I’ve been struggling with how to improve in running all last year, and now again this spring. I finally realized (after reading a lot of articles on lesswrong.com, and specifically the martial arts of rationality posts) that I’ve been rationalizing that Couch to 5k and other recommended methods aren’t for me. So I continue to train in the wrong way, with rationalizations like: “It doesn’t matter how I train as long as I get out there.”
I’ve continued to run intensely and in short bursts, with little success, because I felt embarrassed to have to walk any, but I keep finding more and more people who report success with programs where you start slowly and gradually add in more running.
Last year, I experimented with everything except that approach, and ended up hurting myself by running too far and too intensely several days in a row.
It’s time to stop rationalizing, and instead try the approach that’s overwhelmingly recommended. I just thought it would be interesting to share that recognition.
Psychological theories like IFS would recommend charitably interpreting the inclination to embarrassment as a friendly impulse to protect oneself by protecting one’s reputation. For example, some people are embarrassed to eat out alone; a charitable interpretation is that part of their mind wants to avoid the scenario of an acquaintance of theirs seeing the lonely diner and concluding that they have no friends, and then concluding that they are unlikable and ostracizing them. Or a minor version of the same scenario.
Then one can assess just how many assetts are at stake: Realistically, nothing bad will happen if one eats out alone. Or one might decide that distant restaurants are safe. The anticipation of embarrassment might respond with further concerns, and by iterating one might arrive at a more coherent mental state.
It’s time to stop rationalizing, and instead try the approach that’s overwhelmingly recommended.
Have you considered not running as your primary exercise program? If you aren’t specifically going for the performance of running, I would shelve it and instead cut calories (assuming you have extra weight to lose) and lift heavy things at the gym. Distance running is great for distance running.
I have been in multiple running groups and they are great for achieving goals like 26.2 miles, but after that, I wanted to optimize for looks and not for long distances (any more).
Unfortunately, I live in a rural area where gyms are hard to come by. I have enjoyed running for its own sake in the past, that’s a part of why I want to get back into running shape, but I will try to add in some body weight exercises as well as my running.
Be honest with yourself when determining your current abilities. There’s no shame in building slowly. It just means you get to improve even more.
Not every day is a hard day. There are huge benefits to varying your workouts. If you’re running about the same distance each day you run, you’re doing it wrong. Some days should be shorter, more intense intervals broken up by very slow jogs or walks, while other days should be “active recovery” days of short, slow runs, while other days you might go for distance and a sustained pace. Just to give an idea, even elite athletes will not usually do more than 2-3 hard (interval) days each week. You will want to start with 0 or 1.
Watch your volume: Slowly increase your total miles / week over time. Make sure you start low enough not to get repetitive stress injuries.
I was once a fairly successful runner and have a lot of experience with designing training programs for both distance running and weightlifting. I’d be happy to help you design your running program or to look over your program once you do some research and put something together. Let me know!
A side question: from a joint-stress point of view, is it better to have a heavily cushioned running shoe or it’s better to go for minimal shoes and avoid heel strike and running on hard surfaces?
That’s a tough question, and one I’ve actually struggled to answer myself.
If you ask anyone in the mainstream competitive running community, they’ll tell you to get a good, cushioned running shoe, but also to work on your form to develop a good midfoot strike. Runners often to barefoot drills and other drills to develop proper midfoot strike, but still run in cushioned running shoes. They’ll also go running on the beach barefoot if they can to improve foot strength and form.
Repetitive stress injuries (shin splints, stress fractures, joint and tendon problems) are the single most common injury in runners and have taken me out of the game many times, even when actively trying to prevent them and with proper coaching. Proper shoes and good running form are both supposed to reduce these injuries.
However, there are a lot of successful barefoot runners and I do think there is something to learn from the ancestral health and fitness communities. There are a lot of runners who go completely barefoot and a lot who use minimalist footwear like Vibrams and don’t report any issues. They claim that your body mechanics are better barefoot and I have to agree that we were built to run barefoot. However, a lifetime of wearing shoes could definitely make a difference on whether or not running barefoot is still a good idea.
I suspect that you just have to be a lot more careful with barefoot running and that it’s probably not a good idea for your joints or back longterm to run barefoot or minimal with high volume for years. But honestly, I don’t know if it’s any worse than doing it with cushioned running shoes. Runners in proper shoes also have joint problems when they get older.
I would just set up short runs around my apartment that were all “run” no walk and gradually increase my distance. But one of the problems was that I just wasn’t out there very long. It was a convenient excuse when I was busy to just run a 15 minute loop instead of run/walking for 30 minutes+.
Is there any specific reason why you’ve been avoiding those approaches (e.g. where you slowly increase)? You mention that you told yourself “It isn’t for me,” but haven’t told us why.
because I felt embarrassed to have to walk any
Something I’ve had trouble with now that I’m starting to run is finding a running/jogging speed that takes as little energy, while still not walking. The last time I ran I finally found it and severely decreased the time I spend walking. It might be helpful to find that speed. I can guarantee you that it will feel very slow.
It’s mostly just the contrast between how I learned running in High school cross country and what’s actually recommended now. There were no real rest days, we ran 5 days a week and we were supposed to run at least once on the weekends. We ran hill reps two days a week, and long runs on the other days. We were all on the same training program regardless of where we started from.
What I’ve read recently is that about 4 days a week is a better way to do it, at least during your early progress, with a mixture of long slow runs and some interval work outs once you’ve reached a good level of fitness.
I’ve been struggling with how to improve in running all last year, and now again this spring. I finally realized (after reading a lot of articles on lesswrong.com, and specifically the martial arts of rationality posts) that I’ve been rationalizing that Couch to 5k and other recommended methods aren’t for me. So I continue to train in the wrong way, with rationalizations like: “It doesn’t matter how I train as long as I get out there.”
