for all the hopefull "wanna be" runners out there - trying t
darman
Posts: 269
I wanted to start a topic for all of us who are trying to become runners - for whatever reason......something in us said; "start runnung" - now granted I am not the 10-20 mile runner that the "real" runners are but I hope to get there maybe some day - maybe not - but this post is for those of us in the 5mile and under range - you know who you are - the ones that have to push just to get past mile 2 - those of us that have to take walk breaks during our run - so this post is for us - to push each other on - to talk about our successes and failures - things that each of us have found that works for us, helps us and so on..............I hope there is a need for this out there in mfp land
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I am a begining runner. I am slowly increasing the distance I can run without stopping to walk for a while. I think this post will be good for encouragment.0
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I'm in! I'm in the "I keep trying but lose motivation and stop" group. I think I'd be lucky to reach 1 mile fully running. I can do it with walking added in though.0
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Great topic! Thanks! :flowerforyou:
The treadmill kicked my butt this AM! I usually run outside, and I know I'm a slooowwww runner (people walk faster than I run) - and I've been working on increasing my speed. A friend of mine was lammenting that she was out of shape and couldn't maintain 6 mph any more. Are you kidding me? That is a dead sprint for me and I have to stop after 30 seconds!
Set the max speed on the hotel this AM at 5.5 mph, thinking it would only be for a short distance at the peak of my workout - didn't last at that speed very long.
MFP doesn't even have a speed under "running" that is as slow as I go, so I have to monkey around with my entries between walking and jogging to try to get what I think is the right average.
Too funny...:ohwell:0 -
Great idea. I am just about finished with the Couch to 5k program which has gotten me far. I can now run 2 miles, working on increasing that now. I don't run fast but am consistent. Before I started the C25k I couldn't run to the end of my driveway, it has been a great program. will be great to have others to check in with.
Jenn0 -
I'm in too. Goodness knows I need all the encouragement and motivation I can get. I know I can do this. I've even started dreaming about it. I don't push myself hard enough and then once I get home I'm so disappointed in myself that I didn't try harder. I need something to think about while I'm running, I think - and not concentrate so much on "running", ya know?
There I go again...babbling.
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Great topic, thank you! I'm in the same boat as M2kjen - I'm doing about 2 miles thanks to the C25K. I'm in week 7, but I can do it without a break, which is amazing! I'll be 50 next birthday and have never run - I could not even run the mile in high school but I'm doing it now!
Pretty proud! and still not under 200 lbs!! (will be soon!!!)0 -
I'm getting ready to start week 8 of the Couch to 5K program and I am a sloooooowww runner but at least I'm doing it.
Once I am done with the 9 week program I am going to slowly work up to 45 minutes of running then I will start working on increasing speed. I currently run at 4.0 on my treadmill; a speed at which some people brisk walk! :blushing: Right now, with the 5 minute warmup walk and 5 minute cool down walk and running for 25 minutes straight, I total about 2.15 miles. By the end of the 9 weeks, I will run for 30 minutes straight which should put me at about 2.5 miles total. I love this program and recommend it to anyone who wants to start running. On week 1 I had to drop the treadmill down to 2.0 just to recover from running for 60 seconds! :blushing: Keep running everyone! 0 -
I'm getting ready to start week 8 of the Couch to 5K program and I am a sloooooowww runner but at least I'm doing it. Once I am done with the 9 week program I am going to slowly work up to 45 minutes of running then I will start working on increasing speed. I currently run at 4.0 on my treadmill; a speed at which some people brisk walk! :blushing: Right now, with the 5 minute warmup walk and 5 minute cool down walk and running for 25 minutes straight, I total about 2.15 miles. By the end of the 9 weeks, I will run for 30 minutes straight which should put me at about 2.5 miles total. I love this program and recommend it to anyone who wants to start running. On week 1 I had to drop the treadmill down to 2.0 just to recover from running for 60 seconds! :blushing: Keep running everyone!
Isn't it amazing how quickly our bodies begin to adjust! You have come so far in 7 weeks!!0 -
I too am a very slow runner. I actually just started running again Monday night. Monday was awesome, I LOVED it, then last night I wanted to stop after about 2 minutes but I kept going and went farther than Monday granted it was much slower but I kept moving.
I want to start training for a half marathon but all the training programs I've found say that you need to have been running consistently for about 4-6 weeks and can run at least 30 minutes straight before starting. So that is my first goal. I started a blog documenting my experience if anyone is interested.
http://myrunningadventure.blogspot.com/
Good Luck everyone!0 -
Great idea. I am just about finished with the Couch to 5k program which has gotten me far. I can now run 2 miles, working on increasing that now. I don't run fast but am consistent. Before I started the C25k I couldn't run to the end of my driveway, it has been a great program. will be great to have others to check in with.
Jenn
I've started a few times but always end up slacking off. Re-starting week 1 again tonight! :ohwell:0 -
Thanks, Darman for starting this thread!
meanness67 pretty much told my story too!
