This is all very helpful! I am going to start the couch to 5k today.
Any breathing tips?

I have no advise, by next week (NOT to coincide with the new years resolutions people put out and don't keep - promise - just fell that way) I am going to start running, possibly the C25K...I HAVE to do this. For me. No more excuses.

Breathing tips: Just do what feels natural. I've got bad allergies, so I end up breathing through my mouth. If you're breathing very hard, slow down. The slower you go, the longer you'll last.

Hi all! I've always secretly wanted to be "a runner" and, via diet, I'm down from 299 to 263 lbs (I'm 5'9".) I walk pretty frequently (I usually walk a path around a lake in my city every Sunday, it's a 3 mile walk) and I can do 30 minutes on the elliptical at a moderate pace. I'd like to attempt the C25K, but I'm wondering if I'm still too heavy to start, or if I should stretch out more walking between running in Week 1 (walk for longer, or run for less) - any thoughts?

Thanks for posting the Couch to 5K. I am going to continue the walking and jogging but into this now. I do find I have a hard time breathing going up a hill and if I slow down, feel like a turtle. I do fine on flat surface and going down hill even lightly jogging but man the uphill is a killer. Also I do alot of my excercise pushing my toddler in the jogger stroller with a back pack on my back (not heavy) but I also bring a water bottle that hold 3 cups of water and I periodically sip it. I don't see other people carry any so is that bad to drink water while your walking/jogging. I drink 6 to 8 glasses a day and nothing else.

Hey chicks! Came across this blog that I love... I have it saved on the hone screen of my iPod touch and I read it before every run. Read and enjoy, especially if you're just getting into running!

http://justrunjustlivejustbe.com/200...ming-a-runner/

I am a fairly new runner, and having a rough time with stamina issues. I can go about .25 mi max at about 4.5 mph, so I've been hitting the treadmill (which measures 1/4 mile laps) and doing half a lap tiptoed at 3 mph and half a lap jogging at 4.5, then I alternate back and forth. I've been getting some good calf muscle definition from it, and on my rest days man oh man can I feel it!

I am stuck on the dreadmill until I'm confident enough to run in public... At 237, I am still too self conscious to let people see me carrying my fat butt down the street, hahaha... Plus, this way I can more accurately measure speed, time, and distance so I can log it in DailyBurn. I am anxious to invest in some proper shoes and clothes to wear when I make it to onederland (actually 198 when I will be overweight instead of obese)!

I'm at a 16 minute mile more or less (how embarrassing!) at the moment... Where did everyone else start???

RandoManda - that blog is funny and some of the tips are pretty helpful (like tell yourself you are a runner). As a new runner, 16 min miles are fine - you'll slowly increase that as you become fitter and more used to running. I have been running for years, on and off, and I still average a 11-12 minute mile. On a good day - when the planets align and all that - I can push out a 10 min mile for a couple of miles. I love running slow and steady - I'm a distance lover, not a speed lover!

I personally prefer to work on building distance and stamina over speed - I started running again about three weeks ago, following knee surgery (not running related - curved spine related), and I'm just now back up to doing 2-2.5 miles with one or two walk breaks. And I'm not a light, fit runner - I'm a good solid hefty runner! I would try each week to bump the time you spend running just a bit - the rule of thumb is 10% per week - and keep those walking intervals the same. Slowly you'll find yourself running longer and longer intervals and walking less and less. Once you get to a distance you feel good at - say three miles running without breaks - then you can work on speeding up. I like three miles as if you can run three miles, you can do a whole bunch of 5k races which are really fun.

The only comment I have is that you mention getting "proper shoes" when you hit 198. I would say please make sure you are running in running shoes, not cross trainers or walking shoes, and if at all possible, go to a running store where they can analyze your gait and put you in the right shoes. I think the biggest reason many starting runners don't keep going is they buy the wrong shoes, end up in pain, and quit. I am lucky enough to have two great stores in my area, both of which put you on a treadmill and video you from the knees down. When my DH and I went, you can clearly see that he overpronates (rolls his feet inwards) and I don't pronate noticably at all. We then both got new shoes and both of us, in just three weeks, have noticed a massive improvement in our running form and in the lack of aches and pains. OK, end of sermon.

