starting running - how ambitious to be?

[Sweetpeasandcarrots]

I'd like to start running in the street 2 - 3 times a week. I've done no exercise for the last 14 years !! I'm not overweight or unwell. I have a lot of enthusiasm but no experience!

Realistically, how long will it take me to reach a stage where I can run for an hour / hour and a half in one session?

And realistically how long does it take til you can say something really impressive like "I'm training for a half-marathon"? Are we talking years?!

[Twinkie1]

Look up couch to 5k. It's a really good way of starting running.

Once you've done that you can do bridge to 10k and so on.

It'll take 3 months I reckon for you to run 5k quickly and efficiently then progress at your own rate.

[CMOTDibbler]

Start with couch to 5k and work up from there - theres lots of training plans online for 10k/half marathons once you are confidently running for half an hour.
I started C25K in April 2013, did a 10k in the July, then a half marathon in the September. Doing my first marathon next month, but I've done triathlons, HM, duathlons and 10ks since

[Sweetpeasandcarrots]

This is really encouraging. Thank you so much

[PurpleDaisies]

It's much better to start slow and build up gradually that go all out and get injured. Make sure you've got proper shoes and a good bra.

Couch to 5k is brilliant. If you get on well with it you could look for a local park run.

[suzannecaravaggio]

Realistically, how long will it take me to reach a stage where I can run for an hour / hour and a half in one session?
people respond at different rates and to different degree's but if you get out and do it regularly and consistently you will improve

[anotherusernameugh]

I found it helpful to set a goal of a certain location each time, eg to the station, to the park etc, and not focus so much on KM until i felt I was ready. That way, without knowing it, you're already running 2/3/4 km and a 5k becomes easy. Good luck!

[suzannecaravaggio]

dont think about running, just jog slowly

[MrsMook]

I completed my C25k in the March, ran all of an 8.5 mile run in the June and a half marathon in the October!

Once you've cracked half an hour, stamina improves quite quickly.

2.5 years since I started the C25k and I'm still improving on things like varying my pace. My second HM a year after the first was much easier than the first.

[chutneypig]

I finished c25k a year ago, followed by parkrun a most weekends and a couple of 10ks last year. I'm training for a half marathon next month now. I'm not a natural athlete at all and am still pretty slow but I absolutely love running.

C25k worked very well for me, I think the gradual build up was very good mentally and physically. Good luck!

[lljkk]

I work it out that...
If you started out running 0.25 miles as maximum in one go, and increased 10% per week (which is a common guideline), then it will take 36-39 weeks (8-9 months) of building up to get to about 6-8 miles in one single run, which is about 1-1.5 hours of running, depending how amazeballs fast you are.

[AngelicCurls]

I started c25k just before Christmas, having done no exercise since having dc2 by c section in sept. I was persuaded into entering a half marathon and am now 3 weeks away from it I've found it incredible how quickly I've improved once I got to the 5k mark, have run 20k a couple of times in training and although I'm struggling with my knees a bit on the really long runs I'm now at the point where 10k seems easy! And I never thought id say that! So ime it can come pretty quickly!