How to become a runner.... for dummies (HELP)

I was never a runner...even as a relatively healthy kid! In fact, I can now run farther than I could in 4th grade LOL.

What I've learned...GO SLOWLY. Even C25K was too 'fast' for me as I started developing shin splints. I too have flat feet and have always had to use orthotics in my workout shoes. I started out with SUPER comfy KSwiss Tubes with my orthotics. But then I developed shin splints. Went to a running store to get fitted and after trying another pair (and then returning) I'm really liking my Nike Zoom Structure shoes. I ran last night with no shin pain!

So, go slowly, and get fitted for good running shoes for over-pronators (which is what usually happens with people with flat feet but they can tell for sure if you're over-pronating).

Go to a running shoe store and spend the money. They'll help you find the inserts that you need to combat your foot issues. Your shoes are your most important tool for running. Don't be afraid of spending the money if you really want to be a runner! Good luck!

I'd suggest reading a book about good running form. "Chi Running" helped me a lot. There are exercises and things to think about before you start running that will help your form and help prevent injury.

On the flip side, I LOVE C25K! You can go as slow or fast as you want and make the program work for you. If you make it thorugh week 1 with no problems, week 2 will be good! But, if you struggle through week 1, then re-do the week until you're comfortable. And so on through the weeks...at YOUR pace.

There are no rules except the ones YOU make.

Here are all my beginner's running tips in one place:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/BerryH/view/20-things-i-wish-i-d-known-about-running-when-i-started-103936

To reiterate what another poster said, "When you start out, it’s HARD! Even if you think you’re fit, running is so different to anything else you’ve done before you will get out of breath quickly. Stick with it. Can’t manage a minute? Go slow. Still can’t? GO SLOWER!"

If you're committed to being a runner, it's absolutely a great idea to get fitted for shoes, Depending on the degree of your flat feet, you may not need orthotics, just the right off-the-0shelf shoe.

Your running style also has a lot to do with discomfort. Deliberate heel landing can be quite jarring. Try letting your foot swing naturally forward to land under (not in front) of you on the mid-foot.

yep concur with most posts, go slow, build slow, no goals/ targets as such, just go further when your ready. Oh warm up and down, no matter how silly you look. Have gait analysed, good shoes very important! Good luck!

A tip for you. If your think your running too fast then you are, if you think your running too slowly then your running at the right pace.

My feet were hurting, I spent $$ on good shoes, you wouldn't believe the difference a good pair of shoes can make! As for C25K, it's a great program when you figure out what's best for you! Don't be afraid to repeat days and/or weeks, I repeated some:bigsmile: Glad I did too! I go slow, and I've made it to Week 5 and loving it:bigsmile: Good luck!

Walking leads to running. C25K is an awesome awesome program. I have an Android so the app I use is RunDouble C25k, but there are tons and tons of others for both Android and iPhone. Also google Jeff Galloway--I run using this method a lot. Also, some great advice I received from one of the ladies I run with was to stop running BEFORE you get fatigued. It sounds crazy, but I swear it has changed the length of my run tremendously.

Also, running with a group or partner helps a TON. I run with a local group of ladies and it is super fun.

Take it easy as well. Get fitted for the proper shoes. Find a specialty running store and ask tons of questions. Also, buy the best equipment for you. It makes a HUGE difference.

Totally agree with being fitted for running shoes, never been a runner even in school . It started for me with 2 min on a treadmill i had shin splints so left the treadmill alone and built up my fitness level on a cross trainer then after a few weeks tried the treadmill again and the shin splints came back

At this stage i was challenged by a young lady from New Jersey to become her on line running buddy as she was looking to do C25K on a treadmill also

I decided to get running shoes fitted and found out i pronate when i run so kitted out with my new shoes i began the C25K
journey, in week 5 run3 it said i had to run for 20min and i thought no F###### way am i gona be able to run 20 min

As the 20min mark came up i realised i felt good so decided to add on a further 5min then another 5 min which would equal running for 30min and thats when i noticed on the clock that i had done almost 4K so decided to go for the 5K

I since completed a few 5ks on the treadmill and decided to take my run outside.....................total fail i managed 2min of running and then realised i was going to fast

i have since done my 5K outside and also upped it to 2x 10K runs one last Sunday and one the Sunday previous

If I can do this anyone can i started out at 315lb and am now around 259 lb not all of my weight loss is on my ticker as I've only managed 28lbs since joining MFP

Im hoping that will change a bit with my 10k runs :-)

I recommend an HRM too. I love mine and find I'm burning far MORE calories than my treadmill or MFP said I was (due to my low fitness level and weight LOL). Also, I can see from workout to workout how my heart rate is DROPPING. Seriously, every time I run it's lower! I'm a numbers person so it's awesome to see actual numeric progress. I run on a treadmill (while children are in bed) so I also have an easy way to set my pace and measure my progress. When I'm feeling tired and not sure I can make the whole running segment I'm on, I look at my heart rate. I know the level my heart rate gets to when I really can't make it, so if it's lower than that, I know I'm just being lazy LOL.

The guy I talked to at the running store suggested staying on each level of C25K for THREE weeks rather than 1. I'm thinking that' probably a good suggestion so I've gone backwards in my program to build up to the higher levels muscle wise, not just cardio wise. This should really help with the shin splints.

