Substitute for running?

cortcase · Sun Sep 02, 2007 1:06 am

I work out six days a week. Late last fall, I started doing the Couch to 5K program and was jogging three days per week. However, in the last four months or so, I've realized something: I HATE JOGGING.

I've gotten up to a point where I deviated a bit from the Couch to 5K schedule because I couldn't handle jogging for 25 minutes straight (the next step) but was ready to move on from the previous workout. So for awhile now, I've been doing 5 min warmup walk, 10 min jog, 5 min walk, 10 min jog, 3 min cooldown walk. However, in the last four months, I've dwindled down to jogging one day per week. On the other days, I do a mix of aerobics with weight intervals, elliptical machine and bike.

I don't know if my increasing hatred for jogging stems from the fact that despite having air conditioning and two fans pointed at me, it makes me sweat so much it makes me feel sick, or maybe because I'm doing it less so I'm less prepared for it when I do it? I don't know.

The only thing I know is, I look forward to my other exercise routines, but I dread jogging (which I do on Sunday). On the one hand, I think that I need to continue and probably need to return to doing it more because I suspect it will get me in the best shape. On the other hand, it seems silly to keep doing something I hate so passionately and am so unmotivated at when there are other exercising routines that I love.

Guess I'm hoping someone would be able to tell me if there is anything else that could "replace" jogging in terms of intensity and benefits...or maybe give me some tips on how not to hate it! (I should probably mention, I do listen to music and used to watch TV during, but the speakers I have to use now are not loud enough to be heard over the noisy treadmill and the two fans).

Thanks!

luvs_torun · Sun Sep 02, 2007 1:11 am

Cort... I suggest getting off the treadmill and heading outside!
Especially this time of year as the weather becomes cooler, the leaves are changing, etc.

I hate running on the treadmill myself....
(treadmills can just suck the life out of you :shock: :D )

cortcase · Sun Sep 02, 2007 1:41 am

Hi Luvs,

I tried running outside...and I felt like I was going to die even faster than I did on the treadmill! Plus, I didn't like knowing how fast I was going or how far I'd gone...

Maybe I'll give it a try again when it gets cooler...but right now it's still 75-90 here. I was at a college football game today and got totally fried because I forgot to put on sunscreen. :(

Doc_plus25 · Sun Sep 02, 2007 3:00 am

luvs_torun wrote: Cort... I suggest getting off the treadmill and heading outside!
Especially this time of year as the weather becomes cooler, the leaves are changing, etc.

I hate running on the treadmill myself....
(treadmills can just suck the life out of you :shock: :D )

I was going to say the same thing myself. I think I'd hate running too if all I ran on was the dreadmill. I know you said running outside was worse - but maybe you will enjoy it more now that it's cooler outside and I'm sure you are more fit than last time you tried it.

Also, I wear a HRM and map my routes and time my runs. That way I know, for every run, how far I went and how fast I've gone, as well as how many calories I burned and what my average and maximum HR were. I want to upgrade to a GPS system where I know my pace as I'm running, and know more precisely how far I've gone when I'm outside. But until then, I get the info I need.

I'm not sure what to say about an alternative. I just run. Maybe a step aerobics class? I used to love those - just can't seem to fit them into my schedule.

Good luck!

Doc_plus25 · Sun Sep 02, 2007 3:06 am

I just checked out your pictures - WOW!! You have done a great job. You look awesome!! :D Congratulations!

cortcase · Mon Sep 03, 2007 12:38 am

Thanks for the compliments, DocPlus25! :)

Okay, I need some more advice from you running pros. :) I took your suggestion and went outside to jog today. It was pretty warm earlier, but it got cooler in the evening so I decided to give outdoor jogging another try. I borrowed a heart rate monitor from my mom and out I went.

The workout was undoubtedly more interesting for me and went by much faster because I was outdoors and could enjoy the scenery, etc. The problem is, I have no idea if the workout was better, worse or equal to my treadmill workout. On the treadmill, as I mentioned, I go 10 minutes straight jogging. Outside, I couldn't even jog for a minute without having to stop! I don't know if it's because I don't know how to pace or what, but I felt like I was going slower than on the treadmill. I don't know if I really was or if it just felt like it because the treadmill moves and (obviously) the pavement doesn't.

