Running

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K3rB3ar89
K3rB3ar89 Posts: 263 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So every now and then I get this crazy idea that I should start just running. I'm getting married in October and would like to atleast get down to my pre baby weight which is about 30 pounds from what I am now.. Running and myself don't agree but I would like to start. What is the best advise that can be given to a noob? Lol.. Right now I'm too the point of dying running a block lol and would one day hope to run with the best of them.. How did you guys over come the "omg this sucks" faze?
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  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
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    Lots of great advice in the sticky post at the top of this forum:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1217573/so-you-want-to-start-running
  • dougii
    dougii Posts: 678 Member
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    Ditto glevinso. I would also highly recommend that you start with the C25K application and see where you go from there.... I started with it and am currently training for a marathon. Run strong!
  • K3rB3ar89
    K3rB3ar89 Posts: 263 Member
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    Thanks! Sorry I didn't check out the posts at the top before posting haha.. I'll get that app and see what happens! My goal is to many run a marathon one day too in the future so I'll see what happens:)
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
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    No worries on missing that top post. We all do that from time to time. Since you mention you have a goal to run a marathon, I can give you one piece of generic advice: take this all slowly. Learn to LOVE running. You don't want to just jump into marathon training from no running background at all. You will burn out and ultimately not enjoy it. Take this one step at a time and just learn to love being outside and active. The big goal will be there when you are actually ready to take the plunge. And trust me you will know when that day comes - you will just feel like you really can tackle the big beast.
  • K3rB3ar89
    K3rB3ar89 Posts: 263 Member
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    Thx for the motivation. I'm fully aware that this is a process. For now it's for weight loss. My family is into marathons so I would love to be able to do one Too but that's wat in the future one step at a time! Thx again!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    K3rB3ar89 wrote: »
    So every now and then I get this crazy idea that I should start just running. I'm getting married in October and would like to atleast get down to my pre baby weight which is about 30 pounds from what I am now.. Running and myself don't agree but I would like to start. What is the best advise that can be given to a noob? Lol.. Right now I'm too the point of dying running a block lol and would one day hope to run with the best of them.. How did you guys over come the "omg this sucks" faze?

    In what way don't you and running agree?

    C25K is a great beginner program
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
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    Running or not, find something that you can do after the big day. Don't lose weight for one event because you'll probably just quit and get fat again once the moment passes.
  • rcontr7
    rcontr7 Posts: 61 Member
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    As far that the "this sucks" phase - I run often and still think it sucks for the first 3 miles of most of my runs - after that it's pure bliss.
  • rcontr7
    rcontr7 Posts: 61 Member
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    My only other advice is start SLOW. Jog slow and work on getting to where you can jog one slow mile and work your way up from there - speed will take care of itself.
  • Noelv1976
    Noelv1976 Posts: 18,948 Member
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    Shoes...shoes....shoes. Talk to the expert at the shoes store before buying a pair. If you get the wrong pair of shoes you will definitely be in a lot pain later on. Also, what helped me were squats and lunges. Also don't forget the core (abs and back) and upper body.
  • LoneWolfRunner
    LoneWolfRunner Posts: 1,160 Member
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    I started running four years ago. I just put on my shoes and ran. And then I ran a little farther. And then I ditched the traditional running shoes the "experts" told me I needed. I found my own shoes and kept running. I keep it very simple. The only time I ever follow a program is if I am going to run 50k or longer. I do not run for any other reason than I just love to run.
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
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    K3rB3ar89 wrote: »
    How did you guys over come the "omg this sucks" faze?

    No magic, just take it slow and have faith that it will improve. You may be running too fast to begin with. Use a run/walk programme like C25K as a great springboard into running and stock with it.

    I was just like you last September, I could barely run for more than a couple of minutes without stopping to wheeze. Mixing running with walking is not only OK, it's the right way to start in order to avoid injury or becoming disillusioned and giving up.

    Just for an example: Last fall when I started I was 53, 100 pounds overweight, and couldn't run 500 metres without stopping. I stuck with it... It probably took me longer than it will take you, but in a few months I could finally do 5k, sometimes with a short walk rest if it was hilly. Now (60+ pounds lighter too) I run 200km+ a month and can easily run 14km or more without stopping.

    Slow and steady, adding more time (not necessarily speed, that will come automatically) to your training runs only as you are ready, will get you there.

    You don't have to run marathons to get tremendous health benefits from running. A solid three times a week run will hugely improve and maintain your cardiopulmonary system and that'll give you more capability for anything else you chose to do.

    Guaranteed or your money back!

    :wink:





  • prettyleelee
    prettyleelee Posts: 236 Member
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    Congrats on getting married in October I am getting married on 10/10 as well this year. I have also decided to start running not only to become healthy for the wedding I am finding it is a huge stress reliever and need one of those lol. I have found shoes help a lot the first time I started I ended up with really bad shin splints because of the shoes I had on. That forced me to stop running it caused so much pain on my legs. This time around I have the right shoes and am almost up to a mile a run before I have to stop. I agree with everyone start slow I can run at 3.9MPH but I run it instead, now sometimes I can run 4.1MPH. Good luck *weird I also find it helpful to sing my car loud on my way to the run it helps to open up my lungs to breath better.
  • kansasgrl1500
    kansasgrl1500 Posts: 16 Member
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    rcontr7 wrote: »
    My only other advice is start SLOW. Jog slow and work on getting to where you can jog one slow mile and work your way up from there - speed will take care of itself.

