Runner envy! How do they do it?

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Mandygring
Mandygring Posts: 704 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have always had runner envy. lol I have tried jogging and failed badly. I just get so out of breath. Some runners say they have asthma and still able to do it. I also have scoliosis (which doesn't normally bother me) and have had pinched nerve or something and my leg gives out. Its really weird and hurts when you hit the pavement! Anyone ever had that? Seriously, what are your running secrets? :)
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Replies

  • foraubs
    foraubs Posts: 263 Member
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    C25K!!!!!
    Trust it.
    Run it.
    Own it.

    It will change your life, one interval run at a time :)
  • JenToms80
    JenToms80 Posts: 373 Member
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    My only advice would be to just keep with it, take it as steady as your body wants and you will soon see a difference

    Good Luck! :flowerforyou:
  • hananah89
    hananah89 Posts: 692 Member
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    Take it slow. C25K is great because it gives people that regiment they need.
  • jennynewbury
    jennynewbury Posts: 48 Member
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    Couch to 5k app, good running shoes, slowing down and try try trying again. I went from never running, to a 2 and half hour half marathon, to a sub 2 hour half marathon in about a year. Feel free to add me if you want to talk any more about running :)
  • Sharonks
    Sharonks Posts: 884 Member
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    Start slowly and get properly fitted shoes. Shoes make a huge different. I have bad joints and super flat feet. I had my shoes fitted at a running store and things hurt a lot less.
  • Hitsujikai
    Hitsujikai Posts: 111 Member
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    I've always had issues running long distances, I was always better as a sprinter than a distance runner in high school. I've started doing Couch to 5K (C25K) using an app on my phone.

    In four weeks I've gone from barely lasting a single minute of jogging before being out of breath to being able to jog for 3 consecutive minutes without being out of breath. For me this is a huge improvement!
  • Bprocto3
    Bprocto3 Posts: 23 Member
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    I have been doing the Couch-to-5k program. I never liked jogging or running, but this program helps because it eases you into jogging. The link is below. I am on week 6 now. Hope it help:-)

    http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
  • patrickfish7
    patrickfish7 Posts: 190 Member
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    When I was a baby, I couldnt run. I couldnt walk. I couldnt stand unaided. I couldnt crawl so I had to be helped.

    Moral? Take it in stages and dont expect it to come all good immediately.

    4 years ago I couldnt run 100 metres and had a fifteen minute mile pace.

    Now I can cover three miles @ 7 minute mile pace and can run 12 miles no problem.

    I get injuries but they are all part of the training progress eg IT band issues, achilles issues, DOMs etc.

    *****

    Run if you can
    Walk if you must
    Crawl if you have to
    Just never give up
  • CarrieJ85
    CarrieJ85 Posts: 106 Member
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    You're not alone! I've had asthma my whole life and have never been able to run. I would love to but I've tried and also failed miserably.
  • ZenInTexas
    ZenInTexas Posts: 781 Member
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    C25K. Take it slow. Be patient and be consistent.
  • rachface1234
    rachface1234 Posts: 227 Member
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    Well I still consider myself a painfully slow "jogger" but the "secret" is to just build up super slowly. For beginning I love those couch to 5K apps; they start you off with walk/run intervals so its less intimidating. Best advice I have ever received is when first starting off, just jog as slowly as you can, just over walking. Eventually your heart and lungs and legs get stronger and you speed up naturally. There are certainly days when a few miles feels awesome but many more days where halfway through my 3 or 4 mile loop I feel like I'm gonna die! I just slow down back to that slow jog and keep at it. But I certainly admire "real runners" when I see them breezily loping down the road at twice my pace. Everybody is different ;)
  • TheGymGypsy
    TheGymGypsy Posts: 1,023 Member
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    Invest in good shoes and have someone at a specialty store check out your stride and make sure your form is good, that may be why you are hurting your back.
  • sevsmom
    sevsmom Posts: 1,172 Member
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    Realistic expectations. That's the #1 thing. You won't be fast starting out. You have to train your body to have the endurance you want. It will hurt. Your body will hurt. Strange pains & discomforts will abound. You have to be determined to learn to navigate through those things that others would quit at. Obstacles can be overcome. Lack of determination will derail a person every time.

    I was determined I would train myself to run a 5k. Inside of 2 years from that 5k, I am now placing in the top tier of my age group in half marathons, 5ks, and 15ks. So, if my old, overweight, NON runner self can get there.....anyone who is physically able can.

    Your medical history sounds way more complex than mine. But, research training programs and see if you can find something that slowly builds you up to your desired running goal!!
  • jodieh06
    jodieh06 Posts: 49
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    I used to be exactly the same, hated running, couldn't see how people could be bothered/put up with the pain.. I kept 'starting' running. I'd go out two to three times before I quit again.
    And I know its not quite the same, but for the last 3 weeks I've been on he running machine at the gym. I plug in some opera music (I know, a bit odd?) and run like I'm in some epic movie (slowly though.. of course). Since I started, I've cut 8 minutes off my 5k run and got to a point where I quite enjoy the challenge! I've also noticed a difference in my legs, they seem so much more toned :D
    I haven't quite managed to get outside running again yet, but I think I'll be ready soon.
    I try to keep setting myself little goals, trying to run faster, or for a bit longer. Sometimes I just have to cover up the time on the machine and promise myself I won't try and sneak a look until the next 2 songs I've listened to have finished. I get on the machine and say I'm going to do the whole 5k, even if it means walking, but then the challenge of beating my previous best pops in to my head and I can't help but turn the speed up again..
    I apologise if i've said all this and you have no access to a running machine. In which case, i'd say make it through the first 2 weeks, just getting out, and hope it catches on? :)
  • dwh77tx
    dwh77tx Posts: 513 Member
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    I was NEVER a runner until this summer. I have done a 10K and now training for a 1/2 marathon. Things that get me running- proper running clothes, especially good running shoes and running socks. An awesome playlist. Heartrate monitor. I tell myself I can't stop unless something hurts. I think it's more mental than anything.
  • jenn_zimm
    jenn_zimm Posts: 57 Member
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    I have scoliosis. And asthma. And I always wanted to run but never thought I could - C25K changed my life, seriously. I've run dozens of 5ks and 10ks and am currently training for a half. I cannot possibly recommend it enough!
  • prettykitty1963
    prettykitty1963 Posts: 42 Member
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    Have been doing the C25K program for 7 weeks, finished WEEK 7 Day 2 this morning.....I am a very s-l-o-w runner. People walk faster than I jog/run. I love doing it and feel so good when I am done. Even if I don't jog the entire time I am supposed to it is still a great feeling of accomplishment for me.
  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
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    For me it was drive. I marked distance on the road I run. Every day I had to get to a new mark, and I simply wouldn't allow myself to stop running. By the time I hit a mile a mile and a half became easy. Now I can do a 5K without flinching. I just had to push myself to do it. But people are unique animals, what worked for me may not work for you. The C25K programs are pretty good, they didn't work for me, but my wife uses one and loves it.

    Rigger
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
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    C25K!!!!!
    Trust it.
    Run it.
    Own it.

    It will change your life, one interval run at a time :)

    This, this, a thousand times this.

    In October of last year, I could barely run 50 yards to the bus stop to get my daughter to school on time. Then I started the C25k program.

    Now I run a 7m30s mile, 5k in under 25 minutes, 10k in under an hour, and I run 8+ miles on long run days.

    The program works, if you bring the dedication.
  • RunWinterGarden
    RunWinterGarden Posts: 428 Member
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    Don't be afraid to walk during your runs, also, learn to pace yourself (much easier said than done).

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