Hello all! I posted accidentally on the 20-something forum for jogging and after searching a little more, found this 30-something forum!

Anyways, I jogged once before at 227 pounds and lost 35 pounds in 6 to 8 weeks, no dieting included! I'm looking to begin jogging again and would love to give and receive some support. It's hard to find people who are willing to run while carrying around so much extra weight, but I am proof that it can be done.

Let me know if anyone else is willing to start or is already running!

Good luck to all!

~Hope~

I have been jogging for the past year or so, and really like it compared to the treadmill or elliptical. I do walk quite a bit because I'm not in very good shape. I have a 3 year old that I push in a jogger stroller, it's a little tough but I like the freedom of getting out and pushing myself a bit.

Hey..sounds wonderful..I use to run/jog all the time..Even did a marathon--havent done anything in 3 yrs except run after a child..I really need to get back into it for the mental aspect and physical aspect..I lost all my weight just by running daily...Count me in!!!We can start a run/jog thread!!!
RR

I'm a wannabe! Now, if I could just find the time...

Hello Cindy!

I was going to look into a jogger stoller, but when I attempted to run with my regular stroller, I found it to be too distracting. My dilemma is that I am used to running side by side with my husband in silence. I have to look at the ground or at my toes as they swing forward in order to focus and get through it. I can't talk to anyone or look straight ahead at anything or push anything (stroller). Maybe I was still getting used to running and hadn't reached that point yet where I could actually 'enjoy' it! It was hard work for me and I couldn't focus on anything else BUT running. Wierd as this sounds, it's all true!

Was it an adjustment for you to push a stroller? And does it throw your form and/or concentration off at all?

Thanks!

~Hope~

Hi RoadRunner! I know what you mean! I have a 4 year old (soon to be 5) and a 1 year old. When I last jogged outdoors, it was before the 4 year old...almost 6 years ago! I did run on a treadmill in the gym for a few weeks 2 years ago, but didn't see the same results as when I ran outside. I have heard that from people who run on treadmills. My cousin was used to running 5 miles easily on the treadmill, but struggled to run just 1 mile outside!

The marathon will be one of my running goals eventually. That's what I love about running...setting up such courageous goals and feeling great when you reach them!

~Hope~

And Lauren, I'm with you on that one too! Time is NOT on my side, no it isn't! My oldest is in Preschool...that's easy. But my youngest is with me all day and sucks all of my energy! I might have to get out at 6 am. I'm an early bird anyway, so I'll actually enjoy that early morning time...by myself! But, if I want my husband to come with me for safety as well as company and motivation, we'll have to find an early morning babysitter for an hour or so. We'll see!

~Hope~

You know, if I could count on my kids to consistantly sleep until 7 every AM, DH & I could go, since we live with my mom. But they don't, and my mom can't do the stairs to get to them if they wake up. Working F/T about a 1/2 hr. from home does not make the schedule any easier.

Lauren, we live with my Mom also! We'll be moving in 6 to 8 weeks though. My Mom is not a morning person, so her getting up if they wake up is OUT. My Dad is no better. I do have 2 teenage cousins who live here also and I just recruited one of them to come jogging with me while my hubby stays with the girls. I hope to get started tomorrow morning.

I'll check back in tomorrow with my progress...if any!

Okay, so it took me a few days longer than I expected to get to the track, but I did get there…this morning! Yaaaaay! And I went by myself!

I haven't even attempted to run in the past 3 years or so, and even then, it was on a treadmill. My last attempted run outdoors was maybe 4 or 5 years ago. And before that, I ran pretty consistently (1 mile 5 to 6 days/week) for 6 or 7 weeks and was able to lose 35 pounds! I didn't follow any diet, just reduced my portions and drank massive amounts of water before, during and after my workouts.

So, there I was, me against the track...again. Here’s how it went:

Lap 1 WALKED (warm up)
Lap 2 RAN
Lap 3 WALKED
Lap 4 RAN
Lap 5 WALKED
Lap 6 WALKED half, RAN half
Lap 7 WALKED half, RAN half
Lap 8 WALKED half, RAN half
Lap 9 WALKED half, RAN half
Lap 10 WALKED (cool down)

My original plan was to run 4 full laps, and walk 4 full laps. But after lap 5, I didn't feel like I could run another one, so I decided to walk AND run laps 6 through 9. I walked the straight and ran the curved parts of the laps.

I feel GREAT! I drank plenty of water so far, and have room for more. I feel my muscles working in my abs, front and back of my thighs, my calves, and my butt!

I must note that during my first lap run, my knees ached quite a bit. But after that, I felt no pain in my knees at all. I kept my pace VERY slow for the first two lap runs. But when I ran the curved parts, I felt like I could pick up the pace a little and give it my all, since I wasn’t running the entire lap. By my last curved run, I had to slow it down a bit, though.

I was so very proud of myself! But I know the true test is how will I do tomorrow and how long can/will I stick to this? I feel too good to stop. Now is the time for me to have some faith in myself. I CAN and I WILL do this!

Sorry for the lengthy post, but I need to motivate myself. Thanks for ‘listening’!

Hope, that's awesome!!

Thanks Lauren!

I am pleased to report that I went out this morning and did 10 laps again. This time, lap 1 was a 'warm up' walk lap, laps 2 through 9 were half walk and half runs, and lap 10 was a 'cool down' walk lap. I found that walking a complete lap after running one was too much of a break in between and I found myself slowing down a little too much.

Can I just say that I wanted to quit at the half way mark? It really took me challenging myself to keep moving! And I have the sore thighs to prove it!

Well, let's see what tomorrow looks like!

I cannot even imagine walking all that, nevermind running it! How many laps is a mile?

Hope - Good job on your first attempt! We are proud of you!

Yes, it's a bit tough to jog with a stroller, but it's the only way that I can make sure I will go out and do it! The concentration is a little difficult because you have to steer and make sure not to hit anyone or anything. You talked about looking down at your toes or the ground, I noticed that in between steering and all, I tend to look down at the spinning tire spokes and the ground a lot. I didn't realize that I actually did that until you mentioned the concentration part. I also don't like having to hold my arms out while pushing the stroller, but it's all part of having a toddler, I guess. I usually have to listen to music while jogging to get me more motivated, something with a good beat.

Isn't that weird? I didn't think anyone else would know what I was talking about!

Lauren, I have NEVER gone that many laps, running or walking! I really think I overdid it though. Not with how many laps I completed, but with doing it two days in a row. My thighs were so sore, I could barely walk for the last two days. Steps are a killer! I guess I really gave my legs a work out and should have given them a day to rest and recover. So, I took yesterday and today off. I am going to shoot for 3 to 4 days per week with rest days in between. I learned my lesson!

Thanks for the encouragement and support! (Oh, and 4 laps equal 1 mile!)