Most of all, just have fun with running - read some of John Bingham's articles and books. He's all about running for the sheer pleasure of running.

Hope some of that long, blathering post was of use!

Very useful, Jules! To be honest, I am really down on my luck right now... I am a stay at home mom recently left by my son's father/boyfriend of 6 years. He is out of the country, so no way to really even squeeze child support out of him. I suppose you could call me homeless... I am having a hard time finding a job, and I am currently (temporarily) staying with family sharing a mattress on the floor with my 4 year old in a small guest room. Odd jobs, babysitting, dog walking, etc., are helping pay for food and clothes, but I simply cannot justify any greater expense. I have $20 sneakers from Wally World as that is truly all I can afford right now. I am trying to put away about $5 a week if and when I can so that when the time comes I can hopefully afford decent shoes! Not to whine my sob story all over the place, but it's not really a choice not to buy the shoes... It's inability rather than being cheap. Additionally (and fortunately) I've been running for a few weeks now and am having no pain issues whatsoever, so for the time being there's that. Of course, I used to tend bar for 10 hour shifts on 3" heels, so I'm probably just numb from the ankles down! Hehe! Seriously though, I appreciate the advice, have taken it to heart and will heed it as soon as financially possible. Thank you.

I am glad a 16 minute mile isn't completely laughable! I am still 40 lbs obese, which isn't a weight one could really consider conducive to running, lol, but at least it's something. I just started on C25K last night, and it's exhausting but I think I'll get through it! So far, it appears I may be on week one for at least two weeks. I'm definitely in no hurry, just kind of wondering what others' experiences had been!

Congrats to you on getting right back on the horse, err, road, after surgery like that! I sprained an ankle in 05 and stayed in my air cast for twice the length of time prescribed, lol! I'm such a baby!!!

Amanda

ETA: Ah, and as for the whole rolling your foot thing! I have always been duck footed and as a result I walk on the outer edges of my feet. I always wear out the outsides of my shoes first! I hate my gait and think it looks doofy, so (especially since I'm a dreadmill jogger and they happen to face a mirrored wall) I try to correct it and keep my toes pointed straight. I wonder if anyone knows offhand if that could potentially cause problems. Any advice there?

ETA: Google tells me I'm a supinator. Good to have a name to go with my awkward outward foot rolling! I am a duck footed supinator lol. Cheers!

Amanda - I'm very sorry to hear of your current circumstances. You're absolutely right that you and your son's health and welfare must come first and it sounds like you're doing whatever you can to ensure you're both taken care of. Items such as running shoes - which no matter how you dice it are not cheap - can come when things turn in a more favorable direction. I'm very glad you're not having issues with the current shoes - that is always a good thing!

I'm currently 40lbs overweight, have been for a while (overweight, I mean - the 40lbs is an improvement over the last month or so!) and I run anyway. For sure losing some of the weight will allow me to run faster, probably with better form, and undoubtedly will help reduce the strain on my knees, but I run because I love it and it's the only cardio I'll do with any consistency.

I didn't do the formal C25k plan, but I did something similar with the walking breaks. I think the key to starting any program is to do it at your pace - the worst thing is to have a set back because you went too hard too soon and either hurt yourself or found it unbearably hard (speaking from experience here!). The C25k plan is excellent, and if you find yourself at the end of a week really thinking "I'm just not ready to move on yet" - just repeat the week. It'll work no matter how long you spend doing it!

On your gait, if you roll onto the outer edges of your feet, yes, you are a supinator. Much less common than over-pronation but still something a lot of runners have. It's your natural gait and while you can correct it somewhat with the right shoes, I wouldn't try and completely correct it. Part of my knee issue was due to someone incorrectly determining I pronate and putting me in stability shoes, which then overcorrected my LACK of pronation. Once I got the new neutral shoes, I am finding it far easier to run with a more natural stride. Again, not at this moment in time but when you are ready, see if you can find a running store who can really take the time to analyze your stride and help you find the best shoe for you. You will likely be amazed how being in the correct technical shoe will help you feel and perform better.

