New to running, started the gym last week Tuesday, and increasing my running at a staggering pace, advice needed

I'll be the one to dissent.

You are not necessarily running too fast. You do not need to slow down unless it feels like you need to slow down. Much slower would be walking pace, which is also fine but it sounds like you'd prefer to run.

Nor are you really increasing mileage at a breakneck pace. From what you've said, you've run less than 4 miles this week, with a day off in between runs, and you did so on a treadmill. Unless you are in actual pain or have some preexisting condition, this is in no way a dangerous increase of mileage.

1.1 - Yes, most beginners enjoy excellent gains when they start running. Shaking the rust off your cardiovascular system does wonders. Enjoy it, but have some restraint, you are not invincible and you can hurt yourself if you get reckless.

1.2 - You are never not ready to forget treadmills exist and run on the good earth as intended. Be cautious when you begin, your knees and ankles are much more vulnerable on open ground, but ultimately solid ground is a better workout, not to mention much more enjoyable.

2 - I honestly don't think you're at an experience level yet where pacing strategy is something you should give much thought to. First you will want to learn to differentiate your own different paces (mile, 5k, 10k, long run, recovery, etc), and this will take time. I've heard of some folks using Apple Watch as a running watch but I have no experience to advise on this. After you've put in a couple or three more weeks, try introducing a once-a-week intervals training session, this is a fairly safe way to learn about your upper limits and train them without overdoing it. Do not make your early intervals sessions lengthy ones, they are more taxing than you realize for such short runs.

3 - You don't have to earn your first pair of running trainers, I understand the sentiment but you're not cheating by having proper footwear. I can't guess what cheap running shoes means to you, but you can get well regarded, proper running shoes for pretty reasonable prices. Look for last season's model, and don't be picky about colors, and you'll easily find decent shoes for $50-$60. I also recommend against buying excessively expensive shoes, they should be replaced regularly (every 300-500 miles is the usual suggestion) so dumping money into expensive trainers adds up fast.

As a general apparel suggestion, go to TJ Maxx or Marshalls or a similar discount store, and pick up shorts and tech shirts there for under $10 each. Examine them before buying to make sure you're not buying athleisure crap. Try to get shirts without seams or with very small and inoffensive seams. Try to get shorts that are above the knee; you may also find you prefer some features like zipping pockets or a hammock for your balls (like you find in swimsuits).

The point others seem to want to make, and which I endorse, is that you should proceed with caution. Don't ramp up miles too fast, take rest days, don't get carried away and turn every run into a PR attempt even though that's a lot of fun when you start. If something hurts, find out what that something is, and let it heal before you run again. Do not assume that a minor hurt can be ignored, if it hurts now, it will hurt more after running and you will enter a spiral that leads to injury.

/r/running Thread