How to get into running...

michellexoxo90
michellexoxo90 Posts: 8
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone! I really want to start running, but I am HORRIBLE at it...I have tried going running before and I just want to die. Are there ways to get into running? Any tips would be helpful:smile:
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Replies

  • dorseykm
    dorseykm Posts: 412 Member
    First I started by walking almost everyday for two months with a daily goal of four miles. Then I set a goal of covering two miles because that was a known distance between my home and a local landmark. I tried running as much of it as I could and walked the rest. I did that 5x/week for weeks with very gradual increments of .25-.5 miles. After a few months my longer runs started increasing by one mile every couple of weeks. It all started with "I'll try this,,,". If I didn't hate it, I'd keep doing it or gradually pushing myself.
  • Flossiechoppers
    Flossiechoppers Posts: 2
    Hi, I was the same as you a few years ago. I joined a local running club and started by doing one minute walking a one minute running. This then built up eg 2 minutes running one minute walking. I now run 15-20 miles a week and have done a half marathon. I always find running hard even with doing it often!
  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
    i run about every single day... i hate every minute of it.
  • usedasbrandnew
    usedasbrandnew Posts: 300 Member
    Couch to 5k! There's an app for your phone, or a website for the program. I couldn't run for more than a minute when I started... :)) I love it!
  • happystars82
    happystars82 Posts: 225 Member
    i 2nd couch to 5k.. i'm 216lb and can jog for 20 mins without stopping... its brilliant!
  • wheezybreezy
    wheezybreezy Posts: 313 Member
    Couch to 5k is AMAZING! I can't believe I can run.. seriously. Don't hesitate.. DO IT.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    Google "how to start running"
  • toriaenator
    toriaenator Posts: 423 Member
    start off by brisk walking, then slowly increase your speed and distance over time!! if your trying to go for longer distances, don't worry about speed and try to keep a consistent pace! even if it feels super slow it will be better than sprinting then being completely out of breath after two seconds.

    give it a few weeks and you will start to notice a difference! also, consistency is key so try to run a few times a week :)

    you got this!! trust me, when i started cross country i remember asking the coach if i was screwed (because on day one i barely managed one lap), three weeks later i was running 3 miles no problem :D
  • goldengirl28
    goldengirl28 Posts: 129 Member
    NHS podcast couch to 5k, i started 2 weeks ago its great, i actually feel like a runner and ot just someone messing about :)
  • JonesJennings
    JonesJennings Posts: 59 Member
    Work on your 12 minute mile (very slow) pace. This is an important pace as for most joggers it's the cross over between walking and jogging. Start with a really gentle jogging on the spot, then ease it forwards. Think as you're going along, "could I be using any less effort whilst still being jogging?". It sounds like an unhelpful thing to think, but this will help you to develop a good slow-pace to come back to once you're running a little faster.

    When I was starting running, I was trying to go much too fast, and a friend of mine who runs marathons had to teach me how to run slowly. It's a different technique to normal running, as a lot of focus is on energy conservation. Each foot lands only a little bit in front of the other, and the knees don't really raise as high as if you wanted to get somewhere quick. At the time, I could run about a mile, but armed with this gentler technique that went up to ten within a month.

    Also, look up KwonKicker's warm up tutorial on youtube. What more experienced athletes are doing as warmups, you can do as a workout in the earlier weeks of your progression. You know it's whole-body as otherwise it wouldn't be a good warmup. Do something like this on the occasions where your moralle fails you and you don't get out running. It's important to still have some form of workout, for the "victory from the jaws of defeat" moment.

    Check this out:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-YUurBrUbM

    The title says Taekwondo, but it's a pretty well rounded warmup (appart from the silly knee bit near the end).
  • muzmacol
    muzmacol Posts: 358 Member
    Hi, tough question. I love running but i hate it too. I dont compete its only for health and enjoyment. I would start by running a bit then waliking, then running etc etc. You'll be amazed at how quick you wuill improve your stamina. I too look horrible when i run, its just the way it is. I would also get your running gait assessed and buy decent running shoes. Good luck. If you get into it you'll love/hate it in equal amounts!!
  • luhluhlaura
    luhluhlaura Posts: 278 Member
    I suggest Couch to 5k, as others here have mentioned!

