Running...

<p>I figured since I'm at my college now I might as well ask - am I running enough? I guess you could say I'm a beginner at running - I probably run an 8 minute mile, but over the last week I've been pushing myself over my limit I think. I usually run 5 miles in the morning (6:00) within an hour on a treadmill; will doing this daily with a good diet let me get rid of some excess body fat only in the stomach area, exposing my abs by the end of the year? The treadmill says I burn around 850 calories after I'm done. Is my routine just cake? Should I beef it up? In actuality, I have no idea how I run this much, because I usually feel like throwing up after running a fast mile. Usually, by the time I'm done with my daily run, I have to sit down for 5 minutes and I usually feel like **** anyway until I'm out of the shower.. thoughts?</p>

<p>no .</p>

<p>Usually I've heard people run a lot more to burn fat, I'm just curious to know if I'm doing enough. Thanks</p>

<p>haha, do it consistently and yea. you'll probably end up tweaking your diet and routine to fit your body..and I suggest it. But dont fall into the trap of 'cheat days'</p>

<p>I dropped a lot of weight just running three miles per day.</p>

<p>you should consult: <a href="http://forum.bodybuilding.com/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://forum.bodybuilding.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>you should alternate with easier, medium, and hard days. I would say an easy day would consist of 3 or 4 mile workout, medium being what you are already used to, and a hard day would be around 6. easy days should come after hard workouts and those medium workouts should lead to hard days. if you are running most days then you probably wouldn't have to cut back on calories. Just make sure you hydrate and eat your good carbs. Runners can afford to eat a cookie.</p>

<p>Don't worry, your routine is not cake. If you want to run more, run more, but you're fine, and will probably do well on the weight-loss front to. Remember that it's not just about how many calories you burn in the actual workout, it's about raising your metabolism so that you're burning more calories all the time.</p>

<p>The exercising is great, just combine it with a good diet.</p>

<p>what about going on the elliptical as opposed to running on the tredmill? Any comments?</p>

<p>Depends; you can adjust some treadmill so the slope of your running surface becomes steeper, resulting in harder physical work. But I prefer a track over a treadmill anyway, it's easier on your feet usually.</p>

<p>That's actually a great work out. Like someone else suggested, you might want to have a schedule like 2 mile easy day/4 mile medium day/6 mile hard day, etc. If you are consistent with your running, this is a great way to burn calories and you'll have killer abs in no time. Just make sure you're doing some crunches in between!</p>

<p>You say you feel like *****, which is definitely how I feel after cross country practice. If you have an 8 minute mile, 12 minute miles for a 5 mile work out is pretty average...however, there's no reason to push yourself so hard if you're just looking to burn calories and not shave off minutes for a race, especially if it is interfering with how you feel the rest of the day (i.e. if you feel tired or sick during your first class). If that's the case, I'd tone it down a bit.</p>

<p>If you hop in the shower and feel fine afterwards, give yourself a pat on the back for doing some good work!</p>

<p>I prefer running outdoors, but I wonder how this will work on campus and if there will be anyone willing to run with me at 6 AM. Haha.</p>

<p>Wow dude, you run a lot. I do a quick jog around the campus (2 miles) every other day and that’s it.</p>

<p>Just make sure your diet fits your workout schedule or else you'll just build muscle and fat. If you’re taking in 4000 calories a day, you won't be losing much weight.</p>

<p>I've heard people who weigh themselves often tend to lose and keep weight off because they are more conscious about there exercise to calorie intake ratio.</p>

<p>Good job on your workout. The important thing is to keep it up. You might get bored after a few weeks, so varying your workout routine can help. And remember to eat healthy.</p>

<p>This advice comes from an experienced coss country runner:</p>

<p>If your very tired at the end of a workout, your running enough, Regardless of how far you ran or how fast. Also Running outside is better and easier.</p>

<p>^running outdoors is harder, I don't know how many people I've met who are like "I can run 8 miles on a treadmill!" but can't make it 2 outside...haha. It must be the lack of airconditioning + addition of hills :P.</p>

<p>add a couple of weight lifting sessions per week. this will help elevate your metabolism throughout the day so you burn more fat</p>

<p>haha... i personally like ellipticals because I have had a couple softball injuries on my left side that have made it difficult to run on the track sometimes (sharp corners). however... i get bored in like.. 2 minutes on treadmills. unfortunately...my road banks too much of rme to run more than 2 miles on without experiencing knee pain so... the treadmill and i have established a treaty this summer.... time on the tread mill.. .time on the road... then more timeon the treadmill.... and running hills on my driveway</p>

<p>As a marathon runner in training, I can give you some idea.</p>

<p>If that 8 minute mile is basically running all out- then SLOW down for distance. Hard/Med/Easy are defined either by speed or distance. </p>

<p>Easy- go at your own pace, however how long you want to go. It's got to be comfortable that you can hold some conversation with another runner</p>

<p>Medium- Push yourself a bit out of the comfort zone, about 15-30 seconds faster per minute than your easy pace.</p>

<p>Hard- Usually it's considered a speed or hill interval workout where you push yourself hard for a couple minutes and then recover, then repeat. It's not quite about distance here.</p>

<p>But if you're talking about distance, it's called "short", "medium" or "long." Most runners consider 2-4 miles as short, 5-8 as medium/moderate, and over 8 as long (though if you're just starting out, your long run would be your long day). </p>

<p>A good running schedule has one long run, 2 or 3 medium, and 1 (could be optional) short or hard. You only want ONE hard day, especially if you're doing a long run too because it can take a toll on your body.</p>

<p>Your long run, if you're looking to build endurance, should be at an easy pace.</p>

<p>Don't worry about calories- generally it's 100 calories per mile so running as fast as you can isn't really going to burn any more than just walking that mile.</p>

<p>Up the incline by 1.0 so that running outside will be easy- it's about the same effort as running outside.</p>

<p>Running is a full-body cardio so you'll lose some fat and gain some muscle (especially with hill/speed workouts).</p>

<p>As for ellipitcal, it's a great, low-impact workout to use on your off-days to cross-train. Gives your running muscles a break.</p>

<p>Wow, 5-8 miles is medium...6 and over is long for me. It might be because once I hit 6 I start getting insanely bored.</p>

<p>Guess I know I don't want to be a marathon runner! Haha.</p>

<p>The longest we ever ran in XC was eight miles one day...I ran with the boys and was desperately praying a squirrel would jump out of the bushes and attack me, giving me any excuse to roll over and die.</p>

<p>"I probably run an 8 minute mile, but over the last week I've been pushing myself over my limit I think. I usually run 5 miles in the morning (6:00) within an hour on a treadmill;"........</p>

<p>You are doing FINE.
I have been a varsity athlete for 3 years already and trust me. You're doing fine. Better than a beginner.
GO AT YOUR OWN PACE. Don't kill yourself to burn fat.
Ofcourse you have to push yourself, but NOT TOO FAR... keep hydrated and if you feel like you're going to pass out/throw up, TAKE A BREAK. YOUR BODY IS TELLING YOU SOMETHING IF THAT HAPPENS.</p>

<p>You are doing great. Don't worry - - eat regularly and take care of yourself.
As far as I'm concerned, you're kicking ass right now. Keep up the good work & stay at your own pace.</p>

<p>:)</p>