very fit, but running SO difficult for me

Question
Hi John,  I'm a 28 year old female and consider myself very fit. I've worked out my entire adult life, doing cardio 5 days a week (mostly swimming and cardio machines) and weight train at least 1 day a week.  The point is that I physically CAN'T run.  Its the most excruciatingly frustrating thing to me.  I can swim for an hour, hop on the elliptical, kickbox, whatever, with no problems whatsoever but I physically can't run for more than 10 minutes without feeling like I'm about to die.  It makes me feel extremely heavy and like I have to exert every ounce of energy I have just to put one foot in front of the other.  It makes my body ache (feet, all the way to my back) and my whole face turns bright red like I've never exercised in my life.  I usually just don't even try to run because its so excruciatingly hard for me, but last fall I decided I really wanted to try.  For about 2 months I would run/walk the same 3 miles every day and it NEVER got any easier, I usually walked about half of it, and I couldn't run anymore at the end of the 2 months than I could at the beginning.  I finally quit, and went back to my main methods of cardio after I developed pretty severe shin splints, but I never "just got used" to running.  It makes me angry, and feels like the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.. and its JUST running!  I'm extremely frustrated as I take a lot of pride in my fitness and workouts, and I just hate that there is something that my body "can't" do.. something as seemingly simple as run.  I feel like there is something physically/medically wrong with me.  Do you have any insight?

Answer
Hi Courtney
There is nothing wrong with you.Your fitness level with the variety of things your doing is great,but none of them transfers to an easy start up in running.Everybody adapts at different levels,but only with consistent work will you see the results.I also know personally when i started up years ago.I could give you many examples of clients over the years,but here is one i'm sure you can relate to as being very fit in another sport and he struggled just to break 3 hours 6:52 pace in NYC marathon a couple a years ago.He was a runner and triathlete as a teanager and then took up serious biking and went on to winning the tour defrance 7 times in a row.He retired and the next year started training for the nyc marathon the following year.His fitness level,aerobic capacity,annerobic capacity,musculosketal system i would say is off the charts compared to the average individual and also elite athletes in all sports.His biking and fitness did not transfer and he commented that was the most bruttal thing he has done.It takes time Courtney and Lance armstrong is still having problems.He is only down to a 2:45 6:25 pace.I  hope this puts it in perspective for you,but with your fitness level there is nothing i good could immagine that would stop you if you just don't quit and in time it will feel good.Any other questions just get in touch.


All the very best

John