Getting back into running - anyone with me?

[SweetestThing]

Watching the London Marathon today prompted me to think seriously about how to get back into running. I used to run several times a week and have run London several times but in recent years, my exercise has been sporadic, with runs of only a few miles and lots of hiatuses.

I've now entered the ballot for next year's London (confidently predicting my eleventy billionth rejection) but have decided I need to have something to aim for before then, so have booked in for a half-marathon in September. So I need to get a training plan in place, sort out my diet and weight (currently carrying about two stone over my running weight) and cross-train.

Anyone fancy joining me in a virtual support and training plan?

Hello all & congrats for the election victory SweetestThing!

I must report my first run! I ran over 6.5km and could have definitely done more! It was really slow but doesn't matter. My aim now is to work towards running 1 hour slowly 3x week. I think it would take me probably month to get there. After that? We shall see. I am running for pleasure at the moment. No competitive goals.

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

You did 6.5km for your first run - wow I will be happy to make it round the park twice!

I am still rowing and yoga ing in preparation-my back goes if I run first. You must be made of stern stuff!!

Morning, plodpals!

VivaFrida, that's a great first run! Well done. I like your plan of running for pleasure - no pressure but a target set you want to achieve.

That book sounds interesting, carrie. I will look out for it. I love to hear of people doing incredible things, even if it makes me feel inadequate :)

Out for my first run since Tuesday. 3.79 miles according to my Fitbit. I ran most of it, walked a couple of short bits, chatted to a dogwalker with two adorable chocolate Labs and took photos of the lambs. Gorgeous day here - let's hope it lasts! DH is doing a cycling sportive today so my plan is to make chilli jam (first ever attempt - may be a disaster, but it might just work!) and continue Operation Spring Clean the house. My life is so exciting :)

Think I've found my people. Am 55 and overweight. Started C25K in the New Year and got up to bring able to plod for 30 mins about a month ago (3.5k). Then a hiccup, a bad run and a chest infection and it all ground to a halt. I must admit I dont find it enjoyable so havent been motivated to gst back on it,which is a waste of all the hard effort over the last few months. Will head out today and see how far I get...

Great first run!! Looking forward to hearing how the chilli jam goes!

Just back from a slower plod of 4k over half an hour -my comfortable speed. Massive hill in the middle which needed a walking break, and a couple of other short walking breaks to get heart rate back down a bit. Got a yoga class tonight, so looking forward to stretching out my tight muscles 🏃🏼‍♀️ 🧘‍♀️

Hi mardylardy! The i you for your kind words! It wasn't my first run as such but first run from back to running. I used to run a fair bit.

Second run today, 7.74km, still very slow pace but doing it. That's the important bit. Keeping up keeping up. 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽

Sorry I posted too soon

dementedma - welcome!!

SweetestThing your run sounds lovely! And chilli jam exciting! We also spent most of the school holidays cleaning the house and sorting bits and bobs that needed sorting.... for me the most satisfying moment was clearing out my clothes cupboard that had become a bottomless well of junk - it took me 3 hours and 3 black bin bags but now it's a thing of beauty: clothes of my size, which I wear now (in between chub and 'old me' - nearing towards old me - yay!), things where I can find them, maybe (no, definitely) I should go out more but that tidy made my day/week and perhaps even month!!

Have a lovely bank holiday weekend, all!

carrie74 : well done you! :) Enjoy your yoga class, I am going swimming later on to stretch in the water!

dementedma, I'm 60 and overweight so on a similar journey as you.

Photo of my chilli jam in progress (tried to upload from my phone but no success!)

As for the eating - I'm trying to stick to low carb, high protein/fat. Doing okay but we were invited to our neighbour's for supper on Saturday and I had three small new potatoes and a lot of wine! So that scuppered it for that day, but I'm back on it.

Breakfast this morning, after my run, was scrambled eggs with a salmon fillet chopped up in it. Dinner tonight will be steak with mushrooms, asparagus and broccoli. Haven't decided on lunch yet - might make some cauliflower cheese. Not missing chocolate or crisps (my nemesis!) so far but it is still early days.

Thank you viva and that all sounds famiar sweetest. Hard boiling eggs as i write and dinner will be meatballs in tomato sauce ( no tagliatelli for me unfortunately). I did about 15 minutes run today so nowhere near what I was doing before but at least have stopped the slide and got back out there.

Chilli jam looks yummy.

Yoga class was perfect, loads of hip opening and glute stretches (and sweating and grunting, and just stopped short of swearing 😂).

I'm afraid my diet isn't terribly controlled - I have a very fussy son (he's on the spectrum, so although he's highly functioning and copes well day to day, food is an issue). If we cut back on carbs he'd be existing on meat and cheese with the odd banana thrown in 😂. But made a Joe Wicks chicken, chorizo and cauliflower tray bake which was yummy (son ate chicken and chorizo, daughter ate chicken, cauliflower and a couple of bits of chorizo. DH and I ate everything else (cherry toms and red onion). Side order of sweet potato mash. And then topped off with a slice of coconut and almond cake 😊. Oh well, was very tasty!!