I'm on wk 8 and wondering what will be next for me after I complete week 9 of couch to 5k and can run for 30 minutes. I'm not particularly interested in running for hours on end, but 2 years ago I participated in the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta - walking 90% of it... it would be good to do that again and be able to run it (or most of it anyway!).
I haven't reached that 3.2 mile point yet, so even 5 miles is still a "stretch" goal for me!0 -
I'm just starting out. I've always wanted to run, but have had a hard time with the breathing. I'd like to start the couch to 5k program, but am not sure where to find it. Any suggestions?0
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Hello everyone... i would love to be a part of this too!!! I completed week 2 of the couch to 5k program last week and then of course I got sick and have had to take a few days off... So, I'm going to start back up in a couple of days on week 2 again and then try to move forward.... I think it's a great program for anyone who is not a runner but wants to be!!! My goal is to finish the program and then consistently be able to run 3 miles 3 days a week for a few weeks... then I'd like to find a new goal to train for.. maybe a 1/2 marathon?? Sounds impossible now though!0
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I have been trying to stay consistent with a run/walk program, but just cant get my act together. I am running for 2 min/walking 3 min, but since I can't stick to a schedule I'm getting nowhere slowly.0
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I have completed the C25K program and am running 3 miles at a time about 3 times a week...I have been telling myself that I will increase my runs but haven't yet done it :laugh:
I qualify for the under 5 miles club :happy:
:flowerforyou: Jessi0 -
I am a beginner runner. Well, I used to run a bit back in middle school for the track team, but that and my in shape body is long gone. :laugh:
I am planning to start the C25K program next week outdoors. I am able to run 1.5 miles on the treadmill with a break of walking for .15 miles in between the mile and the half mile. But, outside is completely different which is why I want to use C25K. 0 -
i
this thread, great idea!
I used to be a long distance runner and after a long long break (which started due to an ankle issue and then turned to me not being able to get off my butt) I am finally getting back into things. Man, starting to run again is hard! Today I did 2.5 miles with no walking break at about 5.0 - 5.5 on the treadmill and a random incline. Felt great and I feel like i am finally making some progress.
My goal is to get to 5k 3 times a week, stay there for a bit and work on speed, and then to get to 10k.0 -
I'm just starting out. I've always wanted to run, but have had a hard time with the breathing. I'd like to start the couch to 5k program, but am not sure where to find it. Any suggestions?
You can find the program at www.coolrunning.com that outlines what you do each day. Many of us use podcasts which talk you through the times, those you can google search for, or search some C25K threads on this site and you'll find some links. Good luck - you will love it!0 -
I would love to do this too...I've had a few "starts and stops" to try and get better at running. I have a question that is something that has been somewhat of a deterrent for me:
When you are at the beginning of a program and have all the run/walk intervals, how to do you keep track? I want to run outside and not on a treadmill. It seems cumbersome to be looking at a watch every 60 seconds, any suggestions out there?
Much appreciated!0 -
I would love to do this too...I've had a few "starts and stops" to try and get better at running. I have a question that is something that has been somewhat of a deterrent for me:
When you are at the beginning of a program and have all the run/walk intervals, how to do you keep track? I want to run outside and not on a treadmill. It seems cumbersome to be looking at a watch every 60 seconds, any suggestions out there?
Much appreciated!
If you want to look into the Couch to 5K program, they have podcasts you can download for your mp3 player that tells you when to walk/run according to the C25K running plan.
http://www.c25k.com/0 -
I would love to do this too...I've had a few "starts and stops" to try and get better at running. I have a question that is something that has been somewhat of a deterrent for me:
When you are at the beginning of a program and have all the run/walk intervals, how to do you keep track? I want to run outside and not on a treadmill. It seems cumbersome to be looking at a watch every 60 seconds, any suggestions out there?
Much appreciated!
Or if you are like me and don't have an ipod (i use my phone as my mp3 and cannot download podcasts to it). I also didn't have a watch I could use so I had to improvise. I start a song and use the timer for the song and then when it's time to do the next part, I change the song and use the timer on that song and just keep doing that the whole time and it seems to work well for me. I usually do the treadmill but have been trying to get outside one day a week.0 -
if you have an ipod - there are podcast on the c25k website free for downloading that have verbal ques that go along with the program - when i first started i used songs as philde04 said - i would try to walk / run a whole song or part of oneI would love to do this too...I've had a few "starts and stops" to try and get better at running. I have a question that is something that has been somewhat of a deterrent for me:
When you are at the beginning of a program and have all the run/walk intervals, how to do you keep track? I want to run outside and not on a treadmill. It seems cumbersome to be looking at a watch every 60 seconds, any suggestions out there?
Much appreciated!
Or if you are like me and don't have an ipod (i use my phone as my mp3 and cannot download podcasts to it). I also didn't have a watch I could use so I had to improvise. I start a song and use the timer for the song and then when it's time to do the next part, I change the song and use the timer on that song and just keep doing that the whole time and it seems to work well for me. I usually do the treadmill but have been trying to get outside one day a week.
if you are walking outside maybe you can use a watch one day and make landmarks - i have heard of using small dots of spray paint on the side of the road if you do road walking
hope this helps!!0 -
i this thread, great idea!
