Embarrassed to start C25K

Great idea! I started from zero too. Another poster here recently devised a "bed to couch" program to get herself ready for the C25K. My running program said I would be ready once I could run for one minute.

So I suggest you start slower than slow. Like a walking pace.

Week 1:
10 mins warm up
1 min faster pace
1 min walk
Repeat until you get to thirty minutes

Week 2:
10 mins warm up
2 min faster pace
1 min walk
Repeat until you get to thirty minutes

Take every other day off and no more than three days a week.

Get your gait checked at a running store and get the right shoes. Find out if you are pronating or if you have flat feet.

If your son is running faster than you he can double back.

My daughter and I can't run side by side because we have different speeds. It's all OK. We still talk running stuff.

When you feel ready for outdoors I'd suggest finding a fenced in running track. I bring my daughter to one so we can run together but at our own speeds. I like it cuz she's never more than half a lap away from me if anything should happen.

You can walk every day, if you want. Walking is a great way to get in shape and will make the transition to running easier. The elliptical doesn't stress the joints, which is good, but it also doesn't prepare them for the impact of running. Walking outside is better prep for running. You might do alternate days on the elliptical and outside.

As stated above, start by walking at a comfortable pace. When you can do that for 30-45 minutes without getting winded, start walking faster. When you can do that easily, start throwing in short easy jogs for a minute or so. Gradually increase the time you spend running and decrease the time spent walking. At a park you can go from tree to tree. In the neighborhood, mailbox to mailbox or telephone pole to telephone pole. Stick with 30-35 minutes or so until you can run continuously at a slow pace for 30 minutes.

you've got great advice above, just another thing - your gait when you are running will be different than when you walk. The most important thing when running is to keep your steps short - so that your foot lands beneath your body, not stretched out in front of you. Try and lean forward at the ankles and not the hips, and try and maintain a straight line from head to foot - so you may need to tuck your head back and tuck your pelvis forward.

I did a couple of sessions with an Alexander technique teacher, and one thing we tired was she would put elastic around my hips and restrain me whilst I ran in place - this got my hips to the right place (tucked forward and allowing the legs to run relaxed and open). When she let go I felt light as a feather.

Getting whole body form right is well worth practising - if you run 'funny' it could lead to injury. Having said that, there is NOTHING like running like a child, down a mountain, waving your arms like an aeroplane (insert appropriate Wheeeeee!!!!) sound too)

good luck - you'll do great!

Try walking outside first that way when you transition to couch25k which has a combination of walking and running you will be in the habit of walking outside and walking is a good precursor to running

Using your elliptical is an excellent way to up your fitness before you start the C25K outdoors but as others have said I'd advise walking outside too to build up. The elliptical is very low impact and so great if youre overweight but it won't prepare your joints for what running on a road feels like. Walking outside and building up from that will. Running is hard. Your first few runs will probably feel awful (I know mine did!) but stick with it, you'll soon learn to love it and will be able to keep going long after your kid has got bored.

C25K is such a wonderful program. I did it last year and this year I did it again and will run my first 5K this weekend! I'm a slow runner (pace 13:40/mi) but I love it. Good luck and start slow. You can repeat weeks if you need to.

I agree with the others. Being able to walk 5K comfortably is a good starting point before using C25K. And definitely run slowly - speed comes later as you increase your distance. I could very literally walk faster than my run when I started the program. Then I worked up to a 12 minute mile a few months after I finished C25K. Not fast, but totally fine!

Also, get used to stretching, get good shoes, and maybe add some body weight exercises to build up your thigh/butt/core muscles while you're in the walking/elliptical phase to prevent injury when you switch to running. (http://www.runnersworld.com/start-running/the-six-best-exercises-for-new-runners)