How Can I Improve My Mile Time in Cold Weather?

[sportsstar469]

just tried to run a mile in 8 inutes just for fun, it took me 12 minutes 50 seconds. i was only able to run .2 miles before panting HARDLY. then i had to walk the rest.

btw i did this in the freezing cold, would that make this easier or harder than a mile in the summer? for all of you physics experts?

 

[zoobyshoe]

just tried to run a mile in 8 inutes just for fun, it took me 12 minutes 50 seconds. i was only able to run .2 miles before panting HARDLY. then i had to walk the rest.

btw i did this in the freezing cold, would that make this easier or harder than a mile in the summer? for all of you physics experts?

When I used to live in Minneapolis, which is indistinguishable from any location of your choosing north of the Arctic Circle, the local newscasters used to say things like "Standing outside today for five minutes you will burn as many calories as if you had run ten miles" or some such, the point being that simply maintaining your body temp in freezing weather is extremely taxing.

So my answer is: a lot harder.

 

[Spinnor]

just tried to run a mile in 8 inutes just for fun, it took me 12 minutes 50 seconds. i was only able to run .2 miles before panting HARDLY. then i had to walk the rest.

btw i did this in the freezing cold, would that make this easier or harder than a mile in the summer? for all of you physics experts?

I'm trying to start jogging again. In 40 degree weather I did a 6 mile loop in 80 minutes, that is pathetic. I feel with some practice it should not be too hard to get my time down to 60 minutes. I didn't hurt too much at the end but you couldn't call a 13 minute mile running. You did not say your age or if you are over weight or if you exercise regularly, I'm 52, not carrying around too much extra baggage, and also bike and walk for exercise.

The summer heat knocks me out if I try to jog, cool weather is probably best for running. I don't mind the heat biking.

 

[Sorry!]

just tried to run a mile in 8 inutes just for fun, it took me 12 minutes 50 seconds. i was only able to run .2 miles before panting HARDLY. then i had to walk the rest.

btw i did this in the freezing cold, would that make this easier or harder than a mile in the summer? for all of you physics experts?

make sure you dress appropriately, you can actually get sick from over-exerting yourself in the cold (think about it. you sweat to keep cool but your out in the freezing cold... so extended periods of intense activity I wouldn't suggest) Cold air is harsh on your lungs and makes it difficult to breath. I train in the cold in winter and it helps me cardiovascularly... just make sure you know your limits.

as for running a mile in 8 minutes... who cares if it took you nearly 13 minutes? At least you tried and I'm sure you're planning on trying again since you posted these questions here. I can gurantee you are already doing better than 50% of the people I know

Just some advice:
When you are running try not to think about it as 'oh I have to run this in this amount of time', it is all based on your heart rate. So the way that I was shown to teach others to get to their target heart rate was just to run until you can barely say one sentence without needing to take one breath. Do this for about 20-30 minutes and you'll notice great improvements. So yes, this means if you walking puts you into the 'zone' then you should just walk. You won't really get anywhere if you just run hard at the beginning and get winded really fast... there's nothing to be embarassed about.

 

[Sorry!]

When I started my kinesiology class I was in pretty much the same boat... and I used to play baseball (for 6 years t-ball for 2... lol) I had been out of baseball for 3 years but I assumed I could still run... oh how wrong was I. But at the end of it all during a 12 minute run I ran 6 laps around a 400 meter track (so 2400m)... I wasn't the top of my class but I was very happy with my results ... and at the end I was only having difficulties breathing for a brief period and my heart rate recovered extremely better than what I started out with.

 

[sportsstar469]

make sure you dress appropriately, you can actually get sick from over-exerting yourself in the cold (think about it. you sweat to keep cool but your out in the freezing cold... so extended periods of intense activity I wouldn't suggest) Cold air is harsh on your lungs and makes it difficult to breath. I train in the cold in winter and it helps me cardiovascularly... just make sure you know your limits.

as for running a mile in 8 minutes... who cares if it took you nearly 13 minutes? At least you tried and I'm sure you're planning on trying again since you posted these questions here. I can gurantee you are already doing better than 50% of the people I know

Just some advice:
When you are running try not to think about it as 'oh I have to run this in this amount of time', it is all based on your heart rate. So the way that I was shown to teach others to get to their target heart rate was just to run until you can barely say one sentence without needing to take one breath. Do this for about 20-30 minutes and you'll notice great improvements. So yes, this means if you walking puts you into the 'zone' then you should just walk. You won't really get anywhere if you just run hard at the beginning and get winded really fast... there's nothing to be embarassed about.

thanks for the comments. i am 20 and i do weight lifting regularly, but never do cardio. i train for strength, so i try to keep the aerobic stuff to a minimum, since i actually am trying to put on some weight sort of. i dressed far from appropriately also. it was a spur of the moment thing. i went in sweat pants, and a tshirt LOL.
yeah i could feel my chest becoming painful lol. all the cold air in my lungs did not feel normal lol! i will probably try this again, with more suitable clothing, in the next week or so.

