How did you get into running?

jogy

I hate running...but I feel really great after doing it. If I don't have a MP3 player, I won't run, simple as that. As for your bad knees, see your doctor. I got injections in mine (not corthisone) of a lubricant (not allowed to mention brands on this site I think) and it helped quite a lot. I prefer to run in cold weather. So I don't run in the summer time. Way toooooooooooo hot for me. Good luck!

P.S. Running came by accident. I was walking with my music on and my pace was too slow to follow the music's rythm so I just started to run...

Still_Fluffy

My wife got me into running so I could drop weight and for something we could do together. Once the weight started falling off I was hooked. Somethings I tell people that are thinking about starting running (sorry if this is a repeat from what others have said)
1). Go to a running store and have them help you find a pair of shoes that will fit your needs. Don't pay attention to color and look, go with the shoe that fits your needs. Once I find a shoe I like I will often order shoes online as they are cheaper there.
2) Find a running buddy that will push you to get better and run more often - it sounds like your husband fits the bill
3) Enter a race and tell everyone you’re doing it - the guilt/embarrassment of not doing it will help motivate you.
4) Start running slowly. If you can't talk in complete sentences your running too fast, slow down. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. I started running a minute and walking a minute repeats. I slowly started running longer and walking less.
5) Force yourself to never walk more than a minute at a time, it’s easy to fall into the trap of walking too long

You may want to look for some exercises to strengthen your legs to help support your knees. Contrary to popular belief running is not bad on your knees, It helps build strength in your legs which cause less stress on your knees. I started running at 390 pounds, so every steps was hell on my knees and I keep going. I'm down 130 pounds and have run many race including 4 marathons in 3 years. If I can do it anyone can. Good luck to you!

dsjohndrow

- Always start with a good pair of running shoes fitted by a running store.
- Start slow and work your way up. C25K is great.

The elliptical might help with your aerobic capacity, but it is nothing like running.

dsjohndrow

My wife got me into running so I could drop weight and for something we could do together. Once the weight started falling off I was hooked. Somethings I tell people that are thinking about starting running (sorry if this is a repeat from what others have said)
1). Go to a running store and have them help you find a pair of shoes that will fit your needs. Don't pay attention to color and look, go with the shoe that fits your needs. Once I find a shoe I like I will often order shoes online as they are cheaper there.
2) Find a running buddy that will push you to get better and run more often - it sounds like your husband fits the bill
3) Enter a race and tell everyone you’re doing it - the guilt/embarrassment of not doing it will help motivate you.
4) Start running slowly. If you can't talk in complete sentences your running too fast, slow down. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. I started running a minute and walking a minute repeats. I slowly started running longer and walking less.
5) Force yourself to never walk more than a minute at a time, it’s easy to fall into the trap of walking too long

You may want to look for some exercises to strengthen your legs to help support your knees. Contrary to popular belief running is not bad on your knees, It helps build strength in your legs which cause less stress on your knees. I started running at 390 pounds, so every steps was hell on my knees and I keep going. I'm down 130 pounds and have run many race including 4 marathons in 3 years. If I can do it anyone can. Good luck to you!

^^^ All good stuff.

ScaleAndSteel

Uh bad knees are a reality for some. I have chondromalacia patella due to an old sports injury and if I overwork my knees, I'm sidelined for weeks.

So no, it's not an excuse.

I'm sure older people with arthritis in their knees are also using that as an excuse, right??

I assume most people can differentiate a serious medical condition from the general excuse of shin splints and foot pain.

emilynw10

I started in 9th grade because there were cute boys on the cross country team. I quit after high school and have started and stopped a few times since then.

I really do love to run. What I hate is getting to the point where I'm decent at running. I hate not being able to go very far, being out of breath, side pains, etc. Last time I did the C25K and it was really helpful. This time I started by doing a Jillian Michaels DVD for a few weeks first. Once I finally tried to go run, I could easily finish 3 miles.

Really though, once you get somewhat decent at it, it's a whole different ballgame.

stumegsmum

I am starting the C25K program (in about 10 minutes actually!). Quite nervous as I am very overweight, have always been afraid of running (bad experiences of asthma attacks when taking part in cross country in school) and haven't run in about 30-odd years.

I am prepared to do as often as possible or necessary in order to move past that first week. Wish me luck and I would love to enjoy this as much as others on the thread.