I am very impressed with the longer runs Viva, I struggle so much, I feel like I deserve a medal if I get to 5k! But I'm enjoying being outside.

Morning! Second run yesterday, my calves are feeling it!

Well done on the amazing field run Viva!

How do you all work out how far you’re running?

carrie74 - you are doing it and that's the most important thing!! And you have a great attitude. 5km is great - most people could not run 100 m!!

And well done on your second run Calixtine :) - regarding your question, I have a Garmin Vivofit that i bought second hand and I use it to record all my sessions, indoor cycling, swims, etc. It also count steps and checks how you have slept. Like a fitbit but it has got GPS so it's really accurate (well, you, know, kinda).

My third run was scheduled for tomorrow, but tomorrow I need to get up at TOTALLY STUPID o'clock (train @6.40...) so the most I can do is probably 15 minutes on the fake bike... so I decided to woman it up, grow a pair of boobs, etc. and I went out early this am (I am working from home today so it's easier to juggle the day) and did 6.2km.

When I came home I did not get changed (aha... perks of working from home... nobody can smell me...) and started working early, and then during my equally early lunch break had a 28 minutes spin bike session with a youtube video. ROAR!!

So now just had brunch and finishing off my tea before having a quick shower and resuming my working day! I feel tired but also very happy and energised. It's amazing how good exercise feels.

Any advice on good quality but reasonably priced trainers for a beginner? (Size 8-9 feet 😳)

I get mine from sportshoes.com

I got a pair of Brooks aerials for about 60. They are amazingly comfortable

Vivafrida, you're a machine! Well done - brilliant exercise. I was at work today and at a funeral this afternoon so managed 11.5k steps but no running. Food wise, two boiled eggs and chicken for dinner with asparagus, courgette and cauliflower. Two large glasses of wine after the funeral will take me out of ketosis but all in all, not too bad. No bread, pasta, rice, crisps to chocolate. Late meeting tomorrow so no running but should get out on Thursday morning. Keep going, wonderful plodpals. You're all brilliant.

Sorry you had a funeral.

Your diet sounds very good. I am still drinking 90% less, have given up my Diet Coke addiction (4+cans a day for decades!), am not eating endless crisps and junk but still eating lots of cheese and butter. Have dropped a few pounds and have rowed 5k everyday and done yoga here and there. Found my sports bra so am one step closer to getting out the door for a run!

Morning, all

How are we all doing with our plodplans? I've not run since Monday - pesky work getting in the way! roll on retirement! - but am planning on a zumba class tonight and either the gym/run tomorrow morning (non-working day). I've done over 10k steps Tuesday and Wednesday and hope to do the same today, although I'm working from home so won't have my usual yomp from London Bridge station to the office and back!

Mardy, diet coke is evilly addictive. I used to drink quite a lot and when I stopped, I found I slept so much better. I think you'll find a real difference in so many ways. I rarely drink carbonated drinks nowadays (well, except champagne/cava but that's allowed, isn't it??).

Diet still going okay, although I found a sweet in my bag yesterday when I was rummaging around for something and ate it, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it. Press the reset button and start again. I know my diet will go to pot this weekend as I have work friends coming over for a bbq and to help me drink some of the stockpile of fizzy I seem to have acquired (DH off cycling in Majorca so I thought I deserved to have something nice to do while he's away!), so I'll be consuming carbs in the form of alcohol. Also my friend makes a mean banoffee pie and I'm not going to deny myself that

Come on, plodpals. How's it going for you all? The thread's gone a wee bit quiet of late after a burst of enthusiasm at the beginning - much like my running, to be fair....

Morning! Did 6km this morning just before 7.

This is my plan this week:

Saturday: 8/10km
Sunday: 6km
Tuesday: 6/8km
Thursday: 6km

I did find it quite hard this morning, but it's probably because yesterday I had a long day at work and I am still tired. But I know it will get easier! Perseverance is so important with running!! How is everyone doing?

Well done, frida. Good to see rest days built in there as well. Excellent plan, with gradual increase in the mileage (kilometrage?)

Ooooo me. I used to run loads. Race most weekends etc.

Then I got a new job which involved shifts and weekend working and gave up.

I came out of retirement briefly in 2017 to run a half marathon for a dog charity.

This week I've decided to start again. Not to race I don't think, to keep fit.

Done 3 x 4 mile runs so far! God I'm unfit 😂

Thank you sweetest - I used to run a fair bit (at my highest my mileage peaked at 120 miles in one crazy week when I ran 2 marathons and a short ultra midweek - longest distance I have done in one go is 73 miles) so I know what my body can take and - absolutely YES to rest days - no way I can go back to running 6/7 days per week at the moment. I am taking it really slowly at the moment also because I am trying to find out where I want to go with my running and, as I say, I want to run for myself and not chasing distance or speed at the moment.

And welcome Chesneyhawkes1! Like you, I also used to race most weekends - and, like you, God I am unfit!! But we can do this together!!

Oh I also wanted to say that I am so grateful to this thread - I had not planned to get back into running until I reached the 'correct' weight for it but after reading here I took the plunge and I am so glad I did! So thank you SweetestThing for starting the thread, and thank you all fellow 'back to runners'