Running is hard!

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Strouzo
Strouzo Posts: 6 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Trying to lose at least 30 pounds with running as my main type of exercise. I used to be in really good shape, and running was never this hard! I'm 32 years old with a great wife and 2 daughters, and I want to be a good role model for them. Anyone have any motivation to keep me going? I'm the kind of guy that falls off the Wagon quickly. I work a minimum of 50 hours a week. That's usually my excuse for eating bad and not exercising.

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  • McSpike
    McSpike Posts: 34 Member
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    Congrats on making the commitment to change!

    I firmly believe the secret to success is finding exercise you enjoy doing. If it is running, great, if it is cycling, so be it, and so on.

    As a guy, albeit not uber-competitive, I am finding it easier to stay on task by having "friends" here. I am a gadget guy at heart, so adding a pedometer, a FitBit One in my case, is really helping to motivate me.

    Two nights ago, I came home from work and then a walk with my wife and dogs to find myself just a little shy of 20,000 steps for the day. Got on the treadmill to finish it up. Would I have done that without my little electronic motivator? Not on my life!

    Same thing yesterday. My wife hit 50 floors climbed on her fitbit and texted me (she's out of town.) I looked at mine, I was at 30 for the day. Went to the home improvement show in town, and purposely parked so I'd have to walk up hill to get back to my truck. Got home and was at 43 floors. We have a 4-level split house, so I walked stairs to get the last few floors. Wouldn't have done it without my wife and my Fitbit.

    Mike
  • SugarBoomBoom
    SugarBoomBoom Posts: 67
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    Hi. I posted a similar thread to this earlier this week. I am finding it hard too! My mind wants me to run, but somehow my body has not caught up. The advice I received on here was
    (1) Start very slowly. Work on speed after you have built stamina and don't try and do too much too soon. You must run for about a minute, then walk a bit, then run for another minute and so on until you can increase your run time and decrease your walk time.
    (2) Have rest days in between to give your body time to heal and reduce the risk of injury/over training.
    (3) I run on the treadmill, but a lot of people told me to get my butt outside and just run! Now that it looks like Spring is around the corner, I shall certainly do that.

    I hope that helps a bit. Good luck with the running!
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
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    Hi. I posted a similar thread to this earlier this week. I am finding it hard too! My mind wants me to run, but somehow my body has not caught up. The advice I received on here was
    (1) Start very slowly. Work on speed after you have built stamina and don't try and do too much too soon. You must run for about a minute, then walk a bit, then run for another minute and so on until you can increase your run time and decrease your walk time.
    (2) Have rest days in between to give your body time to heal and reduce the risk of injury/over training.
    (3) I run on the treadmill, but a lot of people told me to get my butt outside and just run! Now that it looks like Spring is around the corner, I shall certainly do that.

    I hope that helps a bit. Good luck with the running!

    I think all of these are great ideas. Don't worry about pace or even distance at first. You will improve quickly, without even really trying hard.
  • juliec33
    juliec33 Posts: 238 Member
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    Try a couch to 5k program. Lots of good phone apps for it. And just remember that just because you miss a workout (or 2) it doesn't mean you've fallen off the wagon. I love the saying "weightloss happens in the kitchen. Fitness happens in the gym".

    Good luck with the running.
  • techiegirl81078
    techiegirl81078 Posts: 8 Member
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    Try a couch to 5k program. Lots of good phone apps for it. And just remember that just because you miss a workout (or 2) it doesn't mean you've fallen off the wagon. I love the saying "weightloss happens in the kitchen. Fitness happens in the gym".

    Good luck with the running.

    I love that saying! Its so true!
  • SprinkledWithEmotion
    SprinkledWithEmotion Posts: 67 Member
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    Try a couch to 5 k program. It really helps. Or even writing out your own walk/run times will help you stick to a goal. Running is such a mental sport. You either tell yourself you can or you tell yourself you can't.
  • dedmanj7
    dedmanj7 Posts: 17 Member
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    Firstly, i would say set out a plan of when you can run. I Ran a half marathon in september, was so unfit had 2 months to train, and like you was working all hours of the day. So, I had to set target of when i was running, didnt have to be long distances, my advice when you go running but its only for a short time, do bursts so run 50% for 5 minutes, slow to a light jog for 5 minutes then up the intensity to 75%. This helped me gain my once great fitness back.

    Secondly, it will be tough, do not throw in the towel. Tell your wife when you plan to run, make her kick you up the back side if you dont go, use her to aid you. Even if its just a so.... when are you runnning? Getting your mind back on the goal.

    Honestly, its never fun to realise you arent as fit as you once were, but if i can run 24.3miles in under two hours after just 2 months training im sure you can do it my friend.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Start easy - short distance, slow pace. And work up from there. Is there a group near you that you could join - here in the UK there's quite a few park-run groups which meet every Saturday morning and do a timed 5k run. You can really see how you're improving with that. Or use an app like MapMyRun to record your progress.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    I hate running. I hate it so much :laugh:

    Pretty much never do it either. It's like the least fun form of cardio in the world.
  • Brian_VA
    Brian_VA Posts: 125
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    I don't think that learning to run is the quickest or fastest way to get fit and burn calories.

