I want to be a runner but am far from one

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  • cjhart81
    cjhart81 Posts: 200 Member
    I decided it would be a good idea too.. I had always wanted to get on the tredmill when I do actually bother to go to the gym but was always too scared.. so I bought some running shoes and thought if I dont do it now, will I ever? what IS stopping me? im only hurting myself!!! Sooo off I went, all 207lbs of me.. just around the block! i could run for 30 seconds before I thought I was going to die! but i kept it up going every night, just around the block - which is only 5 mins within a week I could jog most of t he way around.. the end of the second week I could keep going for 15 mins! i NEVER thought im a million years that I would ever be a jogger.. but its really good once you get in to it and you feel great for doing it! I admit, i have slacked since I came back from my holiday but I am moving in 2 days and once I have, I will be starting again!!
  • allisonrozsa
    allisonrozsa Posts: 178 Member
    I want to run or at least be a good jogger. I have dreams where I am just running free without a care in the world. The thing is I am too heavy for long periods of time and I am afraid to run or jog in public for fear of being judged and made fun of.

    You can do this! 99% of the time no one else around you cares, it's just our own inner-voices that discourage us. It doesn't matter what those other people on the streets think, although, my guess is that they are thinking "way to go!"
  • brismom070897
    brismom070897 Posts: 178 Member
    bump
  • aw8899
    aw8899 Posts: 13 Member
    Ok everyone! I Just started my first week of C25K..... wooooooow. I have some mixed emotions but most of them are good. Thanks everyone for the support and advice. I appreciate allof you!
  • Amy_nz
    Amy_nz Posts: 145
    Go you! :flowerforyou:
  • cprice05
    cprice05 Posts: 82 Member
    Yay! I love running!!! And I am by no means fast =)
  • PlunderBunneh
    PlunderBunneh Posts: 1,705 Member
    A treadmill really helped me overcome me anxieties. I found mine on Craigslist, for only $100. Now, I'm running the track at the gym, through my neighborhood, and on trails. It's hard to start out, but you will find out pretty quickly that the most thought people will give a larger runner is "Good for them!"
    It takes a while to run effortlessly, but once you get there, it's amazing.
    C25K got me started from no having run in a decade, and even then having no endurance at all. I still hesitate to call myself a runner, but I run a mile (sometimes 3!) at least 4 times a week and absolutely adore it.
    edited to add - I was just under 230 pounds when I started running. I did manage to injure myself by trying to progress too fast at first, but once I stopped being so damn competitive with myself and started just taking the slow path my body needed, I was just fine.
  • LilRedRooster
    LilRedRooster Posts: 1,421 Member
    Just get started! :D Let people think what they will for now.... they'll be doing a double take in six months. :)

    I'd strongly recommend running in minimalist shoes. If you're worried about your weight, you need to be super careful with your form. Most running injuries are caused from absolute overexertion, bad form, or a combination of both. Minimalist shoes allow your feet to give you more feedback which generally helps you to instinctively find proper style and gait.

    Form cliffnotes as a fairly new runner:
    - Land on your fore or midfoot!! Can't stress this enough. Heel-striking is bad, bad, bad. It's bad for your joints, is inefficient so you expend more energy, and is statistically proven to increase injury risk.
    - Keep your arms loose, don't pump them to your chest. You basically want to keep them in front of you but very loose so you're not building up tension in your shoulders with each landing. I'm still working on finding a good balance for this one.
    - Land with your knees slightly bent (more just 'loose', again), and your foot almost directly underneath of you. If you land too far forward of your center of gravity you put unnecessary stress on your knees and ankles.
    - Fast cadence is good. 180 strikes per minute or so enables (if barefoot or in proper minimalist footwear) your arches, tendons, and calves to more or less act as springs... this saves you from some muscle fatigue and helps reduce impact.
    don't forget about breathing!! in thru the nose out thru the mouth!!!

    Ooh yeah, that's huge! Thanks for pointing that out. Breathing is super important... if you huff and puff through your mouth (instead of in through nose, out through mouth), your mouth will become more dried out, your heart-rate will probably be a little less constant, and you're more prone to 'stiches' in your side. (at least I was!)

    I find keeping your jaw in kind of in a "limp fish" state to help. Use your tongue to block your mouth when you inhale. Take BIG, steady inhales. If you need to, constricting your lips a little (still with a limp jaw) can help slow your exhale and pace your breathing some.

