To be worried about my levels of fitness

[hallie29]

Have been trying to run.

I am rubbish. I tried to WALK at a brisk pace for fifteen minutes and had to stop, gasping and sweaty, with a horrible pain in one leg (but not the other)

Is this impossible?

Unless there are some underlying medical issues then you can definitely get better, and you'll probably see a difference in your fitness really quickly.

Have you heard of Couch 2 5k? It starts off really gently, just jogging for 60 seconds at a time, and eventually leads to being able to run for 30 minutes. I did it a year ago and now I run all the time and I love it.

If even that sounds too much for you at the minute then why not keep doing your brisk walking, say every other day, until you can do it for 30 minutes. I bet it will happen much sooner than you think.

If you're getting leg cramps then that could be dehydration. Make sure you drink plenty before you go.

Good luck with it. Consistency is key!

Thanks. Have been trying couch25k. It’s not going very well

You will be amazed at how quickly you see a difference OP! I second couch to 5K which was truly life changing for me - I couldn't walk for more than 10 minutes without terrible pain and breathlessness before I started and now I can run 10K comfortably and I'm doing a half marathon in October!

If that still sounds like a bit much, just keep at it with walking - add a little distance every few days, be consistent, and within a month (less even!) you will be amazed at the difference. It is the most heartening and motivating thing.

Yes try the couch to 5k. I'm doing it (very slow progress!) But the key is to go at the right pace for you, so I run slowly and I walk at a normal pace. The progress is infinitesimal, but compared to day one when I couldn't even run in any manner for one minute I tell myself I'm doing OK!

Sorry, cross post! Don't be disheartened - you can do it! And you will feel amazing! Doesn't matter how long it takes, progress is progress!

I was like this when I first started. It took me about 2 weeks of running a few times a week to be able to run for more than a minute without having to stop. I was incredibly unfit and couldn’t breathe after about 10 seconds of running.
I persevered and after a month I could easily run for 5 mins without stopping, and then my fitness levels started to increase a lot faster after that. By the end of month 2 I was running for 20 mins without stopping and I could maintain a conversation with someone during it too.

Keep repeating weeks 1 and then 2, and like I said before, slow down if you need to!

Yeah, there is no shame in repeating weeks if you need to! Slow is progress. Slow is lapping people on the couch. Slow is still going!

It took me about 5 attempts to complete week 1 of C25K. I can now comfortably run 10km and I just did my first half marathon. It will get easier just be consistent.

Thanks I feel like a right fatty when I’m huffing and puffing. Obviously I am fat but you know!

Just keep going! And imagine some day in the future when you come back to this thread to update us that you've done your first 5k

Have a browse around this site OP, it's inspirational for people who want to start running www.johnbingham.com/ .