How to increase my stamina for roadwork/running?

There is a reason it is called "breakfast", you are breaking the fast. I recommend somthing light with a little bit of protein and some carbs. Some people like yogurt if they don't have dairy issues, others like some toast with peanut butter on it. To be honest, one of the things I like before a long run of 7-8 miles is a snicker bar. FOR ME, the blend of quick and slower carbs works great for me.

As to running itself. I was never a runner and hated it, I couldn't run for anything. I started on a treadmill so I would have the same pace through the run and started doing the "Couch Potato to 5k ready in 8 weeks" program. Very easy to follow and slowly builds up your stamina and distance.

I would also recommend taking a running class on proper mechanics to avoid injury. I used to get shin splints so bad that my leg would go numb from the knee down. After the class and correcting them, I have been injury free for almost 2 years and have no issues with shin splints or any other kind of pain.

 

Eat food and work on your running mechanics, pacing, and breathing. And take longer strides, it's like running half as far.

Running is the easiest thing in the world once you figure out it depends more on skill than fitness.

 

Your body needs energy... eat.

Running on an empty stomach makes no sense if your goal is to improve cardio levels.

 

Agreed.

Doing any form of exercise is murder when doing it on an empty stomach.

 

As for the running, it sounds like the other posts were good advice, I don't like running anymore or how it makes my joints feel. I don't think that the difficulty you are having with keeping a pace has anything to do with being in a fasted state. Run with a heart rate monitor, find your anaerobic threshold, warming up properly, fartlek method, intervals, steady state, etc. and familiarize yourself with some of these basic concepts and like anything else, I'm sure running mechanics are key.

Here are my thoughts on running/exercising in a fasted state. My friend turned me on to a book awhile ago called Eat Stop Eat. It debunks alot of myths on eating, protein, and it made good common sense to me. He cites several pieces of research that performance is not compromised even 36 hours into a fast. He does mention something about this not applying to marathoners or extreme long endurance event athletes.

I've been fasting(only liquids, but no calories) for 24 hours twice a week for quite awhile and have never felt better. Some of my best boxing/weight workouts have been 18-22 hours into a fast.

I doubt this is a popular idea on this board or that many would give this concept a chance. While intermittent fasting is not a new concept by any means, it certainly does not seem embraced in our culture.

 

Some good tips here.

Also, be aware that when you first start running - in the first couple minutes, you enter an anaerobic deficit - simply, you use up most of the oxygen in your body, then your lungs struggle to catch up - in other words, you breathe hard while your muscles burn.

Within five minutes or less you start to catch up and find your pace. Your breathing becomes slower and steadier and muscles get into a rhythm. There is now adequate oxygen in your body.

Could you simply be gassing out during this anaerobic deficit?
That could happen if you start out too fast. Perhaps jog slow for a few minutes before you pick up the pace.

I find I get impatient when running. I think to myself - this feels too slow/too easy. So the tendency is to run faster. When i've done that in the past, that first hurdle (anaerobic deficit) is tougher to get over. However, when starting out slow, you barely notice it, because you don't "bottom out" right away and you gradually regain your oxygen level.

So that's just one idea. Possibly starting out too fast.

 

I think it's an effective dieting strategy for general health and weight loss, but do you think it would be the best way to go for an athlete such as a boxer? I don't think so in my opinion.

 

In addition...if you say you are gassing out after only 5 minutes of running - I doubt that the lack of breakfast is the cause. My guess would be aerobic/anaerobic conditioning.
Also, are you heavy? Sorry if thats personal, but gassing after 5 minutes of running implies something else. i.e. running too fast, you're too heavy, overheating, your blood pressure is too high, bad footwear, bad form, improper clothing etc....

Once you find out what it is, then maybe think about what you're eating/not eating prior to your run.

I personally don't want to run on an empty stomach either. But for shorter distances (e.g. 5 km) breakfast is not absolutely necessary. I guarantee you, that not ALL people you see running at 6am have had a full breakfast. For people serious about losing weight, that's perfectly do-able, so long as they properly hydrate themselves and don't over-exert.

Otherwise, it might serve you better to have something small and easily digested, like a tablespoon of peanut butter and a sports drink.

 

Yeah Virus, I would agree with you that it is not the ideal for an athlete such as a boxer. However, I was gauging/speculating the context of his post, which I think that if he is struggling with 5 minutes of cardio, he probably could benefit from getting generally healthier/better general fitness and a loss of weight. Again, I could be wrong as I can only speculate on his level of fitness and knowledge base.

 

Not a good time for the unfit to run. your metabolism hasnt begun to fire. it kicks in about 4 hours later. After youve woke, then starts to drop around 7 pm. Its best to do your work in the gym to get fit, around 6 if possible, time schedule allowing.

 

What are you talking about, literature to support that? What on earth do you mean by "Your metabolism hasn't begun to fire"?

 

It increases as the day goes on, for someone obviously not fit, there are better times of the day where He wont feel as stressed. His best idea is to get fit in the gym less chance of injury. Plus you dont run to get fit, you get fit to run. Elite athletes you dont see running at 5 in the morning. I dont think unfit guys should either, at least He is taking water on before, that will help. But He isnt enjoying it by the sound of it, which is a big NO,NO. Its pissing Him off.

 

I have heard this quite a few times, I used to do alot of running when I was younger and was a decent runner,I'm now 41 and not so good at running, but have definately noticed that my running is improving now that I have got fitter, stronger in the legs / core etc I feel I can run lighter.

It's definately true about starting too fast, it is natural to do it but I'd definately recommend starting slow and building up.

 

Elite athletes don't go for continuous runs, period (actually maybe in boxing, but not in 21st century sports).
You didn't even come close to answering the question either. From the sounds of it you're confused about the role of cortisol. Testosterone is also highest in the morning and exercising in a fasted state upregulates aerobic enzymes.