 

[Sorry!]

thanks for the comments. i am 20 and i do weight lifting regularly, but never do cardio. i train for strength, so i try to keep the aerobic stuff to a minimum, since i actually am trying to put on some weight sort of. i dressed far from appropriately also. it was a spur of the moment thing. i went in sweat pants, and a tshirt LOL.
yeah i could feel my chest becoming painful lol. all the cold air in my lungs did not feel normal lol! i will probably try this again, with more suitable clothing, in the next week or so.

hmm do you know what your max heart rate is?

as a general guidline its around 220-age so yours is 200 but have you been tested (since you are involved in training of some sort anyways)

Your target should be built up to maintaining 70% of your max heart rate... anything above 55% but below 90% is good though.

 

[Moonbear]

If you haven't done any cardio in a long time, that was actually a pretty decent start, especially in cold weather. It won't take too long to build up to better distances.

I'd suggest waiting for somewhat warmer weather to get started. In addition to just the normal stress of breathing cold air, some people with exercise-induced asthma also have a much harder time in cold weather than warm...that cold air hitting your bronchioles really shocks them into constricting.

 

[Evo]

just tried to run a mile in 8 inutes just for fun, it took me 12 minutes 50 seconds. i was only able to run .2 miles before panting HARDLY. then i had to walk the rest.

btw i did this in the freezing cold, would that make this easier or harder than a mile in the summer? for all of you physics experts?

I hate to say this but when I lived in upstate NY, I used to push a baby stroller with two kids in it to the local corner store and I could cover a mile in 15 minutes without breaking a sweat.

You should get checked by a doctor, if you have anything wrong in or around your heart, it could be causing this. Better to be over concerned than under concerned.

 

[Moonbear]

I hate to say this but when I lived in upstate NY, I used to push a baby stroller with two kids in it to the local corner store and I could cover a mile in 15 minutes.

Yes, but you weren't running the first 2/10 of the mile. That's the part that winded him, not walking the rest. I can walk that fast too, but also get quickly winded if I try to run it. Since he admits not doing any cardio workouts in a long time, there's nothing surprising about that, especially in bitter cold weather (I'm willing to bet you weren't dragging babies out in strollers in the freezing weather we currently have). If he said he'd been trying to train every day for the last month and that's the best he could do yet, sure, there'd be reason to worry.

 

[Evo]

Yes, but you weren't running the first 2/10 of the mile. That's the part that winded him, not walking the rest. I can walk that fast too, but also get quickly winded if I try to run it. Since he admits not doing any cardio workouts in a long time, there's nothing surprising about that, especially in bitter cold weather (I'm willing to bet you weren't dragging babies out in strollers in the freezing weather we currently have). If he said he'd been trying to train every day for the last month and that's the best he could do yet, sure, there'd be reason to worry.

I guess I'm just feeling cautious, my brother in law was just diagnosed with terminal pulmonary fibrosis and was given two years to live.

Oh, and 3 weeks ago a 36 year old male co-worker in what appeared to be great health keeled over dead at work.

Just saying, never a bad idea to see a doctor if you plan to start working out, and especially if you experience shortness of breath.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Twenty-minute miles are the norm for walking speed. Eight-minute miles are respectable for a jogger. When I was doing five miles a day, I think my best was five miles in just over thirty minutes. Now it takes me that long just to think about walking up the hill.

A combination of walking and jogging is a good way to pace yourself until you get into better shape.

 

[sportsstar469]

I guess I'm just feeling cautious, my brother in law was just diagnosed with terminal pulmonary fibrosis and was given two years to live.

ARE YOU CONSIDERING I MAY HAVE THIS?!?/1!?

Twenty-minute miles are the norm for walking speed. Eight-minute miles are respectable for a jogger. When I was doing five miles a day, I think my best was five miles in just over thirty minutes. Now it takes me that long just to think about walking up the hill.

A combination of walking and jogging is a good way to pace yourself until you get into better shape.

