How can i get in shape for running 5 miles?

Question

i have 8 weeks to do this so you can give me a gradual plan. Right now i can run about 3 miles but a slow 3 miles. I'm trying out for field hockey this year and i hear you have to run 5 miles. i swim 8 practices a week does that help my endurance? please help...

Answer 1

Start slow maybe one mile a day for a week then 2 miles the second week and so on work your body up to it.

Answer 2

Running is great because it tones your legs, arms, and abs. If you're not seeing results from it, I'd make sure you're eating healthy and add some weight lifting.

These are my running tips:

* www.runnersworld.com is my favorite site about running questions, so I'd check that out. They even have a "beginners" tab.

* Basically just start running, at a comfortable pace (i.e.: you're not killing yourself, but you're not out for a Sunday stroll...listen to your body.) Walking at times is okay if you need to. If it helps you, at first go by times instead of distance. Run for 10 minutes then increase to 15, and 20, and so on. Run about 3 days a week for 2-3 weeks, increasing your runs up to 30 minutes in that time. After 2-3 weeks increase to 4-5 times a week, and times up to 60 minutes. After 4-5 weeks go by miles, starting with 3 and working up to 8-13.

* If you are under 18 it isn't good to go over 13 miles in a day, and listen to your body, don't do more than it can handle. And only have one or two long days a week.

This is what I do:

- Monday: 5 miles racing ea. other (minimum of 5k race pace)

- Tuesday: sprint work

- Wednesday: 3-4 miles medium pace and weight lifting

- Thursday: hill repeats

- Friday: hard 5 miles (2.5 miles of it were uphill)

- Saturday: easy 3 miles or long run (8-12 miles)

- Sunday: bike (cross-train) and light weight lifting

- i do ab work and push ups every day

Basically for the hill workout there are about 5 different hills in town that I like to run and I alternate. I usually do around 10 reps of sprinting up the hill. But one of my "hill workouts" is actually a 5 mile run that is up hill at a steady incline.

For the sprint workouts I do a variety too, like 3-4 1 mile repeats, 10-12 minutes of 30/30s (sprint 30 seconds then jog thirty seconds), a fast/race pace 5 mile...etc. Sometimes I go to a track and do sprint workouts there, like sprint 100m jog 100m for 4-12 laps, or a "ladder" (sprint 800m, 400m, 200m, 200m, 400m, 800m), etc.

Ab tips:

*Make sure you work all your abdominal muscles- upper and lower obliques and lower back. Go to these links for some exercises:

* http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/ar... (scroll down a little bit to see the exercises)

http://www.runnersworld.com/

The two from runnersworld.com are just a couple of the many they have. If you go to runnersworld.com and search abdominal workouts, it comes up with a whole page!

* Eating healthy will help too.

* Some sort of cardiovascular activity is good for you too, like running, biking, rollerblading, or swimming. I'm a runner and running has helped me build up ab muscle. And pushups work your core too, so add those to your work out.

Arm/Leg Workouts:

* without a gym it's harder but not impossible!! you can use free weights (dumbells), or cans/bottles filled with sand, or even bricks

* try push ups, leg raises, squats, lunges, calf raises, tuck jumps, rocket jumps, etc

* pilates is a great way to tone, so pick up a pilates video!

* check out the "training" tab and then the "strength & cross-training" tab at runners world.com for more exercises without a gym, or at least check out these pages:

http://www.runnersworld.com/

Swimming is excellent too, especially combined with running!! These are my swimming "tips":

http://www.runnersworld.com/

Stability balls are great too, and hear are some of the many exercises you can do on them:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,71...

These are my eating tips:

* Avoid/limit junk foods (pop, candy, cookies, desserts, potato chips, etc).

* Eat lots of fruit and veggies

* Drink lots of water...it helps fill you up and it is healthy for you

* Make sure you eat breakfast, because it helps you burn calories during the day.

* And only eat when you're hungry, and if you have to snack, eat something healthy like nuts, fruit/veggies, yogurt, etc.

Have fun and good luck!!

Answer 3

Running is great because it tones your legs, arms, and abs. If you're not seeing results from it, I'd make sure you're eating healthy and add some weight lifting.

These are my running tips:

* www.runnersworld.com is my favorite site about running questions, so I'd check that out. They even have a "beginners" tab.

* Basically just start running, at a comfortable pace (i.e.: you're not killing yourself, but you're not out for a Sunday stroll...listen to your body.) Walking at times is okay if you need to. If it helps you, at first go by times instead of distance. Run for 10 minutes then increase to 15, and 20, and so on. Run about 3 days a week for 2-3 weeks, increasing your runs up to 30 minutes in that time. After 2-3 weeks increase to 4-5 times a week, and times up to 60 minutes. After 4-5 weeks go by miles, starting with 3 and working up to 8-13.

* If you are under 18 it isn't good to go over 13 miles in a day, and listen to your body, don't do more than it can handle. And only have one or two long days a week.

This is what I do:

- Monday: 5 miles racing ea. other (minimum of 5k race pace)

- Tuesday: sprint work

- Wednesday: 3-4 miles medium pace and weight lifting

- Thursday: hill repeats

- Friday: hard 5 miles (2.5 miles of it were uphill)

- Saturday: easy 3 miles or long run (8-12 miles)

- Sunday: bike (cross-train) and light weight lifting

- i do ab work and push ups every day

Basically for the hill workout there are about 5 different hills in town that I like to run and I alternate. I usually do around 10 reps of sprinting up the hill. But one of my "hill workouts" is actually a 5 mile run that is up hill at a steady incline.

