New to running...will I ever get it?

hannahwrnr · February 2012

Hi everyone! I'm new to this site, and so far I have lost 14 pounds by eating healthier and exercising. Thus far, that has consisted of walking at a moderate pace a few times a week. Not to sound weird, but I think runners have awesome bodies. Not all, I understand everyone is different. However, a lot of runners have great legs and really strong cores! (I am sure not by running alone, but its a common factor). Anyways, my point is I want to be a runner. I love the idea of running. But am I a runner?
I have heard people say "I'm in shape, I'm just not a runner". Or "I just wasn't made for running". Are those valid? Or does everyone have the capability to become a runner? I'm asking because at this point running is a struggle. The first time I attempted it was a few weeks back and I was only able to a run a minute and some odd seconds before having to stop. Tonight, I ran five minutes straight, but it is still a struggle. How do people run miles and miles?! That seems so rewarding, so fullfilling, and so relaxing. I want it so bad. I just am having trouble getting there.
I've rambled. Sorry. But I really would love advice from people who thought they "weren't made to run" who now love/are able to run?

Pebble321 · February 2012

I think I'm your classic non-runner-turned-runner, so I'll try to answer your questions

I have always wanted to run, but thought that I would never be able to. Too overweight, too old, bad knees, too hard... you name it, I made all the excuses.
Then I decided that I REALLY wanted to run. And I found C25K, which is a training program that gives you set walking/running intervals. Because it was very concrete and told me exactlly what to do, I decided to give it a go.
That was just over a year ago and now I definitely consider myself a runner. I've run a couple of race (almost did a half marathon but was injured) and have more races planned for this year, including a half marathon.

My advice on HOW to get started:
- find a program. C25K is pretty popular but there are lots of others out there too. I don't think it really matters which one, just find something that tells you to run for 1 min, walk for 2 min (or similar)... and gradually increases your times.
- don't panic about the longer runs later in the program, just work your way through from the beginning.
- take rest days. You don't have to run every day, in fact when you are starting out it's probably better not to. Walk instead on alternate days.
- don't be worried about repeating a day or a week of the program if you feel you need to.
- get some good shoes (and a good bra, for the ladies).
- run SLOWLY. Really, really slowly. This will let you do the distance without dying, or at least make it possible, even though you might feel like you're dying at first.
- just keep going, and you'll get there.
- find a support network of new runners. I see "I'm just staring C25K" posts about every week on MFP.

Good luck and enoy becoming a runner!

trail_rnr · February 2012

I think if the desire is there, then you can be a runner.

It might take you a while but look at your own small success. You went from running 1 minute to running 5. That is a huge percentage increase! Try doing run/walk intervals on your walks for a few weeks: run 1 minute, walk 4 minutes, run 1 minute, etc. Many people start this way; it's a great way to introduce your body to running.

It does get easier, but you have to give it time. For some people it happens quickly, for others it takes a while. My hubby, never a runner, decided that he wanted to give it a try again on the trails. He went from solidly non-runner to an I-love-this runner in about two months. He did run/walk at first, transitioned into longer run and shorter walks. Somewhere along the way he broke through. That's not to say he doesn't have days that aren't so good; he does. But typically he can pinpoint why (not enough calories, dehydrated)--and that is a huge leap forward.

I have been running for years. I love running with my heart and soul. My body continues to change. After switching to trails several years ago, I realized that it took me a good 2 years for my connective tissue to adapt to the different kind of terrain and my endocrine system to adapt to running very, very far. The bar keeps getting raised.

I'll repeat: if you really want to do it, you can become a runner. Be gentle with yourself; be patient. It's not worth going to far/fast too quickly. Trust me! Good luck and most of all enjoy the journey.

hannahwrnr · February 2012

Thanks so much! Wow I just looked at your profile, and that is so inspiring! I will have to try the C25k program! I think a structured program will be easier to stick to as well. Thanks for your advice and congrats on all your success!

Thank you both! Great advice! I really want to become a runner for the freedom people say they have when running! You both seem to love it! I'm excited!

pucenavel · February 2012

You can do it. I did.

I started running at age 40. Less than 3 years later, I can run a half marathon.

Just keep plugging away.

Southpaw3612 · February 2012

The above post sounds like great advice. I would definitely say that I am not a runner, at least not long distance. Played baseball all my life, so im pretty decent with sprints or within a 1-2 mile range. Wish I would have gave the program mentioned above a shot before selling my treadmill. Where I live we have a place called The Running Warehouse where the evaluate how you run by videotaping you as you run. My buddies have always told me this is a great way to start getting into running. And definitely the right pair of shoes which places like The Running Warehouse help you to choose.

amber10101 · February 2012

It takes time. Lots of time. Running is about constant improvement. It's not something you can achieve. Even the guy who holds the world record in the marathon is finding ways to improve and get faster and stronger - someone is always chasing his time.

