Running tips for fatties

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  • lsmsrbls
    lsmsrbls Posts: 232 Member
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    I started at about 300 lbs after always hating running and became an avid runner.

    I agree with everyone who has said to go slowly and take your time.

    If you feel pain (as opposed to soreness), then stop and take a few days off to let your body heal. That won't hurt you with c25k. Don't push yourself and wind up injured such that you have to take off months.

    I disagree with the statement that you should ignore the hunger that comes with running. Eat! You can burn a lot of calories running, even when you first start (especially weighing over 300 lbs). Your body needs nurishment to fuel your exercise.

    Good luck and have fun! And remember: it gets easier. : )
  • jenf235
    jenf235 Posts: 157 Member
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    I am just transitioning into jogging now. I started with walking just 2-4 miles and I was really slow last summer...I am now doing 5-6 miles a night at 13 minute miles and have started adding jogging intervals. I agree with the previous posts...compete only against yourself. My sister runs marathons and my brothers both run too. In my world, if I ran for 2 minutes one day and added an extra minute the next day, then I have a personal victory! Take it slow, I have been transitioning since around Christmas time, and yesterday I did a mile and a half and even added some hills...so if I can do this, you surely can! I can't wait to hear your success!!!
  • PinkNinjaLaura
    PinkNinjaLaura Posts: 3,202 Member
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    I did C25K last year. I chose to run outside because never having run before, I wanted to make sure when I stopped the surface under me stopped as well. Had horrid visions of flying off the back of the treadmill. If the treadmill is your best option, follow the advice of the person who told you to use a little incline - my trainer told me the same thing. Set it at 1.5 or 2.0.

    Also follow the advice of the people who told you to go get fitted for proper shoes. That was my "reward" to myself for completing the first week. It immediately took care of the shin splits and knee pain I was having when I started.

    Someone talked about how slow they are - I'm the same way. I'm 5'2" with a short stride, and I was more focused on getting through the running intervals at all than I worried about how fast I was. My friend who is a runner told me "just keep your feet moving." Don't worry about how fast you're going. Find some good articles online about form and focus on that. (I'd recommend active.com.) It took me half of the program to develop a good stride without having to think about it.

    At the end of the 9 week program I followed, I was able to jog a 5K. It took me a really long time, but I finished it. And then I quit running, but spring is finally showing up in Minnesota and last week I was out on the road starting again, and am really enjoying it.

    I used to joke that if you saw me running it was because someone was chasing me with a knife, but thanks to C25K I really did start to love it.

    You can do this!
  • pet1127
    pet1127 Posts: 572 Member
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    Ok! I'm starting the couch to 5k program a week from tomorrow (I'm giving myself a week of just walking to wake my muscles up before I try to run!). I'm just wondering if there has been anyone that started it at over 300lbs and if you have any tips to share? I'm pretty much the regular couch potato, I lead a fairly sedentary life at the moment.

    My goal is to run the local 10km in late October!

    I did it at 265. Not 300, but I hope you won't hold it against me.

