Well, I did it. I signed up for the Disney Wine and Dine 5k on November 4th.
I signed up to give me a goal for exercising, losing weight, and getting in shape.
I have now spent the last month starting training, watching what I eat, doing the couch to 5k method to start running. But I have a long way to go. I know it will not be easy, especially since I have a desk job and spend most the day at my desk.
I do think I am doing my training all wrong. I was watching some videos and they say to do easy runs at an aerobic heart rate. With the Couch to 5k, I am averaging over my max HR for 30 minutes straight, and hitting 25 to 30 beats above my max (I don’t think that word means what they think it means).
To put some real numbers to it, I signed up at 55 years old, and weighing in at around 350 lbs. My resting heart rate is around 54 or 55 (sleeping rate is in the 40’s). When exercising, I can hit over 190 bpm max, and I never have pushed it as hard as I could.
My goals are :
- lose weight and get in shape
- not be picked up by the bus in the race
I feel like I am training all wrong, but I don’t know what else to do. Any advise or good sites to use would be appreciated.
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Couch to 5k should work just fine. You’re got time, repeat weeks if you need to. I’ve used Couch to 5k many times to restart my running (slow jog) habit.
I don’t particularly worry about heart rate when I have a distance or time goal.
Weight loss is mostly about what you eat. Exercise is good for your body and mind, but not as important (for weight loss) as what you eat. Sometimes cardio exercise works against it, as it can stimulate hunger. Personally, I don’t worry about that because I like having goals (races), they help me stick with my fitness routine, which is more important (to me).
It’s easy to get caught up in various methods/research, but I’ve found I’m most successful when I’m focusing on eating reasonable quantities of relatively unprocessed food, not drinking calories, and getting enough protein and vegetables. And consistently working hard with my body. But my exercise goals are mostly about finding something I enjoy enough to stick with and using my body enough to ensure I can keep using my body as I age. 5ks and Orangetheory are what work for me.
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So exciting! Way to go to have a goal and take steps towards better health and a great trip!
There’s an accountability group in the La Cava forum.
Only tip is to figure out what leads you to better habits. Is it walking/running early in the morning? After work? Specific days?
I work out when I have someone to do it with me. Otherwise, I hit the snooze!
Round is a shape.
Seriously though, my only advice would be to get advice from a group of folks that are experienced runners, and not a board for folks checking the best ways to game the LL system or which place has the best chicken tenders n burgers n fries. I’m sure there are plenty if you do a search on the web. Good luck! I totally commend your goal!
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But I thought Liners knew everything 
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There are plenty of them on here too!
There’s a whole runDisney category on the forum full of people who are very inspiring and would likely have decent advice.
Good luck with your goals @Briturner 
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Nope - but my WIFE knows everything, so there’s that.
There are lots of runners here! I got great advice from them at the beginning of this year when I was jumping back into running and I’m running my second race this weekend. There’s a whole runDisney category!
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Thanks, I didn’t even see the RunDisney category before (didn’t scroll down that far). So I moved this thread into there.
Your maximum HR is around 170. Your goal HR while running should be between 85-140bpm. So you have been training with a very high HR. When you are running, what is your perceived effort? Your RPE (rate of perceived exertion) is a good indicator to use. When you are not conditioned, you typically have a higher resting heart rate, and your heart rate climbs faster and more intensely than that of a conditioned runner. So you may feel that you are performing a medium-intensity run but your heart rate data looks like you are going at high intensity. The more conditioned you get, the closer the correlation between HR and RPE typically is.
There are lots of training plans out there and most use RPE. For information and plans, I tend to use sites like Runners World and Another Mother Runner.
You are doing an awesome job! So just keep with it, consistency is super important, and most likely you need to slow down your pace a little. There really are some liners who love running just as much as LL! (Not that anyone loves G+ but who wouldn’t turn down a good LL!)
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Also consider joining BOG lizards on FB! Lots of good info and knowledgeable people to answer questions.
Thanks,
I did take it easier this morning. HR got to 171, compared to the normal 188 to 192 I normally would have as a high. I’ll probably drop back down to week 1 of the Couch 2 5K program next week.
I do need to see a doctor about my heart before I go too far. I have one of those watches that can do a 2 lead ECG. I appear to be having PVC, which is not uncommon. But I have it 9 times in a 30 second ECG, which is a bit excessive.
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If you have heart concerns, you should definitely see a doctor.
Max heart rate calculations (like BMI) are extremely broad based, and not super helpful on an individual level. 5 Max Heartrate Training Myths, Busted | Runner's World
Perceived Exertion is a typically (in absence of medical guidance) much better way to evaluate effort.
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Congratulations on signing up for the race! RunDisney is a great way to get healthy and stay in shape. For me, consistency is key. If you’re tired and don’t want to run, you still need to do it. Maybe go slower, not go as far, but just get out there 
I’ll also be at Wine & Dine running the half marathon. I started running about 8 years ago. I couldn’t run a mile. It took me a while, but I now love running & it’s a huge part of my life!!
