To not be able to run…

[ManchesterBeatrice]

I'll pre-face this by saying that I have tried the couch to 5K, but that didn't work out for me.

I have full gym membership, and access to treadmills, there are plenty available.

But I just can't run!

It's almost like I feel extremely heavy when I try, I weigh 9 stone, So not carrying lots of extra weight, but I just can't get the breath right.

What am I missing? Is there some kind of secret Runner's trick! I just can't seem to run, and I'd really love to be able to, as it's such a great way to lose weight, and keep weight off Physically when I don't have access to the gym.

Can anyone share their success stories of learning to successfully run on the treadmill, and then being able to take that outside to running outdoors.

@wandawaves I could only dream of that just now!

New Development for me today will be taking my headphones, so I will have my own music. I'm wondering if that might make a difference, the gym does play music, but it's very quiet. And also very generic pop.

It’s so cool that women are being inspired to start or stick with running by this thread. Awesome work, @ManchesterBeatrice and everyone else who has found they can do it 💐🏆

Showed this thread to my dh earlier, he usually comes home from a run wrecked so today he went out for a slower run. He purposely kept it slow pace, kept his heart rate lower than normal, and was delighted with himself. When he had finished his usual 5k, felt he had plenty in him to go further.

This is amazing, thanks to all the fabulous posters giving this great advice, feels like lots of people are finding it helpful!

The other advice I was, when I first started, was if I felt like stopping, just to go really slow to recover. I mean, I still do stop, but that's more a head thing than a physical.

I run better with an audiobook playing rather than music. I can lose myself in it and just keep going.

(OK, occasionally I lose myself for real. Best done on familiar routes without traffic.)

Third run, this time 15 minutes, and it included jog, and run, with a little bit of sprint (v. Short)

I bought some Bluetooth over ears from Amazon for about 15£ and they have really helped also, super comfy and I can play my music.

I enjoyed it and am so grateful for all this advice.

It's been such a supportive and wise thread and the not going too fast things seems simple but it's revolutionised my thinking!

I'm about to do my 3rd run this week! It's lovely to see that others have got their mojo back too 😀. Over the years I've tried many workout videos and ended up hating myself because I couldn't keep up or finish the workout. I always thought there was something wrong with me. C25k made me realise I could have just slowed down and built up at my own pace. It sounds stupid, but every time I became so demotivated and it led to me hating excercise all together.
Now I think any exercise is better than none, which makes it much more enjoyable!

I'll be going on my next run tomorrow after work- doing the same route for a while so i can measure progress easier. Love this thread!

My body just cannot run and breathe at the same time. I’ve tried to get into running so many times but I just can’t breathe when I run. I think some peoples bodies are natural at running. Some aren’t and there’s not a lot you can do about it.

I am physically fit, I can swim for an hour, I do several 45 minute high intensity gym classes per week, I can walk for hours. But I just gasp for breath if I try to run. The Dr gave me an inhaler which helps a little, plus I take daily iron supplements at the Drs suggestion in case that helps. But I just cannot run and breathe at the same time!

This is fab, glad others are keeping on running!! I'll check in after my run number 4 this week 🥰

Glorious day for a run here today. Did just shy of 12k. I'm coming back from an injury last year (listen to me sounding all serious!), so trying to get my stamina up again. I try to have a different running playlist for each month and I think I've nailed it this month. Today's run was nice. Steady, with no boredom stops until I hit 10k.

I'm like you. I train at the gym 6 days a week. Weights, HIIT and 2 hour walks several times a week but I can't run.
I sort of tense my core when I run so I only breathe into my upper chest. I'm better at sprinting as when you sprint you barely breathe as it's short duration. That's common with sprinters as you can stabilise your core and run faster. And you have enough oxygen to get through the sprint
I find trail walk/running ok as it's short bursts up hills and lots of walking. It's more like a HIIT form or running and it suits me. Steady state jogs don't work for me at all.

I was another 'I can't run' person who found the 'go ridiculously slow' advice enabled me to be able to just keep going. I don't stop once I've started, just keep plodding on like a slightly overambitious tortoise. I'm in my 50s and (during COVID) worked up to nonstop 10km with no fuss at all (and working from home it meant it's didn't matter how long that took!). I fell out of the habit after some surgery but have just started again. I find the first km unpleasant but then it's just ..keep on plodding.

I've been watching bits of the London Marathon today and that's been another great source of motivation! I'm in absolute awe of those that do it 🤩.
My legs really aren't happy after last night, so I think I need to slow down some more. I have a chronic pain condition and restless leg syndrome, so my body likes to protest a lot. I struggle to know when to give in to it, so I don't cause a flare up and put myself out of action 😩.
I'll do a much longer warm up tomorrow!

I'm the same as you! I just feel extremely heavy and stuck to the ground. I'm pretty fit - 15 mile hilly walks, at a fast speed, spinning classes etc, but running is hopeless.

Love this, and you sound very professional about it 🥰

Running playlists are very serious! I need one long enough to last an hour, with songs I won't get bored of. Songs therefore can't be on my regular playlist but there must be a mix of songs I love, songs I've forgotten, songs I don't know.

On another note, I'm here to talk trainers. My go to are mizuno, but I've recently started wearing sauconey and it's like I've been given new knees.

@Wilxie84 don't forget to do some stretches after a run, it helps with restless legs syndrome, and drink ple ty if water afterwards. Also a good idea is to lie on the ground and raise the legs higher than heart, helps to drain lactic acid from the legs.

I have CFS so running feels like a distant dream, but I remember really struggling with C25K until I started also doing the 30 day shred (that’s probably a blast from the past and no longer the in thing, but it bloody works!). I found with the interval training too all of a sudden my legs could do running, before that they felt like they were made out of lead and every step was hideous.

You’re all doing so well!

Can I also suggest you look into Jeffing? This is a method of running which involves running for, say, 15 seconds followed by walking for 30 seconds. Run, walk, repeat! The run portion is longer depending on your pace (the faster you are, the longer the run portion) but running for 15-60 seconds then walking for 30 seconds seems to be recommended for beginners. If you look at the Girls that Jeff Facebook group you will see lots of women who have completed the London Marathon in very respectable times using this method of running. It’s hard to believe but many people get faster times doing this than by straight running.

I’ve tried it a few times and prefer something more like running for 3 minutes, walking for 1 minute at the moment (as I am on a journey to running a continuous 10km - up to 8km now from a standing start!). But if my 2025 ballot application works out I’ll be Jeffing it for sure.

Well done everyone!

Well it seems my heart did not like jogging tonight. Only did 9 minutes before my fitness tracker started alarming about my heart rate. Then 4 x intervals of 4 minutes, and the final interval only 3 minutes before it alarmed, so at that point I gave up and just walked the rest of the way!

Oh well, it's still a heck of a lot more jogging than I could do a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks @gm2023 That's really useful!

Did 20 mins yesterday, routine of running and jogging, with a little bit of sprint, it was fine and I'll do it again 🥰

Did my run yesterday and next one early tomorrow morning! I ran the whole way, super conscious of breathing rhythm and pace and I extended it slightly by going up a hill at the end. Feeling great and motivated!! My legs ache today but that good ache!

I did another walk/run interval session yesterday, I slowed down even more. A longer warm up and cool down, then elevated my legs for a while afterwards. My legs were much happier, just the good kind of tired!
Today I'm doing a full body dumbell workout and a shorter session on the treadmill. 😃