Yeah when it gets warmer ill prob run more! all i want is 8 minutes. i don't care for any less than that.

 

[Evo]

ARE YOU CONSIDERING I MAY HAVE THIS?!?/1!?

No, but I am encouraging you to go to a doctor before you start running.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Yeah when it gets warmer ill prob run more! all i want is 8 minutes. i don't care for any less than that.

It depends a lot on your build as well. I do not have the proper body type for running. I am proud to say that when at my peak, I was able to pace an Olympic marathon runner for a few miles, but no amount of training could have ever put me into his class.

 

[Moonbear]

Just saying, never a bad idea to see a doctor if you plan to start working out, and especially if you experience shortness of breath.

Shortness of breath the first day out running is totally normal. So is shortness of breath running in freezing cold. I'm surprised he managed to do as much as he did the first day out in such cold weather.

I'd suggest just starting out at a slower pace indoors on a treadmill for now and working up from there. Alternate running and walking...run for a little, when you feel winded, walk a bit, when you've got your breath back, run again.

 

[Sorry!]

Shortness of breath the first day out running is totally normal. So is shortness of breath running in freezing cold. I'm surprised he managed to do as much as he did the first day out in such cold weather.

I'd suggest just starting out at a slower pace indoors on a treadmill for now and working up from there. Alternate running and walking...run for a little, when you feel winded, walk a bit, when you've got your breath back, run again.

Yep slowing your pace when you get winded let's you continue on exercising. I agree with Evo though, maybe you should see a doctor. Not for disease or anything just to get the all-clear for doing these physical activities along with your strength program. It's always a good idea when training to check up with your doctor.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

No, but I am encouraging you to go to a doctor before you start running.

Sport: Considering your current training regimen Evo may be right. You might want to see a sports medicine specialist, not necessarily because there could be something wrong with you but because he could give you a good idea of what your condition is (due to your training) for cardio workouts, what sort of exercises would be best, and what things you may want to be cautious of in light of what ever training and diet you may be on currently.

In short, if you are doing any serious sort of athletic training and decide to mix it up it is probably a good idea to see a sports medicine specialist (or what ever equivalent is appropriate) before adding other sorts of training to your regimen that you are not used to.

 

[sportsstar469]

well i am in the process of searching for a doctor, but its not for any of that stuff. i had an mri done a year ago, due to symptoms i was having, and the results were as i suspected. unfortunately i haven't found a doctor or surgeon who agrees with me. let's just say i am also a member of a health forum... and when a lot of people are experiencing the same symptoms from something that's called an incident youve got to consider location is just as important as size is too. you guys probably don't know what I am talking about though, but i don't feel like going onto much details. as far as the exercising though I've been lifting for years, my last doctor visit wasnt to long ago. my cholesterol was high, so he actually recommended this stuff to control it.

 

[Chi Meson]

Lots of good advice; a couple more points:

Run for time, not distance. Don't use a track if you have a nice neighborhood block to run around. Choose a short, repeatable route and run for 20 minutes. Start slow. MUCH slower than you could possible think. If you can't keep it up, slow down and keep slowing down, but don't stop. Do. Not. Stop. [this "do not stop" rule does not apply if you just sprinted, but you do not want to be sprinting]

A runner gave me this advice when I started running 25 years ago (at the same age you are now)

An 8-minute mile is 7.5 miles per hour. This is actually quite fast for someone who is "not a runner." [I always thought of the "8-minute" as the threshold between "runner" and "not a runner." Now at the age of forty-almost-five, I have to re-examine this rating system.]

A treadmill is useful for learning what your pace should be. If you can, get on a treadmill and start at 6 mph/10 min-mile, and push the speed up one click every 30 seconds until you find you can't keep it up. But when you reach this limit, that means you passed your comfort pace about three to five minutes before.

Don't get too used to the treadmill. There's an entire world out there to be run.

Oh, and Sport Hill makes the best cold weather running gear.

 

[sportsstar469]

well i am in the process of searching for a doctor, but its not for any of that stuff. i had an mri done a year ago, due to symptoms i was having, and the results were as i suspected. unfortunately i haven't found a doctor or surgeon who agrees with me. let's just say i am also a member of a health forum... and when a lot of people are experiencing the same symptoms from something that's called an incident youve got to consider location is just as important as size is too. you guys probably don't know what I am talking about though, but i don't feel like going onto much details. as far as the exercising though I've been lifting for years, my last doctor visit wasnt to long ago. my cholesterol was high, so he actually recommended this stuff to control it.