And on a final note - funny that you mention getting back on the horse, because that's also something I've just been able to do, literally. I have a horse and had to avoid riding for three months after the surgery - that was so miserable for me, as I truly missed being with my big ol' nag, but now I'm back to riding and running and it makes the days just that little bit better!

Good luck with everything!

Doing my first 5k tomorrow. Is it ok to do a walk/jog pattern. Like 5 min. walking, then 5 min. jogging. Just doing it for fun.

Jules, things are rough but I don't think I've been given anything I couldn't handle! It'll turn around in no time... I hope! Putting my mind and energy into exercise--even for just 30 minutes a day--has been a great tool.

As far as C25K goes, I am enjoying the podcast as a running soundtrack... And the narrator guy interrupts the nifty techno/house beats with encouragement and letting me know that it's time to cool down or run again. I really think I'm going to wind up doing this first week at least twice, but I'm in no hurry. It feels good just to chug away for the time being!

I'm glad you had your gait properly analyzed and the shoes are workingfor you! I hate shoes anyway... If people wouldn't look at me cross-eyed, I'd hit the treadmill barefoot, lol. I am kind of considering vibrams instead of traditional shoes, but I'm not sure yet. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. My supination doesn't bother me, never really has, except for the fact that it looks hilarious and I am self conscious about it. Purely a vanity thing. I also used to frequently misjudge steps (off curbs and into my sunken living room) and roll my ankle. After 3 sprains I have become a lot more cautious when stepping off curbs!!!

And :congrats: for getting back onto the horse again in the literal sense too!!! You're a trooper!

Lajpr-I have frequently heard the advice to just ENJOY your first race. Don't worry about your time, just enjoy it, take it all in, and after that worry about your time. If you're comfortable and will enjoy 5 walking/5 jogging, then more power to you! Do what feels right!

Amanda

I started doing run/walk intervals twice a week with a friend (who has lost over 30 pounds herself) well i got an ipod and i think im gonna start doing 3 miles every morning, right now i can't run too far but the more i do it the better i'll get. Hopefully it'll help me lose the 40 pounds I need to lose

Some people have been asking about bare foot running. It seems the scientific debate is uncertain whether it's better or worse for you, so I guess you should do what feels best for you. If it hurts to run, in a way that makes you feel like you'll be crippled if you continue, then change how you run.

Anyway, my own personal experience:

pros: I find there's no pain running barefoot on concrete (it seems it would be oppossite, but it isn't the hardness of the surface that matters, it is the force you hit it with. In shoes, I slam my feet a lot so it hurts, but barefoot I don't.)

Negs: you can cut your feet, get bitten by bugs/spiders, and you get ugly callouses. you have to get used to using different muscles because your gait will probably change, so at first it is difficult.

Other: you can blister at first if you're not used to walking around barefoot anyway. You can get little sockshoes that guard your feet against cuts but are very lightweight and thin. People WILL look at you funny.

Anyway, you might as well give it a try if you're curious. I find it works for me, in terms of getting rid of those jarring pains, but I've never seen anyone else do it around here, unless they're about three years old

Hello! I have been lurking for a while. I thought I'd say hi and ask for some advice. Like many people, I was always envious of people that could run. I finally had it last september and began my journey. I used a great program on itunes podcast called podrunner c25k. I now run about 5 miles every other day. Once in a while, I get pains in my knees. A friend recommended glucosamine to help. Is this safe? Has anyone used it and can tell me if it works?

Thanks in advance! =)

I took glucosamine when I first started running and my knees did not hurt at all... My husband still takes it and if he doesn't he feels the pain in his knees... I stopped taking it and my knees are still fine but I use a lot of good oils, flax, olive oil, coconut oil, and I think this helps a lot...