Quickly realizing there was no conceivable way I was going to be able to do what I usually do on the treadmill, I started running like a block, then walking for about a minute and a half, then running a block, etc. It felt like there were lead weights on my feet!

Also, I Googled target heart rate before I left and if I was reading correctly, it looked like my target for my age (27) would be about 165? So basically while I was out there, I'd be jogging, and my heart rate would go to 166-172, then I would walk, and it would dip down...and when I started jogging again it would be around 110. (When I started walking, it was 70, and now, about 10 minutes after I'm done, it's about 90. I'm more sore than usual, but I don't know if that's just because the pavement is harder than the treadmill. I'm sweating about the same.)

I really don't want to keep doing it outside if I'm not getting as good of a workout as I was on the treadmill...yet the thought of getting back on that treadmill makes me want to jump off a cliff! ;) I appreciate your running wisdom, any advice or analysis of my first real outdoor excursion would be appreciated! :)

P.S. Even though I'm at 90 right now, the little bar is highlighted up to the far end and the little heart is pounding really fast on the wrist display. What does this mean? Argh, guess I should see if I can get the book from my mom so I can get more info! :)

cortcase · Mon Sep 03, 2007 12:42 am

OK, sorry for all the posts, but I just looked up target heart rate on a different site, and it is saying 226-your age is your maximum heart rate, then you should do 60-70% of that for weight loss. That would make my target rate 120-140! So am I working out TOO hard? I'm so confused.

I can only guess that my heart rate must be through the roof on the treadmill, because I usually feel like I'm going to die, and I jog for 10 minutes straight, twice, with a 5 minute walk in between (plus warm up and cool down).

Help! :)

Jadzia · Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:52 pm

I found the best target rate are the ones who take into account your resting HR. Basically, target aren't the same for people having a resting HR of 60 than for those with a RHR of 90.

Here's a site which I found very helpful :

http://www.brianmac.co.uk/hrm1.htm

Btw 60-70% is for the "fat burning" zone, 70% to 80% for the aerobic zone. So IMO, you can without any problem be between anything from 130 to 170 (lower is fat-burning / recovery zone, hight aerobic zone).

It is normal that you find outdoor running harder than treadmill. On the machine, the movement is almost always the same, so it's "easier" after a while. Outdoor, your pace is usually no as even (must adjust for bumps, cars, hills, etc.). If the temperature is hotter than you're used to, the moisture higher or if there some winds, it can also affect your workout (which I think is great, btw).

nursebetty74 · Mon Sep 03, 2007 3:28 pm

My key to the switch from treadmill to outside was a garmin gps watch. You get the variety of outdoor running with the calorie,distance and pace benefit of the treadmill.

Doc_plus25 · Tue Sep 04, 2007 1:42 am

Cort, how do you FEEL after a run ouside? Like you had the same workout as on a treadmill, if not more so? Sometimes I think we can get a little bogged down in the stats. I like numbers as much as the next person, but at some point we need to add a little subjectivity as well. You liked running outside. You worked hard and got your hr up. The run went faster - it is something you might be able to sustain (just wait until you join several hundred other runners in your first 5K :wink: ).

As for the heart rate, I'd go with what Jazdia said. When I first started monitoring my HR, as I was gearing up for my first 5K, I would frequently exceed 165 BBM, with an average around 160 and a max sometimes into the 170s (even hit 180 a few times on particularly hard runs). According to the settings on the HRM, for my age I shouldn't be going above 157 or something like that, but I got tired of seeing the number flashing at the max end so I extended it manually to 165. Now I try to keep my HR under that on basic "easy runs."

Some would say it's better to go by perceived level of exertion than heart rate. PLE is something you rate on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being not working at all, and 10 being the hardest you can push yourself.

I just got a Garmin Forerunner for my birthday and I can't wait to try it out!! :D It's a bit complicated, though. Might take a little learning before I can use it.

Anyway, good luck! I hope you stick with running, it's great. If not, try the step aerobics. I've always loved that.

wileybosco · Tue Sep 04, 2007 7:13 pm

Power Vinyasa Yoga!!!!I still like to run but I love my heated cardio yoga!!!

cortcase · Mon Sep 17, 2007 2:32 am

Hi guys! Sorry I seemed to go MIA on this thread. I definitely appreciate all of your input.

