Track/Running Advice?

[Promethium91]

I joined the Track team at my High School, but I'm really out of shape and it's extremely difficult.

We did about 30 minutes of stretching warm ups, and then we jogged around the football field twice. We then did two sprints across the field. I was doing alright after this. Then we moved over to the track and ran a 200m - This was my first practice and I could only do it in 32 seconds.. the other 4 guys on the team I raced were like 5 seconds faster than me. I ran a 150m after that and did even worse because I was tired. I tried to run another 150m but didn't even finish it because about 3/4 through I couldn't go faster than a quick jog. I was finished embarrassing myself in front of everyone and it felt like someone had put a knife into my right lung.

I took about a 10 minute break while they did some more sprints on the track and across the football field and then I joined for 2 more laps around the field before we finished.

I'm really out of shape and I think you can imagine how difficult it is for someone like myself who has never really worked out in his life to try and start now.

What do I do? How can I improve my time? How can I actually keep running with the rest of the guys without feeling like my lungs are giving up? It's really frustrating when you're trying your hardest but your body just won't give you anymore.

I wasn't even sweating, just my lungs were killing me and it felt like someone had tried to smash my ankles.

 

[Grave]

My friend's running for the Olympics soon. You just need to practice more until you can have better endurance. I actually have asthma so it was hard keeping up in gym class and I hated running. If you really want to do it, then just practice. Run every day, outside of track.

 

Pretty much what Grave said. I used to run track in school and now I'm constantly in the gym.
You just have to keep jogging/sprinting outside of school. Try and jog or sprint for at least an hour a day.

For jogging it's pretty basic, just jog until you feel like you're going to die.

For sprinting you should jog about 1 mile, then Sprint for 30 seconds to 1 minute straight, have a 1-2 minute rest (fast walk or slow jog) and then repeat until an hour is up, then another 1 mile jog (preferably back to your house). You may not be able to keep up with that routine at first, as sprint training is a killer, but try your best to do it.

Jogging will increase your endurance over long distances and for a long time. Sprinting increases short term endurance and will allow to have short bursts of power. Sprint training is also great for MMA if you ever consider it, you just need to mimic the time in the ring with time sprinting.

Make sure you drink A LOT of water each day. Water is like liquid gold for the body, if you don't drink much water you'll probably notice a difference very quickly just by drinking more (try not to drink a lot about 15 minutes before jogging/sprinting, but a mouthful or three is fine).

 

Make sure to find your pace when out running though, everyone has a comfortable, natural pace.. you should feel like you could run all day when you find it.. hard to explain.

Shoop pretty much nailed it, start small and slowly increase your speed and distance.

 

[Heeatz]

Slowly increase your lap time each time you do it. try slashing half a second off each week, or less. Just keep going, eventually you'll see your lap times and fitness increase

 

[kmjt]

What is your focus.. sprinting? If so there needs to be enough rest in between sprints. If you are having trouble even jogging the last part of the 200m you definitely aren't getting enough rest in between sprints. If your focus is sprinting why is your coach doing this to you?