Stick with the couch to 5k. Don’t get discouraged if you have to repeat weeks, or even go back a week.
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First of all…Congratulations on signing up. This is MAJOR! Celebrate your desire to enter the world of runDisney.
Second of all…Good for you for announcing it to the world! Most runners tend to cross the finish line if they announce their plans to others. This provides that extra level of accountability when you find it tough to get out the door for a run.
I tend to agree with a lot of the previous comments. It is always a good idea to get the opinion of a physician before you begin training. All our bodies morph over time and getting a good baseline is key.
If you are having heart issues, maybe a stress test would be in order to determine what is going on inside. They can gleam a lot of information from an ECG
In the past I used to run at a high HR and exertion all the time. Although I could tolerate it, it was fraught with injuries and a lack of progression. The body needs cycles of high intensity to make progress, but it also require low intensity to recover.
It took me several years to fully understand the power of the slow run. I know it sounds ridiculous, but “Train slow to go Fast”. My current PRs are due to trusting the process and doing all the work associated with the slow run.
For January 2022’s runDisney event, I had to do most of my training at a very slow pace. My doctor told me to not let my HR get above 130 BPM. That led to the majority of my runs at a pace slower than I have ever trained before with a lot of walking, but I was successful at the runDisney weekend with no injuries.
All that to say:
- see a doctor
- take a look at the Jeff Galloway 5k training programs on the runDisney website. They have helped many runners over the years.
- If the Galloway method is not for you, look into a different method: Another Mother Runner, Runner’s World, Hal Higdon, etc…
- Based on the doctor’s recommendation, tweak the running plans to meet them. You may end up being asked to limit your HR, your pace, run by feel, etc…
- Consistency in the long run is key. It is OK to miss a run here and there, but you need to prioritize the long run each week. It is important. I have found that if I place all my runs in my Calendar, I tend to do them. Treat it like any other appointment that is not optional.
- Have fun!
Feel free to ask us anything. A lot of us have been through the process and can provide you with our experience, failures and successes.
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WOOO HOOO!!! That rocks!!
can we go over this a little bit more? Every time I run I’m cracking 170 to 180 (according to the calculator, my max should be 180)… Anything less than 170 though and I’m basically just on a brisk walk.
I’m not even going that fast. I keep a 7mph pace unless I’m going for a full hour+ run, then it’s 6-6.5. (but I don’t do those much anymore just cause I don’t have the time). And I don’t think I’m putting in max effort either, but a solid 7-8 on the “I wanna die” scale 
Been running for quite a while now, so it can’t be me working on conditioning.
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Here is an article I found on HR training. It talks a little about what the training zones are and the benefits and pitfalls they provide.
Heart Rate Training: Why And How To Train In The Zone - Run Trails
Here is a quote from the article.
Very often, especially less experienced runners end up going into full effort for all their runs, not getting any benefit from sessions designed to increase lactate threshold and recovery sessions meant to help muscles and the cardiovascular system recover properly. This quickly ends up in a plateau, whereby runners stop progressing in speed, endurance, and even fat burning and weight loss.
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Woah you’ve got some fast legs!
I’m not a trainer so I can’t say for sure but it sounds like your heart rate and pace are matching up. A slow run would be an RPE of maybe a 3-4. So if you turn your brisk walk into a slow jog then you have your slow long run.
What you do on your run depends on what you are trying to accomplish and what kind of plan you want to follow. Like @Shellott_hill said there are definitely benefits to slowing it down and not always running with a high intensity effort (a 7-8 RPE is a high intensity effort). Whether the plan is based on RPE or HR, they typically have you do a slow long run, a speed work run, and a few other runs during the week. If you put trust in your plan it should all come together in the end on race day.
Here is a link for HR testing protocol that goes beyond the basic formula based on age:
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Thank you all for responding.
I have a Dr appointment set for tomorrow. Just want to make sure all these PVC events are not something to worry about (sometimes none show up in an ECG, but I also had 9 within 30 seconds). My resting rate is also a bit low for someone my age and fitness level, and exercise rate a bit high for someone my age. So if I can find my real range, then I can set better targets.
I also am taking my training to the next level, that level being around 6300 feet altitude in the high desert. So there will be 20% less O2 now. Humidity of only 10% will be nice.
I am also going back to week 1 in the Couch 2 5k until I acclimate to less oxygen. If it goes well, I will progress back up quickly. Still doing it on an elliptical to reduce impact until I loss more weight. Another 15 lbs to loss and I will try doing a run/walk 5k for my first official time.
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well, a good news, bad news Dr visit. I am down 35 lbs, blood pressure ok, 73 inches tall.
bad news, I was told to stop all exercises (except those for plantar fascitis) until after seeing a cardiologist for arrhythmia.
so, my Couch to 5k is on hold. fortunately, I have nearly 6 months.