how am I ever going to run?

marz42

If you are walking up and down hills, that's still pretty good. How fast are you trying to go? I don't think you have to go super fast to be running. I'm not actually a runner yet, but I'm working towards that too and finding this book very inspiring. (I am not associated with this author in any way). He's got a couple couch to 5k type plans in the back that are even a slower ramp up than the one on the couch to 5k site.

http://www.amazon.com/Running-Mortals-Commonsense-Plan-Changing/dp/1594863253/ref=sr_1_15?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351122084&sr=1-15&keywords=running

I feel almost ready to start it, but my problem is the sidewalks in the area are very uneven, and even walking I stumble a bit, and I'm embarrassed to try it on the treadmill at the gym for fear of falling of or looking silly. But I have tried jogging up and down the driveway and around the basement some, which might sound a bit silly, but it's the closest thing to running I've done in more than 20 years.

marz42

I like this. 4mph seems much more achievable than some speeds I've seen on here. Working my way up to that. If I could even jog at 4mph for a 5k, that would be huge for me.

I run at a slow pace of about 4mph. Yep. That means I run a 5k in something like 45-50 minutes if I'm lucky. To many people, that is NOT running. To me it is. Define your own run and improve on yourself. Not all of us run 26minute 5ks right of the sofa, in fact, I don't think any of us do. Fast runners have trained. Slow runners just haven't become fast yet.

Toomestwin

I started out by taking my dog for a walk, and that was my initial goal: to take him out for longer walks and perhaps just take a walk in the neighborhood by myself or with my wife. Then one thing led to another, and I began taking short jogs in the neighborhood. I got to the point where I was running 4 miles three times a week, four times if I really felt good. I've cut back on the frequency of my running and now run 2 miles mostly and 4 miles during the weekends because I don't want to counter all the muscle gains I've made in the weight room. I just want to run enough to keep the heart rate where it needs to be.

Hang in there: I didn't think I'd ever get to the point when I would run as often as I do.

algebravoodoo

Is there a certain length of time I should walk before I run? I average an hour walk.. but I have done 2 or 3 hours with breaks.

You might consider a heart rate monitor and use that as a guide than a clock.
Run/jog until your heart is beating at 70-85% of your max (you can read up on the actual numbers yourself) then walk until you fall back to a certain level.

shenanigansmo

The way that I built myself up to running was to find a park with a marked trail. The park near me has a 1.8 mile trail that's marked every 0.2miles. I started by walking the trail a few times a week. Then I would walk 0.8 miles and jog the last 0.2 and repeat it. I built myself up to running 0.2miles then walking 0.2miles. Eventually I went for running 0.4 and walking 0.2. Ultimately I was able to run the entire length of the trail. Now I'm able to run 2 loops without walking.

The important part is to build yourself up gradually. Don't try to do too much too soon. Also, learn to pace yourself so you can keep a constant pace the entire run instead of going really fast at first and tiring out early in the run.

Game8

I would not contemplate running until you're in shape. It puts too much stress on your joints. You can lose pounds without having to run. Weight training and light cardio (like the long walks you do) is really all you need.