Too late to start running?

bdgfn
bdgfn Posts: 7,719 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hopefully I got at least a few people's attention with that subject line. ;) I am 63 and have been working hard lately, walking, cycling, and eating healthy. I have lost over 20 pounds this summer, and want to lose at least 20 more. When I started cycling, I could barely do 8 miles. I am up to over 35 miles and am doing a 50 mile ride this weekend. I am enjoying cycling immensely!

I have never liked running. Probably because I have always been on the larger side. I am currently right around 250#, but have been much, much heavier, so running wasn't even an option. I have played a lot of softball, depending on where I have been weight-wise, running bases, or chasing down fly balls in the outfield was either easy or exceedingly difficult/impossible. In the military, I would do the annual physical fitness test, which included running, albeit reluctantly, and usually just sliding in under the wire on my time. One of the sayings I always quoted was that I never saw anyone running and smiling. I know that isn't true, but I would convince myself it was, and that was enough to convince myself not to even try running.

Now I am ready to try again. I do have a deeply personal motivation for this, which I won't go into here publicly, but suffice it to say I am motivated to give this an honest chance. I am hoping that at least one or two, if not more, of the people who read this will be able to identify with my fears, which I will list below, and will be able to help me with them. So, what are my fears?

1. My knees. I blew out my right knee playing softball many years ago. It is strong now. Strong enough that I was leg-pressing over 1,000 pounds a few years ago. Can my knees handle me running? This fear, as all of them are, is mental, I know.

2. Endurance. I can walk for a long time. I take long walks (4+ miles, 1+ hours) a few times per week, along with my cycling. Where I live there are a lot of hills, so I do get that kind of a workout as well. How long can I run before I have to stop and walk?

3. Ego. This ties in with #2. I am very competitive, and do not like appearing to be weak to anyone, even someone who might be passing by who I have never met and probably will never see again. How do I overcome that? And my ego has kept me from running/jogging on the treadmill at the gym.

I feel that running on sidewalks may not be best for my knees, at least until I get down to a more reasonable weight. And I have let that stop me from even trying to run. But there is a high school just a couple of blocks from my house, and the track is accessible. So I am going to start out there. If memory serves me correctly, one lap on a track like this is 1/4 mile. Running in circles isn't the most exciting, but it is outside, and preferable to a treadmill. And I can easily chart my progress. How far will I be able to run/jog the first day? 1/4 of a lap? 1/2 of a lap? a full lap? And what will be the ratio of walking -vs- running/jogging? That, I know from experience, will get better.

Hmmmm...it almost seems as though I'm talking myself into this, doesn't it? Well, I am. After all of these years, I am ready to pick this up. I know it is not too late to start running. I know I am not too old to start running. And running, I am certain, will actually help me with all of my fitness goals.

Finally, I know everyone can use motivation and guidance, so if you would like to help me with this, please reach out. Message me, Friend me, even reply here. I do not expect that this is going to be easy, or a lot of fun right away. But it is something I want to do.

Replies

  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    I love running now but thought that I couldn't run due to knee pain. Start working short runs into your walks like walk a mile and run a half mile then walk a mile.... It is much easier to build up than to just go hit it and run three miles. Get some really good running shoes from a running store. Good luck
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    You can do this. However, as someone who is already strong and fit, you should take it slow. I mean, REALLY SLOW. Check your ego at the entrance to the track.

    Running uses muscles somewhat differently from cycling and walking. It also puts a lot more strain on your joints. The muscles, tendons, and ligaments will take a while to adapt to the new demands you're placing on them. There's no point in showing off how fit you are if the result is an overuse injury.

    I started running this winter after over a decade away from it (well, I had started in 2012, but a bike crash put an end to that very quickly). I can ride my bike for a hilly century and feel pretty good by the end. But I did the Couch to 5K program and found that the first time I had to run 8 minutes was pretty hard. That's probably in part because I was going too fast, but it was also because my legs were still adapting to the stresses of running. After I finished the program, I added on more distance too quickly, ended up exacerbating a cycling injury, and had to take 2 months off running to recover. Don't be me.

    People who have great cardiovascular fitness are tempted to run too far, too fast, too soon. If you can temper that tendency, you should be OK.
  • 12_oz_Curls
    12_oz_Curls Posts: 140 Member
    The military screws up running. After 15 years in the military I quit running for them and tried running for me. Now suddenly I love running. So check the ego, don't worry about pace, distance, or time, and just go check out the length of the beach, or the local park. When you're done, you're done. No time, no stress, and nothing but new and beautiful scenery. But be VERY aware as stated above that running and cycling use different muscles. I learned that the hard way shifting from running to cycling.
  • JTH11706
    JTH11706 Posts: 3,023 Member
    You can do it!! I started running at 55. 3 years later I've done 3 marathons and 6 half marathons. Follow the good advice above and go slow. Persistence is the key - you have to keep doing it and it will get easier. I can't say enough good things about this guy, especially for older runners: http://www.jeffgalloway.com/
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
    I have become a running addict, after two knee surgeries and two spinal surgeries. I recommend C25K and to stay away from the dreadmill if you can. It hurts my knee more than any other surface. I'm not fast at all, around a 13-14 minute mile but that's okay with me. Read the following link: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1217573-so-you-want-to-start-running

    I found it extremely helpful and have added two miles onto my distance in the last three weeks since reading it.