    For me, I literally just woke up one day and decided to start running. I had never been able to maintain a pace for more than 5 minutes, so I just set a goal for myself, to work up to jogging and find a pace I could sustain.
    Over the next 3 months, I worked up to approx 5miles nonstop! I was slow and steady, but could keep at it for a long time.
    Lately, I've been using the treadmill so I focus more on speed than on distance (because I just can't be on that thing for more than 45 minutes--it starts to bore me!) but running inclines and intervals helped me with my overall speed and endurance.

    My advice to you is to just do it, and not give up. Every time I start jogging, the first 5-7 minutes I just feel like I want to die lol. But once you get past that initial shock, it gets much easier. :)
    Good luck to you! You can do it!
  • JonesJennings
    JonesJennings Posts: 59 Member
    ...
    Lately, I've been using the treadmill so I focus more on speed than on distance (because I just can't be on that thing for more than 45 minutes--it starts to bore me!) but running inclines and intervals helped me with my overall speed and endurance.
    ...

    Be careful not to attach too much significance to the speedometer on the treadmill, as most runners are much faster on it than they are in real life. Last year, I thought I was getting epic-quick, but then measured my speed on the road and was a bit disapointed. It's probably consistent, just not accurate.
  • michellexoxo90
    michellexoxo90 Posts: 8
    I really appreciate all the advise I'm getting on this! I really want to run so I can go on runs with my husband and not be embarrassed! I also think it'll be a great way to shed stress and pounds after I get into it! I was also wondering what the best shoes are for running?
  • merrillfoster
    merrillfoster Posts: 855 Member
    i run about every single day... i hate every minute of it.

    This. It's f-ing miserable. People who claim to enjoy running are either lying to you or lying to themselves. BUT, it's a good way to burn fat/cals, so I do it. I think I run faster just to try to get it over with sooner.
  • leslturn8
    leslturn8 Posts: 505 Member
    I wanted to do the couch to 5k, but im a slack *kitten* for time tables and i got into a routine before i started so i walk for a minute on 5.5km/h then i up it to anywhere between 7.5-10, i watch that clock like its my life support! Once you get going you want to stop, but keep pushing yourself! I only do it for 2kms and usually thats 20 minutes. I worked myself down to doing it in 16 minutes, thats my motivation, to beat myself, i end up running for 2min then walk for 30 seconds instead of waiting, i see a finish line and i aim for it, just push yourself! I once jogged at 6.5km/h for 10 minutes straight, it was my goal to do it and i did it, it nearly killed me, but after 5 minutes you can just keep going and going.
    Good luck!
  • michellexoxo90
    michellexoxo90 Posts: 8
    lol well now I want to know if I can ever look forward to liking it? Or if I'll always just hate it but push through it...How long have you been running?
  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
    lol well now I want to know if I can ever look forward to liking it? Or if I'll always just hate it but push through it...How long have you been running?

    I've been running for a few months now. I loved it right from the start. It's the only exercise I've ever loved, and that's after a year and a half of doing SO many other things that were just bearable. I don't agree with forcing yourself to do something you hate, so I kept trying new things. Unfortunately, running was the last thing on my mind and likely the last thing I'd have tried before having to settle. Fortunately, it's amazing.
  • Umeboshi
    Umeboshi Posts: 1,637 Member
    Step 1: Walk.
    Step 2: Walk faster.
    Step 3: Run.
    Step 4: Endorphin Rush
    Step 5: RUN FOREVER

    Seriously just work your way up to it, Couch to 5k is a great program for that! :D It gets easier with time, and you will probably grow to LOVE it. I'm aiming to be a runner someday as I've seen the joy my dad has gotten out of running for years.
  • prettytothinkso
    prettytothinkso Posts: 290
    Chased by zombies?
  • merrillfoster
    merrillfoster Posts: 855 Member
    Chased by zombies?

    Haha, my friend actually works for the company that does all the "run for your lives" zombie races! cracks me up...
  • leslturn8
    leslturn8 Posts: 505 Member
    Chased by zombies?

    Haha, my friend actually works for the company that does all the "run for your lives" zombie races! cracks me up...
    this would be awesome!
  • JonesJennings
    JonesJennings Posts: 59 Member
    .... what the best shoes are for running?

    I absulutely love my Asics Gels. When they broke, I got a new pair exactly the same. They come in a variety of prices, but the cushioning and support on all of them is top notch. For a beginner, look no further.