I’ve continued to run intensely and in short bursts, with little success, because I felt embarrassed to have to walk any, but I keep finding more and more people who report success with programs where you start slowly and gradually add in more running.
Last year, I experimented with everything except that approach, and ended up hurting myself by running too far and too intensely several days in a row.
It’s time to stop rationalizing, and instead try the approach that’s overwhelmingly recommended. I just thought it would be interesting to share that recognition.
You might also want to work on eliminating embarrassment.
Any guides on how to do that?
Rejection Therapy is focused in that direction.
That game is terrifying just to think about.
Awesome, do you have more like that?
Maximize embarrassment until you’re no longer capable of feeling shame from the foibles and sensibilities of mere humans.
Psychological theories like IFS would recommend charitably interpreting the inclination to embarrassment as a friendly impulse to protect oneself by protecting one’s reputation. For example, some people are embarrassed to eat out alone; a charitable interpretation is that part of their mind wants to avoid the scenario of an acquaintance of theirs seeing the lonely diner and concluding that they have no friends, and then concluding that they are unlikable and ostracizing them. Or a minor version of the same scenario.
Then one can assess just how many assetts are at stake: Realistically, nothing bad will happen if one eats out alone. Or one might decide that distant restaurants are safe. The anticipation of embarrassment might respond with further concerns, and by iterating one might arrive at a more coherent mental state.
Have you considered not running as your primary exercise program? If you aren’t specifically going for the performance of running, I would shelve it and instead cut calories (assuming you have extra weight to lose) and lift heavy things at the gym. Distance running is great for distance running.
I have been in multiple running groups and they are great for achieving goals like 26.2 miles, but after that, I wanted to optimize for looks and not for long distances (any more).
Unfortunately, I live in a rural area where gyms are hard to come by. I have enjoyed running for its own sake in the past, that’s a part of why I want to get back into running shape, but I will try to add in some body weight exercises as well as my running.
You don’t need a gym to exercise. Google up “paleo fitness”, Crossfit is full of advice about how to build a basic gym in your garage, etc. etc.
That’s great, it would be such a problem to not like running and not live near a gym. Good luck.
The best general advice I can give you is:
Be honest with yourself when determining your current abilities. There’s no shame in building slowly. It just means you get to improve even more.
Not every day is a hard day. There are huge benefits to varying your workouts. If you’re running about the same distance each day you run, you’re doing it wrong. Some days should be shorter, more intense intervals broken up by very slow jogs or walks, while other days should be “active recovery” days of short, slow runs, while other days you might go for distance and a sustained pace. Just to give an idea, even elite athletes will not usually do more than 2-3 hard (interval) days each week. You will want to start with 0 or 1.
Watch your volume: Slowly increase your total miles / week over time. Make sure you start low enough not to get repetitive stress injuries.
I was once a fairly successful runner and have a lot of experience with designing training programs for both distance running and weightlifting. I’d be happy to help you design your running program or to look over your program once you do some research and put something together. Let me know!
A side question: from a joint-stress point of view, is it better to have a heavily cushioned running shoe or it’s better to go for minimal shoes and avoid heel strike and running on hard surfaces?
That’s a tough question, and one I’ve actually struggled to answer myself.
If you ask anyone in the mainstream competitive running community, they’ll tell you to get a good, cushioned running shoe, but also to work on your form to develop a good midfoot strike. Runners often to barefoot drills and other drills to develop proper midfoot strike, but still run in cushioned running shoes. They’ll also go running on the beach barefoot if they can to improve foot strength and form.
Repetitive stress injuries (shin splints, stress fractures, joint and tendon problems) are the single most common injury in runners and have taken me out of the game many times, even when actively trying to prevent them and with proper coaching. Proper shoes and good running form are both supposed to reduce these injuries.
However, there are a lot of successful barefoot runners and I do think there is something to learn from the ancestral health and fitness communities. There are a lot of runners who go completely barefoot and a lot who use minimalist footwear like Vibrams and don’t report any issues. They claim that your body mechanics are better barefoot and I have to agree that we were built to run barefoot. However, a lifetime of wearing shoes could definitely make a difference on whether or not running barefoot is still a good idea.
I suspect that you just have to be a lot more careful with barefoot running and that it’s probably not a good idea for your joints or back longterm to run barefoot or minimal with high volume for years. But honestly, I don’t know if it’s any worse than doing it with cushioned running shoes. Runners in proper shoes also have joint problems when they get older.
Do you mean walk-run-walk-run in a single session? Or that you do short intense sessions with no walking?
I would just set up short runs around my apartment that were all “run” no walk and gradually increase my distance. But one of the problems was that I just wasn’t out there very long. It was a convenient excuse when I was busy to just run a 15 minute loop instead of run/walking for 30 minutes+.
Is there any specific reason why you’ve been avoiding those approaches (e.g. where you slowly increase)? You mention that you told yourself “It isn’t for me,” but haven’t told us why.
Something I’ve had trouble with now that I’m starting to run is finding a running/jogging speed that takes as little energy, while still not walking. The last time I ran I finally found it and severely decreased the time I spend walking. It might be helpful to find that speed. I can guarantee you that it will feel very slow.
It’s mostly just the contrast between how I learned running in High school cross country and what’s actually recommended now. There were no real rest days, we ran 5 days a week and we were supposed to run at least once on the weekends. We ran hill reps two days a week, and long runs on the other days. We were all on the same training program regardless of where we started from.
What I’ve read recently is that about 4 days a week is a better way to do it, at least during your early progress, with a mixture of long slow runs and some interval work outs once you’ve reached a good level of fitness.