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

I don't fall into the category of people you're asking (I'm not a runner yet) but I am a health coach and wanted to put my two cents in (for what it's worth). Put a focus on nutrition and getting your gut and body healthy. I didn't check to see if you had a posted weight but if you weigh more it's going to be putting a lot of stress on your joints and may cause an injury. You want to make sure you're healthy inside first. With a healthy gut and proper nutrition you will have more stamina, more energy, feel better, and will recover faster. Physical movement is important but running is a high impact movement and may not be where you're at yet. You'll get there though! Push yourself past your comfort level but not so much that you're hating life. You got this! If you do it right you have a healthy habit for life!

^^^ Listen to this lady. Along with my running plan (above) I was pursuing healthy eating, and losing weight steadily. I was also pushing weights on my off-days, though I'm not sure exactly what contribution this made to me completing C25K.

Slow down...the most annoying running advice ever but also the most accurate. You should be able to carry on a conversation while running. If you can't you are running too fast. Speed will come.

As you keep at it, it will get easier.

Ditto!

First, I dropped over 60 lbs before I started running. At my heaviest there would have been no way I could have run! So glad I like biking! :-)

As for running, I have been running for almost 18 months. I started from zero and the Sunday before last I ran my first half marathon. Last summer I did my first 5 k followed by my first, second and third 10k.

It takes time! At the beginning pace and distance are very hard to determine and your body and mind are learning what it feels like to run. I only found the C25K program after I had gotten to the 5k non-stop distance. So, I never used it. I currently participate in group running with the Running Room on the weekends. They have a 10:1 system that I like. Run for 10 minutes (at a pace you can handle) then walk for 1 minute (repeat). This seems to build distance quickly for people who are new to running.

What I did at the beginning was to set a distance. Once around my subdivision was my starting distance (+/- 3k). My first run was my bench mark. Took me 45 minuets and I had to stop to catch my breath 5 times. From there I focused on improving. Faster time and less walking breaks. Once I did this loop with no breaks I added some distance that got me to a little over 4.5k and started over. Once I got to 5k with no breaks I seemed to stay there for a long time! Probably 3 months. My first 10k run was the weekend before my first 10k race! Once past this mark I kept adding small increments in distance every couple of weeks until my big run two weeks ago.

Now I am starting to train for a full marathon! Maybe this fall or maybe next year. However long it takes? I will get there!

BTW - With regards to the above quote. If you can get a couple of friends to run with you or join a running group? I highly recommend. As you run and talk with people your body will adjust your breathing and your pace. Running with friends helped me immensely!

Keep at it and have fun!

I started running at about 260 to 265 lbs. Keep your pace slow like others have said, and make sure you get fitted for proper running shoes. The latter was the hardest for me, as I don't like spending money on shoes, but sooooo worth it. Also, don't worry about repeating weeks in C25K. I've been doing it for about 4 or 5 months (I think) and I'm only on Week 5. Just keep at it, and don't get discouraged.

I started running last summer.... I could make it that first 1-2 minutes, then I always had to walk. I talked to my mom about this.... she is a distance runner, a triathlete, an iron woman, and a former cross country coach... I value her opinion. She told me that it is mostly mental, not physical. She said to slow down at first, find a distraction (I love my music) and when you get to the point where you want to walk, dont. Try to mentally push through it. If you are in pain then stop. I took her advice and it worked. I am now running 5+ miles for an hour at a time. Training to run my first 10K in April. I could never do the interval running because once I start walking, I am usually done. I takes probably at least 5 minutes of running for your body to warm up.... once it does you are good.

I also did the C25K but I did it with a friend for motivation, we run very slow and only three days a week, you need rest days. Now I'm running 5km in 30mins three to four times a week and focusing on distance rather than speed.

Good luck

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.

This is super fast for a beginner. Try 8kph, or even 7.5.

Edit: As soon as you can, try running outside, so you can pick your own pace rather than having it dictated to you by your treadmill setting.

Berry's first rule of running is: When you start out, it’s HARD! Even if you think you’re fit, running is so different to anything else you’ve done before you will get out of breath quickly. Stick with it. Can’t manage a minute? Go slow. Still can’t? GO SLOWER!

If you find it hard to progress, try repeating a week.

Here's the rest of my vague musings on beginning to run:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/BerryH/view/20-things-i-wish-i-d-known-about-running-when-i-started-103936

Eff the treadmill get outside.

Go slow when you are running (you should be able to sorta talk without gasping)

Be persistant and consistent (try to do slow easy runs at least 4 days per week)

Always be improving you have to push out of your comfort zone and do a little more than you did last week.