WOWWWWWWWWWWWWW. i am sooooooooooooooooooo beat up right now. i just ran another mile, and pushed myself sooooooooooooooooo hard. wow was ia panting...oh man haha.

anyways here's my new times

4 mins 8 seconds half mile
9 minutes 46 seconds full mile!

the final stretch was the hardest. i knew i was so close to beating double digits. i feel my goal of 7 minutes 55 seconds is attainable now. (yes i changed it to sub 8 minutes )
going from lifting heavy weights to doing full fledged cardio is grueling.

 

[rolerbe]

One good way to manage your effort is to get a sports cardiomonitor -- like a chest strap/wristwatch style -- Polar for example. Just be sure you read the instructions.

Got mine several years ago for cycling. But the new bike had not yet come and I was impatient, so went for a run. Ran for maybe half a mile and looked at it: 90. Too low. Time to push it up a bit. Ran harder: 100, still low. Pushed harder. Going flat out only read 110. WTF!? I'm thinking "I can't go any faster, this is it!".

Long story short, looked closer and it was reading % of max heart rate for age which I had dutifully entered earlier. Holy Smokes!

 

[hamster143]

For the first .2 miles, you're running on anaerobic energy. During that stretch, you can probably maintain the same rate of speed even if you hold your breath. Once your muscles are out of anaerobic energy, you have to switch to a different pathway that involves lungs. If you've never done any cardio, your lungs are weak and they don't operate at optimal efficiency.

It is a mistake to try to push yourself too hard. Pushing too hard helps build up muscles, but limits how long and how far you can run, because it results in lactic acid buildup and after a while your muscles hurt so much that you have to stop. Your muscles are already in good shape thanks to weight lifting. What you need now is to work on your lungs and on your technique. To do that, find a steady pace that you can maintain for, say, an hour without burnout (at the heart rate of 160 or so).

 

[atyy]

http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/half_marathon.html

"...It is always better to run slower than this pace.

5. Walkers and runners should pace the long one so there’ no huffing and puffing—even at the end."

"When the temperature rises above 60° F: runners slow down by 30 seconds a mile for every 5 degrees above 60° F. Walkers slow down enough to avoid huffing and puffing."

 

[JasonRox]

When I start running (since I quit periodically), I start by only running 500 meters. And I work up from there, but never more than 3km. Once I get to 3km, I add in push ups and 500m, or running up stairs to try to make the exercise more intense.

I couldn't imagine going out and running a mile and expecting good time if I haven't ran in awhile.

Also, to the comment about going to the corner store in 15 minutes. Well, how was the first time you did that? Seems like you're remembering how you did it regularly which is not quite the same, so naturally it would be easier.

 

[sportsstar469]

running is going to be purely recreational for me. i think its time i added cardio to my routine. there's no point lifting big weights if your not in shape. i am not going to go crazy with it though. once or twice a week for me is fine. i do my mile across my neighborhood. by the time i get back to my house its 1.2 miles so that will be my cardio. i will always strive to complete the mile in a faster time each session. i am very happy i went from 12.50 to 9;46 in 1 day. my ultimate goal would be 7 mins 29 seconds. this way it rounds down to 7 minutes and i could be proud of that. i have a runners body, so its just getting up and doing it.

on a side note...will the cramps i get from ruunning go away as i get in better shape. they were pretty brutal, but i made sure to keep moving for the start line and then it was over.

 

[Sorry!]

When I start running (since I quit periodically), I start by only running 500 meters. And I work up from there, but never more than 3km. Once I get to 3km, I add in push ups and 500m, or running up stairs to try to make the exercise more intense.

In grade 9 my gym class had a 'student teacher' come to our class for about 3 months (as an aside she was very VERY good looking). Anyways she was in the military and for warmups she would kill us with this exercise she had to do. We would jog at a steady pace in a line and she would periodically blow her whistle, when she did that the last person in the line had to drop down do 10 push ups and then sprint to the front of the line. We would do this for about 30 minutes... It was the most brutal 'warm-up' I have ever done.

