Running - I could use some good advice please

First of all, smart move going to a running store to get fit.  :D  My personal experience with the Air Pegasus is that it's a very firm shoe, and when I wore it (I work at such a running store, part time), I felt EVERY bump on the sidewalk, road, etc.  I ran a little with it, to test it, and I couldn't stand it.  I prefer a softer, more cushiony feel, something like the Asics Cumulus, Brooks Glycerin, Mizuno Wave Rider, or the Saucony Grid Omni.

Second, 10:00 min miles is not slow, I don't think.    I ran 10:00s the entire season last year and did fine, but yes, I'd like to be faster.  This may sound crazy, but you might try slowing down just a little bit more, and see if that helps.  I incurred a leg injury this year coming off the off-season b/c I was trying to run 8:00's, and when I finally slowed down, it has begun to get better.  Also, what kind of surfaces do you run on?  If I run on a sidewalk, I feel like I'm beat up more than if I run on asphalt.  The softer the surface, the better your body feels as far as being beat up from the surface.

Anyway, my recommendation is try to find as soft a surface as possible to run on, and at least consider trying a softer shoe.  Good luck and keep up the great work - you'll make a breakthrough and it'll all be worth it!

I have no expert advice, but I will say that I'm really not much faster than your 10 min miles, and out of all 3 disciplines, running leaves me the most drained after hard efforts - just like your dump truck analogy.

As for seeing other runners gliding along with seemingly little effort - I think those are hallucinations you see when you're ready to bonk 

Also, 3 miles (5K) was a HUGE barrier for me to get over, whether it was physical or psychological.

Everybody is giving good advice.  My first reaction is to wonder about your form.  Are you bouncing up and down too much?  Extending the leg forward too much and jarring your body when your heel strikes?  Do a forum search here about chi running and evolution running and/or get some books/videos and try to be smooth.  Lean, flow, smooth.  Running easy.  Get the form so you can do the distances then the speed will come.

Alot of the suggestions are good.  But alot of them require you to run more.  To be able to run more, you have to slow down.  Drop your pace down, and start building up miles and frequency.

Once you get that aspect down, I'd start looking into form drills to work on your economy and strength. 

I stopped running due to injury in Sept. and had surgery on both legs in Jan.  I had a great coach (USAT dev coach of the year, wow) put together a return-to-run program for me to avoid shin splints, overtraining, and further injury.  I thought it would be adding minutes each day, but it wasn't -- instead it was a variety of run/walk intervals for the first 6 weeks.  My first non-interval run is this weekend (45 min). 

Left to my own devices, I never would have been doing a 40-min training run with 2min run 30 sec walk.   But, for the first time ever I have no shin splints (my surgeon said to thank the coach because surgery had nothing to do with that), no cardio problems, and a good speed, for me. 

Anyway, something to think about for training. 

All aforementioned advice is really good.

You mentioned tension. I think if you feel tense you probably are.  I am a tense runner too, and it is draining. There are many running resources emphasizing form and relaxation to achieve safe comfortble running. Almost all involve the concept of a midfoot strike with your center of gravity in front of your knee to minimize the pounding on your body.

I don't know how long you've been running but if you're a novice you should be adding mileage slowly and only doing speed work once a week and an easy run and a not too hard long run. A philosophy my coach gave me is: your workout shouldn't be so hard it interferes with the following day's training. There are a lot online resources on training plans and how much volume to add. I guarantee you if you get a solid running base under your belt, you can start doing speed work and get faster. But before speed you should be getting comfortable with running.

I read the book CHI RUNNING and it really helped me with my comfort and speed. BUT, you must be willing to slow down a bit initially while you learn some new habits. This isn't the only book by any means but the only one I can vouch for.

BTW if you are new to running, 9-10 minute miles is pretty good. Don't focus on those who are passing you, that is fruitless since you don't know what their running backgrounds are. There will always be those faster and slower than you. If you constantly compare your performance to everyone else you will never be happy. Enjoy your own successes. Besides, when you get really good at running you will start to notice how many people are passing you on the bike.

hope this helps

Forgot that you mentioned a race coming up. Since its a sprint I would say go hard (not too hard) on the swim and bike since you say those are comfortable for you and then do your 9-10 minutes mile run and see how it goes.

Since running doesn't feel good to you yet you may find that the run feels really hard after the bike leg. This doesn't mean you did something wrong. Thats just the way it goes. It gets easier with practice, I promise.

 No drinking on the swim!

Don't eat during race.

don't drink on the run after mile 1.

Have fun, and when it feels too hard smile. I guarantee it will help and it make for a better picture and no one will know you are suffering

And since it is your first race keep in mind it is a wonderful learning expereince and you are allowed not to be perfect!

hope this helps

Thanks for the update.  Glad to hear you are doing so well! 

It's hard to give advice without all the info but I was a big guy who overstrode and had terrible form and felt like you did.  I see a lot of big guys doing that when I drive around my neighborhood and I just want to stop and help them with their form.  Once I got that glide feeling I felt like I could run all day.  It's fantastic.  Even with all the talk about running form here I still think it is underemphasized.  Yes, you need to run slower and build aerobic base.  Yes, it is important to follow heart rates.  Yes, it is better to have a higher turnover.   But IMO all of that won't be as productive (and running more will be risky) until you get your form down and find that sweet spot.

Form first!