Although it was interesting jogging outside, and definitely a change in pace, I decided it wasn't for me. I was really sore for a long time afterward and I didn't like feeling like people could see me (although I'm sure they could care less, it's a mental thing), and I didn't like not being able to figure out the pacing, etc. At this point, my affinity for jogging isn't at a level where I really want to invest in equipment that can help me with the time, distance, pacing, etc.

So I started analyzing my exercise routine and I realized...the reason why I was dreading the treadmill so much was because I was trying to hold myself to the same standard (10 min increments of jogging, twice, with walking before, in between and after, for a total of 33 mins) but only doing my treadmill routine once a week. So I slipped progress-wise, and when I actually got on the treadmill, the idea of 10 min stints was daunting.

So, I went back a few weeks on the Couch to 5K routine to the 5 min warmup/5 min jog/3 min walk/5 min jog/3 min walk/5 min jog/cooldown walk and started doing it three days a week again. I already can feel myself doing better and enjoying it more. I don't dread it now. I think the problem was expecting my progress to continue even though I had reduced my treadmill time. Also, now it's cooling down here in Michigan, so I'm not having as much of a problem with the heat in that room making me feel sick while I'm jogging.

Thanks again for your help...maybe someday I'll progress to outdoor jogging. ;) For now, I'll stick with my treadmill... and I may have to check out power yoga too, Wiley! :) That sounds fun!

cortcase · Mon Sep 17, 2007 2:36 am

By the way, Doc - I do love aerobics too. I have a cardio blast class on Saturdays...I took two seven-week sessions in a row earlier this year, but the last section was cancelled because of low registration numbers. Thankfully, it's back on and restarted yesterday. We do a mix of various kickboxing/tae bo type stuff, weight intervals, finish up with abs, sometimes use the stability ball. I think she uses the steps once in awhile too, but I've missed a few classes here and there, and I think those must have been the step ones. I love aerobics!!!! It's nice to have someone there to kick your butt into shape...I like it much better than doing it at home! :D

lawn_gnome78 · Fri Sep 21, 2007 2:24 pm

Well, cortcase - it seems as though you've found a good program for the time being!

I just wanted to drop in and give my thoughts, if you don't mind. A friend of mine and I started the couch to 5k program about 11 or 12 weeks ago. We did it from start to finish, and by the end we were able to each run for 30 minutes. Great. But guess what? We did not cover anywhere near 3.1 miles in that time. For our sessions, we jogged outside at a park on a gravel trail which is so nice. Pavement for me is really tough to run on now since I've trained so much on gravel and grass.

I remember reading somewhere that for beginning runners that you should run slower than you think is necessary and make sure your feet hit the surface of whatever you're on softly. You should not be able to hear your feet over your music if you're listening to any; and also you should imagine there is someone behind you and with each step you are trying to show them the bottoms of your shoes.

All of these I'm sure you've heard or seen. But I can't imagine, even though you trained on a treadmill for the most part, that someone your size has a hard time running for longer times. I bet maybe you need to slow down. I've attempted running on a treadmill and my top speed is only 4.7mph! For the most of the 25 minutes I jogged on the thing I kept it around 4.1 - 4.2mph.

Just a thought, maybe try slowing down the pace and jogging very slowly - as slow as you can without actually calling it walking - and see how you do! If you feel you might be discouraged and psyched out by how little distance you cover then forget it. Just to warn you: the last two times I managed to run for 3.1 miles, my times were 49:13 and 49:42 - but I did jog the whole way both times.

I think you're doing so great and am so impressed with your success! I hope one day I can see 155 on my scale. Seems impossible right now...

Anyway, whatever you do, just have fun and be sure that you're breathing hard. If you just get out there and invest some energy and time in it you'll be great! I'm alot like you where I'm so into the details of how to do the best and measure everything so I see where you're coming from. I'm always getting advice saying "just as long as you do something you're doing good!" And here I am, dishing it out. Sheesh.

Good luck!

cortcase · Wed Sep 26, 2007 2:33 am

Thanks, Lawn Gnome! I definitely am a running novice, so I appreciate the advice from you and everyone! :-D


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