Overweight and unfit. Will running for 10 minutes a day help me at all?

[blearynweary]

I'm about a stone and a half overweight and facing 50 this year. I've stupidly entered a 5k in June. I really want to 'be a runner' (I was a good runner when younger). Over the last few years I've had a broken foot twice and a knee operation which used part of my hamstring to reconstruct my ACL. So I suppose its not surprising that I've been too scared to run much. Last week I decided I just needed to START running. I've previously done Couch to 5k but found it quite boring at the beginning and lost interest by week 5 or 6!

So I've been getting up early and going for a run along the lane outside my house (I take the dogs they love it ). Just for 10 minutes, I set the timer on my phone. I don't run fast, I think I probably look like a very old woman, I probably don't even cover 1.5k. I have a vague plan of running for 10 minutes until I feel confident then slowly upping the minutes. This morning I went off a bit quick and really felt it by the end, although I absolutely love speeding up and pushing myself for the last 30 seconds!

I would love any support,advice or encouragement!!

Of course it's a good idea! Sounds like you are doing really well. It's a good idea to just up the time you run for too, when you feel ready.

If you like speeding up and pushing yourself in short bursts, then interval training is meant to be very good too.

Good luck!

I would think so! Given your history, it's wise to take it easy says the woman nursing a sprained foot after too much running after a rest! Any exercise is good, running definitely helps you to tone up and building up slowly should mean you'll manage a 5k :)

Sounds like you are doing brilliantly and slowly upping the minutes is a good plan. Upping them too quickly can cause injury, the 'rule' is no more than 10% per week. Watch out, that runner's high is wonderfully addictive :o
Do you have a local running club? They are not all cliquey and full of speedy whippets. It's getting to the Beginners Running Course season so there may be a course locally that you could get involved with so you have company and support, and a lot of laughs!
And then there is parkrun which is FABULOUS, free, open to everyone, can be walked the whole way if you want to and you could run with your dog (only one dog though)
Good luck. I started 7 years ago at 47-- having hated running at school. I have run 5 half marathons, numerous 5 and 10k, joined a local club (eventually) where I am now a run leader and helped set up a local parkrun.
I love it :0

Smileys failure

Have you tried the Zombie run app? It tells a story as you go with intervals where you have to speed up to 'escape' and then slow down to recover. It could fit with your plan if you like to push yourself for short bursts? 10 minutes a day is a great start

Thank you so much for your comments! feetheart that is really inspirational! We do have a local running club but I am far too intimidated to join just yet - mainly because I am worried I will injure myself (I broke my foot while running about 6 years ago ).

I will look out for a beginners running course that sounds really good.

justabigbearalan yes I do like speeding up and pushing myself. I used to be a sprinter many moons ago so I like speed rather than distance, although I am aware that is a sure fire ticket to injury these days!!

thanks cuntinghomicidalcardigan () I will look out for that!

The Zombies Run app looks fun

trying to work out roughly how long you have to run for per 'mission'?

My ten minutes a day led to 15, then 20 and so on, until I was able to run comfortably for about 40 minutes at a time. I get bored any longer than that and found I needed to add in some different types of exercise, all of which I found easier once id improved my general fitness. Oh and I lost 3 stone by doing it.

So do it! just be aware of those previous injuries, make sure you have good quality trainers.

I have bought some really good Saucony trainers that seem very comfortable so far.

I think I will also get bored at 40 mins (if I get that far). The idea of running a marathon gives me the heebie jeebies - I couldn't be alone with my thoughts for that long

That's what music and running friends are for :)

May also be worth looking up a decent local sports physio just in case you start to have any niggles. They will tell you what it is, treat anything that needs to be treated and give you exercises to strengthen areas that need it. Not cheap but worth their weight in gold to get you back running again when niggles are stopping you and you are driving everyone crazy :o

Good for you. I'm sure after a while you'll find yourself speeding up and running for longer. And the perfect time of year to start too - you can watch spring and summer unfold. A variety of nice routes helps fend off boredom.

Just checking in to say I am still doing it! In fact yesterday I did Zombies Run - only set it for 20 minutes but I can honestly say that the zombie chase parts nearly killed me. I think I might carry on doing it once a week for the next couple of weeks as well as my normal 10 minutes.

I am just WAITING for the injury to kick in. Its really psychological. My legs and feet don't feel too bad (I have plantar fasciitis but am managing it with really good trainers and painkillers). But I have a really stiff sore shoulder and a sore throat - its like I get so far into running and then have to wimp out with injury.

I should just run through it shouldn't I? I mean 10 minutes isn't going to particuarly hurt me?

I do feel very, very tired as well.

I love the couch to 5k apps for when you have half an hour to spare, they start of mainly walking with 30 second runs and build gently from there, you can listen to your own music too. I repeated weeks until they felt easy before moving onto the next ones. Sounds like the dogs would love it too!

The zombie run thing sounds hilarious.
Well done on your training - you're really doing well!

I'm still running! Now running about 10k a week and can run very slowly for 20 mins+. Am really enjoying it. I've had a couple of tough runs where legs felt like lead and I couldn't wait to stop for the first 10 mins but I know if I stay steady it gets better. I bought saucony glide trainers which have been brilliant for my plantAr fasciitis.

Well done, that's great progress!

That's brilliant, thanks for the update. It's quite addictive this running lark :)

You sound like you're doing amazingly well! I'm going to try that zombie run app

I came on here to say yes but you've already established that for yourself . We up early on a weekend to go to parkrun.

Glad you've found some ideal trainers, there's so much choice it's hard to know what will suit you until you've done a few runs.

Thank you bleary. I'm sitting here in running gear but was heading for a morning of CBeebies and toast with the DC. You've given me that push to actually go out ! I'm doing c2 5k again. Was running loads 18 months ago, but have struggled with injury, illness and workload recently. Week2 Run1 here we go...,

I'm not running today as I did 3.5k (hilly!) on Thursday and 3k yesterday. Calves are a bit sore so resting today. I only need to do 1.5k tomorrow to reach my 10k target. Still not confident enough to do a park run but if I keep going I may be able to try in May

Go for it bikerunski!

That's great, well done! It's about three years since I started running and did C25K and built up to a half marathon eventually. These days park run tends to be my option, but I'd definitely recommend audio books if you get bored with your thoughts/music. The Goldfinch got me running longer than I'd planned each time.

Thanks, good tip. I downloaded the archers which makes the first 12 mins fly by! Then I listen to club hits 2014 on Google play which I really like as the tunes are very uplifting rather than madly fast. I get really bored with my own music so it's good to listen to a minimum where I don't know what's coming next.

*mix!