Motivational advice please

[Needmotivation]

I need some motivational advice to get doing the couch to 5k I have never done running before and really struggle to be motivated

[helcl Graduate]

What do you want to get out of it? Health? Weight loss? Best advice is to just get out of the door, put the podcast on and give it a go.

I will be 50 this year, always fat, never fit, and not a runner. From not even being able to run 30 seconds last year, I can now run 34 minutes, and do about 4.5k. Even now I am still in awe that I can do this. It took me much longer than the program because I was so unfit, but I did it, and so can you!

[happyharris Graduate]

I totally agree with the first reply, just get out and do it - very soon you will notice changes in your body, self confidence and motivation. You CAN do it - give it a go!

[petejam Graduate]

best thing you can do is just get out and start I did it 2 years ago because I signed up for the York 10 km (I was tipsy at the time) but I did it for a charity that I care about. 2 years later I have gone from 18.5 stone to 14.9 and I am entered in to the leeds half marathon in may. There are times when I hated it and just could not seem to do it but knowing I had the 10k to do it really helped but the biggest thing for me was just getting out the door I still have bad days but far more good days and I feel so much more fitter and healthy. The other thing I did was join sweatshop running club they have a beginners run at the shop in York and they are really good and supportive so just get out there and don't worry how fast or slow you are just go for it.

[sallyannie Graduate]

I started last week never ran before either, I found its really hard but it gets easier every time, but when you do well you get such a rush its amazing.

Give it ago

[caj62 Graduate]

I started running in 2012, aged 50, having not run since I was at school. I wanted to get fit and to stay healthy. I worried that I wouldn't stay motivated, but once I started Couch to 5k, I just wanted to keep going. Now I still run 3 times a week. You will notice, slowly but surely, that you feel fitter and healthier and will feel better about yourself as your self esteem grows. You've got nothing to lose by giving it a go, and lots to gain! There are people on here to support you. Good luck x

[ZoomZoom Graduate]

The hardest bit is to get out the door, can't really add more than has been said before. Just give it a try

[zippyfeet Graduate]

Well motivation in the early days can be tricky but you will read lots of stories on this forum of people for whom this programme has been the start of something really life changing. There was a blog recently on parkrun uk called "parkrun, me and the hole in my shoe" and it really talks about how life changing running can be. If you google it you can still see the blog. The author was 4 stone overweight, hadn't done a days exercise since leaving school, had hit her 40's and was an a lifetime low. She started with this programme and now runs 20-25km a week, has lost tonnes of weight, has bags of energy, enjoys a whole group of new friends and now needs to be told to slow down rather than forced out the door. This programme is really life changing but you've really got to want it. When I started this programme I heard someone say that if it wasn't hard work it wasn't worth doing and that's what I used to repeat in my head and still do when I'm running. Short term pain, long term gain etc. Go for it, I know you can do it - life is for living and you've just got to get off the couch and do it. Good luck to you.

[Rob_and_his_westie Graduate]

Hello

Boy, Have you come to the right place!

This forum is full of people who are going down or have already gone down the same road as you. Every post you read here is full of motivation in every sentence. Everyone here will be willing you on. We don't know you, we don't really no each other, but we all get out the door and hit the road as best we can.

Here's my personal tip. Turn the lacing up of your running shoes into a ritual. At that point, become the runner. Sounds daft? Most people here will tell you that running is as much about what's going on in your head as it is about your legs or your lungs.

Come on, you can do this. I did, am still doing it and I can promise you, I'm about as far from being an 'athlete' as it's possible to get.

[boudicca Graduate]

When I started the programme I could not even do the first podcast. For various reasons I have been unable to run for nearly a year. I started back a few weeks ago. First two runs I did as two sets of 15 minutes. Then by mistake I switched on week 9, and thought what the hell I'll try for the whole 30 minutes. And you know what? I did it. So the benefits of c25k are long lasting. Unlike many people here I do not enjoy the run itself, but I do enjoy the buzz that I get afterwards - partly physical (endorphins?) but also psychological (sense of achievement).

[notbad Graduate]

Here's what worked for me: make habits, make a time for running and stick to it (for me first thing in the morning before I have time to think up excuses). Lay running kit out night before ready for the off. Line up running related treats as you progress, new trainers, running top, music etc - you can make these for reaching certain parts of the plan. Remind yourself how you are progressing, running further and maybe even a little faster. Have in mind a goal, parkrun or Race for Life or some other event - picture yourself there running over the finish line and know you can do it.

[Hidden]

You've certainly come to the right place for encouragement and support. However, only you can make the effort to get off the couch and out of the door. It's your choice. Good luck if you decide to get started. Best wishes.

[nrg_girl Graduate]

The first time is the hardest. Try first thing in the morning. I even wore my workout clothes to bed the night before, so no excuses, just shoes on and go. The podcasts are really good, you don't think about what you should be doing, you can just count on Laura to tell you. So don't worry about committing to 9 weeks....don't even look ahead. Just one morning, out the door, that all you need to focus on. Good luck. I've just finished week 1, so just barely ahead of you!

