I agree with most everything. I call it running even though some people walk faster than I run. :-) I like the way it sounds better than jogging.

I don't know if it tones or energizes or if it's just the simple fact that when you've been overweight a long time it feels POWERFUL!

The first time I tried to run for a minute I wasn't sure if I was going to live. I thought I might wet my pants, my insides felt "jumbled" and my feet and legs sort of seized up. Now I run/walk thirty minutes. I was up to 1.5 run/1.5 walk before Christmas, but started over today after a break and I do 1 minute run/2 minutes walking.

Get good shoes. Give yourself time to build up strength. But run.

I don't run, my knees are shot to ****.

I like to run all 220 pounds of me. I started when I was around 260 believe it or not and I've gotten so much better at it. Distance is good, but doing sprinting intervals is best for burning fat plus it keeps your body guessing. Have you ever seen a sprinters body??? Think Florence Griffith Joyner, her body was AMAZING!!! Distance runners are thin, but IMHO sprinters have great bodys b/c while sprinting you're also apparently building muscle.

I've just recently started running - I strained a muscle in my arm and I had to park my bike temporarily. I kinda like it - all you really need is shoes.

Make sure you warm up with a 5 minute brisk walk and a cool down walk after, tho.

I wanted to see if I could run. So I was walking on my tredmill one day and I decided to run. HHHAAAA!!! I ran for 30 seconds at 5 mph and I thought I was going to die. It didnt hurt my body but I could barely breath. So if anyone can give me advice on how to work myself up to being able to run for longer than 30 seconds it would be great. THanks

I actually just started this weekend because I kept seeing the people on TBL, even those larger than me, running on the treadmills. I have good running shoes and live near a beach so I went and walk/jogged on the beach (figuring it would be easier on the knees) -- about 2-3 minutes walking to 30 seconds jogging. I have to say that each time I try jogging I LOVE it. It was my major form of exercise in college and I felt so good back then.

I appreciate hearing all your stories. They gie me hope that I can keep doing this.

Thank you so much everyone for your help and support, you all are GREAT!!! I am excited to start this journey in my life.

I work in a resort and the only way out for the employees is through the basement. Well needless to say its 3 flights of stairs and at the top of that it is a straight incline up in the weather. So I have always huffed and puffed on my way out. Sunday I made a commitment to be healthy, so I ran up them stairs and up the mountain, (I call it), I got to the top and did the Rocky thing when I got to the top. I was so proud of myself!!!

I see the key item for this journey is good shoes. I will have to get that all mine are a few years old and broken...gotta work on that. I will take a look at some of those programs and let you all know my progress.

Thanks Again!!!

dek6,
Check out coolrunning.com, there is a couch to 5K program that tells you how to work up to running 3 miles at a time. It goes week by week, running 3 days a week with intervals on walking and jogging. I had to repeat weeks many times but now I can run 8 minutes at time without trouble. Good luck

YES! Running is GREAT! I'm at 223, and I'm training for a marathon! And trust me, if I can run, then pretty much anyone can... A few tips:

1) Make sure you have good shoes. Many running related injuries (to knees, hips, ankles, etc) come from running in old or inappropriate shoes. There are stores available to do a gait analysis (don't worry, you can actually walk for this, rather than run, if you need to), and the salespeople there are usually very informed and can help you choose a shoe that provide the support that the rest of your body requires.

2) Start small. The first day I began running, I couldn't even run 100 yards! But slowly, I began to notice that I could run farther and farther. Eventually, I was running several miles without ever needing a walk break. Lots of times it seems like people give running a try, but then they quit because they are frustrated and think that they "can't do it". In reality, you just have to have realistic expectations of yourself. Start out trying the walk/run technique (Walk 2 minutes, then run 1, then repeat). Then adjust as necessary. The key is to allow yourself time to recover, and you'll be able to cover a lot more miles. I have some great book recommendations for runners, if you're interested.