    So some of the things I did that helped a lot:
    1. Work on cardio, being a fatty that can't breathe while running was embarassing, so I'd go to the gym and hit the stationary bikes hard, and it helped my breathing a lot.
    2. Make sure you have the right shoes. Most running people will probably want to put you into Brooks Beasts. Well, those things screwed the eff out of my knees. I went against the traditional schools of thought and got some vibram fivefingers. I went from constant shin splint pain and frequent trips to the Physical Therapist to actually being able to run without getting hurt and enjoying it.
    3. Stretch your feet, and just generally move around a lot. One thing I didn't like from c25k was the timed running portions, I really tried to run too hard and just got tired. Instead I just decided to run for a while, when I was getting tired I'd slow down, when I felt strong, I sped up. When gravity embraced me, I flew.
    4. Don't take **** from anyone. I was on a run and this chump, said, "Hey look at that fat *kitten* trying to run." I was working on mile 3 at the time and had actually been keeping about a 10:15 pace according to my timer. I stopped, looked him dead in the eye and told him to eff himself. He punched me, I punched him until he hit the ground, then I kicked him. A cop pulled me off him, asked what happened, told him what was up, he asked about my five fingers, and that was it. Moral of the story: Don't take crap from naysayers, and when presented with crap, don't be passive. (Boston is not a very welcoming place anyway, so there
    5. Ignore feelings of hunger. It's easy to eat more when starting to run, embrace the suck of being hungry, your body will fight you and scream at you, it wants what it wants, but you need to give it what it needs.
    6. You will fall, you will slip, you will run through a puddle, you will run in rain, you will step in dog crap, you will be crapped on by a bird. It happens, don't dwell, just get moving.
    7. Always move, even if you have to slow to a walk, don't STOP. We're big, it takes a lot of energy to get us moving again, stopping doesn't help our hearts, knees, or momentum. It's also us succumbing to mental weakness. Chances are, you're tired, your feet hurt, you're hungry, you're thirsty. These are all fleeting feelings.
    8. Lose some weight. Seriously, it reduces joint stress.
    9. Yoga helped me a lot, to keep from getting super tight and pulling things.
    10. Be committed. It's easy to say you want to do it, but once challenges come up due to size, it's easy to give up. Don't. It's easy for others, you will have to earn it, and if you want it, you will.


    ^^^^^^^^
    ALL of this and one more thing ENJOY and have fun and and I keep a hard candy in my mouth to combat dry mouth
  • cjpembo
    cjpembo Posts: 42 Member
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    I know you say you don't have access to a treadmill... but that extra 1" of impact travel each stride the treadmill provides might be the difference between success and pain. Just listen to your knees and hips; they'll let you know if it's going to work out or not. We need you running for years; not a few months.

    I'm only 212 lb; and I can do cardio 7 days a week on my treadmill. But I only last 3 days a week on hard surfaces.

    Have fun and enjoy yourself.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
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    dbmata - thank you! That was a very real, bare bones post. I appreciate your honesty.

    Working on a treadmill is not an option for me at the moment. There isn't a gym close by and I can't afford to buy one. I prefer to work out outdoors anyway. Thanks again.

    I think it's almost better for you that you don't have access to a treadmill. Everyone is different, but... I get horrifying shin splints from treadmills, and I don't when running for real. Also, treadmills train you to run on a treadmill. One important aspect of running is the physical adaptations that occur to deal with the impact. Don't short yourself of these, that's what builds thicker bones and conditions joints for impact.

    I'm pretty anti-treadmill because they cause me great physical pain. For others, it's probably easier. :)

    I do wish you the best of luck, eventually running becomes fun. I promise.
  • bethlaf
    bethlaf Posts: 954 Member
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    work as slow or as fast as you need too redo days from the app if needed

    300 lbs is NOT as heavy as everyone is trying to make it , thats not to say its a good healthy weight, but why harp on that, since you know that fact already.. and are working to fix the problem

    my DH is bigger than you are - and he mountain bikes, walks jogs, plays frisbee golf, etc!
  • shadowkat57
    shadowkat57 Posts: 151 Member
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    I'm too lazy to read all the other replies, so apologies if I repeat stuff, but...
    - try to land on the middle of your foot, rolling to your toes, than on your heels, to avoid jarring through the knee and pelvis.
    - run low to the ground, don't leap up and down like a gazelle.
    - learn to breathe, nice steady rhythm, not panicked gasps.
    - take shorter, gliding steps, rather than long springs.
    - listen to music! Find some songs with a beat that matches your running tempo, will totally help you get into/stay in the groove. To find more songs at the right speed, head to jog.fm
    - if you can, try running on grass rather than concrete to cushion the blow.
    - if you're brave, try barefoot style runners like Vibram FiveFingers - they got me running for the first time in my life.

    Good luck! I got up to about week 7 of c25k before I got the flu (d'oh!), and I'd always been a complete running fail, but I worked out the above through trial and error, and was super proud of myself :)
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/47-couch-to-5k-running-program-c25k-

    Join us for advice and support as you need it.

