Heartrate concerns. Should I be worried?

[Susan]

Your text is something I could have written one year ago. While I was able to spin or swim extended periods of time, I was never able to run more than a short sprint without going beyond my limits. For some time I was quite sure that I simply COULD NOT run and would never learn to do so just like others couldn't swim.
While my husband was going for a run, I was running the distance between two street lamps and then walking for some minutes and repeat.

Because I felt stupid walking around in my running clothes, I started Nordic Walking. Nordic Walking gets the heart rate up a little higher than just walking AND made running slow and relaxed easier for me (I guess because there is less weight on the leg muscles). With the walking sticks I ran the short distances between 2 street lamps, then slowly upped the distance. I read quite a lot about correct form, tried to up my cadence (up the cadence while slowing down overall!) and correct my posture. It took me about half a year to run the whole distance (about 5 km, my husband was able to run this far from day 1).

After some time, I stopped using the Nordic Walking sticks and didn't need them anymore (I still use them sometimes for mountain runs). It has been one year since I started running and I am now able to run for about 10km.

I think some of us just need a little extra time because they aren't really talented runners. But it pays of, it will be a lot of fun in the end, don't give up!

[Bike Chick]

I think some of us just need a little extra time because they aren't really talented runners. But it pays of, it will be a lot of fun in the end, don't give up!

I agree completely, Susan. When I started running, I expected it to come easy since I had been cycling for several years and thought I was in good shape. I also thought that I would progress as quickly as I did on the bike. Not so! It's a completely different exercise. I've been running consistently for about a year now and I'm still slow and take walk breaks occasionally. I have seen a huge improvement since I started but the progress has been slow. Some of us just weren't born runners but we do it anyway!

MCAP, good for you doing the Ironman Challenge. That sounds fun. My advice would be to be patient (after you get the ok from your doctor), just slow down and take your time. It will come.

[OakLeaf]

Another thing is that the treadmill by definition throws your form off. How much running are you doing outside, or on an indoor track?

[MCAP]

I had been running exclusively on a track outside prior to the ironman challenge. I ran once a week and have been doing so since the beginning of August.

In college I ran around 3 miles almost every day. I ran very slow and it HURT my legs so bad. I just drugged myself up with pain killers and kept going. I don't want to do that to myself again.

I'm not running at 7.0 just because that's a number that I chose. I played around with the speed until it felt like I felt on the track outside. During the Ironman challenge I ran probably 70% of the marathon on the treadmill and the other 30% on the indoor track.

I'm going to go ahead and get another full gait analysis and figure out if something has changed and I need a different shoe.

Normally when I run intervals I start off with a 5-10 minute walk warm up. The first interval is pretty slow because my knees and shins always hurt for the first two intervals until my legs warm up. After that I run at a pace that is comfortable for my legs. I really don't feel like I'm going fast, but I will try to slow it down.

Perhaps it is some problem with my form that makes it super uncomfortable to run slower. I feel like unless I am using a full swinging stride from the hip, my lower leg tenses up and my toe is flexed up then the shin muscle feels like it starts to tear. I've tried running slower with a shorter stride at a higher cadence and I can't seem to do that and keep my foot relaxed.

I'm still concerned about my heart rate. I went on a cold outdoor bike ride yesterday and really worked hard up some big hills. My heartrate got up pretty high, but I didn't get the weakness feeling in my body like I do running.

Thanks for your thoughts. I'll check out chirunning and see what that is all about.

[jessmarimba]

Definitely look at shortening your stride - if your foot is landing ahead of you it actually uses more energy and has a higher impact on your body, as you are essentially "braking" and then re-starting your motion.

When I first started running I was going way too fast to build up any distance - my first race was an 8K that I ran at an 8:20 pace (probably only endured for 5 miles because it was 20 degrees outside). Now (meaning before I hurt my back) I run a 10K at essentially a 9-minute pace and a marathon at around 10:15/mile.

[7rider]

You've gotten a lot of good advice here -- and advice that I am soaking in like a sponge - because I really think I could have written your post!

I am a cyclist who recently took up running (okay, okay..."JOGGING" ). I can ride my bike for 100 miles and feel better at the end of it than after a 3 mile jog around my neighborhood. Jogging/running is a brutal sport, I'm discovering. Everyone told me..."Oh, you're in such good shape from all that cycling you do, running will be a breeze!" But, as I'm finding out as many here have - that it's a different animal entirely. I suffer. I am not a runner. Okay...I knew that, I just refuse to believe it. I just keep trying and maybe someday, I'll have that Zen moment that runners talk about.

[MCAP]

I purchased the book Chi Running and started reading it last night. I'm going to try and adjust my form to make myself more efficient and see if I can slow down without pain.

I think I may go ahead and get checked out by a doctor anyway. My mom has a heart problem that essentially causes her heart to misfire a bit (instead of going Ka Chunk, Ka Chunk, Ka Chunk, it just goes Ka, Ka, Ka, Ka) and her heart monitor reads her heart really fast. Blood is pumping, but not well. I wouldn't be surprised if I have something similar. It would be good to know regardless.

[PamNY]

I'd love to know how the chi running goes.

Chi running was recommended by several people here, and I just got the book (I could have gone to a workshop but it sold out while I was dithering around about spending the $$).

I'm not a runner (yet) but the book is inspiring and makes sense.