    Why? The buildup takes a long time, and if you push it you're likely to get injured. C25K is a great program, but the calorie burn is very modest compared to other forms of exercise.

    How to learn to run and get in shape fast too? Train for a triathlon sprint. This involves learning to run, swimming and biking. The running, even though you may find it the most satisfying, will burn the fewest calories in the beginning. I felt the swimming and biking built the breath control and endurance that transferred to the running and helped me progress and avoid injuries.

    Now once you are in good shape and able to run 15+ miles a week, that is very different. You can burn a lot of calories and stay in great shape. But this is 2-4 months out (if you can stay injury free and stick with it 3 times a week, every week).

    Until then you need to mix the running with other less high impact exercise. And if someone has a lot of weight to lose, might be smarter to start with swimming and biking (or whatever you enjoy that is lower impact), and add running later once your fitness has improved and your weight is down. This is purely to reduce the impact on the knees, shins, and tendons that running with a lot of extra pounds will create.

    Good luck!
  • wllwsmmr
    wllwsmmr Posts: 391 Member
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    I agree with most that you just have to start! It is hard but once you get used to it it gets better! I actually like running because it relieves stress!

    But another thing that I thought you could experiment with is to focus on one first if tackling both at once is overwhelming? You could try incorporating running into your routine first, and once you get used to it then start eating better, or the other way around! Sometimes doing it all at once makes you wanna give up and hence 'sabotaging' yourself even more!
    Though if you're looking to lose weight, focusing on your diet is definitely key! Like many has said, you can never out train a bad diet!

    Start small! They will accumulate :)
  • gtreyger
    gtreyger Posts: 25
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    Honestly, its never fun to realise you arent as fit as you once were, but if i can run 24.3miles in under two hours after just 2 months training im sure you can do it my friend.

    24.3 miles in under two hours? That's approximately 12 miles per hour, or 5 minute mile, sustained… Faster than world record marathon runners. Very impressive, especially after only 2 months of training! ;-)
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    Honestly, its never fun to realise you arent as fit as you once were, but if i can run 24.3miles in under two hours after just 2 months training im sure you can do it my friend.

    24.3 miles in under two hours? That's approximately 12 miles per hour, or 5 minute mile, sustained… Faster than world record marathon runners. Very impressive, especially after only 2 months of training! ;-)

    He must have Lance Armstrong as his "nutritionist."
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Yes I'm aiming to do my first half marathon this year, and I reckon if I can run 13 miles in 2 and a bit hours I'll be doing really well!
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    My best tip is to start of running really slow if you're planning to run distance. And also, try to beat yourself each time. If you ran 13 minutes straight last time, try to run 14 minutes straight today.
  • Ascolti_la_musica
    Ascolti_la_musica Posts: 676 Member
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    Sign up for a zombie mud run.

    Running for the sake of running is boring. Running because you are "training" to outrun zombies is fun.

    Fun is motivation!
  • dorothytd
    dorothytd Posts: 1,138 Member
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    I used to hate running because it IS hard. Then I figured out it wasn't so much my body, as my mind holding me back. Don't think you "can't" or that it is "hard." Know that you CAN, and set reasonable goals for yourself. Couch to 5k is great, or a program like Hal Higdon's. I particularly like Hal because he breaks up the running with other things, and encourages strength training. Strength work helped my running a LOT.

    You CAN. Right now I can't due to an injury. Hopefully it is short-term, but I could cry for all the times I could have and didn't. Get out there and DO IT!!

    Best wishes!
  • Spikethered
    Spikethered Posts: 108
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    Honestly, its never fun to realise you arent as fit as you once were, but if i can run 24.3miles in under two hours after just 2 months training im sure you can do it my friend.

    24.3 miles in under two hours? That's approximately 12 miles per hour, or 5 minute mile, sustained… Faster than world record marathon runners. Very impressive, especially after only 2 months of training! ;-)


    This^^^....so true !
  • nkirby0617
    nkirby0617 Posts: 4 Member
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    Hey I'm in the same boat! I recommend signing up for a fun run 5K. I'm really out of shape, but I did a 5K on Thanksgiving day and I loved it. It was motivating, inspiring, and when I finished, almost an HOUR later, I felt amazing!!! Like you, I work a lot, have a partner and two children, so it's hard to find time. I signed up for a 5K in April (I'm committed to doing one every quarter) to help keep me on track. I'm going whether I'm ready for it or not just to feel the energy of other runners. My cousin is doing it with me, so that's my recommendation. I'm using it to keep my on track, so hopefully that will help.

    Running is a challenge, but 5K's, fun runs, etc, will help make running fun AND rewarding!!!
  • nkirby0617
    nkirby0617 Posts: 4 Member
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    BTW...find some where you can bring your children along and pull them in a wagon!

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