LMurrieta540

I started running in 2010, I got started bc one of my great friends was posting her runs on Facebook and it would start out at just a 1/2 mile at a time, she was starting her weight loss and I needed to start mine, so I said to myself if she can do it then I can to. I started walking and then it just lead to running. It also helps to surround yourself with people that run and make it fun. The ladies I run with are a joy, we dress up in tutus sometimes for local races, we have even gone out of town together for races. We also run for a cause, we run as members of TEAM 413, I like to say we share Jesus on the run.

cslusser125

Friends and races! I've really developed great relationships with the people we run with, and it's always fun going to events together. The races pull out the competitiveness in me, and really helps motivate me. I like to try and beat my previous time, and always try to make a personal record. Unfortunately, I'm a baby when it comes to cold weather running (doesn't fare well for my asthma), so I mainly do it early spring to late fall. Outside makes all the difference for me. Treadmills bore me and I overthink it too much.

Duck_Puddle

My story is in my profile-I'm way too lazy to type it out again.

Check with your doc about the knees, go to a running store to get fitted for shoes, look up a c25k plan or something else that starts at your current fitness level, bundle up and head out (assuming the doc says it's ok). The elliptical will help with aerobic conditioning, but elliptical =/= running.

And don't force yourself to do anything you hate. Life is too short to be torturing yourself. There are lots of ways to get exercise that don't include running.

TrailRunner61

I got into running after I walked nearly 1,000 miles and needed a challenge. I also knew that runners aren't fat!
C25K worked for me, I jogged as slow as I could and it worked perfectly. Now I'm working on 5k to 10k, can jog 5 miles easily and have learned to love it. I use a treadmill in the winter since I'm in IL.
If you have foot and knee problems, I'd go to a podiatrist and get fitted for orthotics first, then get fitted for running shoes. If you don't know what has caused your knee problem, get that checked first because you don't want to make it worse and set you back even more.
Use the C25K app and jog as slowww as you can. If you can slow down, you're going too fast! You can add speed and distance later!
Good luck, you'll be running before you know it!

ShunkyDave

I run when I'm chased.

scottb81

The Army made me do it.

Later on I read some books about long distance (marathon and beyond) running and it looked like a good challenge.

jrocnrun

I started out walking. and i used to see this woman running in my neighborhood, and I thought " I REALLY want to be able to run like that". i started slowly, then about 5 years ago i started running. its my favorite thing.

Dumbell_Diva

Reading all these posts has really inspired me to start up running again! I used to run a few years ago, but I was always too embarassed in case anybody saw me, so I would run round and round a field! I really enjoyed it and it became addictive. Theres nothing like running round a frosty field as the sun is coming up and the birds are singing, its almost like being at one with nature. My running time used to be my "me time", a little bit of headspace in a chaotic world! I have a busy life with 3 children and at home there is constant noise, so being out running in the lovely countryside was the best feeling ever!

The only thing that worries me about starting runnng again is I have ongoing arthritis in my neck, its sort of like a stiff neck and occasional knee pain, so if anybody has any tips or pointers that would be great!!

Im off to dust off my running shoes...thank you to everyone on here for the motivation!!

SpleenThief

The Army made me do it.

Hah! My dad was in 82nd Airborne and always said "When I was in the Army I learned everything Uncle Sam wanted me to learn"


I started running because once I had running shoes, it was free. No gym or anything along those lines. I like it because it's what I make of it, nothing more and nothing less. If I was to race and try and be competitive, that's great. If I just want to hit the trails from time to time, that's fine, too.

I was 285+ pounds when I started running. I slogged a half mile and couldn't run any more so I walked back home. I built distance when I could and ran four marathons in three years and once took first place in my age group in a smallish not super competitive 10k.

If you want to run, run. But if you truly hate it, why do it? There are TONS of other ways to workout. Find something you love.

negrita40

I also hate running, but it's great for my cardio, easy to do and a pretty cheap alternative to anything else out there. It's also a time saver, because you can do indoors/outdoors at crazy hours. As a working mom, I need that. I'm now running a 5K three times a week, planning to get to a half marathon by the Spring.

mnstrpc

My BFF got me into running. She had run track in high school and for a while after college we both lived together so I tried it then. This would have been about 1996 -ish?

