I remember my runner friend was teaching me to run, and she told me to just start by having a first goal of running for 8 minutes on the treadmill. I thought to myself, "Hah! 8 minutes? i can do that, piece of cake." But then by minute 2 or so, I was huffing and puffing, sweating like mad, red in the face and couldn't finish and had to walk. Even when I did make it to be able to run for 8 minutes, I hated it. I thought it was the worst exercise ever and didn't understand how people liked it. I remember thinking that the treadmill was invented to make time go by as slow as possible.

Now, I've reached the point where I can jog comfortably for about 5 miles and not ever be gasping for breath. I also feel great after running. You just gotta get past that beginning hurdle and you'll start to love it.

Interesting, because I'm just now deciding I'm going to become a runner! My father and sister are great runners, my children are terrific runners, so I KNOW I have a running gene in here somewhere, and I'm going to find it!

This is my 7th week at the gym, 3rd week running. At first, I could barely run 2 minutes without having to walk for 2 minutes, then run for 2...(rinse, repeat) until I hit 20 minutes. Next week, I could run for 3 minutes, walk, run... It hurt. I was winded, and red faced, and thought about giving up. Even this 3rd week was hard. But I realized, it got easier once I past the 5 minute mark. Granted, it's a slow run/jog pace, but it's improving. I can do 2.75 miles in around 30 minutes now, with only a few walking intervals in between.

I'm actually looking forward to being able to run without taking the walking breaks. And going for runs next summer with my children.

I just went for a great walk/run!

It was only 30 min, but I really pushed myself. I warmed up, started running until I couldn't run anymore, walked until I caught my breath, and then jogged/walked/jogged/walked. I mentioned earlier that I actually have a problem with running too fast. It feels more natural to me than jogging, so I get winded quickly.

I really do enjoy running. I LOVE the feeling when I first start out and I'm not hurting yet. I'm sure I don't look it, huffing and puffing and bumbling along in my baggy sweatshirt, but I feel graceful for the first 30 seconds or so when I get a good rhythm going. I'm looking forward to keeping that good feeling longer and longer before it starts to hurt.

I started with 1/10 of a mile. Yep, that's all I could do. I now run 5 miles daily and could go further--maybe 7 or 8.

I started out barely being able to run at all! If you would have asked me to run back in July, maybe I could have gone 30 seconds or so before I'd poop out!! I started Couch to 5K in August, completed it in November (it took me longer than the prescribed 9 weeks), and I did my first official 5K yesterday. I usually use run/walk intervals for my training and races (Jeff Galloway's method), so I technically don't run for more than a few minutes without a short walk break, but I CAN run 3-3.5 miles without any walking if I go slowly enough. My typical pace is somewhere in the 10:30-11:00/mile range, e.g. a 5K in around 34 minutes, which is what I did yesterday.

Seriously, I NEVER imagined I could get into running until I got myself out there and tried it! I am constantly amazed by what my body can do if I just give it a chance. I am running my next 5K in two weeks, and I am looking into doing some 10K races in the spring and a half marathon next fall! This is the girl who could never run more than a lap on the track in junior high PE class.

I started out running a few hundred metres and then walking etc etc. One day I felt like I could probably go further and so just did, made a mini target like - run to the next light pole, got there and thought...i could do more, made anothe mini target, got there and though, hey I CAN do more and made another target and then another and another and before I knew had run about 4kms.

The furthest I have now run was 30kms (19 miles) and that was just for the sheer **** of it. I regularly run between 8kms (5mile) and 14kms (9 miles) but will push it out to 18kms (11miles) or so on some days. Love it!

I totally heart this thread so much LOL

I totally :love: this thread as well! I want to run one day but am starting with walking. I am going to walk a 5K in March and am starting training now. I hope to walk a 10K and half marathon by the end of the year as well and then see if I feel more confident running...it's nice to see others didn't just start out born runners, though!

I started with the C25K program, so I started with 1 minute jogging, 90 seconds walking intervals - and I felt like I could barely move afterwards!

Now, I can run a full 5K (albeit really, really slowly) and I'm working on getting my speed and endurance up. I'm planning to do a sprint triathlon next summer, which is sort of hard for me to wrap my mind around. Back in HS, I dated a guy in cross country who told me I could never be a runner, and I believed him. Now, I'd like to find him and rub his nose in a big pile of dirt (seriously, not a good guy - low self-esteem + HS will make you do silly things...) :)

I started out being able to jog slowly for ... 2 minutes maybe? Now, after working out for 3-4 months, I'm up to 30 minutes on a good day! Albeit i'm a very slow jogger (5-5.5 mph) but it still thrills me nonetheless. I just love that I am now one of those people that can just get on a treadmill and run!