I think the best part of running is that it will always be a challenge. I'll never be "done" with it. It's not like going to school and deciding to get an "A" in your class.

So, if you like a challenge, like having something to work towards, then go for it! Take comfort in the struggle, enjoy the growth and keep at it!

But, will you ever "get it"? No. No one does! You'll never "arrive". WIll running get more comfortable? Yes. Will you make improvements? Yes! Is it worth it? Heck yes!

hannahwrnr · February 2012

Perseverance is the key I guess? You guys have definitely motivated me to keep going. I was dissapointed that I was just now to a 5 minute run without stopping, but I guess you are right, it is improvement! Can't wait to see how far this takes me!

jessicabass1 · February 2012

I LOVE RUNNING!!!!! i can tell you right now that if you go outside and make a goal for yourself and beat your goal everyday than you will be a runner. i have a lot of friends that are so much more fit than i am and they say " i don't know how you run like that", but they run on treadmills...not the same!!! go out everyday and say i'm going to run to that stop sign, then the next day run another minute past that stop sign and so on and so forth. i've always enjoyed running, but now i know how i need to push myself that extra minute and i find myself at peace when i run the first 20 (running is a form of meditation)! if you don't keep trying you won't get it. KEEP TRYING and you'll love it!!!

sarafil · February 2012

Everything that everyone else said....and I just want to stress, TAKE IT SLOW. One of the most common mistakes people make is they do too much, too soon, and up injured. It takes a long time to build your body up for running. I would try following a structured plan (most popular is the Couch to 5k, which seems to work well for people). Good luck, you are already doing great!

Cheeta_HH · February 2012

I have always felt the same way as you about running. I would always envy people who seemed to just run effortlessly. I gained a lot of weight over the past couple years and have been determined to get back in shape. I decided to give running a shot because I know a lot of people who run... and none of them are overweight! I was a little skeptical about my ability to do it. (I smoked a pack a day for about 12 years and I've never exactly been what you'd consider an athlete.)

Like some others on this thread, I used the Couch to 5K plan. I felt like the intervals were just right. I walked regularly (about 5 miles a day) for about 6 months before I started it. I did the C25K from late October through December. Since then, I've been running at least 3 miles 4 or more days a week.

So, yes, you can be a runner! Just start slow and stick with it. You will surprise yourself before you know it!

kristi_asco · February 2012

i'm trying to work my way up to become a full blown "runner" as well. recently at the gym i've been doing intervals like some of you mention, alternating between walking/running. tonight i was actually able to walk for 6 minutes and then run as fast as i could for 6 minutes after that! that's the longest i've been able to run in a while, and i really surprised myself! hard work does pay off, even though my achievement tonight was small, it's definitely encouraged me to keep going to i can start running longer! good luck !

Athena413 · February 2012

Anyone can run....but GET GOOD SHOES!!!!! Go to a local running specialty store and have them do a gait analysis and fit you for the right shoe for you. You're body will thank you!

gbelltx · February 2012

I consider myself a fast jogger and when I started I could barely walk 3 miles and now I have run/walked 1 full marathon and 3 half marathons. It’s not about speed for me it’s about finishing and the people you meet out at the events doing the same thing.

firesoforion · February 2012

I started out as possibly the world's *worst* runner. I don't hate running anymore. Maybe I'll even learn to love it one day, but I can say, from the non-runningest person out there, you can learn not to hate it.

AmyRhubarb · February 2012

I have never been a runner, but have always wanted to be one - I started C25K 2 weeks ago and I love it so far! I follow the program running/walking 3 days a week, and do a long walk on the off days (also do workout DVDs in the early mornings). Today was a walk day, and I swear a couple of times I really wanted to just break into a run for part of it, but I held back and will save it for tomorrow when I start week 3.

I'm a little nervous about running a longer distance each week, afraid that I'm going to get to a point where I can't keep up with the program - but as other said here, I will go slow, and repeat a week if I have to - no big deal.

Add me if you like!

Macrocarpa · February 2012

Yes...it becomes easier...you get used to your style and trust me, you'll speed up and feel great and do long distances.

I started with running the downhills when walking my dog, maybe 1km at a time at a slow trot...not even a run.

