I want to run. I'm scared to death of getting hurt

lorrpb

I, too, wanted to try running and was scared to death of injury, because everyone I know who's a runner has injuries, some which will affect them for the rest of their lives. I also have had various musculoskeletal issues and my body doesn't always respond well to new exercise. ((61 yo) I was within 5-10 lbs of my normal weight range. It was much easier for me than when I was 50 lbs overweight, the last time I had tried running. I also now had an additional year of workouts/strength training so my overall fitness level was much better.

I started out with c25k last Feb, with the attitude that I would go as far as my body would let me. I trained usually 2x per week instead of 3, simply because I did not want to cut back on my other 3 workouts and I found I needed 2 rest days. I also promised myself and my husband that if I started to develop any issues, I would take a break or stop. I developed a thorough warm up routine of squats & lunges which I did religiously and also stretched thoroughly afterwards. I proceeded through c25k with no problems AT ALL. Although at then end I could run 30 minutes without stopping, it took awhile longer to get to a 5k distance with no stops. I accomplished this at the end of August!

Based on my conversations with others, many running injuries result from people pushing too hard too fast too soon, not giving themselves adequate rest/recovery time, and not doing good warmups and cooldowns.

Honestly, if "I" can accomplish this, I think that most people can, barring any significant medical issues. I had never ever run in my life and even in jr high I could not complete the 600 yd without walking (this was the longest run done in PE class back then).

canadianlbs

amusedmonkey wrote: »

C25K was too advanced for me when I first started. If you want to have a very slow start this

not the op, but thanks for this. c25k buried me for a few weeks when i tried it out recently, and i was actually sad because for once i really wanted to do it and could see it happening. plantar fascitis isn't my thing, but i think i'm in about the same boat as the o.p. for other reasons.

GaryRuns

The main rule to stay injury free while running is to first establish a base distance/time that you can run without pain. That's ZERO pain. None. Then increase that a maximum of 10% a week. So if you can run 1 mile at a time, three times a week, then the next week only run 1.1 miles at a time those same three times. If you decide to add a fourth day then decrease the amount you run each day to honor that 10% rule.

Obviously it's a little tricky if you're running outside, but you can always walk when you get beyond the distance you want to run.

donnagaunt31

Not read though all comments but having proper gait assessment done to choose the right trainers and or insoles for you is very important

amusedmonkey

canadianlbs wrote: »

amusedmonkey wrote: »

C25K was too advanced for me when I first started. If you want to have a very slow start this

not the op, but thanks for this. c25k buried me for a few weeks when i tried it out recently, and i was actually sad because for once i really wanted to do it and could see it happening. plantar fascitis isn't my thing, but i think i'm in about the same boat as the o.p. for other reasons.

You are welcome. The program is very gentle but very effective for conditioning. If I kept trying to do C25K I would have quit long ago. The progression jumps can be steep and I felt like I was pushing myself too hard. The first week gave me shin splints, and I my ankles just couldn't handle a 3 minute run on the 3rd week. I'm glad I found it. After the initial 8 weeks I was able to tackle a 30 second and even a 60 second run without my legs falling apart like they did on first week of C25K.