Any runners- i need some advice!

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twk001

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i was a light runner in college and LOVED running. but then i got married and broke my leg. i was on bedrest for almost 6 months and gained a ton of weight. then infertility treatments, pregnancy, motherhood, and life happened. now, 13 years later i would love to get back into running.

I am SEVERLY out of shape. really. climbling a flight of stairs puts me into an asthmatic-type spasm! i have 40 lbs to lose to get back to wedding weight, and 60 to get back to college weight.

i KNOW how to eat, but we eat ‘broke food’ because of budget and the fact that my DH is going to be out of work soon.

i take medication for blood pressure, and would like to get off of it. my BP is elevated simply due to weight.

So…how do I get back into it? can’t afford a trainer, gym or otherwise. i have a treadmill in the basement and a wonderful neighborhood. in 3 years, at age 40 i’d love to be a regular runner again. any thoughts?
 
Yes.

Please start by going to your doctor!

No one should ever start any kind of exercise routine without getting a physician to check them out first!

Best wishes to you!
 
I am not a runner but know a few who recommend the couch to 5k (c25k) program. You can google it you’ll probably get quite a few tips. It is a programme/schedule to get you from nothing to running a 5k in 9 weeks. You start with walking and jogging not spectacular, the workouts are 20 to 30 minutes for 3 days a week. You don’t have to run really fast, in fact they encourage walking intervals when you need it. Good luck.

eta found one link but you can find others link
 
trinichiqn said:
I am not a runner but know a few who recommend the couch to 5k (c25k) program. You can google it you’ll probably get quite a few tips. It is a programme/schedule to get you from nothing to running a 5k in 9 weeks. You start with walking and jogging not spectacular, the workouts are 20 to 30 minutes for 3 days a week. You don’t have to run really fast, in fact they encourage walking intervals when you need it. Good luck.

eta found one link but you can find others link
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I second this. The couch to 5k is a great program and you can even repeat weeks if you need to. Take it nice and slow and listen to your body. Before you know it, you will be running again! I started the couch to 5k after having 4 babies and not exercising for many years and 2 years later I ran my first marathon. 🙂 I used this one: coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
 
twk001 said:
i was a light runner in college and LOVED running. but then i got married and broke my leg. i was on bedrest for almost 6 months and gained a ton of weight. then infertility treatments, pregnancy, motherhood, and life happened. now, 13 years later i would love to get back into running.

I am SEVERLY out of shape. really. climbling a flight of stairs puts me into an asthmatic-type spasm! i have 40 lbs to lose to get back to wedding weight, and 60 to get back to college weight.

i KNOW how to eat, but we eat ‘broke food’ because of budget and the fact that my DH is going to be out of work soon.

i take medication for blood pressure, and would like to get off of it. my BP is elevated simply due to weight.

So…how do I get back into it? can’t afford a trainer, gym or otherwise. i have a treadmill in the basement and a wonderful neighborhood. in 3 years, at age 40 i’d love to be a regular runner again. any thoughts?
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First take a cardio test.
Start very slowly, aerobic exercise, not anaerobic.
Long walks with low speed first.
Very slowly, shorten the length and put more speed.
Go very slowly, I would prefer to take one year objective than to put short term goals with high risk dangers.

If you do it steadly and slowly, very slowly, no hurry, you will get no problems.
If you rush your body and do not prepare it for jogging you may run into problems like the inventor of jogging did who died … jogging…
 
I third the couch to 5K recommendation. I’ll add that you should find your local runner’s store (not a mega sporting goods place). They can be an excellent resource. I’m actually just getting back into running myself (at age 46) and am doing a 5K group training through our Fleet Feet store and I’m enjoying the camaraderie of the group. I know you said money was tight but hopefully you can invest in a good pair of real running shoes that the professionals fit for your feet. They make all the difference. In general, I’m a cheapskate but I’m willing to pay for the service and helpfulness that I get from the running professionals.

Good luck! I’m hoping to do a 1/2 marathon this October. I’m truly the slowest runner (medium pacing walkers can beat me!) and I actually don’t really like running, but I love being a “runner” so I keep trudging along.
 
ooh- thanks for the suggestions so far! been to the doc- he definitely said to GET MOVING! and said that when i feel ready, running is ok…

also have a pretty good pair of running shoes that i had fit at a professional running store a few years back. they’ve barely been worn, but brokin in pretty slightly from walking.

i’ll look into the program. thanks!
 
Besides the good advice everyone has given, maybe try some resistance exercises to strengthen other parts of your body. I found my running was a lot better when I included some weight exercises.

You don’t need to get too fancy, just a few basic exercises to hit the arms like push-ups and the core with planks plus walking/running and you’ve got a great starting program.

