Anyone else fear running outdoors?

I am not a runner or jogger but a power walker and I was scared to death to be seen and judged. I also had to get my workout in before my grandson was dropped off for the day. I started walking at 5 am in my neighborhood. I am not afraid of the dark and the peacefulness of walking in the moonlight and then witnessing the sunrise was amazing. The funny thing was there were two other individuals older than me out there exercising too. I now prefer to go to the park and usually get there at the break of dawn and power walk for 1.5-2 hours. At first I was embarrassed but I just channel Phoebe from Friends( episode where she takes up running and flailing her arms) and I do not care what any one thinks. I am there to workout. My advice is to just do it..no regrets.

I recommend you try to get over it.

Very few people will judge you. Most of the people who will see you are not runners. Your neighbors will mostly either not care or admire your efforts as they sit on their couch or front porch.

^ This. You will be surprised at how many people don't even notice.

I really want to start jogging, but self conscious kills it the moment I consider it. I've been doing calorie programs on my elliptical and have been keeping up with the rpm at each intensity level but I really think jogging outdoors in the mornings would be fun.

If you ever felt this way, how did you overcome it? I would be going around neighborhoods and I think the part that hangs me up is knowing I'm going to suck at it, and people seeing me sucking air and nearly dying on their sidewalk.

I have a hard time running indoors... outside there is so much to see It keeps me much more entertained while running. I tend to push myself pretty hard on runs, especially towards the end. Plenty of people may have seen me huffing and puffing, but I doubt they really paid any attention or really cared. Plus, these are people you may never see again in your whole life. I think most people are primarily concerned about themselves. I wear my headphones, focus on my run, and couldn't care less what others think of me!

I used to feel the same way when I first started, but you know what, people are going to think what they are going to think anyway. You just have to head out the door and know that you are doing this to better yourself and in the grand scheme of things most people really don't pay any attention to people running by and the ones that would be willing to judge are few and far between and not worth wasting your worry over because you probably won't see them again anyway. So just hold your head up high, acknowledge the fact that you are doing this for you and that it will improve your health, and know that you can do this and conquer it. Best of luck to you, and you can do this!

Everybody sucks air. My face gets blood red, thanks to my pale complexion. Still beats running on a treadmill.

I just moved to a new place a few months ago and was stopped at the corner and forced to turn around by a pitbull mix. Twice. And it happened to my husband too. Apparently he's always there. I am much more terrified of dogs. I stopped running outside, and I hate treadmills. I think I need a stun gun before I attempt running again.

I really want to start jogging, but self conscious kills it the moment I consider it. I've been doing calorie programs on my elliptical and have been keeping up with the rpm at each intensity level but I really think jogging outdoors in the mornings would be fun.

If you ever felt this way, how did you overcome it? I would be going around neighborhoods and I think the part that hangs me up is knowing I'm going to suck at it, and people seeing me sucking air and nearly dying on their sidewalk.

I really want to start jogging, but self conscious kills it the moment I consider it. I've been doing calorie programs on my elliptical and have been keeping up with the rpm at each intensity level but I really think jogging outdoors in the mornings would be fun.

If you ever felt this way, how did you overcome it? I would be going around neighborhoods and I think the part that hangs me up is knowing I'm going to suck at it, and people seeing me sucking air and nearly dying on their sidewalk.

I remind myself that I'm lapping everybody who's sitting on the couch. I sucked at first, in fact I still do often ( asthma is the devil ) but every time you go out you will get stronger. The only way to get past the self-conscious is to just do it and let the haters hate. Most people will applaud you for getting up and moving. I know I would!

I felt self conscious the first couple of times I jogged home, and just to make it worse I am currently living in Singapore where everyone else in the country is thinner than a rake.

I was worried about a couple of things, how I would look running was one, but higher up on the list was that anyone paying attention would see pretty quick that I couldn't run or jog for very long before i had to start walking to catch my breath.

I was running for anywhere between 30 seconds and a couple of minutes but sure enough I'd have started and stopped more times than I could count before I reached my front door.

I learned three things.

1) No matter how awkward I felt, no one paid me much attention. I liked this at the start but when people were so oblivious that they would walk right in my running path I've started wishing people would pay more attention!

2) Heart rate monitors are worth their weight in gold. Doesn't need all the bells and whistles... but I am really glad mine does.

3) Running or jogging as slow as I possibly could to begin with was the best thing I did. Going slower definitely felt less awkward but what it did was allow me to really quickly start building up from those 30 second bursts to a 30-40 minute trip home without having to slow to a walking pace.

All the posts on here will either tip you over the edge and convince you that there is really nothing to worry about, or they won't. As with everything else people go through as they start on the path to getting healthier, everyone has those moments where they realise they feel better about themselves, maybe you are at the point where you will feel comfortable when you go jogging.. or you might hate it for all the reasons you think you will. I don't think the latter will happen though!

Best way to find out is to go and try it for yourself. Pick somewhere you feel safe, maybe pick a time when there will be less people around and try it out. If you don't hate it, do it again! If you don't think its for you, the elliptical isn't going anywhere, and you have other options! Jump on a treadmill, start with a brisk walk in the mornings... either way, indoors or outdoors, you are lapping everyone that is just sitting on the couch.

As a runner, I think 1 of 2 things when I see a runner, no matter how fast or slow:

1. Woohoo! Way to go! (I have been known to yell that out the window)
2. I wish I was running instead of driving.

.... and I did not feel that much pain from doing it.

Which suggests that you feel some pain, which suggests either that your form is an issue or your shoes are lifed out.

All I could feel was hard pounding through out my entire body, and tension in my head. Now I have shinsplints.

Which suggests that your form could do with improvement, supported by feeling tension, or that you have a muscle imbalance exacerbated by using a dreadmill, or your shoes are worn out, or that you tried too much too soon.

A dreadmill is a different experience, and changing the mode of running does need time. I wouldn't run anything like the same distances I do on the trail either on the road or on a dreadmill (the latter largely as a result of boredom)

Beating a dead horse... but, really, everyone has to start someone.
I started running when I was overweight in very crowded areas. I'm sure I was self conscious at times. I didn't wear cool running gear and I had to take lots of breaks.
Now, I wear more appropriate running clothes and have run half marathons and now usually push a 100+ lb double jogging stroller. I love how strong I am now but it doesn't happen overnight. And maybe that small, fit runner you see out there wasn't always like that.