i used to do triathlons every season, olympic distance. for about a decade. i never stopped feeling like i was dying. i would be able to do it, going up to 10 mile runs @ ~8min/mile while training - but it never felt good.
i would see other runners, gliding along like gazelles, and i would wonder if they felt like that and just hid it better, or if it was just me. i would dread runs - the only time i felt good about it was when it was over
i dont run anymore, i hate it, its not for me. i still workout 4-5 days a week and i get my cardio in other ways. exercise should be fun, something you look forward to doing
You were probably consistently training too hard.
Basically, if you say you always felt like you were dying, you were almost certainly always engaging your anaerobic system. This is the kind of running that “feels like training”, because our physical culture has conditioned us to believe that all progress requires suffering. But this zone goes by the name “black hole training” for a reason - it beats you up enough that you can’t get the volume in for further aerobic adaptation, while simultaneously not sufficiently taxing your aerobic system to create sustainable gains. Runners who follow a scientific training approach spend 90% of their time below the anaerobic threshold, running at a comfortable conversational / nose breathing pace. If you can’t sustain running while nose breathing, then just walking, power walking, or using a walk-run protocol is preferred to simply trying to push through.
Meanwhile, it is also possible that you would have benefitted from heavy lifting or sprint work. Efficient runners bounce, rather than slog. The rely more on muscle stiffness and tendon elasticity to propel them forward, instead of relying on muscle contraction. The stiffness and coordination required is created by having a solid core (so the snap doesn’t wiggle out) and exerting maximum force.
I think the other comments covered it, but let me repeat that pacing yourself is super important. if you have a smart watch then there are running apps that will watch your heart rate and tell you when to speed up or slow down to keep you in cardio without making you feel like you’re going to pass out.
Which ones might those be? I’ve got Fitbit and Google fit workouts but neither of those have that feature. So far I’ve just been jogging until I can’t and then walking for a good 2 minutes before I start again
I had a Samsung smart watch when I started running. the default health app had a coach for running that would direct your pace. I think Apple has something similar for their smart watch, but IDK for sure. Garmin of course has a running coach for their watches, since they are tailored more towards people with active lifestyles. but their watches are also somewhat expensive.
fitbits these days are mostly trash, from what I’ve heard. I haven’t had one since long before google bought them.
If you don’t have a way to pace yourself – kind of never.
If you haven’t already looked at couch to 5k give it a look. I’ve been more successful with a form of intervals for some days and only one day of “solid” running.
Runner who has done a marathon here, I think the wall your hitting is when your body is switching gears from warm-up to cardio. Everyone is suggesting the couch-to-5/10k programs and that may help. I would suggest pushing your time spent running a bit further, more time doing cardio should improve things.
I just restarted my long-run training for the year (because its not cold outside anymore, and I want to run a race this year, its been a bit) and just passed that point where I can just go without having to take walking breaks on my “default loop”.
Also goals, having something to look forward to or to work towards helps a lot. Keep up the good work.
Technically speaking, the suffering will stop when you die
If you’re training right it never gets any easier, but you do get faster.
Having said that, most people when they first start can’t run slow enough to maintain a stable aerobic heart rate. The solution is alternating run / walk, building up to progressively more running between walk breaks.
As an example, right now I can maintain 11:00 mi / mile at, my threshold heart rate, where I can maintain a conversation, and feel like I can keep going indefinitely. So I run 80% of my runs at that speed, and the rest at faster speeds over shorter distances. Great.
But 2 years ago when I restarted running after a break, my aerobic pace was more than 13:00 / mile. That’s a problem because at that speed I can’t physically maintain the running mechanic. It breaks down. So the only options are to run faster than optimal, which means you’re not getting aerobic training (instead it’s anaerobic training); or to slow down into the walking mechanic.
Research suggests that slow running in the aerobic zone is the key to improving aerobic pace and endurance. And if that aerobic pace is not possible because of mechanics, then alternating run / walk is a good way to average out the heart rate.
As someone who also drinks … don’t. It is terrible for your cardio and definitely contributes to feeling like death, because your heart is recovering from some toxicity if you’ve drank within 24 hours or maybe more.
Other than that, other people have good advice. The ‘zone 2’ stuff is probably most relevant if you’re already semi-fit.
Other than that, all I can say is, the first ~5 minutes of any heavy cardio are going to suck, roughly for ever. Even in good shape, it takes the body a good long moment to warm up. I’m sure a proper warmup could reduce the, “I’m dying” feeling down to a, “yep, this is work”, but if you drank within a day, the feeling will be very easy to get regardless.
I haven’t found the first 5 mins too bad. It’s the last 5 mins that suck on a 5k. Just did my first running end to end and by the end the only thing keeping me going was determination to keep going as I had already been going for so long.
I know that sounds a little bit stupid but: In a way going faster makes things easier. I recently improved my 5k record by a couple minutes (sub 22) and when I compare it to me 2 years ago it is in a way easier, because I only need to run at my peak speed for less time. I am sure with time you will have a similair experience.
But in general if the ending is hard and the beginning easy then you should start/run at a slower pace at least a couple times on this distance.
I often struggle with pacing in general, park run here is like 600 or so people so I usually keep with others for a while.
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Could be never. After 2 years of trying to get fit again after having Covid it turned out I have Post Exertional Malaise and exercise literally damages my body.
Omg I hope my daughter never discovers this condition exists
Maybe never. Some other people also wrote it. But I think only this is not the whole truth: For me I am now running for 2.5 years and I never really stopped feeling like im dying, but I improved over time, so now i am really fast while feeling dead. And you will probably also learn to like this feeling of dying because it shows you you have done something.
Also, yeah there is running in Zone2 for everyone, and thats probably something you should try.
Start off slower, pace yourself, and also maybe supplement with something else that’s low impact like bicycling or swimming (both can be great cardio). Don’t forget to add strength training days and rest days too.
Eating right and getting adequate sleep is also going to help a lot.
I second eating right. I recommend as little as a latte before a run with a protein drink after. Oh, and asics novablasts are great running shoes
Don’t push yourself too much, its better to run a while then walk and repeat. Getting in shape is a slow process.
How long have you been doing it? I remember when I was first getting into running and struggling like this.
I forget how much time it was, but within a year, I was running a 5k at least twice a week. In addition to that, I ran 8k twice, but that was pretty intense and I had a lot of pain after doing that. So, I stopped doing that.
What I am trying to say is just keep with it and if you are running a pace that causes you breath so heavy. that you can’t talk, then slow down your pace.
30 minutes
I mean how long have you been running 30 minutes twice a week?
30 minutes each time
It took a few weeks for me. You may just need to slow your pace. I do it more by distance than by speed.
I dont run anymore, but when I did, I intently focused on my breathing to keep it slow and stable, even if I was dying. I was never a fast runner, short legs didnt help, but, I could go for awhile after some time.
I don’t know if anyone else has said, but just be careful not to trigger rhabdomyolysis.
That’s true for any decent workout, not running in particular. You can’t be “careful not to trigger it” because your body decides whether or not it happens. You can get it on your 10th workout or your first.
