Tell me your running journey

[lovelydays2]

Looking for inspiration and to get fit and possibly have a mental transformation/life overhaul

Hopeful bump

Hi OP where are you up to with it?

If complete beginner I can highly recommend couch to 5K. Presumably you may have heard of it? If not have a look, it’s a series of guided runs overr 10 weeks. It assumes no running experience, and gets you to running 30 minutes continually by the end.

I also started with c25k. Initially myself and then ran with a friend for a few years. I dropped off for a couple of years with injuries and poor MH but restarted again last halloween. Our local council run a c25k programme which is linked to running clubs locally and they volunteer to run them. We met up twice a week to do the 2c5k programme and then at the end of it you 'graduate' and all do parkrun together. It was a great way to get back into it, I started with teen dc who wanted to start running and now we do parkrun together every week, though dc is finished well before I am and enjoying juice and cake at the end as she waits for me

What do you want to know? I ran a lot many years ago. Sub 4 hour marathon once. Started running again last year after a 10 year break and I’m really struggling. I’m so slow, I struggle with breathing, I mentally give up on pretty much every run. But … I’ve consistently put my trainers on 3 times a week for over a year. I’ve lost a stone without changing anything else. I’m determined to keep going even though I’m not achieving what I want. The occasional ‘good’ run is amazing.

What are your plans?

Started with C25K, finished with a half marathon. I'm struggling with an ongoing injury so I fear my running days are behind me before I managed to get to a marathon start line.

I was in my late 20s, had been struggling with stress and depression for years related to my job, and was obese. I finally reached my limit and left the job, realised I was doing myself no favours and started a long and slow overhaul.
A local running club started a beginners running course a few months later. It was structured, very welcoming, and everyone was starting from scratch.
Attending the club and keeping up with training gave me a different focus. I started to see and feel the progress, it did wonders for rebuilding my confidence. 15 years later I still feel the benefits.
I like long distances, I’m never going to be quick but I can keep going. Mostly via a local tearoom 😆

C25k when it fitted around a cluster-feeding baby.
Ran my first HM 364 days later..
Baby was still BFing and I RTW in that time.

Baby is at secondary school now and I do 3 HMs a year.

Got wellllll fat during lockdown.
my bestie took me for a 5k as soon as we were allowed to run at a distance from each other and that was it hooked. Park run every week now completed half marathons and plan to do a full - will be 40 in Feb.

it’s lush.

I’d always wanted to run, DH had run for years and I really enjoyed supporting him at races. I did couch to 5k at the age of 46 and really enjoyed the structure of it, then carried on running 5k a couple of times a week including parkrun. I then decided I wanted to do a 10k so gradually upped my distance and did a few 10k’s, then DH dropped the bombshell that he thought we should join our local running club! I really didn’t think running clubs were for runners like me, but this is a really inclusive and super supportive club and it was the best decision we could have made. It opened my eyes to what other women who looked like me were achieving and I got brave, I’ve now achieved almost all the things I said I would never do - the last of my nevers is a road marathon and I have my first one next month!

Anyway, I’ve waffled for too long! TLDR: running has changed my life, made me braver and given me and DH a shared hobby. Oh, and I’ve made new friends

parkrun, there's more to it than that, but it's most of it. I used to enjoy running but think I'll run on Saturday morning, didn't happen, ok, evening, didn't happen, same on Sunday. Having it in my calendar so to speak for 9am every Saturday made it happen. You are welcome to walk or jeff or jog or run, whatever works. I also volunteer quite a lot and have met some lovely people. Wish they would sort out the trans in the women's category, but the individual events are fab even if HQ are loopy.

I did couch to 5k at the age of 44.
loved it.
have never really got further than 10k but I don’t care because I put on a podcast, go for a run and love it.

i don’t do long runs
i don't do fartlek runs
i don’t follow a plan

sometimes i do guided runs on Nike Run Club and I love coach Bennet

I am 46. I am too old to do things because other people think they look good. So I’ll stick to running about my local town and thoroughly enjoying the solo time.

I have recently discovered running in my late forties. I’m not a runner. I found it really hard. Something perverse in me thought, if I find it this hard, I need to do it more and get better. I kept running until I got to a stage where I could do a few kms and not spend the entire time thinking about when I could stop. Weirdly, I found myself looking forward to the post run feeling and then to the run itself. Then, it became my favourite way to start the day. Currently injured and very envious of anyone I see running. I tend to run 5-6km 2-3 times a week - Ive never run much more than 7km and, whilst in my head I’m one of those sleek gazelles with a swishy ponytail, in reality I look very much the red faced middle aged mum waddling along. I really don’t care. I like running. And, those are words I never thought I would say / type - and nor did anyone who knew me for the first 45 years of my life 😆. In my experience, it will be hard and you will start to think it will always be hard and then one day you will be running and find you’ve not been thinking about how hard it is. That took longer than I expected though - a good few months of just doing it a couple of times a week. Good luck! It’s addictive…

I mostly do guided runs (virtual classes) on the treadmill. So I focus on time and speed rather than distance. Longer runs are outside mainly when I’m training for a HM.

