5 minutes at a time or f your goal is to run 5km - how about following cool running's "couch to 5km" program here? It starts you out so gently, and has you able to run 5km easily in 9 weeks.

You will find that as your fitness increases, the quicker your aerobic system will start to kick in.

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