Runners who used to be seriously unfit - how did you do it?

Here's the scenario for me: 39 5/6 years of age. . .30+ lbs overweight. . .wants to RUN a full 5K. Starts during the HEAT of July. Runs almost daily. I didn't mess with any apps or the like. I simply went outside to the trail near my office on lunch and RAN until I thought I would pass out. Then I walked back. I measured how far I could go before I literally almost collapsed. . .1.1 miles or so. That became my starting place. Every day, I ran that distance until it was OK, then I added more. I always had to walk back. But none of this walk a minute run a minute business. Just running (granted it was SLOW running).

Time progressed and I made it to the full 3.1 miles. Signed up for a local university's race. Came in 2nd in my age group (even with a 30 second walk break). The hook was set, so to say. I LOVE to run now and have completed numerous 5ks, a 15k and 2 half marathons. In fact, after that ground breaking 5k in which I won the 2nd place age group award. . .I didn't run another race until I race the half marathon 6 months later!! LOL

Just run. Push yourself. Stop telling yourself you can't do it. It's HARD, and you CAN do it!!! Good luck!

ok i had a similiar situation to this. I used to be an okay runner then i stopped had two kids and was overweight by like 20lbs that i have since lost. still working on losing the rest but thats a different story.
I was having such a hard time running. once i started lifting....it just got easier. my legs were stronger. my heart didnt feel like it was getting ready to bust out of my body, my lungs were getting suffiicient air and my side werent hurting like before. My personal opinion, and i could be wrong, is incorporate weights if u want to be a succesful runner. I think there are natural runners (im not one of them but i do like to run) and then there are people like me...that train themselves to run. Hope it helps :flowerforyou:

Here is a video that helped me alot. Around 9 minutes he talkes about stride rates and stride length. There are many different running styles and I am not saying this one is the best, it just worked for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYNZUioUdHQ

I was 245lbs when I started couch to 5k.
I couldn't even run 1 minute without gasping for air. I also got alot of 'chest' pain. My doctor thought it was just
pain from my lungs adjusting. I had to take some time away, but I kept plugging away....and now I can run darn close to 10k and have lost about 85lbs.

ps - running outside is so much more fun than on a treadmill. Get some good music to distract you. Start slow and work your way up, the couch to 5k app is good for this.

ETA: Shoes make the difference!!

Feel your pain. I started where you're at now, lots of walking and a little bit of running. When I did run I would run maybe a hundred yards before I had to stop to catch my breath, that's how out of shape I was. But after awhile, the distances that I was running became greater and greater and I remember it as if it was yesterday, the the first time I ran and wasn't out of breath. From that day on, the limit to how far I ran was no longer my heart and lungs, but the strength of my legs. Awesome feeling, if you're persistent, you'll get there too. Good luck to you.

Hi, You need to start slow....first start with 8 km/ hr or whichever speed you are comfortable in ,see how long you can run then increase the speed by 10% every week...I am 149 pounds now started with 167.2...I completed my first 5k, you can check my profile for more info...you should first build your stamina with shorter runs at lower speed then increase slowly...

i joined Team In Training and committed to run a marathon. Team in Training raises money for blood cancer research. I signed a contract stating that if I backed out or didn't meet my fundraising goal, I'd still pay the money I had agreed to raise.

That kept me motivated! I couldn't afford NOT to run! Plus, meeting with a coach once a week, learning about pacing and proper shoes, etc., and meeting other runners at my pace was a definite plus.

TNT does half marathons, too.

When I started, just 30 seconds was almost impossible. But I worked up to it. And I took the advice of many here and on the C25K forum: go as slow as you possibly can (the speed will come on it's own, later). At first, I was sure I could possibly walk faster than I was running.

Repeat weeks as many times as you need to - there is no deadline. I started C25K last week of September. I'm about ready to start week 9 now. (yeah, I repeated many of the weeks, several times). I can run for 28 minutes straight now, with no issues, so I feel ready for week 9 (30 minutes straight).

And make sure you're eating enough, too.

PS - I run outside, as I've never had access to a treadmill. Try it - it's so much more interesting than staring at the wall.

I agree with the others in that you should slow down and start small. I was able to start at a run of 2 min/walk 1 x 8 and work up. The next week was run 3/walk 2 x 5 and so on 4 times/week. Never walking more than 3 minutes in between, but doing that for about 20 minutes total while you work up to the longer runs. It doesn't seem like a lot, but when you're out of shape, trust me, it's needed. You don't want to get frustrated to the point you just stop.

I had a friend, to, who a few years back, took up running. She was overweight and extremely out of shape. I bet it took her nearly a year before she worked up to running a full mile without stopping. Last fall she completed a half marathon and will be doing another in the spring. She told me she's thinking about training for a full now. She still works it the same, too. Slow and steady. I think she does 11 minute miles, but damn if that's not admirable.

Because I so want to run. I started NHS C25k but just did not get on with it and over the course of about 6 weeks managed to get to week 3 :ohwell: . I am now back on the treadmill alternating between running for 1 min or so then walking to recover and gradually increasing my running until I can run for 30 minutes. But I find it so hard.

I really, really want to run - there is something that appeals to me about being able to go for long solitary runs - but I just don't seem to have the power/stamina to run for longer than 1 or 2 minutes before feeling like I want to collapse. I am also doing moderate strength training, particularly focussing on legs.

I was wondering mainly from runners who started off being seriously unfit like me - how did you do it? How long did it take? Am I doing something wrong?

PS: Treadmill is set at 9.0 to 9.5 km per hour for my running and 5.0 km per hour for my walking.

I real beginner mistake that happens time and time again (including to me) is to go far to fast for the running bits. Even when you think you are going slow often you are not slow enough. It took me until week 4 to realise this as I was doing w4 run 1 and had just finished the running bit and had to stop to dry heave several times!!! I was outside following a loop route so had to carry on . I just walked until I recovered and then tried to do run 3 of week 4 run 1 and I finally listened to the advice to walk fast and then just 'run' very slightly faster than the walk!!! It was a real eureka moment for me and by the first session of week 5 I actually ran the full 20 mins instead of building up. Of course I have got faster now (though not by much as I am still a beginner and did C25K late on last year) but your running time seems quite quick to me. On a treadmill I walk at 6k but start running at 7.5 and increase a little to 8k for a nice steady run. I have been using intervals recently going up 0.5 at a time up to 10k doing each for a min and then coming back down and now a can run for quite a while at 9-9.5k but think that may be far too much while you are still at the early stages of the programme. do try slower as it is not a race at this stage, you still need to build muscle and endurance .