It's been..... sporadic/ chaotic........ was a sprinter at school. Totally quit at 6th form in favour of smoking and underage drinking. Took up rowing in college, but didn't run again until I needed to raise some cash for a charity expedition I was doing so entered a half marathon aged 24. Did not do much training- nearly died and got overtaken by a 70 year old dressed as a daffodil and carrying a donations bucket but did finish it. Decided to never run again. Got drunk. Entered the Marathon de Sables with 2 friends. Did train (sort of) and actually did pretty well (top third). Didn't run for another 3 years. Entered the London marathon. Trained properly. Did pretty well. Still didn't carry on running though. Two years later, moved overseas and got MASSIVELY into trail running - it was like I could finally understand why people liked running- I just loved being off road, on the technical trails and the hills (and also you don't have to run consistently when it's that hilly which makes it mentally easier). Also got massively into CrossFit but hey, we've all got faults. However, found the ultra scene that was developing at the time a bit intense and maybe not that mentally healthy for a lot of people- it became a bit "100k is no big deal". Moved back and not many hills/ easily accessible trails where I am now so it's mainly road running - I still do trail races though plus love a good Park Run and currently trying to get my time down- still hoping for a lifetime PB over 5k. Also love a backyard race (lap race in last man standing format). I'm now 50 and still running good times for my age so I guess I'll carry on until I can't - plus quite tempted to give Hyrox a go.

I agree with everything @Pineapplesunshine said. I’ve not run for about 4 weeks for various reasons and have run 3 times this week and have been surprised how hard it has been to pick it up. I’m persevering though because I liked it when I could do my 6km easily and I want to get back to that!

Had a late baby at 45. By 48 I was feeling stodgy & without energy so did C25k slowly - I hadn't done any sport since school where I was rubbish and hated it.

Moved up to weekly ParkRun, then gradually up to a few 10k charity runs.

Then I was diagnosed with BC in 2021, so running was a bit haphazard for 18 months. I went back to it after chemo/radio, and it was going really well, until this spring when I went down with Covid and was a bit wheezy for two months. (having dodged it for 5 years, very annoying).

I've been building up my times again for the last three months. Saturday morning run sets me up for the weekend. 😊

This is amazing!! Well done and very inspiring! I am in a similar place as well I think!

Sorry I totally didn’t say where I am with running.

started C25K in April this year. I now run 2-3 times a week. And tend to run for about 20 - 30 minutes each time.

today I ran 27 minutes continuously and covered 4.1km.

I would like to be able to run a 5k in 25 minutes and possibly run a 10k in 50 minutes. I’ve never really run before.

but I’m also hoping that running gives me something else mentally I suppose. I’m a bit emotionally lost(?) stagnant (?) and generally feel quite sad, also 2 stone overweight so would like to undergo some sort of emotional and physical transformation! But I’m aware that might be asking for a lot!

I started couch to 5k about four months ago now.

I ran two 5ks, about 45 minutes each (but as a size 18, I didn’t think that was too bad!) I was about to work on improving my 5k pace when I got a knee injury. As I recovered from that, I had surgery! So now I’m back to square one 🥲 six weeks off and I’m back to week one of the app but pushing through

I started running last year at 38. I've had a few set backs along the way, anaemia, an emergency operation and I have a chronic illness but I have persevered and kept going back to it which I'm really proud of.

I'm not interested in races or anything I just run for me and compete with myself. Last month I got a pb in my 5km finally got down to 25mins and I got a pb in my 10km and I ran 17km which is the furthest I've ever ran and finally I felt like things are clicking for me a year from starting.

I enjoy it a lot and find it great to challenge myself and lift my mood. Running with a chronic illness can be frustrating though and it annoys me that I feel limited by it at times. Overall though running has been a real positive for me and I'm only sorry it took me until I was nearly 40 to start.

Things I found helpful:
give yourself grace, I never got anywhere when I was beating myself up.
Find some events to use as targets, they’re a lot of fun. Look for fun runs, events you can bring dogs and kids, these are the nice low pressure ones. You’ll feel great afterwards. I need a target or I don’t do any work 😆
I have found the running community on instagram to be lovely and supportive, it’s worth a look.

Started out one day, gave up, walked home. Sticking with walking. I value my knees and ankles.

This is amazing!! Can I ask how you got down to 25 mins for your 5k and how you built up to running 10k?

have you noticed any other effects?

Started C25K about 4 years ago when I was 43 years old, joined a running club and doing parkruns every Saturday.. yesterday I did a 50k ultra and was lucky enough to get a London Marathon ballot place for next year…..changed my life has running, made so many new friends.

Now I’ve caught up on this thread… I’m going to go for a run!