God bless your efforts.

Bryan
 
twk001 said:
i was a light runner in college and LOVED running. but then i got married and broke my leg. i was on bedrest for almost 6 months and gained a ton of weight. then infertility treatments, pregnancy, motherhood, and life happened. now, 13 years later i would love to get back into running.

I am SEVERLY out of shape. really. climbling a flight of stairs puts me into an asthmatic-type spasm! i have 40 lbs to lose to get back to wedding weight, and 60 to get back to college weight.

i KNOW how to eat, but we eat ‘broke food’ because of budget and the fact that my DH is going to be out of work soon.

i take medication for blood pressure, and would like to get off of it. my BP is elevated simply due to weight.

So…how do I get back into it? can’t afford a trainer, gym or otherwise. i have a treadmill in the basement and a wonderful neighborhood. in 3 years, at age 40 i’d love to be a regular runner again. any thoughts?
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Last March (2011) I weighed 213 lbs (5’9 58 YO male) with a 40+ inch waist. By Oct 1st of 2011 I weighed 176 lbs with a 34 inch waist.

I did it all by walking, and riding a bike. I walked 45 min to an hour everyday (sometimes at one stretch, sometimes in 2 or 3 walks). I biked about 35 miles a week.

The key is to just keep moving!

And, I quit eating after 7 pm. In addition, I never skipped breakfast (weird, you have to eat to lose weight).

I did have a goal. It was to lose 1 lb a week. I think a realistic goal helps you to change you lifestyle and keep it off.

Nobody can eat enough to gain 10 lbs a week, so why should they expect to lose 10 lbs in a week?

Walking was the easiest part. Got an MP3 player, and listed to Liturgy of the Hours. Got bibles on CD, Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet…got close to God while walking off the lbs.

Good luck…It can be done!

In the beginning, the hardest part of the workout was getting up and out of the house. Soon it became routine, and if weather or the job made me miss a day, I freaked!
 
Cat said:
Yes.

Please start by going to your doctor!

No one should ever start any kind of exercise routine without getting a physician to check them out first!

Best wishes to you!
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Absolutely agree with this.
 
twk001 said:
i was a light runner in college and LOVED running. but then i got married and broke my leg. i was on bedrest for almost 6 months and gained a ton of weight. then infertility treatments, pregnancy, motherhood, and life happened. now, 13 years later i would love to get back into running.

I am SEVERLY out of shape. really. climbling a flight of stairs puts me into an asthmatic-type spasm! i have 40 lbs to lose to get back to wedding weight, and 60 to get back to college weight.

i KNOW how to eat, but we eat ‘broke food’ because of budget and the fact that my DH is going to be out of work soon.

i take medication for blood pressure, and would like to get off of it. my BP is elevated simply due to weight.

So…how do I get back into it? can’t afford a trainer, gym or otherwise. i have a treadmill in the basement and a wonderful neighborhood. in 3 years, at age 40 i’d love to be a regular runner again. any thoughts?
Click to expand...
I would recommend something that is less harsh on your body… just while you get back in shape, such as a pool or an elliptical.

It is best to strengthen your muscles/joints and lose some weight before you get back into running and run the risk of injuring yourself.

If you don’t have access to a pool or any sort of elliptical type machine, I’d recommend power walking a couple miles a day for a while before you start jogging.

Good luck.
 
I was in your position back in 2006, when I made a decision to change.

The first thing I did was begin with walking. I hated it, however, so I started to run after about 4-6 weeks. I was so self conscious that I ran at night so others could not see how out of shape I was. I ran everyday, but one, usually Sunday. After about 6 months, I ran into a gentleman who would become a close friend, and he remarked with great excitement “Wow, how much weight have you lost”? That encouragement was all I needed to put me into hard core running.

I have run, with a few gaps, more or less ever since. Some 65 pounds lighter, I feel better than I ever have. All it takes is some persistence and patience. I know you will do well in your new life.
 
Back in the days when I started I was 70 lbs overweight. I couldn’t walk more than a few blocks without getting winded and I was only 25. My doctor recommended starting out slow. Take short walks gradually increasing the distance over time as you feel up to it. Graduating at 30 minutes a day which is all my doctor said the average person needs. You can try short runs from there. Running a few minutes then walking in between increasing the running time as you feel up to it. I actually find walking better and am trying to get back into running myself but am taking my time as I have knee issues. I would also do the same with food. Slowly replace bad unhealthy foods with healthier ones. For example I gave up soda and started drinking more water. I lost a lot of weight just giving up soda. Instead of snacking on chips or high calorie items try things like fruit, pickles or even ice. I freeze grapes and blueberries to eat instead of chips. Popcorn that is unsalted and unbuttered can be good too to start out with. I also gave up all fried foods and most red meat. I still have high sugar foods once in a while but in moderation. I also don’t buy that stuff and keep it around the house. I also changed my habits. I read instead of watching tv. I hike, bike and kayak a lot and go dancing with friends or clean. I still have the craving to snack though when I’m in front of the tv so I limit that time. Light weight training with hand weights can also help. Again always remember to do these things gradually. Don’t shock your system or body with abrupt changes. Except for maybe quicking sugar and high fat foods. I eat mostly sandwiches these days but I’m on a low salt diet due to family health issues I want to avoid and all preprepared foods are high in sodium. Hope some this helps you. It’s a good idea to talk to you doctor though especially if you’re on medicine.
 