I was a couch person, never ran a day in my life. When I started I went too fast and gave myself a severe case of sciatica. I'm getting ready to gear back into it again, but I need to remember the following things:

1) start off slow - don't do too much too fast. If you are out of shape or unfit, you will damage your body more than you realize.
2) invest in good shoes and inserts - the better the shoe the less chance of injury
3) pace yourself - if your sore, don't push too hard (again injury taught me that the hard way). start of running every other day and build up
4) if you are injured or in pain, seek a physical therapist and proper conditioning. Continue w/that conditioning even after physical therapy. I'm restarting conditioning on my hip today so I can get back into running.
5) intervaling is not bad - it's actually good for you, in some cases, better than running can be.

I started running at 250. And the first week KILLED. Now I'm out of shape due to injury and ran a little on Saturday and my butt hurt from lack of muscle tone. It's an uphill clime going from unfit to runner, but it's worth it. I miss it.

I did c25k. First of all, slow down. You will pick up speed in time. Don't rush. As long as you're propelling forward, you're doing ok. The biggest help for me was visiting the c25k forums on their website. I did this constantly. Everybody there is in the same boat as you are. Great help and motivation. Last but not least, do it three times a week come hell or high water. To this day I don't give myself the option. I just get out there and do it. BTW, my favorite time to run is in the dark, early morning. Good luck to you! It's the best thing that ever happened to me. Oh yes, I started when I was 51 yo and 50 lbs over weight. Go for it girl!

Another vote for slowing down! Treadmills are unnatural, in that you have to set it at the speed you *think* you should be going. Thus, you are generally setting yourself up for failure. My jogging doesn't even count as jogging (as far as MyFitnessPal is concerned) but I can now run at 4.5 mph for 30 minutes straight.

I started out morbidly obese and my first "run" lasted about 18 seconds (and I thought I was going to die). I now run 25-30 miles a week, my long run is 8-10 miles.

So, I did "a" C25K plan-but not "the" C25K plan. I found one where you ran for 30 seconds, then walked for 5.5 minutes before you had to run again. Took a few weeks before I could do that. I didn't move on to the next "week" until I could comfortably do the current week's plan. So I spent a long time getting through C25K.

And seriously-slow down. No, slower than that. My first "runs" were at barely over 5km/hr (way less than 4mph). That's the speed I could "run" and still breathe. Run lots at whatever pace YOU can manage-don't listen to what anyone else says is fast or slow, some people in this thread have advised you to run "slowly" at a pace that is faster than I run my long runs. I run the pace that's right for me-that's the pace that matters. So dial back the speed and see how much farther you can go. Run lots and lots of miles (kms) and your pace will increase as you get more fit.

I also did the C25K program. Monday, Wednesday and Friday were my running days. I picked a 5K that was a week after the end of the program and signed up to run with a buddy.

I started C25K at about 210 pounds on a 5'9" frame, I was active as a kid but always overweight...as an adult I was in the "obese" category. I was in shape enough to walk up to 4 miles in an hour when I started C25K, but running was out of the question when I usually tried it. I went for it though and finished it in a little over 9 weeks, I had to rest after week 8 due to an ankle sprain from a pickup soccer game. The keys for me was slowing down on my run intervals, barely a jog if necessary, so that I could build up the endurance and strengthen my legs. I also focused hard on breathing during those walk intervals, taking deep breaths, trying to go through my nose to inhale, to help build up my lungs. And I never did back to back run days and did other exercise regiments on at least 2 other days...be it walking, weights, the Wii Fit, etc.
The program works if you stick with it and sometimes you won't think you are ready to move on to the next week until you try it, it wasn't until week 5 that I really realized that I could do it. And now I'm 10 days out from running my 2nd marathon, a little less than 2 1/2 years after week 1 of C25K.

Also, watch your breathing. It really helps. For some reason, I have a tendency to hold my breath.

Girl you are talking to the right crowd. First when I started the C25K I was over 100 pounds heavier and in terrible shape, I am surprised people did not call an ambulance when watching me go. I had incredible pain in my shins, hips, knees, ankles..you name it! I could not follow the traditional C25K program because that was geared towards the people that had some type of fitness level which I did not AT ALL!!! I am sure I looked a terrible spectacle when I ran.

I would say go slow, very slow and cross train. First try walking more and getting faster until you can walk about 6 - 6.5 kmh. You can also run slower than you are, it is ok and so what if you can run one min, take a couple min off between and do it again then the next time increase the time by like 10% ect. I would suggest not running more than 3 times a week as if you are really out of shape you may have injury issues. Also try to cross train if you have access to a gym, it will help your fitness levels. So maybe on the day off you try the bike, elliptical or arc...ect...ect.

Your fitness levels will increase, give it time and patience..You got this baby