Will I EVER be able to run more than 2 miles?!

6 months ago after a life changing bout with Cancer I made a choice to get fit. In addition to weight lifting I started running. At first I could barely make it 2 miles in 30 minutes. Tomorrow I am running 5 miles and trying to get it done in under 48 mins. A few weeks ago I finally got 5 miles in under an hour(49 mins).
It doesn't happen overnight. keep trying and it will progress. I had some of the same barriers and with persistence over came them. One of my main barriers was I would get pangs of pain in my knee halfway through a run. I found a series of stretches to do on YouTube. And I do them at least once or twice a week and no longer expierence knee pain.

Slow it down a bit and build up endurance before picking up the pace. Push yourself but at the same time "listen" to your body. The first few months are the toughest but if you keep at it you will find your groove.

buckleten wrote: »

I get so out of breath, just very unfit I guess. I need to work on building up some stamina! I do go very slow..

Slow down some more.

Seriously, if you're just beginning running, you want to slow down to the point where you feel like an idiot for going so slow.

:drinker:

Speed will naturally come with time and miles...trust the process.

You can totally do this!

As others have already said, definitely keep an eye on your pace for now - if you use an app on your phone like Runkeeper, it tells you how fast you are running at any time and to start you want to be running miles at less than 10-min-per-mile pace, or less than 6-km-per-mile pace, then you can build up to that pace for a 30min 5km.

Also, if this helps, I run quite a lot and have done for 18 months. I still feel like I want to die in the first mile, but the first mile is a liar! I'm always fine after that

Hi. I have just started c25k (for the 2nd time uuggh). There have been a few times when i have been really struggling, and when i could barely run for 1 minute, it was hard to imagine i could run for 30, but I did it eventually. By running so slowly that i could walk faster, by going running several times a week and being consistent, and by going running with a friend, so I didn't want to stop until it was time. And actually, by chanting in my head 'you will not stop, you will not stop '!

Even when i could run for 30 min, i was only running around 2.5-3 km, but each time i went, i got a little faster and a little further. I also started adding some much shorter runs with sprints (look up fartlek training!) which definitely helped with my speed and distance.

Due to illness, I'm now starting again, and my brain is still trying to tell me i can't do it, but I am using all the tricks i used before and I won't let my brain beat me!

But keep at it, and you will get there too! Keep a training diary, so you can see how you are improving, even when you feel like you aren't.

buckleten wrote: »

I have taken all your advice to slow down, and this morning I ran 2.1 miles without stopping! That 0.1 was very important to me! It was slow, about 12 and a bit minutes per mile on average but I did it, and I feel great! Thank you all so much :-)

Awesome! Congrats.

I have just started the C25K and have really enjoyed reading this thread - thanks buckleten for starting it off. I have found a lot of motivation here!

buckleten wrote: »

I have taken all your advice to slow down, and this morning I ran 2.1 miles without stopping! That 0.1 was very important to me! It was slow, about 12 and a bit minutes per mile on average but I did it, and I feel great! Thank you all so much :-)

Way to go! Keep it up.

At some point you'll want to make one of your runs each week a "long run" (which just means longer than the others) and add a bit to it every week. Run it at an easy pace. It will give you a sense of accomplishment, but it will also make you faster on the shorter runs.