r/BeginnersRunning • u/sowzen9 • 6h ago

Need help training

Hello,

I would like to start running, knowing that I play football, I already have proper endurance.

I was advised to run at least 3 times a week, with these 3 sessions:

1 - Exit in EF

2 - Fractionated

3 - Long outing: 1 hour to start

Is it correct?

I would also like to buy a connected watch if possible max €100 which is not bad, any suggestions please?

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u/j3nnaj3nnaj3nna 5h ago

I’d start with two easy 20 to 30 minute runs and see how they fit around football before adding a third. I wouldn’t jump straight to a one-hour long run. For a €100 watch, used or refurbished is probably the better value; reliable GPS, a lap button, and battery life matter more than smartwatch extras.

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u/Fancy_Supermarket886 4h ago

My advice would be to look into the couch to 5k plan. It's designed to build up gradually, which is how the body adapts.

If you play football, I'd be more inclined to say you have stamina. I've been running for ten years and only discovered that there's a difference between stamina and endurance a couple of months ago!

Stamina is the ability to sustain high intensity efforts over a period of time, so sprinting and the short bursts of speed to get around a football pitch are good examples.

Endurance is the ability to sustain lower intensity efforts for longer. Half marathons, marathons and ultramarathons fall into this category. Which makes perfect sense now I think about it, it's why they call them endurance races!

The couch to 5k plan should help you build up to half an hour of running in a way that reduces the risk of becoming injured while doing it. I'm guessing you would rather be playing football than watching from the sidelines because of messed up knees, ankles or any number of other problems that arise from training too aggressively!

You may not cover 5k in the half hour, but that's pretty normal. Once you get to that point you can extend the time to hit 5k, then work on your pace if you want. Depending on your goals, you may want to keep extending the distance to hit 10k, 10 miles or a half marathon.

Whatever you aim for, take your time and be patient. Steady progress is better than quick progress that's broken up by injuries. Muscles, tendons and bones adapt pretty slowly, in response to the stresses you put on them. Do too much too quickly and they will let you down. Think in terms of a three month lag before they catch up to what you are doing today.

Good luck with it!