For the sprint workouts I do a variety too, like 3-4 1 mile repeats, 10-12 minutes of 30/30s (sprint 30 seconds then jog thirty seconds), a fast/race pace 5 mile...etc. Sometimes I go to a track and do sprint workouts there, like sprint 100m jog 100m for 4-12 laps, or a "ladder" (sprint 800m, 400m, 200m, 200m, 400m, 800m), etc.

Ab tips:

*Make sure you work all your abdominal muscles- upper and lower obliques and lower back. Go to these links for some exercises:

* http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/ar... (scroll down a little bit to see the exercises)

http://www.runnersworld.com/

The two from runnersworld.com are just a couple of the many they have. If you go to runnersworld.com and search abdominal workouts, it comes up with a whole page!

* Eating healthy will help too.

* Some sort of cardiovascular activity is good for you too, like running, biking, rollerblading, or swimming. I'm a runner and running has helped me build up ab muscle. And pushups work your core too, so add those to your work out.

Arm/Leg Workouts:

* without a gym it's harder but not impossible!! you can use free weights (dumbells), or cans/bottles filled with sand, or even bricks

* try push ups, leg raises, squats, lunges, calf raises, tuck jumps, rocket jumps, etc

* pilates is a great way to tone, so pick up a pilates video!

* check out the "training" tab and then the "strength & cross-training" tab at runners world.com for more exercises without a gym, or at least check out these pages:

http://www.runnersworld.com/

Swimming is excellent too, especially combined with running!! These are my swimming "tips":

http://www.runnersworld.com/

Stability balls are great too, and hear are some of the many exercises you can do on them:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,71...

These are my eating tips:

* Avoid/limit junk foods (pop, candy, cookies, desserts, potato chips, etc).

* Eat lots of fruit and veggies

* Drink lots of water...it helps fill you up and it is healthy for you

* Make sure you eat breakfast, because it helps you burn calories during the day.

* And only eat when you're hungry, and if you have to snack, eat something healthy like nuts, fruit/veggies, yogurt, etc.

Have fun and good luck!!

Running is great because it tones your legs, arms, and abs. If you're not seeing results from it, I'd make sure you're eating healthy and add some weight lifting.

These are my running tips:

* www.runnersworld.com is my favorite site about running questions, so I'd check that out. They even have a "beginners" tab.

* Basically just start running, at a comfortable pace (i.e.: you're not killing yourself, but you're not out for a Sunday stroll...listen to your body.) Walking at times is okay if you need to. If it helps you, at first go by times instead of distance. Run for 10 minutes then increase to 15, and 20, and so on. Run about 3 days a week for 2-3 weeks, increasing your runs up to 30 minutes in that time. After 2-3 weeks increase to 4-5 times a week, and times up to 60 minutes. After 4-5 weeks go by miles, starting with 3 and working up to 8-13.

* If you are under 18 it isn't good to go over 13 miles in a day, and listen to your body, don't do more than it can handle. And only have one or two long days a week.

This is what I do:

- Monday: 5 miles racing ea. other (minimum of 5k race pace)

- Tuesday: sprint work

- Wednesday: 3-4 miles medium pace and weight lifting

- Thursday: hill repeats

- Friday: hard 5 miles (2.5 miles of it were uphill)

- Saturday: easy 3 miles or long run (8-12 miles)

- Sunday: bike (cross-train) and light weight lifting

- i do ab work and push ups every day

Basically for the hill workout there are about 5 different hills in town that I like to run and I alternate. I usually do around 10 reps of sprinting up the hill. But one of my "hill workouts" is actually a 5 mile run that is up hill at a steady incline.

For the sprint workouts I do a variety too, like 3-4 1 mile repeats, 10-12 minutes of 30/30s (sprint 30 seconds then jog thirty seconds), a fast/race pace 5 mile...etc. Sometimes I go to a track and do sprint workouts there, like sprint 100m jog 100m for 4-12 laps, or a "ladder" (sprint 800m, 400m, 200m, 200m, 400m, 800m), etc.

Ab tips:

*Make sure you work all your abdominal muscles- upper and lower obliques and lower back. Go to these links for some exercises:

* http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/ar... (scroll down a little bit to see the exercises)

http://www.runnersworld.com/

The two from runnersworld.com are just a couple of the many they have. If you go to runnersworld.com and search abdominal workouts, it comes up with a whole page!

* Eating healthy will help too.

* Some sort of cardiovascular activity is good for you too, like running, biking, rollerblading, or swimming. I'm a runner and running has helped me build up ab muscle. And pushups work your core too, so add those to your work out.

Arm/Leg Workouts:

* without a gym it's harder but not impossible!! you can use free weights (dumbells), or cans/bottles filled with sand, or even bricks

* try push ups, leg raises, squats, lunges, calf raises, tuck jumps, rocket jumps, etc

* pilates is a great way to tone, so pick up a pilates video!

* check out the "training" tab and then the "strength & cross-training" tab at runners world.com for more exercises without a gym, or at least check out these pages:

http://www.runnersworld.com/

Swimming is excellent too, especially combined with running!! These are my swimming "tips":

http://www.runnersworld.com/

Stability balls are great too, and hear are some of the many exercises you can do on them:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,71...

These are my eating tips:

* Avoid/limit junk foods (pop, candy, cookies, desserts, potato chips, etc).

* Eat lots of fruit and veggies

* Drink lots of water...it helps fill you up and it is healthy for you

* Make sure you eat breakfast, because it helps you burn calories during the day.

* And only eat when you're hungry, and if you have to snack, eat something healthy like nuts, fruit/veggies, yogurt, etc.

Have fun and good luck!!

Answer 4

Keep doing what you're doing, you will gradually build your speed and endurance.