Running when you are heavy...

Well what is "a lot of miles"? Without anything in your training log, it's hard to make an educated comment on what you should and should not be doing.

I would need to see what you have done recently to say what you can do in the future.

Otherwise, if you have knee problems why not look into doing short walk intervals with your running. For example, run 9 minutes, walk 1 minute.

Are you indeed too heavy in terms of body frame/fitness/body fat? Sure, 250 is heavy, but not out of the question for 6' 3".

No shortcuts in running. Running faster for sprints still takes the mileage. If you don't have the time, you're better served focusing on participation rather than performance. In any case, it's no good to train any faster than your body can handle. Short, frequent (easy-paced) runs with higher total mileage are wiser for you than just 2-3 longer runs in a week.

The weight loss, if warranted, will help some.

I would try even smaller intervals, like 1r/2w and work up to longer run intervals and shorter walk intervals until you get to 5r/1w. To get the mileage, your workouts will be longer, but they will be easier on your knees and help you develop a better base of a longer period of time. Also, try to get out 4-5 times/wk (even if it's only 2-3 miles) and build volume slowly.

Try taking short strides on your run and walk (the walk should mirror your run strides, not be a normal, long-stride walk). Keeping your hands up will help with this instead of letting them hang at your side.

Good luck!

I'll offer up what I did to go from 246# to 197# in 1 year.  I'm 6'2" tall.  I did most of it in the pool.  Would swim 1 hour minimum each trip.  Distance grew to about 3,500 yds after 9 months or so.  Actually when I got to about 220# I started running on a treadmill, Top of the line treadmill at the fitness club, low impact so easier on the knees than the roads.  I bought an MP3 player and learned to run at a good beat.

Also remember the diet, 3,500 calories = 1#

With less weight you'll get faster at sprints since you'll be carrying less.

I chose the swim route, also there's the bike as a low impact alternative.

When you can swim 3,500 yard workouts on a regular basis, those 500 sprint swims are a walk in the park! \

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Add in some biking as cross training?  I lost 40lbs last year in 4 months solely by biking.  No impact, so you can pile up the calories burned.

No experience training for weight loss here, but my first thought after reading the OP was to swim and cycle more to build up aerobic base without harming the knees.

I also like the suggestion of using a run/walk plan to help build mileage without injury.

I went from 360 down to 235 with another 40 to go and I am 6'3" with a large frame.  Using multiple exercises, that is how I got into tri's in the first place and that is how I lost the weight.  If running is still bothering you, do more time on the bike and pool time, but remember there is no replacement for running to improve your running.  Weight loss will help you with everything, but running will take time.  Start slow and short and gradually increase speed and distance.

Edited by flip18436572 2010-11-03 7:44 AM

I'm 6'1" and went from 215lbs to 165lbs. I couldn't run either when I was 215. I actually went to cycling. When I got down to 180-190 I started running again. Personally, I think it's way easier to focus on weight loss when your not exercising like crazy every day. I have a hard time controlling the hunger feeling when I'm working out constantly. If I had to lose the weight again and still wanted to focus on tri's I would:

1. Focus on diet....diet....diet....and more diet!!! Did I say DIET! Maybe, use a calorie counter like the one on livestrong.com to help
2. Just keep running 5k's and try to improve your times, no need for intervals yet...just run!
3. Ride and swim! Learn some good swimming technique and burn lots of calories doing long bike rides.

I have found that trail running is a lot easier on my knees that running on pavement.  Do you have any trails in your area?

X2.

4 things to add:

1. soft surfaces - mulch, grass, dirt, etc. are softer and WAAAY better for the lower body. Asphalt and concrete are much worse.

2. shoes - a new pair of shoes (with a proper fitting) might be in order. Shoes for us big guys will only last about 300 - 350 miles of training.

3. mileage - do no more than a 10% increase per week in mileage and every 4th week drop back the mileage a bit.

4. weight - 200lbs or more is doable on long runs just don't expect sub 6 minute miles. I am 6'0" and 220lbs and have 2 marathons and an HIM under my belt in the last two years. My times aren't stellar but I can do sub 8min/ mi. for a 5k up to 12min/ mi for 26.2, so it can be done.

good luck on the training and weight loss.

Edited by bullyboy 2010-11-03 8:48 AM

I range anywhere from 200-220 (6'4").

I run.  At least 1000 miles per year.   

It can be done, your body adapts.  Start slowly & work up.

I started at about 250.  I found that running dropped the pounds very quickly, as opposed to resistance training, cycling & swimming.

Just sayin'

 

I wish the weight would go away quickly. I am amazed at how much time it takes to get to the shape I should be in. I am finally healthy. No tendonitis...no pulled muscles...just sore in a good way.

Keep at it. My experience was very much like Meulen's. At 210 lbs (6' 0") I was a frustrated former runner who thought he'd never be able to run properly again. I would get injured after just a couple of miles of running. 15 months and 50 lbs later I'm in the best shape I've been in in 20 years, and the running woes are (almost) entirely gone. Biking a lot and watching calories made a big difference to getting started, and then once I was around 180 lbs I found to my surprise that I was able to run again. I use the free calorie and weight tracker on livestrong.com, and have found it to be really effective. By trying to keep my intake just about 500 cal below my burn each day I was able to steadily lose weight while continuing to eat reasonably well. It's a great motivator for doing more exercise, as you can use the increased eating allowance as a reward. By keeping a graphic record of weight, it's easier to avoid getting discouraged by inevitable day-to-day random fluctuations, and also easier to be motivated by the long term trends.