    You totally rock for starting this, BTW!
  • LG61820
    LG61820 Posts: 372 Member
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    I am cheering for you. C25K taught me the importance of well-fitting shoes that suit your gait. They will not be the cheapest shoes you've ever bought, but if you start without good shoes you will have problems of one kind or another and will go buy the good ones anyway.

    I also vote for running on grass if you can find a relatively smooth grassy place to run. Football or soccer fields come to mind. The local Community College or High School may have a track with a springy surface - also good to start with. That's where I started with C25K.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
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    I'm too lazy to read all the other replies, so apologies if I repeat stuff, but...
    - try to land on the middle of your foot, rolling to your toes, than on your heels, to avoid jarring through the knee and pelvis.
    - run low to the ground, don't leap up and down like a gazelle.
    - learn to breathe, nice steady rhythm, not panicked gasps.
    - take shorter, gliding steps, rather than long springs.
    - listen to music! Find some songs with a beat that matches your running tempo, will totally help you get into/stay in the groove. To find more songs at the right speed, head to jog.fm
    - if you can, try running on grass rather than concrete to cushion the blow.
    - if you're brave, try barefoot style runners like Vibram FiveFingers - they got me running for the first time in my life.

    Good luck! I got up to about week 7 of c25k before I got the flu (d'oh!), and I'd always been a complete running fail, but I worked out the above through trial and error, and was super proud of myself :)
    This is all great as well. I don't do music when I run, because I'd like to be able to hear the car that hits me, but YMMV.

    A midfoot strike is ultra important, and one of the reasons I advise people to get fivefingers. You will not heel strike for long with those, I promise.
  • kathyvstephan
    kathyvstephan Posts: 41
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    bump
  • EDesq
    EDesq Posts: 1,527 Member
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    DO NOT Do IT! Do you know how much Pressure running is putting on you feet, not to mention the pounding your knees, back and hip are taking with all of that weight. You will come to regret it years from now!

    Running is one of the worse, if not the worse exercise humans can do, even the fit ones...and you are going to put yourself at risk at 300 lbs. WALK, just WALK, fast or slow...JUST WALK!!!
  • shadowkat57
    shadowkat57 Posts: 151 Member
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    This is all great as well. I don't do music when I run, because I'd like to be able to hear the car that hits me, but YMMV.

    A midfoot strike is ultra important, and one of the reasons I advise people to get fivefingers. You will not heel strike for long with those, I promise.

    I have it at a volume where I can still hear cars/muggers/incoming magpies etc...
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
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    DO NOT Do IT! Do you know how much Pressure running is putting on you feet, not to mention the pounding your knees, back and hip are taking with all of that weight. You will come to regret it years from now!

    Running is one of the worse, if not the worse exercise humans can do, even the fit ones...and you are going to put yourself at risk at 300 lbs. WALK, just WALK, fast or slow...JUST WALK!!!

    lolwut?
    So, all those years we evolved as runners, it's now suddenly bad for us? :D

    Shoulda told that to the 53k people that ran Bloomsday with me yesterday.
  • benne070
    benne070 Posts: 51 Member
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    I'm not over 300, but am heavy and just started the C25k program. Even in the couple of weeks I've been doing it, I've noticed an improvement. Feel free to friend me if you'd like and we can motivate each other :)
  • JLHNU212
    JLHNU212 Posts: 169 Member
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    Bumpin this!! I officially started this program today and could use ALL the help I can get!
  • nahiluoh
    nahiluoh Posts: 41 Member
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    Take smaller steps, slow it down, and try not to heel strike when your foot hits the ground.
  • sugarandspice27
    sugarandspice27 Posts: 521 Member
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    I was over 300 pounds when I started jogging (running is being rather generous) and along with all the other advice, my best advice is some compression clothing. You don't want to be bouncing all over the place, so top and bottom. A good sports bra is key and some tight biker pants under whatever else you're wearing helps you not feel like you're flopping all over the place.
  • soumont
    soumont Posts: 21
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    I am in the UK and doing couch to 5k programme but with my nursing shifts hard to do one day one then rest day. however i plan to try and get reasonable walk/pace. i would say as a tip set a realistic goal in the short term and then medium and long term goal. sensible proper runnig shoes a must as well as listening to your body. good luck x

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