Recently I did a sub-24 minute 5km, and in the same week did a 15km trail run averaging 5:25mins / km, which is easily the fastest I've ever run (at 33 years old). The 15km...I felt like the Terminator just cruising along, marking off the kms and grooving to the music. Even overtook a cyclist

)

westcoastredhead · February 2012

i have recently starte running myself! i love the 'runners high' that i get after a run! i started small, i mapped a route through my neighborhood about 3kms to start. its great to see my time improving and i've eeven got a 2nd run that is a little longer that i try to chamge things up a bit. i always hated running, but i feel like for me a run burns the most calories and i feel amazing for quite awhile afterwards.i am by no means a real runner yet, but i plan to stick with it and hope to be able to go longer and longer as i keep at it! good luck! i give myself landmarks to go by, the next stop sign, or to the corner etc... then give myself a minute to catch my breath and then keep on going.
good luck!
nicole

yag1630 · February 2012

Watch this link; it's all about running.

http://www.c25k.com/ben_video.html

Very Inspiring!!

hannahwrnr · February 2012

Awesome! When logging that in MFP do I log the total time ran and the total time walked separately?

scottb81 · February 2012

The human body is built for endurance running. So, everybody, unless they have some overwhelming deformity or injury, is a runner. The only problem is that due to the conveniences of modern society, the vast majority have become sedentary and lost the ability to use their body as designed. The good news is that this can be fixed by training and time.

All you have to do is believe in yourself and do the training.

BAMFMeredith · February 2012

You can definitely do it. About a year and a half ago (maybe a couple months longer than that) I couldn't run one lap around a track (1/4 a mile). Then last February I completed a half marathon, and I'm about to do it again on Sunday. It takes some time, but don't get discouraged, and take it easy. You will get there! Set some goals, like a 5k for yourself, and before you know it you'll be a full on runner

maryjay51 · February 2012

in march 2010 i was 270lbs... i could barely get out of bed let alone run.. i started walking..then i started walking fast ... now im running. i dont run like a pro but i can now do 5 miles in 57 minutes... dont ever let anyone tell you that you cannot do something you want to do.

advice i got is to mix up your speed when you are learning to run. on the treadmill i go 4 miles an hour and switch to six and five and sometimes seven and back to four ... and then i also add incline to that.

now im gearing to run in an 8k on march 3 so im just running as fast as i can in an hour. two weeks before the run i will have no caffeine..the day of the run i will drunk two cups of coffee and run my *kitten* off..

tamcrit · February 2012

I just posted this on another thread earlier...here's the other thread
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/490257-i-want-to-become-a-runner

If I can do it, you can do it!! I started running two years ago at 5'6" 206lbs, and age 42. I started with the Couch to 5K program in February 2010 (Google it). It is an interval training program that builds up gradually from literally the couch (which is where I started). When I first started I could barely run the 60 second intervals, but gradually day by day it got better, I got stronger. I did a 2 mile run/walk with my daughter in March 2010, ran/walked my first 5K in May 2010, and just kept on chugging...ran my first 10K in October 2010, and my first half marathon in January 2011!! I was hooked!! In 2011, my New Years resolution was to complete one running event per month, which I achieved...I completed 6-5Ks, 4-10Ks, and 5, yes 5 half marathons in 2011!! So far this year, I have already run 2-10Ks and a half marathon and am registered for another half marathon in March. Oh, and I lost 60 pounds along the way!! I now love to run, am obsessed with running and can not believe how far I have come. If you had told me in January 2010 that I would be doing this in two years, I would have told you that you were crazy, but I did it and you can too!! My resolution this year is to continue my streak of running at least one event per month. I am excited to see how long I can keep the streak going. I have learned that the mind and body are amazing things and if you work with them, you can achieve amazing things that you never thought possible. So, if you truly want to do, you can!!

Skeemer118 · February 2012

I'm also a non runner who wants to run.

I finally conquered my first mile since my son was born 6 months ago. You can do it, don't give up.

Danpellizzari · February 2012

I am someone that used to say I'm not built for running. I compare myself to a refrigerator running down the street. However, I have become a runner. I can run 7 miles now at a 5mph pace. It's not track star speed by no means but I still call it running. So I say this. If u want to run than run. Get a heart rate monitor. Get into a training zone and stay there for 30 or 40 minutes and enjoy. Listen to music, audio books, or podcasts. But whatever you do. Just enjoy yourself!

Leslietheriot · February 2012

I never, in a million years thought I could say that I was NOT a runner until this past year. It takes practice. I had all of the "classic" excuses too. Out of shape, too fat, bad knees...the works. I started running as far as I could go and when I was winded I would stop. I got up to running a quarter of a mile. I still dont think I qualify as a runner but it's alot further than I could run a year ago.

tamcrit · February 2012

Just wanted to share one of my favorite quotes.

“If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.”
― John Bingham

Google him and read a few of his books...very inspiring!!

david081 · February 2012

I'd like to recommend a book - 'AN ACCIDENTAL ATHLETE' by John Bingham - check out reviews on the internet. He was a non-runner who took up running. I read the book recently after somebody on here recommended it to me...

reaolliemama · February 2012

Remember this...just keep running!

Vegan_Runner · February 2012

If you run you are a runner. No matter how fast you are, you are a runner. You will improve over time if you so choose to and train accordingly, but no matter what you look like, if you run, you are a runner, and don't let anyone else tell you different.

New to running...will I ever get it?

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