    I prefer to run some local trails when I have time but I also am often stuck running on concrete a lot. Since I have started working on distance and not speed the substrate has not bothered my legs or back at all. I have also found that keeping my heart rate and breathing under control had helped me stay relaxed.

    I just started cross training and a lifting program about two weeks ago and continuing biking will also help your running IMHO. If you have access to a gym also jump on an elliptical every now and then too. They all make your muscles work in different ways and help strengthen your tendons.

    That is all just my experience though. Good luck!
  • hoyalawya2003
    hoyalawya2003 Posts: 631 Member
    I skimmed the other replies and didn't see this tip: GET GOOD SHOES!! Yes, I shouted it. Do it first. I started C25K and it bothered my knees, which I thought was just because I'm pushing 40. Nope--needed better shoes. Haven't had a knee twinge since.

    Oh, and the worrying about other folks thing? LOTS of people do C25K. Even if you don't (although I really, really recommend it!), just wear headphones when you run. Everyone at the gym or on the roads will assume that annoying lady is telling you when to start and stop running! :wink:
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    If you're this side of the sod it's not too late.

    Start with slow (and I mean slow) short distances and very gradually build up. Take your recovery days and cross-train (cycling is great for runners) to improve injury resistance and address muscular imbalances.

    Goolgle hip & glute strengthening exercises. Many instances of so-called runners knee are actually manifestations of weak hips & glutes. Having said that, pay attention to your body, pay attention to the niggles before they become injuries.

    Be consistent & have fun!
  • bdgfn
    bdgfn Posts: 7,719 Member
    Thank you, all! I will be checking out the websites mentioned, and the C25K. I truly appreciate all of the responses, advice and encouragement!
  • Beautifulbridgittlee7
    Beautifulbridgittlee7 Posts: 352 Member
    You could start slow alternate race walking with running, until you can run like 3+ miles, the cross training is good too.
  • bdgfn
    bdgfn Posts: 7,719 Member
    So I thought I would follow up on this post then start a new one to track my progress. Until I started reading the posts about beginning running on here I had never even heard of C25K. It seems like a good program, and I downloaded the app right away. On Saturday, 9/27, I did a half-century bike ride for a local charity, and took Sunday off to rest. I wanted to start C25K on Monday, and actually did get out and almost halfway through the Week 1 Day 1 workout when a line of thunderstorms rolled in. I took shelter under the grandstands - I was using the high school track a couple of blocks from my house - but it got worse, so I called it a day and walked home. That was yesterday. Today, I went back out and restarted the Week 1 Day 1 workout, and completed it. I am not going to say it was easy by any means, but I finished, and felt good at the end. In fact, I had miscounted the number of times I had jogged and thought I had one more to go, so when I heard the last chime, I started to job only to hear the voice say "start your cool down". That was a nice surprise!

    I know from experience that whenever starting something new like this, the hardest step to take is the first one. The next hardest, of course, is doing it again. I want this, and so I will keep it going. Thanks to all who gave me encouragement above.
  • jmpags
    jmpags Posts: 13 Member
    So I thought I would follow up on this post then start a new one to track my progress. Until I started reading the posts about beginning running on here I had never even heard of C25K. It seems like a good program, and I downloaded the app right away. On Saturday, 9/27, I did a half-century bike ride for a local charity, and took Sunday off to rest. I wanted to start C25K on Monday, and actually did get out and almost halfway through the Week 1 Day 1 workout when a line of thunderstorms rolled in. I took shelter under the grandstands - I was using the high school track a couple of blocks from my house - but it got worse, so I called it a day and walked home. That was yesterday. Today, I went back out and restarted the Week 1 Day 1 workout, and completed it. I am not going to say it was easy by any means, but I finished, and felt good at the end. In fact, I had miscounted the number of times I had jogged and thought I had one more to go, so when I heard the last chime, I started to job only to hear the voice say "start your cool down". That was a nice surprise!

    I know from experience that whenever starting something new like this, the hardest step to take is the first one. The next hardest, of course, is doing it again. I want this, and so I will keep it going. Thanks to all who gave me encouragement above.

    Great work on completing day one - the first day is definitely the hardest! I just wanted to emphasize a few things:

    1 - Couch25k is a great program (it's actually the reason I clicked on this thread - to recommend it!). I would caution you just to follow the program and not skip ahead, and also to repeat a specific week or two if you feel you aren't up for the next stage. I learned the hard way that the program is just as much to get your legs used to running again as it is to get up your endurance and cardio shape. But by the end of it you will definitely be able to run a 5K!

    2 - The knee thing is likely your mind talking you out of running. If you can cycle, lift, and walk, you can run. I ran track consistently, competitively for 8 years - then I did a marathon - and I thought my knees were totally shot. But that was definitely an excuse I was using because I didn't want to step out of my comfort zone. If you can (or could!) leg press 1k lbs, there is a slim to none chance of your knees giving out during running.

    3 - Echo-ing the sentiment of getting good shoes. Especially when you start running more consistently.

    Best of luck and let me know if you have any questions.
  • Leigh_b
    Leigh_b Posts: 576 Member
    good luck to you!! consistency is the most important part. Stick with it. It sucks at first and sometimes it sucks even after you've been doing it awhile but the good days and the awesome feeling you get when you accomplish something you NEVER dreamed you would do are well worth all the sweat and tears!

    One other tip... get yourself a foam roller. It will help with all of the aches and pains that come along with running. There are some great videos on runnersworld.com to show you how to use it properly. It is worth every penny you will spend on it!

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