Goal is to do 5k run by next year. Newbie to MFP.

LizzyH2009

I would love to do 5k run/walk marathon. I joined running club 6 years ago. I was on verge of reaching 220 lbs and started stick to weight loss and took my dog outside for walks every morning until I started running two months later without my dog. I started eat more clean diet. My weight went down to 190lbs. by mid summer I actually felt so much better and more happier. After summer ended, I started fell off the radar about sticking to walking my dog and running. I eventually started ate bit more and slip up bit too often. I wented up to 220 and actually gained other 17 lbs on top of that.

Here i am i was at 237 three weeks ago. Now i weight 231.5. i started to control my portion and writing down everything what I ate. i am starting releazied that if I control how much calories i am put in my body then I would be able to lose weight. with some time and excersis.

I have been eat lot of healthy food for past 3 years now. But I have forgotten about portion control and l didnt limiting my calories if i want some results and it backfired often.. I found out by slowly adding excersis to my to do list. is something other than easy to do task. So, it is time for me to change that mind and stop making excuses to myself.

It is huge challenging for me to this and I Know that I am not alone in this and all of you might find it is harder to stick something and actually see results and remember that goal is something we striving for.

I am so forward to warm weather in midwest! i really want to do 5K marathon but need to find out if i can last three miles without killing myself or something like that. Any suggestions?

Fat_girl_gonna_be_slim

Hey

Good luck on your journey

I'm doing the couch to 5k program it's an iPhone app (not sure how else u can get it) it starts you off really slow only a min at a time walking/running I'm starting week 4 today and although it's still only 3 minute runs when I started I would never have believed I could do it. By week 9 your running 30 mins. I've never been a runner always wanted to and now I believe very soon I will be if I can do it with get running anyone can

KTNemo

I ran my first 5K in November. I have never been a runner, and it is still a struggle to get out there and run, but I CAN run 3 miles now. I run 2 miles, three days a week and take a Spin class for 60 minutes at least 3 times a week now! Before I had my son, I was a smoker and a couch potato. I was only 25 lbs overweight, but I could barely walk up a flight of stairs. I am running my 2nd race (in 6 months) this month, and I am so proud of myself! If I can do it, anyone can. It totally isn't a cliche.

I did a program called Couch 2 5K. There is a website devoted to the program, and you can download free or low cost apps for the Droid, iPhone, iPod or just a podcast for the program. It is really popular right now. Just google it to find lots of resources. The resource I used is called Cool Runnings Couch to 5K.

It is an interval training system and it has you run very short intervals at first, I think they are 30 seconds with 1 minute recovery. You can move up through the weeks as fast or as slow as you want. You will be amazed at what your body can do each week, and if you follow the program diligently, you will be able to run for 30 minutes straight at the end of the 9 weeks. Good luck! You can do it!

Learning2LoveMe

I'm still wanting to try it out... but everyone raves about the couch to 5k program. You can find info on it here: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Best of luck to you and welcome to MFP! Everyone here rocks. Feel free to add me as a friend

elmaly

You could be running a 5K by this summer and a marathon (26.2 miles) by next summer if you set your mind to it. I'm sure of it!

The most important part is not to sell yourself short. You will amaze yourself if you challenge yourself. Just don't let excuses get in your way. Some days I have to tell myself that I will go out for a run no matter what happens. At one point, I had to make a list of which excuses were valid so I wouldn't just make excuses. "My feet hurt", "I'm tired" and "I have to work late" were not on the list. However, "Fever over 101", "Injury requiring trip to the the ER", and "Bleeding from the eyes" were on the list!!

Focus on the little victories! Early on, I marked by progress by the telephone poles and street signs I passed.

Google the "Couch to 5K" plan, that will get you started. It's a little ambition if you really have not exercised at all for a while, so I might recommend tacking a couple weeks of walking 1/2 hour or more everyday...or at least most days. Jeff Galloway is a good resource for the walk/run method. And for motivation, I love John "The Penguin" Bingham's book: The Courage to Start.

Most importantly, enjoy it. It's hard and it's a challenge and that is what make it worth it. Good luck!

LizzyH2009

awesome i have iphone too. Mm is that name couch to 5k program or it do have name ? thank you !!! good luck to your journey!:happy:

LizzyH2009

Excatly!!! that kind of program is excat same program that my running coach used with me and other runners as beginners. we would running at full sprint for 30 second and one minute as recovery. repeat that over again for next 30 minutes. I foudn that method very helpful with my stamina, thank god that I still have that stamina but need to use something to motivate like following the app as you say. that is awesome idea! i didnt know that they do have that kind of app match my favorite method.

thank you so much :happy:

lizzimac05

I cant believe the coincidences my name being Lizzimac and also my goal is to run 5K non stop this year. I've been on track but have just returned from a week in Bali which I packed my running/walking shoes for but didn't touch!!! So I'm back on track from tomorrow. I've never been a runner but my delightful son gave me an entry into the Great Urban Race for Christmas and it was held in February so that was a great motivator, I trained every day doing interval training and we finished right up there so now Im thinking about enrolling for another race to keep me inspired and give me something to aim for!!

LizzyH2009

Thank all for your comments!!

i agree with all of you. thank you for post the link. i will looking into that.

thank you to one that made comment about the book about the penguin. I know that book and its good reading and inspiration.

I have been walking with my dog for a while but weather have been getting all bipolar lately. i am try to kicking myself out of house and get on move since my dog is practically begging for walks lately. i will testing my dog to see if he would running aside fine without give me any problem then i would be able to tackle two birds with one stone. because my dog is pretty high energy dog and need to be excersised often to calm him down. I need to lose lbs for my health sake.

I will check the website out and get head start on it. 5k marathon by this summer? mmm that is scary to me haha I dont know anybody that would do 5K marathon with me. MMM I have to looking into that one and overcome my fear of getting shortness of breath during 5K. thank you for give me that thought. thank you for the support! I need it badly!:happy:

LizzyH2009

to Lizzimac, haha yeah true it is ironic that our names are pretty similar. yeah good luck on your journey to run entire 5k nonstop without stopping.

i know my stamnia is still good but do get tired since i am carrying all this extra lbs which it make it difficult for me to keep up with. i do sprints with my dog down the streets at nighttimes to get them wear out for night. i do try to for for run but I end up walking instead of running. i want to image myself running like superman that would zip thru road in one second without even blinking. Haha bit unrealistic eh?

I agree with you, i am looking into start do walk/run intervals this week by tomorrow for real. I am goning o check out 5k races in my area for this summer.

good luck to all of you too.