    As you get more into it, you might consider going to a profesional running shop (there's one in london, "Runners World", I think), where they will watch you on a treadmill, press your foot into clay, and all sorts of cool stuff to make a bespoke recomendation. Until then, get some Asics.

    Since I bought my last pair, they've updated their website. Check out this:

    http://www.asics.co.uk/running/shoe_advisor/

    Edit: "when they broke" was about four years after I bought them. Don't worry about them falling apart soon.
  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
    .... what the best shoes are for running?

    I absulutely love my Asics Gels. When they broke, I got a new pair exactly the same. They come in a variety of prices, but the cushioning and support on all of them is top notch. For a beginner, look no further.

    As you get more into it, you might consider going to a profesional running shop (there's one in london, "Runners World", I think), where they will watch you on a treadmill, press your foot into clay, and all sorts of cool stuff to make a bespoke recomendation. Until then, get some Asics.

    Since I bought my last pair, they've updated their website. Check out this:

    http://www.asics.co.uk/running/shoe_advisor/

    Edit: "when they broke" was about four years after I bought them. Don't worry about them falling apart soon.

    Another vote for Asics Gels here. I couldn't get to a running shop, and as just a beginner I wasn't that bothered anyway. All I knew is that I was getting severe shin splints and needed to stop them. So, I bought the Asics as my first pair of running shoes. They're incredible.
  • madamepsychosis
    madamepsychosis Posts: 472 Member
    COUCH TO 5K! It's brilliant. I did it and now I can run nearly 4 miles without stopping and want to add even more. It combines walking and running (or jogging, don't feel like you have to do the running intervals like hard sprints if you can't) until your endurance is good enough that you can run half an hour (or 5k) without needing to stop. It's a 9 week program, but you can repeat weeks if you find them too hard. http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
  • paulwgun
    paulwgun Posts: 439 Member
    Get fitted for running shoes, then start the NHS podcast couch to 5k, this is what i did.
    Next month im entering a 10k race and up until i done the C25K id never run since leaving school around 35 years ago :bigsmile:
  • emp27
    emp27 Posts: 1
    The cuch 2 5km app has now changed name to ease to 5km HTH I have a chronic chest complaint and 2 years ago struggled walk up stairs and thought this might be an easy way to build up. It say 3tims a week and in 8 weeks you will run 5km. I never got that far but after 43 months i managed to walk run a 5km race in 45 mins and was over the moon. I stopped for a while and have just restarted on it and was happy to be able to start from week 3 and not need to go back to week one. I also run around a lake so once i start I can't stop because getting back to the car would mean either keep running around or start swimming x
  • JonesJennings
    JonesJennings Posts: 59 Member
    i run about every single day... i hate every minute of it.

    This. It's f-ing miserable. People who claim to enjoy running are either lying to you or lying to themselves. BUT, it's a good way to burn fat/cals, so I do it. I think I run faster just to try to get it over with sooner.

    If you're making yourself miserable to be healthy, you might be robbing Peter to pay Paul. Why not give Zumba or Body Combat a go? There's bound to be something that's both fun _and_ healthy out there.
  • prettytothinkso
    prettytothinkso Posts: 290
    Chased by zombies?

    Haha, my friend actually works for the company that does all the "run for your lives" zombie races! cracks me up...
    this would be awesome!

    I would do this. And I do not like running. Zombies are the best incentive. Don't think so? Watch 'The Walking Dead'! lol
  • muzmacol
    muzmacol Posts: 358 Member
    .... what the best shoes are for running?

    I absulutely love my Asics Gels. When they broke, I got a new pair exactly the same. They come in a variety of prices, but the cushioning and support on all of them is top notch. For a beginner, look no further.

    As you get more into it, you might consider going to a profesional running shop (there's one in london, "Runners World", I think), where they will watch you on a treadmill, press your foot into clay, and all sorts of cool stuff to make a bespoke recomendation. Until then, get some Asics.

    Since I bought my last pair, they've updated their website. Check out this:

    http://www.asics.co.uk/running/shoe_advisor/

    Edit: "when they broke" was about four years after I bought them. Don't worry about them falling apart soon.

    Another vote for Asics Gels here. I couldn't get to a running shop, and as just a beginner I wasn't that bothered anyway. All I knew is that I was getting severe shin splints and needed to stop them. So, I bought the Asics as my first pair of running shoes. They're incredible.


    I have mizuno, really impressed.

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