Thank you very much
Your enthusiasm and desire to incorporate running into your life is wonderful, so, how about starting with the RW Beginner training plan, and then decide as you go if the progression is really too slow. The important thing is to set aside the time for regular training and START because that commitment is huge! As you start out, begin at the beginning. Better that the exercise feels too easy rather than too hard because the biggest risk new runners face is injury. For this reason, beginner programs need to be very conservative. It takes longer than we realize to condition the body for the rigors of regular, sustained exercise.
The general rule of thumb for increasing mileage is 10 percent a week, so when just starting out and mileage is very low, yes, it does feel slow; however, better to build slowly than too rapidly. Realize that the effects of workouts are cumulative, so while Week 1 may feel too easy, by the end of Week 3, when muscles are experiencing the effects of training, the plan may not be too conservative at all. As you proceed, if you are not at all fatigued after the workouts, and/or you experience no muscle soreness a day or two later, then try increasing the distance or time of the workouts by applying the 10 percent rule. Another adaptation you could make is to convert some of the walking to running for a more advanced version.
Even when the exercise feels easy, your body is working fast and furious to adapt and meet the physiological demands of this new fitness regimen. We forget to consider what is happening on the inside of our bodies. Rather, we step on the scale, look in the mirror, or measure our waists looking for outward changes and fail to acknowledge the many internal physiological changes occurring at the cellular level. It is these adaptations that improve our health and fitness, allowing us to run further and faster. So by progressing slowly, with gradual increments of time or mileage, we allow these physiological adaptations to keep pace with our training and thus reduce the risk of injury or burn out.
So what are some of the physiological adaptations that occur with consistent, sustained exercise? Here are a few: strengthened heart muscle, which improves its' ability to pump blood by an increase in cardiac output and stroke volume; improved coronary blood supply, which reduces the risk of heart attack and improves the odds of surviving one; lower resting heart rate and a lower heart rate at any given workload, which reduces the stress on the heart; improved lung ventilation; strengthened respiratory muscles, like the diaphragm and the intercostal muscles; enhanced supply of pulmonary blood; increased blood plasma volume; increased total number of red blood cells, which improves oxygen transport; lower blood pressure; more capillary beds; increase in high density lipoproteins and a reduction in low density lipoproteins; stronger skeletal muscles; improved ability to utilize fatty acids; and, stronger bones, cartilage, and connective tissue.
As you begin your training, keep some of these changes in mind as you decide whether or not to ramp up faster than the training plan recommends. Running is a lifestyle commitment leading to better health and fitness, so keep the long-term in mind while dealing with the short-term, like the weekly training plan.
All the best to you!
Susan S. Paul, MS
Susan Paul has coached more than 2,000 runners and is an exercise physiologist and program director for the Orlando Track Shack Foundation. For more information, visit www.trackshack.com.
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