Runners: what was it like when you first started?

I just started running recently, it's hard to find the time for a run for me because I work full time and have a very needy two year old, so sometimes he and I run laps of our apartment and sometimes I sneak out in the early mornings/nap time. If I'm leaving him to go for a jog I don't stay out for more than ten minutes, which is about a mile for me, I can jog for 20-30 at a more relaxed pace but when I'm hurrying to make sure the little guy doesn't wake up and then wake up his dad because he can't find me I focus more on my speed.
My goal is to run a 5k in June, I'm not following any specific training program, I'm just listening to what my body has to say about various runs and adjusting things as need be.

It kinda sucked until I actually ran an entire mile. That was a huge win for me.

I started running in a wildlife refuge away from judging eyes where only the otters and birds would see me wheezing, jiggling and hacking. I told myself I would walk and/or run one mile. At first, I ran a few steps and then walked until I recovered. Then repeated. Soon, the running stretches began to grow closer together. Within a few weeks I had ran the entire mile very slowly. But it was under my belt. Huge win. Then I repeated the entire process but went up to 3 miles. After a few months I had that under my belt. Then I repeated the same process with 6 miles, then 9 then 12 etc. Always multiples of three for some weird reason.

Anyway, 10 years later I ran my first marathon. It took me nearly 5 hours but I could not give two sh*ts. I won much more that day than the Kenyan who took first place.

My advice. Shoes. Shoes Shoes. Get the right shoes. Talk to a professional. It makes ALL the difference.

What was it like for you when you first started running? How long did you last? Long how did it take you get not get as winded?

When I started I weighed 209 lbs. I am 5'7" and 65 yo. I started as you are, first by walking. When I could walk a mile and feel comfortable, I ran the distance between the last 2 mailboxes on my street, say, 20 yards. The first time I did that I had a "near death" experience! I lived.

As I got comfortable with that distance (yes, just 20 yards) I added another mailbox, and so forth.

Today, just about 1 year later, I am 135 lbs, and I run 4.5 to 5.5 miles 6 or 7 days a week.

I love running. I HATE the first 1/2 mile or so...I HATE it....but after that I find physical centering and emotional healing. I have great shoes, wonderful music, and a supportive family.

Starting March 30, I will begin training for a half marathon. I will be including body weight strength training as the "cross training" in getting ready.

You can do this!

~Charles~

15 min of running? That's great! Excellent. When I first attempted to run, I set the treadmill on 6.0 made it maybe 1 min. I had to walk. I remember watching everyone else around me on the treadmills running for MILES at a time. MILES! I just wanted to be able to run 1 mile! It took me a very very long time to be able to run a mile. I was incredibly slow. I could never have my treadmill even CLOSE to the speeds of anyone around me. Eventually, within a year, I worked up to running 10-20 min without stopping... Another year went by, and I challenged myself to run 4.5 miles. I remember feeling so accomplished that I rAn 4.5 miles in an HOUR. I continued to try to run... 3 years later, I signed up for my first "race". Then it became a whole new obsession... Now I have ran ~5:30 mile... Sub 20 5k... 7:05 pace for a 1/2 marathon & 4 full marathons. It didn't happen overnight. Celebrate every little step. Only compete with yourself. It's amazing what you are capable of

A year and a half ago, in November, I started the C25k app and ran for 30 amazing seconds. By October of the next year, I finished a half marathon.

You're getting a lot of good advice in this thread and you should listen to it.

All I'd like to add is...believe in yourself. KNOW that you can do it.

One thing that runners struggle with is underestimating what they can do. I spent 7 weeks sure that I would be forced to quit at some point. Sure that I just wasn't capable of running. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing at first, because it led to me just taking a single day at a time and doing what I could do that day and that's how I overcame the odds against finding the time to do it. But it did hold me back after a certain point.

15 min of running? That's great! Excellent. When I first attempted to run, I set the treadmill on 6.0 made it maybe 1 min. I had to walk. I remember watching everyone else around me on the treadmills running for MILES at a time. MILES! I just wanted to be able to run 1 mile! It took me a very very long time to be able to run a mile. I was incredibly slow. I could never have my treadmill even CLOSE to the speeds of anyone around me. Eventually, within a year, I worked up to running 10-20 min without stopping... Another year went by, and I challenged myself to run 4.5 miles. I remember feeling so accomplished that I rAn 4.5 miles in an HOUR. I continued to try to run... 3 years later, I signed up for my first "race". Then it became a whole new obsession... Now I have ran ~5:30 mile... Sub 20 5k... 7:05 pace for a 1/2 marathon & 4 full marathons. It didn't happen overnight. Celebrate every little step. Only compete with yourself. It's amazing what you are capable of

sub 20 5K that is impressive. I hope to do that some day. for now I'll run my 5Ks in 34min. that's my goal anyway.

Hello,
Last year I lost 30 pounds for my wedding. After the honeymoon I slipped up some and gained 10 back, but have kept the over 20 off. Now, I'm ready to keep going with my weight loss journey and would like to lose another 30 pounds. The first time, I lost the weight by changing my diet with minimal exercise. Now that my diet has changed, I'm ready to start exercising. I went jogging with my dog last night and jogged for 15 min and walked for 20 min before I was exhausted. I would like to build up stamina and lung capacity and run more without getting winded. What was it like for you when you first started running? How long did you last? Long how did it take you get not get as winded?

On your first day you made it 15 minutes!?!? Wow. I make it about a hundred yards. It sucked at first. I smelled blood when I breathed AND later my muscles were sore for about 5 days. Thankfully that didn't last!

nothing too new to add to what has already been said--lots of great advice already given!

but want to agree with--

-starting slow

-starting with walk / run combo

-try to run outside (so much more enjoyable than treadmill to me)

-music helps if you like music

-definitely get decent running shoes--talk to a knowledgable running store staffperson, you don't need to break the bank but need something that fits you well and "how" you will be running

-I liked setting goals based on time, not distance. Didn't care if I ran 1 mile, 2 miles, etc, just wanted to run "20 minutes", however far that got me. Makes you listen to your body more--some days you have it, some days you don't!

-consider a heart rate monitor; I found in the beginning what really makes running so darn miserable is most people run well into their stress level, and if you run at 80% or so instead, you'll find that while you'll be going slower than you though you should, you won't be miserable and you'll stick with it. Don't worry, the speed will come--in the beginning my "running" was actually about the same speed as my walking--didn't take much to get my heart rate up! Now if I don't get in at least a few runs a week I miss it...!

I could barely run for a min, now I run couple half marathons a month. Don't run every day at the beginning, run every other day and build mileage slowly.