I just registered to the Livestrong.com calorie counter. Let's see how this works out

I 5'11 and I started at 255.  For me, the key was to watch some of the videos on this site so I knew how to run with decent form first.  Prior to that I always played sports where it was sprint or nothing.  With form, I next learned how to run those 12 to 13 min / miles. 

Decent form + slow first, then do your workouts according to time, not miles.  I never did the run/walk sessions but I did always work on increasing the time I was spending running.  Once I could go 20-30 min a few times a week, I then started caring about how many miles I could go each week.  Being heavy, it was always about what my legs could tolerate, not my HR, side stitches, or being winded.  I'm down to 208 now and I've run two half marathons and I'm preparing for my first marathon.  I'm currently running 4 times a week and I actually enjoy it now.

FWIW, along with the videos on this site, the Chi Running book gave me, what I feel, to be good tips on how think about my posture and form.  When it all clicks, the run effort feels very smooth and easy.

be careful what you wish for! If it goes away quick your skin won't have time to tighten with the weight loss. You'll end up with extra flaps of skin. Plus, you won't have trained your body to be light. You'll hit plateus and gain weight back quickly at any deviation from your diet.

Running when your heavy is not an issue.  Though weight lose will make you way way faster.  I done 19 marathon+ distance races in 4 years and with 15 of those I was over 300 lbs at 6'6". 

One thing I would look into is how you run.  Form is just as important in running as it in in swimming.  Recover is also very important.  Stretch stretch stretch.  hmm Did I say stretch?  if not stretch. 

I would also invest in a foam roller if I was you.  Those things are worth there weight in gold.  Lucky they are pretty light.  I know ypically if my knee hurts is because my IT band is tight and I just on the foam roller and cry like a little girly man but it does help a lot.

Swimming and biking is also your friend.  they really build your cardio system which does help for running as well as helps for the weight lose. 

I am getting back into running after basically a 2 year break.  I found run/walk to be so useful.  this way I can run for 30 minutes a day even though I do not think I can run a mile straight at the moment.  Plus if gives your body an chance to relax from some of the stress of the run.   Just excited I get to join a pool soon so I can do cardio everyday but give my legs some much needed rest.

Early last spring I weighted 245lbs, which was way too much for my 5'11" frame.  When I first started running, I couldn't run more than 5 minutes at a time.  So I would run for 5 mins and then walk for 2 mins... (I ran twice a week, swam twice a week, and biked twice a week).  From there, I began increases my intervals as my fitness increases.  I moved to 5 run/1 walk, then to 7 run/1 walk, then to 9 run/1 walk.  Now I can run over 2 hours straight.  Of course, I have lost weight as I did this (got down to 200).

It can be done, you just have to increase your fitness slowly to avoid injury.

ETA: I agree that trail running is much easier on my body than street running.  See if you can find a nice trail system near your house.

Edited by n.k 2010-11-04 12:13 PM

heart rate monitors are good for this.  they help make sure your not working out too hard.  if your in too high of a zone you will end your work out way sooner than it needs to be.

I agree with everyone else on this post. I am 6'3" and went from 260 down to 215.  I made the mistake of thinking that I could run and same as when I was 170 and in high school....NOT so much! I went through a serious bout of shin splints, and hip flexor problems. I mainly focused on biking and swimming, and using an elipitical machine.  I did my first duathlon and ran a 8min-40sec mile (3 miles only). Now that I have dropped down to 215 can average a 7min mile for a consistant distance. One of the best things I did, was to help focus on my running form, the proper running shoe, and not to worry about going all out each time you run. At the start I would only run for 2 minutes, walk 30 seconds, and repeat for a total of 30-40 minutes. This help me build up my body for the pounding it took while running with all my excess weight.  Load (run,jog) for 2 minutes and then Unload (walk) for 30 secs. BUILD SLOWLY to avoid injuries...trust me on this one!

Plus, losing the extra belly, has helped me be more comfortable in my aero tuck.

I am now focusing on dropping from 215, hopefully down to 190. My goal is to become more efficient on the bike and swim, and to run a 6 to 6:30 mile in my tri's next summer.

The off-season is definately the time to really watch your calories and trim off the excess body weight you want.  Just think, with out the added thoughts of upcoming races, really mix up your workouts and keep your body guessing, it will do wonders.
Good luck!

I'm 6'2" and have been as heavy as 242. Stretching before and after has greatly helped my knees. I bummed my knee 5 yrs back and if I do not spend at least 5 min of warm up then at least 5 min of stretching then a good cool down and stretch I feel it the rest of the day. 

Mike,

It just takes time. I started at 5'11" over 260lbs, and I'm now below 200lbs. I started with just biking until I was able to build my fitness and lose some weight. Once I got down to about 230 I started running and like most people I started too fast and and dealt with a lot of calf pain. If you think you are going slow enough, go slower. I trained for almost a year with no speed work. I just worked on my base and yes I got faster.

As you lose weight, fitness increases, and your run base builds you will naturally get faster. Just take it slow.

When I was over 250, I ran to get conditioned to running for my feet, ankles, knees, etc.
Swimming and biking was for weight loss.

It's disturbing to get on the scale and see weight gain rather than weight loss. I've only been on the bike once in the last week due to the wind and cold and work schedule. The gym is my friend.