spdy0001

Ive been going to a gym for about a year now and I admit im not a health nut. Still not in great shape but better than I was. My current irritation with myself is that when I started running I could go about a half mile at a moderate pace before having to start walking to catch my breath and then go again. I thought well thats normal for being really out of shape. Now a year later and im still experiencing the same thing Why is my stamina not increasing? I see these guys running at 8mph for like 45min and it doesnt look like there even breathing hard. I run a half mile at 5mph and it feels like im gonna drop dead

Whiskers

For me at least, you need to go to a certain point....You need to pust a lttle past your breaking point and the rest is cake.

crazymjb

What is your height and weight, and do you have any respiratory problems? How much time do you spend on cardio at a time, do you smoke?

You admit after a year of going to the gym you aren't in great shape. After a year of running, if you are otherwise healthy, you should be able to get yourself into a lot better shape than that.

I would suggest start taking the whole thing seriously if you want to get better at running. If you can really only do 5MPH for only half a mile at 25, you are doing something wrong unless you have something wrong with you.

Also, ditch the treadmill and get outside. I admit to using a treadmill, but using a track outside(good way to start pacing yourself) is better IMO. Public schools and fields are excellent for that.

Google, this took me 5 seconds to find:
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Mike

spdy0001

Height 5'7" Weight 200 Was down to about 185 this summer but I admit I slacked off my gym schedule for a while. It might sound like a lot of weight for the height but a good amount of it is muscle. Respitory problems is a possiblity...Was born with a collapsed lung but no doc to this point has diagnosed me with anything else. Nope im not a smoker
Thanks for the link and I will try running outside as well

The Dougler

iTrader: (1)

man i smoke and can keep that pace running with about the same longevity, you might want to talk to your doctor/fitness trainer and i am by no means healthy.

crazymjb

I would have your heart and lungs checked by a doctor because that is concerning. My first time EVER running was in sixth grade and I completed a mile in about 9 minutes, and I had a pot belly and everything. So better safe than sorry.

If your joints start to hurt you should stop, as I gave myself pretty bad shin splints a few months back as evidenced by a thread somewhere around here. Start slow, don't over do it. Also, go get good shoes.

A lot of the stamina factor, outside of joint and muscle problems(such as shin splints) I believe can be contributed to your head, rather than lungs and heart. Of course ultimatly it comes down to building that up, but a lot of that "tiredness" can be overcome. Do anything you can to keep your mind off running, as that makes it harder. Find good, energetic music, and day dream about something energetic, like racing, sex, or something you like that.

The thing I like about outside is you can just run until you no longer can, you have less to say, "this means I can stop." For example, I have fallen victim to watching the lap thing reset on the treadmill before.

Mike

jupitersolo

When I was about your age I was out of shape, few too many lbs. I started running, stamina stuck at first then got a little better. I was in the same dilemma you're talking about. Then I started to do Aerobics, my cardio was great. There was a women (Instructor) about 5' tall (I'm 6'4")who moved like a e'ffing rabbit. The more I could keep up with her the better I felt.

Look at doing something other than running for your cardio. You have to get all of your body involved to get the increase you want. Biking correctly (push and pull of the pedals) will help. You may want to add hand weights to your runs.

I've had a few problems lately, now after a cardio echo, blood work and stress test. The only problem is being out of shape. Even though you're young and in pretty good shape, you may want to consult a Dr., especially with your history (lung).

crazymjb

I heard this today. Do 10 jumping jacks, followed by 10 push-ups, or vice versa, and repeat with no delay as long as you can. It is supposed to be great for stamina.

Mike

Ryee

Once you're cleared and found to be healthy, move into some interval training. There's nothing better at building up stamina than that. Begin with a something that is challenging but allows for rest. Start with something simple like the following:

Warmup: 5 minute slow jog
Hard Run: 2 minutes
Jog: 2 minutes
Hard Run: 2 minutes
Jog: 2 minutes
Hard Run: 2 minutes
Jog: 2 minutes
Hard Run: 2 minutes
Jog: 2 minutes
Cool Down: 5 minutes.

Your jogs should be a recovery period and your hard runs should be difficult, but not a straight out sprint. Give this a try and in a couple weeks you'll notice a significant improvement.

As a competitive runner, there's nothing better than intervals to whip yourself into shape. Not only is it difficult and challenging but it's more interesting than just going for a 25-30 minute jog.

spdy0001

Thanks for the answers guys

I will take it easy till I get checked out