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Should I worry that after many years of trying, I still can't run 5km?

30 replies

RedNovember · 21/03/2021 12:44

I always hated exercise as a kid. I never had a problem with my weight but I've always known I had the propensity to put on weight. I've always walked lots and didn't have a car till quite late in life so that exercise was enough for me.

At university, I thought I would try and do something so started swimming but realised I was v unfit so set myself a task of swimming 100m without stopping which I did manage. Eventually. I tried to run but could barely do 200m.

I do have exercise induced asthma but it's not that bad.

I put on weight after having both my kids and decided to try C25K. I tried 3 or 4 times and never got to the point of getting to the stage where you run more than 10 mins in one go. I then saw someone who said to just keep repeating stages until I was comfortable. But I'm talking doing a run 3x a week and rarely improving.

It's now 5 years later and I can still only run/walk a 5km despite all the effort I have put in. And it's really not from lack of trying! I don't mind, it doesn't bother me at all, but do you think there's something wrong with me that I can't do this?

OP posts:
wandawombat · 21/03/2021 13:47

Nope, I got super-fit doing Crossfit. Still couldn't run. I don't have enough hip stability & was eventually told by a hip surgeon not to ever run again.

I have qualified as a PT. Running breaks me, plenty of other ways to be fit in every dimension. So bike, swim, row, resistance, bodyweight...

SeeYouInAnotherLife · 21/03/2021 13:39

People who say that ‘can’t’ run, are in my experience, trying to set a pace that is much too fast. Slow down. Slow right down. And then slow down some more.

minipie · 21/03/2021 13:36

When you say you “can’t” run more than 10 minutes, what happens at the 10 minute point that makes you need to stop? Legs hurting? Feel like you can’t breathe?

I did c25k recently and found that if I made myself keep running even after I really really felt out of breath... nothing bad happened. Previously I’d always stopped running if I felt that breathless, assuming I’d keel over if I carried on. But I didn’t.

Also agree about going slower. Have you tried using Strava to see what your pace is? When you’re starting out a pace of 7-8 minutes per km is normal, if you are closer to 6min/km you’re going too fast.

HowLongTo2022 · 21/03/2021 13:27

Go slower. Even if you think you could walk faster. Go really, really slow and keep the running motion up for 10% longer than you can do now week on week.

TheHeathenOfSuburbia · 21/03/2021 13:18

I bet you can though Smile just a matter of finding a slow enough pace...

Do you know how fast you're running? Do you have strava or anything?

And why are you dropping to a walk? Legs? Lungs? General feeling of knackeredness?

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