[Vixchile Graduate]

Hello, I haven't graduated yet (on week 5 ) but like everyone says the most important thing is getting out the door. I made excuses like the weather but actually the weather has been great. Now I just get ready and go. Once the podcast starts you will be fine as Laura will take care of you!! It's a great feeling and you will see your fitness improve.

[Jajsh]

Hi, I'm not and never have been a runner...but the wrong side of 45 I decided to take the plunge. I'm now on week 3 and have surprised myself by actually looking forward to my running days. I won't lie and say I find it easy but I am enjoying it and get a buzz from it.

I'm not running, I'm jogging .. Slowly .. But I'm finding I'm feeling fitter as each week goes by, and am able to complete each 'running' section.

The best advice I can say is Schedule your runs in 3days a week, like a fixed appointment. And do them, no matter how you are feeling or what the weather is like. If you let it slide it will be harder to get back on track.

Well done for getting as far as wanting to start ... Just don't do too much too quickly.

[Renka Graduate]

As everyone says - just get out there and do it! Don't worry if you can't complete the first run, just do what you can - rest for a day then go out again. It doesn't matter if you have to keep repeating week one - just keep on keeping on.

I am 67, haven't run for 50+ years and I just keep repeating the weeks until I am comfortable with them. Your body isn't used to running so don't overdo it or try to go to fast. I still wouldn't dignify my pace by calling it running, it's more of a trot!! But I'm not competing against anyone or anything - not even a clock.

I'm aiming to do Race for Life in 2015 and so long as I can run/jog/trot the distance and complete it in under an hour I'll be quite happy.

Even at the stage I'm at just now, I feel I'm achieving something and, combined with having lost 4 stones over the last year, I'm doing something for myself and my health.

Slow and steady is the best way till you get used to it but well done on starting.

xx

[Nilzed]

Or you know: don't go OUT and start. Confession: my very very first attempt at the first run was jogging back and forth in my flat. Just to see how it worked and if i could make it through the whole thing. I doubt i am the only one!

Just try it once. Dont worry about new shoes or clothes, just dress in some layers and go. Because of the intervals, it won't be as hard as you think. And if it is, you can always pause the thing and walk as long as you feel you need to. So, just plan on getting out there once. You can decide about the second one afterward.

The most helpful thing about this is: there's no phys ed. teacher or peer pressure or worries about needing to make your efforts worth the cost of the gym payment. You dont have to worry about any rules or lingo or anything like that. Just hit the play button and do what Laura says. Pause when you need to. Repeat until you feel ready to move on. It's all good.

(And if you do it once then let it be for weeks or months or longer, you wont be the first. Some folks really need a good long think before taking on new habits.)

[ReyC Graduate]

Getting involved in this forum is a great first step - such a great bunch of encouraging people.

I was the same as a lot of people: NEVER dreamed i'd be able to do 5k, let alone like it! The hardest bit is getting up and out for the very first run. I found that mentally and maybe physically the hardest but once i was done and felt like I had made taken the first (small) step I really didn't want to let myself down so each run after that was easier and easier to motivate for.

Just get out there for the first one, i bet you'll enjoy it!

[Jaqs99 Graduate]

Wow, what a great lot if advice here. This could be collated and pinned as an article for everyone starting, maybe?

The only extra thing I can add is a comment I saw in this forum ( sorry I can't remember who said it)

" I already know what giving up feels like..... Let's see what happens if I don't!"

This has helped me get out if the door many times.

Good luck

[Hidden]

I am 60 and I started C25K on January 2nd as well as watching what I eat. Since I work from home, I otherwise have a very sedentary life. There were times last year when I did not leave the house at all for more than a week at a time.

I was obese and unfit. The first session left me gasping and feeling awful and I covered 1.6 miles in 35 minutes. My overall speed was less that 3 miles per hour, giving me a predicted 5K time of 66 minutes.

This morning, my BMI moved from the obese to the overweight range. Since I started, I have lost a total of 15 pounds and have been running almost every other day, enjoying sunshine and defying rain. My energy levels have increased hugely. On non-running days, I sometimes walk, or swim or finally lift those weights that had been sitting unused in a cupboard for 6 years.

I'm still slow. With the 5 minutes walking to warm up and cool down, my overall speed for a typical session just about nudges 4 miles an hour. However, most of my sessions now extend to about 3.5 miles. My 5K time is about 47 minutes now. Still very, very slow, but nearly 20 minutes faster than what it was 3 months ago. I have signed up for a 10K in late May and hope by then to get below 90 minutes for it.

One of the best motivators for me has been to record my weight and training and see how things are improving. I use fetcheveryone.com/ to do this. It is totally free.

