[ASaladandaDream]

Hey! I want to become a runner.

What I mean is Ive been going to the gym regularly & Id like to start running.

I weigh 274 so I get out of breath pretty easily - usually after a minute or so. Any tips to help me build up my endurance?

[pattyhues]

Don't be a hero and try to run 4-5 miles a day. Jogging will get you nowhere, so start early and gradually work your way up. First week, sprint 1 mile (rest in the weekends). Second week, 1.5. Third, 2 miles and so on.

If you want to get a good idea of how much you run, go out one day and just run for as long as you can. Exhaust yourself, but keep going. Have a water bottle handy because you may feel like throwing up afterwards.

Remember to warm up and cool down before and after each run. As for food.. Eat your eggs, almonds, whole grain, sweet potatoes, and so on. Anything that has protein will help.

And no.. don't do energy drinks. The crash after-effect is horrible. Regular water will keep you hydrated as well.

[TheLindsy]

Originally Posted by pattyhues

First week, sprint 1 mile (rest in the weekends). Second week, 1.5. Third, 2 miles and so on.

I don't think you should "sprint" one mile on your first week. I reccomened doing the Couch to 5k. You can google it and it will give you a week run down on how you can be ready for a 5k in a few months!
Just go at your own pace. Dont get burned out too fast. You need to start slow.

You can do it!!

Oh and make sure you have the right shoes to run in!

[Eliana]

Yeah, I agree that you don't want to do a mile at first. You will find that your endurance (heart rate and breathing) comes along faster than your joints. Your heart and lungs may be ready for more than your joints. This is hard to accept at first, or was for me. I was ready to run a mile, but had to keep it slow and steady because my legs were telling me otherwise. It's very easy to injure yourself running.

I also suggest C25K. It's a great program. Just ignore the numbers and take it at your pace. The program assumes you're running at a pace of 6.0, which is pretty fast. I learned that 4.5 was a good speed for me to start out and I followed it quite well at that pace. From there I have sped up so that now I'm able to run at 6.0, but that's after two years.

I did the "go out and run a mile" thing, and looking back...that wasn't a good idea.

One other minor detail...I didn't start running until I'd lost a good bit of weight because I personally couldn't take the pounding on my joints. I did the elliptical and spinning and walking route for quite a while first.

[LW12]

I have just very recently taken up running also. I can't recommend the C25K app' enough. I downloaded the free version to try it & I love it. I'm actually looking forward to getting back out again.

[Underwater]

I have also started C25K recently. Tomorrow I will be doing W2D3. When I first started, I could run for 60 seconds, but needed to rest longer than it allowed, so it took 3 tried before I finished W1D1 and that's okay. I expect a few tries to finish W3D1 before I can do the 3 minute runs. It's not about perfection, it's about progress

[dstalksalot]

I started running as well but am prone to back injury and am recovering from some issues currently. 200 pounds + is a lot of weight to be pounding on the grownd and I have to go slow. Don't feel like you have to go fast. C25K is a great plan, but even that plan went too fast for me. It has been months and I still have not been able to accomplish a mile. My husband is an excellent coach as he runs cross country, so I know I will accomplish this goal eventually