    If you're sympathetic nervous system kicks in properly, you shouldn't get dry mouth unless you're pretty dehydrated. Under stress and exercise situations, you produce a very thick mucous that will coat your mouth and all your other mucous membranes to keep them from drying out. It's actually an evolutionary tactic that's a pretty cool adaptation. I breathe exclusively through my mouth (I don't think I could get enough air in my lungs quickly enough through my nose unless I was going really slowly, to be honest), and have never had a really dry mouth unless I didn't get enough water before my runs.

    And at faster speeds for long distances, we are obligate mouth breathers. That's actually what makes us so efficient over longer distances, because we can switch between nose and mouth, unlike other animals.
  • nickindie
    nickindie Posts: 1
    I am working on a documentary just about this subject. Maybe you will find it interesting! Here's the link http://kck.st/1f0dJ2R
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
    I want to run or at least be a good jogger. I have dreams where I am just running free without a care in the world. The thing is I am too heavy for long periods of time and I am afraid to run or jog in public for fear of being judged and made fun of. I do a lot of walking walk every other day from school and around the city with my boyfriend. I average about an hour to two hours of brisk walking every other day. Walking is fine but it has gotten boring and I want to up my cardio and calories burned. Any suggestions?

    i promise you this if you decide to take up running you will not encounter a single runner during your run that will judge or make fun of you. if anything they will encourage and motivate you. now since you're out walking with your boyfriend why not change it up a bit and challenge him to run along side you even if it's just for a minute. the two of you might discover you enjoy running together. :)
  • Hayaa79
    Hayaa79 Posts: 458 Member
    go for C25K
  • PeteWhoLikesToRunAlot
    PeteWhoLikesToRunAlot Posts: 596 Member
    I say this in all honesty. When I see someone hitting the pavement who is a larger person, working hard for each step, I find that more admirable than the people who obviously have been at it for a long time. Starting from scratch is far more difficult than keeping at it after improving. Nothing against people who've obviously been at it a long time and have made great progress, of course, but the newbie runners have more successes to look forward to.

    Best of luck in your journey.
  • hulmingbird
    hulmingbird Posts: 11 Member
    The reviews for C25K are incredible! It seems as though this is a program that allows ANYONE to start, learn and run. I've looked up a couple of the apps available for it. Does anyone have any recommendations?

    I've been out walking every day (3-6km) and sadly, it's hard work. I've been at it for about a month though, and I find that I'm slowly getting faster and some days I can go further. I get shin splints pretty bad though, so that is something I'm trying to work on.

    I've been reading about the C25K Zombie run, that seems pretty interesting. I may have to give it a try.

    First thing first, a new pair of shoes.
  • Kita328
    Kita328 Posts: 370 Member

    If you still look pretty at the end of a workout, you're not doing it right.

    Let's go!

    THIS!! I may have to steal this quote!
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
    I started running at 220 lbs...I ran my first 5k a few weeks ago. I'm now training for a half-marathon in May, and plan to continue to a full marathon in September. Ask anyone, no one EVER thought I'd be a runner. Yet, here I am!
  • crista_b
    crista_b Posts: 1,192 Member
    Since you said you're doing c25k, check out the MFP group. You can get lots of support and advice there. The daily check-in threads are great and helped me motivate myself through it.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/30-couch-to-5k-running-program-c25k

    Remember not to worry if you have to repeat a day or week. I repeated most of the first half at least once.

    I started c25k at the end of April, and I'm doing a 6 mile run on Sunday. I'm working up to 10 miles by Thanksgiving, and I'm still around 50-60lbs overweight. It's do-able, just make sure you take rest days when you're new to it, and take care of yourself. Stretching afterwards helps.

    Edit: woops. Just realized this is an old thread, so I'll leave the above info anyway, but I'll respond to this recent post too:
    The reviews for C25K are incredible! It seems as though this is a program that allows ANYONE to start, learn and run. I've looked up a couple of the apps available for it. Does anyone have any recommendations?
    I've heard good things about the app from Active.com. I just used the c25k free app by zen labs. (Actually, I used the c210k app, but the first 8 weeks of that program are the c25k program.) You can play music and it will lower the volume of the music as the voice comes on to tell you to walk or run.
  • jessiekanga
    jessiekanga Posts: 564 Member
    When I confessed similar worries and fears, 11 months ago before C25K, someone posted this for me: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ellepribro/view/hey-fat-girl-542105

    It helped me get out there. 11 months later I can honestly say, it's all true.

    Good luck! You CAN do it!

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