I am not a very consistent runner, school, or illness, weather, or family, kids, and life just seem to get in the way. So whenever I want to pick up running again but feel really out of shape I always start with walks. Now I can usually start with 30min walks, and as I start to feel better I walk faster and maybe walk for 45m or 1 hour, depending on my muscles, tendons, or joints. Then after several weeks of this, I transition into running, and my first day out I try to run 15 or 20 min. But then instead of ending my workout there I then finish up with a walk for another 30+ minutes. (Also light core work and upper body weight work would be good for over all weightloss and fitness, like modified pushups). Then as my runs get longer, I keep my walk the same, until I am running closer to 40/45min. Then I might shorten my walk to 20m or so, or drop them off completely and only work on running faster or doing sprints.

Since some injuries and other similar problems I can no longer run over ~45 minutes, but by the time I am nearing that kind of fitness level I tend to get bored or looking for other exercise outlets, like biking, swimming, or rollerblading. 😛 (I will tell you swimming laps for 30-45 minutes is one of the most challenging workouts I have done, and I was a nordic skier and would go on 3 hour skis).
 
Debora123 said:
I would recommend something that is less harsh on your body… just while you get back in shape, such as a pool or an elliptical.

It is best to strengthen your muscles/joints and lose some weight before you get back into running and run the risk of injuring yourself.

If you don’t have access to a pool or any sort of elliptical type machine, I’d recommend power walking a couple miles a day for a while before you start jogging.

Good luck.
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I second the power walking suggestion. And don’t worry, the exaggerated arm motions are entirely optional. 😉
 
i started running again last year feb.2011…after not being active in 6 yrs. i started the gym bc i gained too much weight after my second child and I started by walking, jogging, then worked my way up to running, within a few weeks i was running 1-2 miles twice weekly. I ran my first 5k race 2 months after starting and now im training for a half marathon! cardio never hurt anyone. just go at your own pace! good luck!👍
 
DH and i are going to start out by INTENTIONALLY walking 15-20 minutes every night. we’ve decided to just START to move. that will do wonders. hopefully by summer’s end I will have gotten up enough stamina and hopefully lost a few pounds and will THEN look forward to running again. i think it would just be WAY too much right now, and i don’t want to injure…thanks for awesome advice everyone!
 
I started running about six years ago. I only run 15 miles a week, but I love it.

I got the Nike+ sensor and thing to work with my ipod to track my runs, and that is something, at least for me, that helped motivate me.

I also bought good running shoes. I mean the over-$100 shoes with names and numbers after them (like Brooks Glycerin 9 or Mizuno Wave Channel 13). They really make a difference. Go to a good sporting goods or running store to be fitted the first time. Oh, and did you know they make socks specifically for running, with a right sock and a left sock? If you have blister problems, they really help.

To start, one of the programs like couch to 5K are great. Just start slow and short distances and move your way up.
 
Find a running/workout buddy!!

It is so much easier to stay motivated that way and you hold each other accountable. You can usually find some local groups or talk to some people around the neighborhood when you see then our and about.
 
You have gotten some good advice! I am a ex-marathoner, spent many years running and loved it! I actually switched over to low-impact exercise now. I met wayyy too many elite runners that had serious injuries. At any rate, first things first, get a good pair of running shoes (make sure they are specifically for running). I almost ruined my knees using the wrong pair when I first started out. Second, go slow at first…but make sure you keep challenging yourself. Also, you mentioned you are on a “broke” diet. Perfect! Pasta (Barilla is my favorite as it is made with bean flour) has tons of protein and fiber, as does beans. Eggs are a cheap and healthy protein, and of course, there are so many ways to prepare them that you could never get bored. I also love yogurt or cottage cheese smoothies (trust me, you don’t even taste the CC). Just make sure you don’t add artificial sweetner, I used Stevia.

You will have the weight melting off in no time! I’ve read that running is the quickest way to lose weight and it definitely got me back in shape after I had my kids. Good luck!🙂
 
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