3) Start small. Many injuries come from starting out too quickly. Allow your body the time it needs to get used to this idea of "running". If you go out on your first day and try to run 5 miles, I'd be willing to bet you won't try running again because A) it'll be the worst 5 miles of your life, and B) you'll be so sore you can't move. Of course, this varies person to person, but for most people, when running is new, it takes a little while to work into it. Just do it a little bit at a time.

4) If you're like me, you'll need a really good sports bra. Because running is a "high impact" sport, there's a lot of bouncing in the chest-al section that go along with it. I have been lucky and have found a couple of sports bras that work well at Dick's Sporting Goods. They're made by Champion. I just try to find the most supportive ones that I can. One of these days, though, I plan to buy one by CRX. They are fantastic, and I would love to have one, but I can't seem to fit into their largest size yet. Oh well, give me another 6 months and I'll be there.

5) Don't worry about speed. My "run" is slower than some people walk. It's more of a shuffle, really. But it works for me. And I've noticed that I've gotten faster over the months without really even trying. So, just get out there and move, at whatever speed you like.

6) Finally, try not to worry about how everyone else on the trail looks. When I first began, I felt painfully aware that i was the fattest person out there running. But running folks are usually very friendly. Never once has anyone made fun of me or laughed at me for trying. In fact, it's been just the opposite. Because I'm heavy, people seem more supportive. Many times, I've had complete strangers shout to me on the trail "Keep it up!" or "You're doing great!" Complete strangers! It's actually a very supportive network of people; runners are intimidating, but once you're out there with them, you become one of them.


That's pretty much it! Good luck to you! Running is really great. After a great run (even a short one) I always feel strong and liberated and healthy... You can do it! Check out my weblog, as well... It's mostly about running, with a few little humorous tales of my life thrown in for seasoning: slowgirlrunning.blogspot.com

I do want to at the gym, but I am scared too for a couple reason, 1, how I look running, and 2 I am afraid I might break the maching ( as silly as that sounds )

For sports bras in larger sizes, I've found Just My Size to be a good source for them:

http://www.jms.com

BORNTOFLY- OMG I am so glad that there is someone out there that feels the same way I did. I have a tredmill at my house now so the only ones that can laugh at me are my cats and my dog. BUt when I used to go to the Y I would want to try running so bad. Every time I would be in my car on my way to the gym and I would think. OK. Today you are going to try it. You are going to get on the tredmill and you are going to run. Well everyday I would get on the tredmill and I would chicken out. I was terrified of how I would look, that I would look like an idiot if I could only run for like 10 seconds. And the biggest thing was the noise the machine would make. It made a loud thumping sound every time I took a step. HOW LOUD WOULD IT BE IF MY FAT BUTT WAS RUNNING!!!!!!!!
So No I dont think it sounds silly. I am right there with you.....

Dek...I did the EXACT same thing yesterday on the treadmill! It was nuts!
I cannot believe how long 30 seconds can feel!

I threw in those 30 second bursts maybe 5 times during my 30 minutes on the treadmill. The thing I noticed, was that adding these bursts of running, kept my heartrate high for the rest of the workout, even though I had gone back to walking! Is this normal, runner's?

Way to go!!!

Linda

Last time I dieted I stuck to a strict exercise regimin. Every other day I would take a long walk (I just mapped it and it turns out it was a 2.8 mile walk!!!) I walked fast paced and every other street I'd say "Ok, let's run up to that next street" and then go back to walking. I lost a lot of weight and it was easier on me b/c I have bad knees and huge breasts that move a LOT for running--- so the little spurts were manageable!

It turns out a couple years later I was signed up for a free gym membership and I was talking to a personal trainer about how I lost a lot of weight before and I explained my "running thing"... she said, actually, it's a LOT better to do it my way b/c it spikes the heartrate and that's the best thing for metabolism and burning fat. go figure!

Yes - your heart rate will stay up. I have a friend who's a doctor and he says those intervals are GREAT for your heart and your arteries. Blows out the gunk. Highly medical terms, I know, but he's like that. He says that people who walk and walk and walk don't get the results they want because they don't continue to increase speed, incline, etc. and their heart rates don't go up like they used to.

I don't know about y'all, but it's going to be a very VERY long time until running doesn't get my heart rate up!