Where do I start?

I really want to start this running but unsure of a route to take. I live somewhere rather hilly and feel a bit silly going out for s run! Any ideas to help me take that first step out of the door. Thanks

[Qscout Graduate]

Can you drive to somewhere a bit flatter?

For the first week you will only cover 2-3kms including your warm up cool down walks. Download the app, get your trainers on and head out the door. Pick a direction from your front gate and start the podcast. If you come to a hill you don't like the look of turn around and go the other way. Keep doing this until you get to the end of the podcast. Just remember though if you like the look of a downhill, it has to come up again. "Isaac Newton said what goes up must come down" and vice versa when running.

The hardest point in any run I find is putting my trainers on and getting out the door. Once I am out I love it.

Just do it!

[Irish-John Graduate]

I live on the top of a hill. The roads around here are like the teeth in a zipper going diagonally downwards.

When I started - and even still to a great degree - I could not face the prospect of running downhill and then having to run uphill when knackered.

Luckily, there is a Park withing walking distance that has a 7/10th of a mile flat surface so I used that until Graduation. Now I run hills regularly as part of my maintenance/improvement programme.

If I had not been so afraid of running to begin with I would have figured that all I had to do with the hills was walk down for the 'warm up' part, then run up - turn around and run back down, ideally ending where I would have the 'cool down' beginning and turn around.

I do that a bit as it is now that the weather has changed for the worst here - split my runs to where I don't do a 'circle' route but a 'there and back, down and easier up to finish' kind of thing.

Main thing to remember for you though is - EVERYONE of us felt self concious and 'silly' when we began and would not believe the 'veterans' when they said that feeling would pass astonishingly quickly

Read the early posts of Graduates and you will see the ONLY difference between us and any beginner is that we keep on going - slow and then slower still when the going gets tough and the heck with the nonrunner gawpers

Wishing you well and hope my two cents is of some use to you

[runswithdogs Graduate]

A hilly area makes for a rough start BUT you get fit really quick and you learn how to run hills early, which many people struggle with. Just get the shoes on and out the door. If it takes a few extra sessions no big deal. I personally like my hills at the start of my run. You may need to test out a few routes.

[misswobble Graduate]

I would read through some of the C25k posts as there are loads who felt just like you do now ☺

If you have nowhere to run could you get in the car and drive to somewhere suitable? it's not really running to start with, mostly walking with just tiny bursts of slow jogging, so nothing to worry about ☺

[Curlygurly2 Graduate]

I did C25K in a hilly area, yes you might be slower than you might have been on the flat, but you can really feel it working different muscles, and you make up speed on the way down!