Running to get fit!!!

[karenmac70]

I was a sprinter at school and any long distance I distanced myself from!!!. Since then I have done as we all do exercise classes etc but never regular or for any real length of time. I have been suffering with a disc problem for a few years which is getting worse and eventually got some physio. Whilst talking he made me realise that if I don't use it I will lose it so to speak and my hubby had long been saying that when talking to me on the phone when I walk to work it sounds like I am gasping for air. So I decided that although my normal attempts to get fit have helped a little with flexibility my cardio really needed attention and I was going to do something about it. So here I am. I have just finished week 4 and like I have every week am dreading week 5. I am not a runner at all but saying that I am still hear and do feel so much better than I did and applaud myself for getting this far.

Week one 60 seconds run felt like hell and more like an hour and I thought I am never going to make 30 minutes but decided not to quit week one. I have not found one run at all easy and I am the one in the park avoiding everyone as I am bright red and gasping. But week 4 now finished when Laura says only 1 minute left I think thank God only a minute thats not too bad so my fitness and my mental state have definitely improved. I am still at the stage where if I try to do the breathing then I practically come to a halt so am not worrying too much about that at the moment. I have realised I was trying to go too fast and in order to do 5 minutes had to slow down and have changed to a proper pair of running shoes and this has made a huge difference to foot pain. My legs still ache and I am exhausted but just a short time ago I would never have been able to run for 16 minutes out of 30. So to all those people out there thinking shall I or can I then give it a go and persevere if I can do it anyone can. At 47 I can now cover more distance than I could at school although not elegantly but who cares I am in it for my health not to look good to all the other people in the park!!!

Give it a try!!!!

[Malcy Graduate]

What a brilliant post! Many or most of us will entirely echo your sentiments - a year on I still can't wait to get to the end of a run and need 'waypoints' to keep track of my progress. But at the end of each run, the sense of achievement is renewed. Keep up the good work!

[karenmac70 Graduate]

Wow a year on and your still running that just proves with the right program and motivation that we all get from this us "non runners" can do it!!! Well done!!

[helleb Graduate]

Well done,like you I was a sprinter at school and at my fittest I couldn't even run round the track(400m),now at 46, 5 stone overweight and recovering from rupturing my achilles tendon I knew I needed to address my lack of fitness.I ran W8 R1 last night and was amazed that I got to 23 mins before I was struggling! I can remember each run being a fantastic achievement, and never easy..This plan really does work. At the start I thought I could repeat the weeks if I struggled and the thought of a 30 min run was laughable.8 weeks later and no weeks repeated 30 mins running is a definate..Good luck and keep going, we can all do this!!

[karenmac70 Graduate]

Well done, your nearly there what an achievement!!! I must admit to the same thoughts as you I can always repeat a week if I need to but glad to say so far I haven't needed to so that says a lot about the plan!!

[greenlegs Graduate]

I'm 54 and was never a runner of any description (hadn't run since primary school and I was the slowest in my class - not overweight or inactive, just a non-running sort of body!) But I managed to get through the whole programme only repeating one week 1 run, and graduated a month ago.

Maybe because you were a sprinter you are still going faster than your body feels ready for at the moment? To build up to longer runs, you may well find it worth going still slower (at a pace that you can still talk!). You can always build up the speed after graduating - and getting to graduation is more likely if each run isn't agonising!

Lots of people do go through the programme pushing themselves very hard, which is great if they can keep it up, but I realised I wouldn't get there unless it was reasonably comfortable, so I'm still very slow. But I am still off the couch and getting fitter every week (even though the last couple of runs haven't been so good, they're still faster than when I graduated).

Keep up the good work!

[karenmac70 Graduate]

Well done on graduating and still running!!!! Thanks for the tip about slowing down more it may be just what I need to do to get to be able to do the longer runs. One thing I have learnt from other people is that even "runners" have good and bad runs so not to be put off by this!!

[greenlegs Graduate in reply to karenmac70]

Yes - you're absolutely right, and as I've blogged elsewhere, today's run was a much better one, even though it was in freezing slush! Plus, I've realised that even though I keep suggesting to others about slowing the pace, I need to take some of my own medicine, instead of trying to run hard all the time, so my legs can catch up with me!

[notbad Graduate]

Pace is a tricky thing to get right, but keep at it and it will happen - perserverance is the key to most things. I'm so impressed that you were a sprinter, once you've graduated and progress to doing intervals (fast runs interspaced with jogs) I think you will come into your own. Best wishes, everyone dreads w5 r3 but most are full of confidence when they complete it - top tip, try & take it slow.

[karenmac70 Graduate]

Fast runs interspaced with jogs, not sure I will ever get back to fast if it involves any length of jog as well but then I never thought just a few weeks ago that I would be doing what I am so who knows. Thanks for the advice as you have graduated you obviously got your pace right so well done and happy running!!!