[JHarveyL Graduate]

And if that's not enough, here's another thing to try. The big thing is trying to shift the balance in your head more heavily in favour of getting out there, and my guess is it's pretty full of reasons not to and inertia, plus a feeling of how much you're not a runner. So, all the above should have convibnced youu from the experience of 100s of others that it isn't as hard as you think. Tick.

Next thing to try - make a list of all the POSITIVE CONSEQUENCES for you if you get out and do it, then a list of the NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES if you DON'T. That ought to shift the balance some more. As the others say, the first run is the hardest. Now I've just fionished a week away from home where my schedule meant I didn't fit a run or two in, and I've really missed it.

Wishing you every success.

[ktaylor217 Graduate]

Don't think too much about doing it for 9 weeks or what is coming next. Just focus on getting out of the door that first time. It gets easier each time you do it. Then you start to see and feel the benefits and those are fantastic motivation to keep going. Also I found reading some of the stories here really motivating.

Good luck!

[Pollynorris Graduate]

Like all the previous replies the hardest part is getting out the door. I started in January, mid 40's, 4 stone overweight and having never run a step since leaving school. In fact I never ran beyond 400m at school. I have lost two stone and recently managed to run for the first time for a full 30 minutes.

I won't pretend it has been straight forward or easy, I have had runs where I have despaired at my lack of fitness and got lots of positive support from this forum. The highs from completing the runs we find difficult are amazing and more than make up for the bad runs.

This programme really is life changing!

You won't regret starting!

[misswobble Graduate]

I've lost nearly four stone, and lost two pounds more in the past two weeks. What's not to like. Get those shoes on and get out there. It's brill! The weather's getting better too so you can't use that old chesnut! Go, go, go !!!

[Hidden]

Hi. I've spent most of my adult life too fat & not very fit. I'm 53 now & I'm probably the fittest I've been for a long time but I did lose 2 st before starting C25K. In my experience this is all mind games. If you can't convince yourself that you want to do this then the rest of us won't - or not for very long. I've see too many people getting old in poor health & Im not gonna be like that if I can possibly help it. Find your motivation within - the rest of us can only support in my view., but we'll all be glad to do so I'm sure.

[Tintin501 Graduate]

Please please please give it a go. Just give week one a go and promise yourself not to give up until you complete week one. By then you will see for yourself how great this programme is!

[didelphnaar]

I'll be 60 soon, for the last 10 years have never managed to run for more than 60 seconds without collapsing in a heap. A couple of hours ago I got home after completing week 3. I remember how self conscious and silly I felt when I started out on week 1 in January. It has taken me a while to get this far, but I am so glad I kept it up. Go for it, you won't regret it.

[rcp27 Graduate]

If your concern is that you won't be able to do it, don't worry, lots of people here have started from a situation of being deeply unfit and have come through the program (although I am not a health care professional, and if you have actual medical concerns, speak to your GP). I always had the image of the "jolly fat man", and am working my way towards being the "guy people envy because he eats big meals and drinks beer but isn't fat". Of course the first few outings required a degree of motivation, but once I found I was making progress, and I could say things like, "before I started I never imagined I could do what I just did", the motivation found itself.

A big part of my concern when starting was being seen out in public being the red faced, panting, sweating and wheezing person pretending to run but just making a fool of himself. On my very first run, I was passed by lots of people out running, and every one of them gave a smile and a "hello" (unless they were so deeply into their own run that they were zombie faced and oblivious to their surroundings). Anybody who you meet who looks fit and healthy and is running quickly and effortlessly will see in you somebody who they themselves once were: somebody at the beginning of a journey that will lead to fitness, health and happiness.

To be honest, though, after the first couple of minutes, I was so engrossed in what I was doing, following instructions and trying to keep running when I had to, and glad to be recovering when I was allowed to, that I didn't much care about what was happening around me. I was the zombie faced person oblivious to my surroundings.

Now that I'm at a stage where I can maintain a fair pace and actually get into it, I can manage to not be the zombie faced staggerer for a fair portion of my run, and I feel great about it. When i see another person running, regardless of whether they are a marathon runner who could leave me in their dust, or a slow and steady beginner struggling just to keep putting one foot in front of the other, I see a kindred spirit. I see someone who wants to run. I greet them with a smile and a friendly "hello" (unless I am so deeply into my own run that I am zombie faced and oblivious to my surroundings).

The worst thing that will happen if you go out and have a go at W1R1 is that you spend half an hour of your time outside in the fresh air. To my mind, there is nothing to lose by doing that once. Once you have done it the first time, of course, then you can say to yourself, "next time I can do it better," and that's where the motivation starts.

[Sunshine910]

If you do one thing for yourself, do this! I was the same but told myself I would just give it two weeks and see how I got on. I am on week 7 (had to rest for two weeks with ankle tendonitis and really missed it!) and each time I run I cannot believe I can do it. Follow Laura, she will take you through it. Its only three runs a week but the benefits it gives you are amazing! And you have all of us behind you when you need advice or support - this forum is brilliant! Good luck