I was a smoker at the time and could not even finish one mile without stopping to walk. But, I've always loved being outside and enjoyed hiking in the woods so this was just like, urban hiking . . . at a faster pace. I actually pretty much liked it from the start, I just wasn't very good at it. I kept at it, and got better. I've been running off and on since then but really only got more serious about it in 2011. I had done quite a few 5Ks prior to that, but did my first 10K in 2011 and from there set a goal to do a half marathon.

I might be in the minority here, but I actually think running is not for everyone. Personally, yes, I love it, but I know people who don't. It's definitely worth giving it a try, and yes, to some other posters' points, you really should keep at it long enough to develop a comfortable pace with your breathing before you decide whether or not it's something you want to pursue. But some people never enjoy running, and that's OK. You don't have to run to lose weight or be fit. There are other forms of cardio that are just as effective.

OTOH, if you DO decide to try it, and stick with it long enough to give it a fair shot, you might find that you actually enjoy running. And that's a pretty cool "club" to be a member of, too.

manhn1

I have been working out for about 15 years but most of my cardio training consisted of classes (cardio kickbox!) and the elliptical and occasionally the bike. I do strength training but I HATE strength training. The treadmill never interested me because if I resorted to the cardio equipment, I wanted to read. Basically, I preferred my classes.

But as I got older, got full-time employment, assumed more responsibilities, arranging my entire schedule around a workout class was becoming too difficult. Now, I do classes solely on the weekends.

For whatever reason, I rarely ever get a decent enough workout from a bike. So, it looked like I'd be doing ellipticals.

But then I bought my first place about 3 years ago. It's a condo and the building has a gym. The ellipticals are cheap and you can't read while using them. Nixed. The bikes are fine but as I said, it takes me forever to feel I ever get a workout out of them. Nixed.

So, I used the treadmill. Started off running for 20 minutes. Now, I do it for 30 minutes and 30 seconds at a pace of around 6.5 miles per hour. It's been my go-to workout for a little over 2 years. I have not been able to master the ability to run and read, so I am one of those freaks that lipsyncs really noticeably while listening to my mp3 player. I also love watching the news. So, it can be weird when I lipsync but also mouth the words on the closed captioning.

I generally prefer to run on the treadmill. I don't like exercising outdoors (although I regularly walk/stroll in the spring and summertime, but I don't count that as my exercise and I am usually holding a cup of coffee). If you see me running outdoors, it's really an absolute last resort. I either find the weather too cold or too hot. The environment near my home was, well, boring. And the practical matters bugged me--I hate having my keys jangling in my pocket. And if I am running not near my home, what do you with your wallet, etc? Yeah, yeah, you can buy stuff for that. I hate buying stuff for exercise. I pay for my gym membership and some crosstrainers every 1-2 years and that's that.

But I did enjoy a few outdoor runs--during my trips to Phoenix (because the hotel gym was still closed) and San Fran (the hotel's gym was under renovation). At both places, I realized I enjoyed it because I liked the sense of adventure and exploration that running afforded me. I mean, that's what I normally like to do anyway, so why not make it more intense and sweaty?

But then I trained for my first half marathon. Again, I hate paying to exercise but my firm was involved in helping this run take place (it was its first year). The half took place this last September. I formally began my training a couple months prior.

I still did my treadmill runs during the week, but on the weekend, I would do one long run--about 10-11 miles. What I did was go to one of my gyms (it's a chain), put all my stuff in a locker, and did a run. I mapped the routes beforehand using mapmyrun (the idea that I would carry my cell during the run did not appeal to me at all). I live in a boring suburb, so I trekked it to the gym in the city, which borders the water. I did that every week (a new route each time). I began to look forward to that.

I really enjoyed my half. It was not only about my specific performance, but I liked the crowds (the spectators and volunteers are awesome) and I liked that for most people, it was about running your personal best.

My next half is in May. And I am buying more stuff-running shoes, shorts, running fees, etc. I still dislike that aspect of it.

Do you need to run to lose weight, to be healthy, etc? Nope. And you certainly don't need to run these long distances to lose weight--if anything, I find it may not be conducive to losing weight because you get hungrier and you eat more (and you eat more carbs). And I'm in pain all the time that I wasn't when I was just doing my classes. But I get enjoyment out of it. And fulfillment. There's a real sense of accomplishment when you complete a "long" run.

reallymyBEST

At 45, I started running (Couch to 5k) out of anger, really. Relationship dissolution... every step was on his face!

HILARIOUS!

Fueled solely by anger for almost 2 1/2 years!!! Now, that I have that out of my system, I have better reasons to run!