W1D1 Not sure if this is for me

[grannystella]

I have just come back from my first session and feel exhausted. I only managed 6 mins running and walked the rest. Determined to keep trying thoug

[SC1472 Graduate]

Welcome and well done for starting. The next run you do just slow down and slow down some more. Take the walking breaks slowly too to get your breathing sorted out.

[grannystella in reply to SC1472]

Thanks for the advice, I will do that next time

[Catwarla Graduate]

Well done for doing it. I felt awful when I first started. I really didn't think I could even run one minute. But I could.

Take your runs really slow, my brisk walk is nowhere near brisk but I get my breath back in between which helps.

You've done 6 minutes, you've broken the barrier, next time will be easier. X

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

It is for you.... it really is... Welcome!

Follow the programme... Listen to your body, which will protest..( they do !) Take your rest days, more if needed and the main thing...Slow and Steady! ( My middle names) !

There is no thing such as too slow... you warm up well, you do your walks slowly and you run, lightly and gently...

Post your runs, ask any questions, moan if you wish... we will sympathise, empathise, support and encourage you. ( Even a little shove if you feel you need one )

You can do this... !

I do, as you will quickly find out, love my quotes.. here is one for you

" The only impossible journey, is the one you never begin"

Looking forward to your first post!

[grannystella in reply to Oldfloss]

Thank you

[Polly2810 Graduate]

Stick with it!! Take advice I started way too quickly, take it as slow as I can now and Jane just finished wk2. You will do it next time I'm sure 😊

[Polly2810 Graduate in reply to Polly2810]

Have ...Jane wasn't there!! 🤣

[grannystella in reply to Polly2810]

Well done, thank you

[Jaxdreamer Graduate]

It is for you - you made the decision to get off the couch! Just take it slowly - and slower than that and you will do great 👍

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

If you want to do it then you can. You are in control of pace and progress, so don't panic or put pressure on yourself.

If you don't complete a run then repeat it after a rest day, until your body is strong enough to cope and finish, then move on.

Always take at least one rest day between runs........they are crucial to strengthening of muscles.

Run as slow as you need to to permit easy breathing, which is possibly much slower than you are running now. That is not a problem. The time is the important thing, not speed nor distance covered.

This programme can change your life for good and it really works, so stick with it, please.

[Maddee_6333 Graduate]

You kept moving though. That is excellent. Well done.

[nickylt Graduate]

Well done! The worst part is getting started and you've nailed that!

[accidentalrunner Graduate]

Well done for starting! Honestly my first few runs were the worst and like you I could cope with the first couple, my lungs were burning and my legs were heavy - and now I've just run my first 5K ☺️ it is possible - you can do it 💪🏼💪🏼

[Ianson Graduate]

I did my first session yesterday, grannystella. Any exercise is better than no exercise is the way I look at it. If you're anything like me, you might feel a bit sore tomorrow but there's lots of encouragement here to say it really does get easier - I'm banking on it!

[LiisaM Graduate]

Yay for you for starting! I felt the same way after my first run! Out of breath! But this program works--stay with it--and well done for starting. Hope to see more posts from you after future runs!

[Gillma Graduate]

Yes - it's all true. Stick with the forum and the process. It's tried and tested - you just have to hang in.

[WendyHC Graduate]

I am only on week 3 but the first week was so hard. Can't believe I jogged for 3 minutes last night when I struggled to do 1 minute not so long ago. Keep going and you will get such a buzz from seeing your improvement. And when it feels hard slow down. Good luck.

[RebeccaSK Graduate]

I cannot say anything that this great folks haven't already say. Stick with it though. My first few weeks were utterly miserable. I couldn't run for even a minute - my lungs were on fire and my legs wanted to give out. When I got back home I couldn't speak for about 10 minutes. You are not alone in how you feel but the brilliant thing is that you've posted on this forum. I could not have graduated without the support of this forum. Listen especially to Oldfloss and IannodaTruffe . They have done much to earn the accolade of being HealthUnlocked mentors and they speak huge amounts of sense. Follow the programme but don't be afraid to made a few minor divergences. NEVER skip a rest day - and you can still swim, cycle, walk etc on a rest day, just not run - and take more than one rest day if you need it. If you can't complete a run as per the programme repeat it until you can. If, like me, you didn't feel ready to move to the next week, repeat a week. This is all still following the programme, just adjusting it to make it achievable for you. It took me a lot more than nine weeks to complete the programme and, hoping you stick around, you will see that my running is a hugely up and down journey. Just because you may see "graduate" after their name it doesn't mean that running is easy for us - far from it! The vast majority of people who post here and read posts have been through what you are going through now. I promise that, as unlikely as it may feel right now, you will get to the point of being able to run for 30 minutes non stop if you want to. We are all here to support and help you. Your running will change - after a couple of weeks my breathing settled down and my biggest challenge became my gremlins. So, if you can, stick with it. I have never been this fit and have never felt better. It's an amazing programme, amazing people here and it does work. If you can't believe that you will be able to do the programme, believe us when we all believe that you can and will.

[grannystella in reply to RebeccaSK]

Thank you

[Suzang Graduate]

I only managed 5 minutes total running time the first run I did. I thought I'd never manage the programme. I had a rest day and went out again, slowed down and although hard I did it. Each week is a challenge but you feel such a sense of achievement when you complete it. You just need to believe you can do it and you will. One run at a time. I never thought I would complete the programme but here I am 4 months later regularly running over 30 minutes 2-3 times a week. Just believe in yourself and remember the reasons why you started. That will keep you motivated.

[mrrun Graduate]

Please don't give up, you can do this! I'm an injury prone ex smoker who never dreamed of any run that was faster than Michael Jackson's Moon Walk, struggled like only l know how in the beginning, only to be able to run for 60 non stop minutes just a year later Not only that, my stamina allows me to run in various weather conditions, hot & cold, and with minimal investment, massive belief and help from this forum l just can't believe l waited that long for such an important and hugely positive stage in my life. Please don't stop, you will get to love and enjoy every step (admittedly, some harder than the others

[grannystella in reply to mrrun]

Thanks for the encouragement

[SloeMike]

Another trite aphorism but very true, "inch by inch life's a sinch, yard by hard it's very hard"!

[Runn]

The hardest part of this is starting out - leaving the house and running for the first time and you have done that part. I didn't manage to complete all the running in W1R1 and I haven't managed to complete the program in 9 weeks. I am still going though, I have made it up to W7R2, I'm starting to feel stronger and fitter and more confident in my running capability. I'm sure you can do it too. Just take it one run at a time and don't be afraid to go as slowly as you need to.