I AM NOT A RUNNER AT ALL

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  • Sadie98072
    Sadie98072 Posts: 212 Member
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    For some of us, it's not "just running". I was one of those people that was scared to start. I have general anxiety disorder and part of it is health anxiety. With my weight, I've been worried about my heart for a while. I was genuinely scared that if I did really strenuous physical activity like running, I'd have a heart attack. Yeah, I know that's pretty paranoid for someone my age, but I've been fat for a long time and have had high blood pressure for a long time. Another thing I get with my anxiety is panic attacks (shortness of breath, dizziness, etc...), so I was afraid I'd be running and pass out.

    I actually went to my doctor for a heart stress test. Heart is fine and I'm on week 6 of c25k. I still have twinges of worry about it though. I KNOW that it's helping my heart (my blood pressure meds have been reduced by half after only 2 months), but anxiety isn't logical. I can't talk myself out of it no matter how hard I try.

    Sorry, you are right - anxiety isnt logical and nor should it be treated as a flippant topic. I probably should have qualified what I said, I am sorry if I have upset you or anyone else.
    The type of people that I was talking about, the type of person I used to be, is the able bodied (albeit not in good shape or condition) average Joe who is lacking confidence in their abilities.
    Low self esteem used to make me make a whole lot of negative statements and often I would talk myself out of something before I even tried it.
    Self talk is really important in the weight loss and fitness journey. Its easy to talk ourselves out of trying new experiences because they are "scary" and take us out of our comfort zone.
    My brain still tries to talk me out of going to the gym every morning lol. So I tell my brain to shut up and get my *kitten* out of bed anyway.
    Sorry for the trhread hi-jack, it wasnt my intention to ruffle any feathers.
  • SabrinaJL
    SabrinaJL Posts: 1,579 Member
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    Sorry, you are right - anxiety isnt logical and nor should it be treated as a flippant topic. I probably should have qualified what I said, I am sorry if I have upset you or anyone else.

    Sorry for the trhread hi-jack, it wasnt my intention to ruffle any feathers.

    Not at all. I didn't think you were being flippant or dismissive and I wasn't offended. I just wanted to point out there could be other issues going on :flowerforyou:
  • maddymama
    maddymama Posts: 1,183 Member
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    I finished the Couch to 5 K program a week or two ago. It was awesome. I downloaded the Fat to Fit to Fierce podcasts and listened to those while I ran/jogged (with a jogging stroller, I might add). Now I'm running 4 miles a day 4 or 5 days a week. I liked C25K bc it started so slow that my body could adjust to running slowly and not get hurt. My lungs, shins, etc. didn't bother me at all with the process.....
    I did have to repeat a couple of weeks due to family stuff (sick kids, etc.). This program was so worth it.
  • peteyTwang
    peteyTwang Posts: 250
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    Hey, good tips in this thread... and Stolly's point is a very good one too! It's very easy to PSYCHE yourself out of an activity that we almost ALL did and LOVED as kids until someone made us grow up and STOP! I'll admit I was pretty scared to get started for a few reasons.... mostly because I associated it with being punished at school (they made us run LAPS!) and once I got older and really fat and tried it again it was just too painful...the absolute LAST thing I can imagine ever enjoying.... but now I go out and do about 20 Miles or more a week!

    After getting into Cycling, In-Line Skating, Ice Skating, Shinny Hockey, even Swimming (unless you are geographically LUCKY!)...just about anything else is more complicated and/or more expensive than running. It's very liberating and wonderfully exciting to discover running is basically ALWAYS available any time and all you need is SHOES.

    It's also so much more fun when Running is something you want to do for yourself! Like others mention here my running started as an extension of Long Distance Walking... after walking all those miles I just wanted to do it FASTER ya know? I don't think I have the patience for The C25K or any interest in Running competitively in marathons etc. I just go for my own pleasure... start by walking to warm up then look at my watch or pick a landmark and decide time to run.. then I start walking BEFORE any pain and allow my heart rate to slow down a bit (from 140+ down to 108 or so) before I'll start running again... playing with speed intervals and FARTLEK (as much fun to say as it is to do!) I'm still building up my stamina, according to my HRM I ran 60%- 70% of my last ~two hour session yesterday... Usually I only go about an hour but I just felt like kicking it up a notch
    lol. Its just running :happy:

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