    This. I think many people start off trying to run as fast as they can when doing the C25K and then they end up struggling, and then feeling like they can't run. I did C25K years ago, and that is the mistake I made. I ended up giving up on the whole thing. I would also recommend that you watch your calories very carefully. I know when I first started running regularly I was starving all the time, and so I consumed more than I should, which damaged my deficit.

  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
    edited May 2015
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    I think getting past the "omg this sucks" phase can be very different from one person to another. I also think in some ways it never goes away, it just doesn't come up until you are pushing new limits again.

    I can't really put it in a few words, or even paragraphs (I tried). But for me I started by running for short bursts on long walks and had never even run one full mile yet on those walks. I was regularly going 6 miles on these walks so I signed up for a 10k thinking that might help me run further, plus I could live the rest of my life knowing I ran a 10k. The 10k was a memorial run for a little girl who died of cancer, and recently my mother in law had also lost her battle with cancer. On race day I just kept going in spite of the "omg this sucks" because that battle against running a little further seemed so ridiculously small in comparison to something like battling cancer. Even as the "omg this sucks" turned into "OMFG THIS REALLY, REALLY SUCKS" I still felt stupid complaining about it that particular day, given the subject in my mind that day.

    I ran the whole 6.2 miles without stopping. It was the first time I had probably ever run a mile in my whole life, and I ran 6.2. Whatever feeling I had DURING the race no longer mattered, I had done something that made me feel so incredibly proud, among other feelings. Yes, I was sore for a couple days, but it did not suck. It felt...GOOD. As strange as that may seem.

    I had not planned on being a runner until after that race. So that is what got me past that "omg this sucks" phase originally. I found a new "omg this sucks" phase while training for a half marathon. I hear there is another one during full marathon training at mile 20, but instead of "omg this sucks" it's supposed to be more like "omg nothing could possibly ever suck in such a manner that this suck sucks". I look forward to feeling that "suck".
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
    edited May 2015
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    For what it's worth, while the "OMG THIS SUCKS" feeling might go away, the "OMG THIS HURTS" feeling never really does at least when you are working on improvement.

    "It never gets easier, you just go faster" -- Greg LeMond
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
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    kansasgrl1500 wrote: »
    I would also recommend that you watch your calories very carefully. I know when I first started running regularly I was starving all the time, and so I consumed more than I should, which damaged my deficit.

    Fortunately MFP tracking makes this easier to monitor.

    One thing that can help is to reduce carbs and raise fats and protein some, both to help keep a feeling of satiation longer and to ensure needed protein is there for muscle recovery and building. The body when running / training slow doesn't need to be pre-loaded with high carb fuel and avoiding carb loading on training runs should help the body's fat burning machinery kick into gear more efficiently, a definite win.

    Most days I have nothing before running but water, or today before a long run (longer than an hour/12k) I'll have a couple of eggs a few hours before. And water.
  • Roxiegirl2008
    Roxiegirl2008 Posts: 756 Member
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    glevinso wrote: »
    No worries on missing that top post. We all do that from time to time. Since you mention you have a goal to run a marathon, I can give you one piece of generic advice: take this all slowly. Learn to LOVE running. You don't want to just jump into marathon training from no running background at all. You will burn out and ultimately not enjoy it. Take this one step at a time and just learn to love being outside and active. The big goal will be there when you are actually ready to take the plunge. And trust me you will know when that day comes - you will just feel like you really can tackle the big beast.

    This is all sound advise. I loved running...then gained a lot of weight and hated every step. I finally started to get my weight back under control and found that I loved it again. That had more to do with losing my weight because as the weight came off my joint hurt less, I was gain strength in my core and building over all stronger muscles.

    You should work up to your first marathon by taking it slowly. For example run a few 5k, 10k and then work up a 1/2 marathon. I would suggest you run a few of 1/2 marathon distance races before taking on the beast of the marathon. When I trained for my full it was like I had two full time jobs...one I got paid for and one was just work.

    Know that you will have great runs, good runs and all around crappy runs. It happens and it is the nature of the beast.

    Good luck!

    PS- It typically takes me until about mile 2 to get fully settled into my run.

  • peachyfuzzle
    peachyfuzzle Posts: 1,122 Member
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    I'm just finally getting out of the "this sucks phase." Today was my first crack at a new week where I ran for 15, and 17 minutes with a four minute walk break between. I probably could have done the whole thing without a break, and still gone for maybe another ten minutes, but I'm taking it slow to make sure I don't put too much stress on myself since I'm still 250+lbs.

    Last week... last week still sucked... HARD. I was doing three sets of ten minutes with a four minute walk break, and still wanted to die. This is the beginning of my 7th week.
  • K3rB3ar89
    K3rB3ar89 Posts: 263 Member
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    This all helped me soo much! I'm not sure how I feel about the fact of it always sucking but I'll never know unless I do it! It's such a nice day out today I can't wait to get the stroller and my tunes out! I'll be trying that app tho I'm a tad skeptical but if you all say it does what it's supposed too I'll take your words for it:)



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