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If you cannot run a mile you could well be someone who is in great shape cardio wise and a crappy runner. The OP stated he climbs steep hills on a bicycle with no problem. How can you do that and not be fit cardio-wise?
I have met strong runners that I could drop in two blocks if we are on bikes. One used to be trainer at a gym I go to.
There are bodies, knees, legs, and mindsets that are made to run and those not so much.
Don in Austin
No, the OP is out of shape cardio wise. Unless the OP has a medical condition, the "passing out" feeling is from being out of shape. Climbing steep hills is more of a function of strength with little endurance, versus running which is a function of endurance and cardio efficiency. A person in shape cardio wise should be able to easily run a mile without feeling like "passing out".
[Mod cut: personal] ... fact is numerous people around the world ride bikes, and they ride them for miles and miles daily, it is not a big deal. Some of the most out of shape people ride bicycles for transportation purposes.
No, there is no such thing as a "crappy runner" unless you are just not in shape regarding cardio. Running is basic, it is natural, we are not talking about snatches or anything. A mile is an absurdly short distance, a person should be able to run a mile without feeling like they are going to pass out.
Now out of all of this, can you run a mile without feeling like you are going to pass out?
when i first started out in 2012, i could not even run a quarter mile without being out of breath. i would try to run about 2-3 miles in 30 minutes but would need to stop several times. eventually after the first week running, my legs hurt so bad that i just gave up and joined a gym instead.
i did ellipticals, bikes, and arc trainers for about 40 minutes at a time, gradually increasing intensity and resistance as i built up endurance. and then i worked my way up to the treadmill for about 15 minutes two days a week. eventually i would increase treadmill running time, frequency, and speed. 6 months later of intense cardio 5x a week, i graduated to running outside 1-2 days a week. i found i could run close to 4 miles without stopping. i might run 1-2 days a week, but now i can run about 8 miles at a time at a 6:30/mile pace without stopping.
i initially thought i was a person who couldn't run either. it just takes several months of training and practice. you don't necessarily need to actually "run" the whole time. just build up your cardio endurance. it also helps if you're not overweight to begin with. when i started running, i was 30 pounds overweight, big mistake. too much weight for the knees to handle.
If you cannot run a mile you could well be someone who is in great shape cardio wise and a crappy runner. The OP stated he climbs steep hills on a bicycle with no problem. How can you do that and not be fit cardio-wise?
I have met strong runners that I could drop in two blocks if we are on bikes. One used to be trainer at a gym I go to.
There are bodies, knees, legs, and mindsets that are made to run and those not so much.
Don in Austin
He said he felt like passing out. That's a cardio issue. It may be a pathological cardio issue rather than simply being untrained, but a cardio issue nevertheless.
A mile isn't far. If his cardiovascular system was in good shape, he would be able to run a mile. It might well hurt in his joints then and in his muscles later, but "feeling like passing out" would not be the problem.
Cycling, not running, was my thing, and at my peak I did 250 miles a week including 75 miles every Saturday morning, plus a century every month. I had stopped running in my early twenties because of joint problems and took up cycling. But as a military senior NCO, on rare occassions I'd hit the road with my younger troops just to demonstrate that the old man could still hang. Felt it the next day, though.
Last edited by Ralph_Kirk; 06-03-2014 at 10:17 AM..
Not necessarily. I am very fit cardio-wise, but running is not my thing. I have forced myself to run in the past for triathlons and just to hope that someday I would enjoy it. I can ride up hills on a bike without a problem, I can hike steep hills without a problem, I can swim without a problem. Running gets me every time. Now granted, it could just be because I really do not enjoy running and it feels like a chore. It has always stumped though why running is hard for me.
Yeah, I don't like it either. I used to run, and really hated it. Then I switched to 2 mile walks (at a reasonably fast pace, not a stroll through the park) and I love it. And when I go to get my annual physical, they ask me if I'm a runner, based on my resting heart rate and pulse, so it must be doing some good for me.
OP,
Young man you should think outside the box in your training, start thinking "Rucking" instead of just walking or running, and the terrain as you call it, think, Land (Nav), Land Navigation. Do you have any idea what a forced march can do for your fit level? try walking (never run) with 20/45lb ruck half the distance you've been doing and on alternate days jump in a pool, and jump rope the other days and you'll be in the best shape and be a lean mean machine and you'll smoke some of these other guys for breakfast.
I'm primarily a cyclist and whe I took up running, my heart and lungs were pretty prime. It did take some time for my body to adjust but after less than a month I was doing sub 25 min 5k's with little issue. It was my legs that stopped me, my lungs were fine.
I don't think those quick results would have come as fast if I were just a lifter and never did cardio.
I'd have to agree. I am a swimmer and I can swim non-stop for over an hour or longer (and it is cardio--gets my heart rate into the cardio range). I took a friend with me on an ocean swim (he is an avid marathon runner) and he was exhausted after just 1/4 mile of swimming. It's not that I am in better shape than him (switch things around and have us run and I can barely run a mile). It's just that we are both conditioned to different exercises.
I can walk for miles as well, even though I have a severely injured knee.
Even when I was younger, I had a tough time understanding how to run. It probably sounds ridiculous, but do you put your heel down first and roll to the front of your foot?
I'm not being sarcastic. I have seen people who seen to land toe-area first.
Landing toe first is natural. Heel first is a new invention, allowed by running shoes.
I can barely run 1 full mile without wanting to pass-out and call it a day. Conversely, I can walk for miles and miles, (ie. 20 or more miles a day if I wanted too on various terrains) and still manage to break a sweat but without feeling completely weak and out of breath. Is this normal? I guess I would like to hear other comments from runners and walkers if they can relate.
I'm a racewalker - my average pace is about 5-6 mph - but I'm not a runner. I can run about a mile before my legs give out, but I've walked marathons and half marathons. It's a different kind of conditioning, and there's nothing wrong with you.
Runners like to feel their chosen form of exercise is superior to any other, but it's not. So just ignore the bullcrap.
Quote:
Originally Posted by boxus
It is because you are out of shape regarding cardio; walking is not even close to a cardio intense activity. Some of the most out of shape people stand and walk around for eighth hour shifts at retail stores all of the time. Walking is an activity about anyone short of a medical condition can do all day without an issue.
Wrong again!
Quote:
Originally Posted by rzzz
Walking shouldn't really even be considered "exercise" it is more just a normal life process like breathing or drinking water.
Oh, for heaven's sake. If folks can't understand the difference between walking down the hall to the bathroom and walking at a 4 mph pace or better, or walking 15 miles a day on a varied terrain carrying a backpack, then there's no point in continuing the conversation with them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ogre
First, I disagree with the notion that walking can be categorically dismissed as serious cardio. To use an extreme example just to make the point, I'd bet that Olympic race-walkers get much better cardiovascular conditioning from their workouts than the average person who gets out and runs for half an hour several days a week or the like. How good a workout you get from walking depends on your speed. This also depends on other factors that can increase the difficulty. For example, a hike up a mountain trail with a pack on your back is a serious workout, which will tax you more than brisk walking on flat pavement, but also more than the running workouts most people do.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jillabean
I'd have to agree. I am a swimmer and I can swim non-stop for over an hour or longer (and it is cardio--gets my heart rate into the cardio range). I took a friend with me on an ocean swim (he is an avid marathon runner) and he was exhausted after just 1/4 mile of swimming. It's not that I am in better shape than him (switch things around and have us run and I can barely run a mile). It's just that we are both conditioned to different exercises.
Couch to 5K. If it got me running it will work for almost anyone!
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