Running does get boring on it's own though I find. Another thing I learned in high school though was to keep running. If the teacher told you to run then you ran laps and you didn't stop running laps until he said. One time he left the class for a phone call and came back 10 minutes later and some smart *** thought he'd sit on the bleachers... ohhh no. The entire class had to do pushups with him giving us the count for the up/downs. (The reason this was bad because it was a 3 second down, 2 second middle, 2 second up like who does push ups stopping in the middle?) Needless to say though after that course I felt like I could do an infinite amount of pushups

 

[Sorry!]

running is going to be purely recreational for me. i think its time i added cardio to my routine. there's no point lifting big weights if your not in shape. i am not going to go crazy with it though. once or twice a week for me is fine. i do my mile across my neighborhood. by the time i get back to my house its 1.2 miles so that will be my cardio. i will always strive to complete the mile in a faster time each session. i am very happy i went from 12.50 to 9;46 in 1 day. my ultimate goal would be 7 mins 29 seconds. this way it rounds down to 7 minutes and i could be proud of that. i have a runners body, so its just getting up and doing it.

on a side note...will the cramps i get from ruunning go away as i get in better shape. they were pretty brutal, but i made sure to keep moving for the start line and then it was over.

Hey yeah, the cramps you'll just get used to. It's the same from when you first started to weight train I would assume. Your probably have not been using the weights to target the muscles you are using to run in the same fashion, if at all. If it feels like just a burning sensation and lasts for about 2 days its ok. (anything longer than a week or if it is a sharp pain then you should go see the doctor) Things that will definitely help you with the cramps is make sure you warm up before AND after you do your run... so maybe after you run just walk out the same mile you just ran. Stretching is key as is keeping hydrated.

For cardio training however I wouldn't do anything less than 10 minutes, I feel that under 10 minutes your not really going to benefit from the hard work you put into your training; and 10 minutes would be the minimum amount of time. I would suggest you did 20-30 minutes but I highly doubt you'd want to run for that long .

 

[sportsstar469]

Hey yeah, the cramps you'll just get used to. It's the same from when you first started to weight train I would assume. Your probably have not been using the weights to target the muscles you are using to run in the same fashion, if at all. If it feels like just a burning sensation and lasts for about 2 days its ok. (anything longer than a week or if it is a sharp pain then you should go see the doctor) Things that will definitely help you with the cramps is make sure you warm up before AND after you do your run... so maybe after you run just walk out the same mile you just ran. Stretching is key as is keeping hydrated.

For cardio training however I wouldn't do anything less than 10 minutes, I feel that under 10 minutes your not really going to benefit from the hard work you put into your training; and 10 minutes would be the minimum amount of time. I would suggest you did 20-30 minutes but I highly doubt you'd want to run for that long .

well the cramps only occur as I am doing the mile, because i was pushing myself really hard today. although i could have probably pushed my self harder., i was pushing 150 percent next time ill push 155 percent lol. i know that the recommended cardio for someone looking to lose weight is 30 minutes or its basically worthless, but are you sure, if I am panting after my ten minute mile, and if i increase my time each second I am not getting any benefits? i guess its funny, how weightlifters neglect cardio. i actually want to say that i can run a 7 miniute mile just as much as i want to say i can lift a heavy think. I am thinking back to my high school days and there was this kid in my freshman class who could run like 7 minutes and he was a big guy for a freshman. man i hate the genetically gited brats.=p.

my strategy is trying to beat my half mile each time. this time i was able to do it in 4 mins 8 seconds. I am going to try for 3 minutes 50 seconds next run. this will help me reach a faster full mile, because after my half mile i give myself some rest before i pick up the pace again.(except for the day i posted this thread when i started walking after .2) miles ;))

 

[hamster143]

but are you sure, if I am panting after my ten minute mile, and if i increase my time each second I am not getting any benefits?

You're getting some benefit ... just not a lot. If you're going to spend 10 minutes twice a week running, and 2 out of 10 minutes are mostly anaerobic activity, your lungs receive 16 minutes of workout per week. If you up that to 30 minutes twice a week, that's going to bring any results you want to achieve a lot faster.

Ultimately, the limiting factor in long-distance running (one mile and up) is the ability of your heart and lungs to supply oxygen to skeletal muscles. The idea is to keep your heart and lungs operating under high load for as long as you can.

 

[sportsstar469]

You're getting some benefit ... just not a lot. If you're going to spend 10 minutes twice a week running, and 2 out of 10 minutes are mostly anaerobic activity, your lungs receive 16 minutes of workout per week. If you up that to 30 minutes twice a week, that's going to bring any results you want to achieve a lot faster.

Ultimately, the limiting factor in long-distance running (one mile and up) is the ability of your heart and lungs to supply oxygen to skeletal muscles. The idea is to keep your heart and lungs operating under high load for as long as you can.

well I am ok with slow results. my main focus is the weight lifting, and cardio is counter productive to what I am currently doing. i kust want some results to get my mile lower.