To ask how I get into running?

[4beautifulchildren]

I had this brilliant idea that I would take up running.
I put on my trainers and ran, I didn't even get to the end of the road and I had a stitch, my lungs were burning and I was out of breath.
I thought I'd take easily to running because I love walking and hiking, I walk for hours most evenings.
I'm healthy weight and not ready to give up.

Couch to 5k

Couch to 5k app

C25k

Couch to 5k.

It’s a game changer.

Does couch to 5k really work?

Run slower than you think you need to and plenty of walking breaks. You can repeat any week of couch to 5k you need to.

Thank you, I've see people breaking into a walk and run.

I'm just reading about couch to 5k I haven't looked into it before.

Well at the risk of sounding repetitive, the NHS couch to 5k app!
Load it onto your phone, it's a nine week program, three runs a week (leave at least one non-running day between sessions.)
The first week, you walk for 5 minutes to warm up. Then there is a 1 minute run, followed by a 90 second walk, 8 times. Then walk home. You get your choice of coach to talk you through the session. Decent trainers and a good bra!

It'll be 6 weeks before you see a noticeable change in your body and fitness level, if you're an absolute beginninger. But, from week 1 you'll notice that you can go longer without having to stop.

And, don't run - jog to begin with. Build up the speed. And wear well-fitting shoes, and warm up/down!

It does work. I couldn't run for two minutes when I started. Now I can do quite an easy 5k. Well it's hard sometimes lol

Couch to 5k! It works.

Definitely C25K. I did it when I was 47 and it worked like a charm!

I agree with whoever said to run really slowly at first, and also to repeat days or weeks of the program if you don’t feel ready to move up.

After about 4 months doing it, I was running 5k in 26 minutes! And that was from sedentary and never having run more than a mile in my life!

I ran marathons after starting with C25K in my 40s.
Best tip - run really really slowly to start with, as if your walk was just tripping over into a running stance.
it works!

Yes it really works. There's also a very supportive forum on NHS health-unlocked specifically for people doing c25k with the app.

Yes it does. I got from no exercise and then went on from there to 10k+.
C25k does not actually get you to 5k but to running continuously for 30 minutes.
If you are struggling to get to the end of the run then slow down. Sometimes you may think you could walk faster than you are running and that’s fine. It’s a process.

Yes it does.

It even got people like me running.

It structures short repeats of running and walking recovery and builds up the blocks of running gradually.

Being fit for walking is a good start, but your body has to adjust to the impact and the different gait of running which is why it's easy to feel knackered so quickly.

Top tip: slow down. Really slow down. It doesn't matter if you don't notice a difference between running and walking pace, it's getting used to the change of movement.

I put on my trainers and ran, I didn't even get to the end of the road and I had a stitch, my lungs were burning and I was out of breath.

This was me about 15 years ago, only I was overweight and had high blood pressure which didn't go away after pregnancy. I'd loathed running at school and had been very unfit for years. I hated it at first, nearly coughed up a lung and was scarlet in the face for hours afterwards. Worried I'd drop dead every time! I ended up running half marathon distances I don't run much any more (recurrent plantar fasciitis and knee twinges) and I actually miss it!

Small targets is the key. Aim for a distance, or a time, or a frequency. Achieve one, move to the next. I found that has helped me keep my motivation. Some upbeat 90s playlists to listen to also help 😂

That's the method that got me through a marathon and still feeling human 5 hours in!

Sorry, I didn't actually answer your question . You get into it by starting very, very slow. So slow that walkers would overtake you! Counch to 5k is good. Jog for a bit, walk for a bit. Slowly increase your distance (long before you bother trying to increase your speed). I never got much quicker - just further.

Thanks everyone I feel quite positive again, I've downloaded it now and it sounds quite doable.

C25K nhs app with Jo whiley as the voice! Would really recommend. Did it last year and now am running a half marathon this weekend!

That's amazing, well done!

This for me too.

I did c25k 8 years ago. I can still remember being breathless at the 30 sec runs on week 1.

I now run 10k with ease.

Still don't enjoy running though! But it's a means to an end.