To summarize what everyone else is saying:
1. Get good shoes.
2. Go slow.

I was never a runner either and here is my story (from my blog, but I pasted it here)

My Love/Hate Relationship with Exercise (from www.busymomofnine.blogspot.com)
Actually the title of this post is a lie. I don’t have a love/hate relationship with exercise. It’s just pure hatred. I simply do not enjoy any form of exercise. Never have. So I knew this part of the program would be very difficult for me. I didn't do anything for about the first six weeks Rachel started cooking for me. But I knew that to lose weight, diet and exercise go hand-in-hand, so I started walking.

Walking
I spent about a month just walking. I started at 30 minutes, then slowly increased it to an hour. We have a lot of annoying hills around our house, so the walks included a lot of hills, which made it feel like much more of a workout. After about a month of that, though, I knew it just wasn’t enough and I was getting bored. I thought maybe a change of scenery would help, so I started going to a local lake that has the quarter miles all marked out and makes it easy to track how far you are walking. After doing that for a few weeks, I decided to add an ever-so-slight jog into the mix. I’d walk a quarter mile, then jog a quarter mile, then walk a quarter, then jog a quarter. At first, I couldn’t do more than the two quarters total of jogging (and even then, they were split up with a quarter mile of walking), but I kept at it. I can’t say I really had a goal in mind at the time. It just seemed like a good way to ramp up the workout a bit.

Running
Then one day, out of nowhere, I ran a half mile straight. I have to admit, I was shocked. I didn’t tell anyone at first because I didn’t want to ever have to repeat it. But it made me curious. I wondered if I could really work up to running, say, a mile. A week later, I did. I stayed at a mile for a couple weeks, then slowly started adding quarters to it. Then I was at two miles straight. As of this week, I’m at 2.5 miles. With this last run, I experienced what I’ve often heard my husband, who is a runner, talk about: the runner’s high. After the first 1.25 miles, I suddenly got this burst of energy. I wasn’t breathing heavy anymore and it felt like I was on a fresh pair of legs. I just kept going. And now I do have a goal: I want to run a 5K.

As an update, I ran a 5K two weeks ago. Here's the blog post:

5K...DONE!
I feel like a poster child for a “Couch to 5K” commercial! In January I ran my first quarter mile and today I finished a 5K. Wow…just wow. Such a great feeling. I have to admit, I’m already excited for the next race!
After I ran my first 3-mile run at the lake a couple weeks ago, Rachel started pushing to run the Race for Autism 5K. I was hesitant at first, but after I ran the second 3-mile run, I decided to go for it. I never looked at it as a “race”. I just wanted to run the whole thing. Mentally, I kept telling myself this was no different than going to the lake, as I usually do. It was different though. You could feel the energy from the crowds. It kept me going and made it, dare I say it, fun. It was a bit of a stressful run however, as shortly after I started, I looked down at my iphone arm band, which also holds my car key, and the car key was gone! I was too far to go back and with the crowds behind me, there would have been no way to retrace my exact steps. I just prayed that the key would be in the grass area where we started, or that someone turned it in to a lost and found. With that on my mind, I was a bit distracted, and kept running through different scenarios if I couldn’t find the key. In hindsight, it might have been a good thing, in a really weird way. I was doubly motivated to cross that finish line, as I really wanted to start looking for the stupid key!
Crossing the 3-mile checkpoint was a definite highlight. The Finish Line was in sight and I wasn’t as exhausted as I thought I’d be. I picked up speed, as everyone does once the Finish Line is in sight, and as I glanced ahead, I saw Rachel waiting for me on the sidelines. That was pretty cool. The second I crossed the Finish Line, I went back to where we started, and in God’s good providence, found the key in the grass. It was a bit matted down, clearly being stepped on a few times, but it was there! I don’t think it was until after I picked up the key, that I truly was able to take in the thrill of the moment. I went from “couch to 5K” in two months time. While I really don’t have a desire to increase my distance, I am now setting goals related to time. It would be nice to get to a respectable enough time to be able to run with people. I came in at exactly 12 minute miles. I’m anxious to see how the next race goes!

YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!

Lol - you think you aren't a runner? I wish you guys could see me run! HAHAHAHA! I trip over my own feet/calves/toes - everything. I have NEVER been able to run. It's like I become extremely clumsy. When I was little people would make fun of me! Lol I glide when I walk and you can't do much gliding if you're running. I have had to teach myself to literally pick my feet up off the ground haha. Like physically teach myself to run. Also - I am flat footed too - I recommend the dr. scholls inserts. Can get them at walmart and they are AWESOME! I definitely recommend c25k and runkeeper - just because I like to keep up with my run and fitness and I think it's interesting to map my run on gps! Good luck!

I'm completely flat footed. I had to wear special orthopedic inserts as a child and for most of my life, just walking gave me terrible shin splints. I went out and got a pair of New Balance shoes that have extra arch support and are specially made for people who over pronate (not sure if I worded that correctly but hopefully you understand what i'm saying.) I just completed c25k week 5 day 1 yesterday and i'm looking forward to the rest of the program as well!