I am finally healthy enough to start running again but I need my doctor's approval to do so. What would be a good base training plan to lay out for her? I have not run regularly for five years now and I am very out of shape. My goal right now is to run a 5K sometime late fall at a decent pace for someone who has not exercised in virtually five years.
Start very slow, do not write a schedule. Just run whatever you feel like for a couple months and just enjoy running for what it is. Don't get caught up in a schedule again and make running into something it's not, where you're stressing out about hitting mileage and things like that. I've had several friends who struggle with eating issues and this is what I've observed to be the best way to go about it.
One girl I know started training again after a long lay off and started to worry about her weight too much. She thought it was why running was so hard or her in her comeback. She started eating less again and relapsed. Just be patient enough to let your body adjust and realize running for you will never be the same. Eventually you could be even better than where you left off simply because you're that much stronger and healthier.
Again, DO NOT WRITE A SCHEDULE YET. Enjoy the pressure free running and change your mentality of running into a healthy obsession instead of an unhealthy one.
Your doctor is just a regurgitator of the FDA's ideals, who probably thinks you should only do 30" max a day...
just enjoy running at first, go explore. Most importantly take it easy for the first month or two.
Don't schedule a race; don't take a watch; and don't measure your mileage. Better yet, find a trail run and/or some place with some great scenery and focus on reconnecting.
worked with runners dealing with this, and recovering from this, before. I agree with most of what's already been posted, but I would take it a step or two further:
1) Yes, just go out and run for the fun of it. Keep your pace very easy. Don't even check distances or times. Just enjoy the ability and freedom to go out for a run again. Be thrilled that you can run, that you are running, and that you're healthy.
2) Above all, be patient. Keep the distances conservative and the pace comfortable. Forget the 5k in the fall. Your goal for the first several months should be just to become a runner again.
3) Don't run more often than every other day for at least the first month.
4) Stay off the pavement as much as possible.
5) Substitute swimming for running one or two days a week if you enjoy it. But don't exercise on consecutive days for the first month.
Best of luck, and congratulations on getting this far!
sweet
I haven't stepped on a scale for a few years, and my times have been improving. I'd guess that I'm about 15 lbs heavier than when I had disordered eating. However, I have a lot more visible leg muscle now and a lot more energy all the time. That's why my training has been going so well. When I was obsessed with food, every day was about logging junk miles, being reclusive, hungry, agitated, miserable.
I've discovered that nutrition is the most overrated aspect of training. I binge drink every Friday night and I eat a bowl of ice cream most nights. As long as you're training hard, the worst that can happen is you get some extra energy and extra leg muscles popping out.
Thanks for the help. I have to run with a watch just so I know how long I ran (deal with doctor - need to know time spent running to know how much to add to my meals so I don't unintentionally lose weight) but I plan to just run based on how I feel and check my watch when I feel "done". I do plan to start 3x/week and work my way up - especially since I am prone to stress fractures despite having normal bone density (tested several times). I guess my new goal is to be able to run a 5k straight through at some point - not focusing on time but just on completing the distance. Trail running is a good suggestion as I don't know the distance and can run without worrying about pace.
I'm returning to running after 3yrs of not being able to run due to an eating disorder, it takes time and persistence, and you cant expect miracles over night. I put on 30lbs and am really strong now, but I am no where near as fast as I used to be, and competing at a D1 school adds to the stress of being competitive and meeting the expectations of my coachas h knows the times I have run.
I would suggest adding in some yoga and working on your mechanics. I would also throw some weights into the mix. Sounds like a lot but it's worth it.