I used to be a long distance runner and after a long long break (which started due to an ankle issue and then turned to me not being able to get off my butt) I am finally getting back into things. Man, starting to run again is hard! Today I did 2.5 miles with no walking break at about 5.0 - 5.5 on the treadmill and a random incline. Felt great and I feel like i am finally making some progress.
My goal is to get to 5k 3 times a week, stay there for a bit and work on speed, and then to get to 10k.
awesome job on getting started back!! great job on the 2.5 miles!! Kee pushin"!:drinker:0 -
I am a beginner runner. Well, I used to run a bit back in middle school for the track team, but that and my in shape body is long gone. :laugh:
I am planning to start the C25K program next week outdoors. I am able to run 1.5 miles on the treadmill with a break of walking for .15 miles in between the mile and the half mile. But, outside is completely different which is why I want to use C25K.
Hah - i ran track in middle school also - 400 relay and hurdles - my how time flies!
Good job on getting started back - the c25k has had much success - keep us posted with your progress!!0 -
I'm in! I'm in the "I keep trying but lose motivation and stop" group. I think I'd be lucky to reach 1 mile fully running. I can do it with walking added in though.
YES the answer is YES - you can reach 1 mile then 1.25 then 1.5 then 1.75.......you get the picture
just keep adding a little more run and a little less walk - always start out with a good brisk walk
and.............MAKE SURE YOU STRETCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! before and after - really does help!!0 -
WOW!
This really took off - glad to see I am not alone................
for all of you just starting or even somewhere in between starting and reaching you goal let me give you some encouragement and a little of my story..........
I stepped on the scales around the middle of august and realized i weighed more than i ever had in my life.........by the time i walked up the stairs for bed i was breathing heavy.......this had to go....so at 46 yrs of age i decided it was time to get in shape
Day 1: 1.5 mile walk in 20 min on treadmill - took all i could do - 30 crunches on exercise ball
Goal: to not have a heart attack:laugh:
Gradually, i mean really gradually i began to add a little distance and some incline
Gaol: 3 miles in 30 min
3 1/2 months later
4 mile runs in 38 min
150 -250 crunches a day
50 push ups a day
it can be done - but start slow and add only as you feel that you can - you do have to push yourself but don't hurt yourself - your muscles and bones have to grow strong gradually
Some things I have learned on my journey:
Shoes - oh my gosh - shoes are like really important - make the investment, go to the specialty store and get measured / video taped / fitted - okay so the shoes will cost 10 - 15 $ more - its worth it
Some days you just have to take off and rest - listen to your body
The journey is personal - no matter how many friends and family go with you, its your journey
Set realistic goals for yourself - don't set yourself up to fail - don't by pass any goals
Keep track of your progess
Sorry for the long post but........................i'm just excited that we have so many of us in the same boat0 -
This is a good group to be in. I did W2D2 of C25K this AM, but I wouldn't call myself a runner, but eventually would like to try my hand at a 5K race. I've actually found that I look forward to me C25K sessions no matter what time of day.
I don't use treadmills either. I bought a stop watch for C25K. It's not that hard to carry it in your hand. i try not to look at the watch when I'm running. I pick a land mark ahead and tell myself I can't look until then. This AM I was actually over shooting my run intervals.0 -
This is a good group to be in. I did W2D2 of C25K this AM, but I wouldn't call myself a runner, but eventually would like to try my hand at a 5K race. I've actually found that I look forward to me C25K sessions no matter what time of day.
I don't use treadmills either. I bought a stop watch for C25K. It's not that hard to carry it in your hand. i try not to look at the watch when I'm running. I pick a land mark ahead and tell myself I can't look until then. This AM I was actually over shooting my run intervals.
Great Job!!!! :drinker: Today was my off day, but I ran a mile with my BFF (she is trying to quit smoking) I was sooo proud to run with her!!!0 -
I'm in. I finished the c25k program in that I can run for 30 minutes but now I need to be able to run for 3.2 miles so I can run the 5k in Seattle the end of November. My last run was 2 and 3/4 miles so I'm getting there. I'm definitely a runner. I even subscribed to Runners World magagine. :bigsmile: What a great feeling to be able to run. Before starting the c25k program I could barely run a few feet to catch a bus or walk up a flight of stairs without being completely out of breath. Now I get so excited just thinking about running. What a rush!!! :happy:0
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I'm in. I finished the c25k program in that I can run for 30 minutes but now I need to be able to run for 3.2 miles so I can run the 5k in Seattle the end of November. My last run was 2 and 3/4 miles so I'm getting there. I'm definitely a runner. I even subscribed to Runners World magagine. :bigsmile: What a great feeling to be able to run. Before starting the c25k program I could barely run a few feet to catch a bus or walk up a flight of stairs without being completely out of breath. Now I get so excited just thinking about running. What a rush!!! :happy:
:drinker: You go momma!!!! (I'm jealous of the runners world subscription :bigsmile: )0
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