How long before I should try a Park run?

[PopcornFiend]

Hi

So I am 40, overweight (5ft4, 12 stone, size 14) and incredibly unfit.

I have decided to try and start running, and for the last 4 days I have set myself the goal of running outside for 10 minutes each day. Sounds pathetic I know, but honestly I am so unfit and my legs are aching like crazy from this unfamiliar exercise!

I’m determined to keep this up and gradually extend my runs as my stamina improves (and the legs get used to it!)

I do have proper trainers, and I know not to extend my runs by too much too soon.

I’m interested in trying to work towards doing my local Park Run. Realistically, how long do you think it will take me to get to a point where I can do this run - bearing in mind I have started this week just 10 min run a day - and it’s slow going!!

Also.. I am trying to eat carefully and reduce alcohol too - am I likely to start losing weight with the running?

Thanks!

As soon as you feel you can walk the 5k, build it up over time to run more and more

It all depends on your confidence. You could start now and run/walk or build up over a couple of months. The Couch to 5K programme is 8 or 9 weeks so that could give you a guide.

Park Runs are so friendly so don't worry about being slow. I'm very slow ...

You will lose weight from exercising, providing you don't eat more to compensate (always my downfall) and remember that muscle weighs more than fat!

Have you considered the couch to 5km? There are lots of versions but the department of health one is free. It does work well and gives you structure to build up running through doing running "efforts" interspersed with walking. This works better than just trying to run for longer each time, the effort, recovery, effort pushes your body and helps get you fitter until you suddenly find that you are able to run longer distances. As a rough guide that gets you running for 30min continuous in about 10 weeks. For many 30 min will work out as 5km though obviously that isn't an exact science.

You might lose weight, but you will definitely tone up your legs and abs.

Other than trainers, get a proper sports bra, something like Shock Absorber. They're usually a bit tighter than normal bras and your bosom won't jiggle.

Don't worry too much about clothes - t-shirt and leggings/short leggings are ok, but give it a few months when you'll be running 10K and half-marathons get something breathable.

Don't run every day. Walk every day but have at least one day off between runs.

If you can walk 5k you can do parkrun. Just jog a bit then walk the rest.

Try to run slower when you run then you can run for more time. The fitter you are the easier it is to vary your pace!

Good luck and enjoy

I'd also recommend the Couch to 5k app for a gentle start, gradually increasing pace. Good Luck!

As soon as you can walk 5k I’d go for it. At my local parkrun lots of people walk it, some people run/walk eg 30s running, 1min walking, so you could build that up to longer stretches of running. Parkrun is (in my experience) such a welcoming community, so don’t let your new-ness to running out you off!

Start now. You can walk the entire 5k if you want. You will see improvement week by week. A runner at our local one completed their first one in 55 minutes. 1 year later now running 28 minutes!

Keep up running the 10 mins every day for now. The hard bit is getting your trainers on and stepping though the door. You will see improvement very quickly.

I second this. If you can walk 5k, I'd recommend that you go this weekend and walk/run it. Don't worry if you're at the rear, there will be a tail walker with you who is a parkrun volunteer.

Thanks all for your encouragement!

I like the idea of starting now, but my legs are still achey and wobbly from the last few days running, so I think I’d struggle to walk/run 5k just now.

But I will give it a week or so to see if my legs get more used to actually being in motion, then I will aim to do parkrun within the month. Might try and rope in the husband and/or kids to join me!

Thanks again for your support and advice 😊

You'll be fine @PopcornFiend . You are doing so well. You will improve and improve.

You'd struggle now probably, but you could walk-run it. Just remember to start off slower than you think.

I can remember years go, I was in a running club, and there was a short cuddly runner at the back. A year and a half or so later and he was as lean as a whippet and running marathons.

You might find that keeping a running diary helps. If you do Parkrun you will have logged runs which will show rapid progress.

Three cheers for @PopcornFiend !

@KirstenBlest that’s really made me smile! Thank you for your kind words.

Don't set yourself up to fail or it will put you off.
Definitely do the couch to 5 k, just download the app, it's really easy to follow and helps keep you motivated .

That takes nine weeks. Unless you are already pretty fit and active, I'd use that timeline as a guide.

Good luck, I did it and never looked back. But don't rush.

Hi,

I’d be more conservative than some of the posters. I think Couchto5k is too intense for many, and the drop-off rate is considerable.

Assuming your aim is to get fitter, lose some weight and form a habit that will last a lifetime because it’s fun, I would:

Focus on walking up to a pace that’s faster than your normal leisurely walk but where you can still speak full sentences.
Aim to focus on frequency first - this means keep your 10 minutes a day at the moment. Go longer on the days you want to, but don’t give yourself a hard time; just 10 minutes is the aim.
Once you’ve got a couple of weeks nailed, then start to think about duration. Some of those 10 minutes could move to 20 minutes or even half an hour.
Once you’ve got a few weeks of increasing duration, you can start to think about intensity. This means increasing the pace of the walks or adding 30 seconds of jogging.

Starting to run too early could lead to a soft-tissue injury, lack of enjoyment and, ultimately, setbacks. Going from sedentary to running directly puts a lot of stress on a body that’s not used to it. It takes time for the body to adapt, so best to go gradually.

As other posters said, walking a park run, clocking a time and seeing it improve each week could be a motivation.

I'd go with walking parkrun. They have parkwalkers to encourage people walking and many of the finishers 45-60+ minutes will be walking from start to finish. Being able to briskly walk the distance is a good foundation to building up to run it.

Another option is setting up an interval timer and run/ walking short bursts repeatedly like the first couple of weeks of C25k. You can do it alongside a plan too and is a good way of building stamina.

10 minutes of running from unfit is Hard. Really Hard. Most beginner plans will start with repeats of something like 30s of running with a longer walk break and then gradually build the runs and reduce the walking recovery. TBH, as a regular HMer, the first 10 minutes of running is the worst bit as your body adjusts to the motion. A warm up, cool down and regular rest days are all essentials. C25k has warm ups and cool downs built in.

Park runners are usually a really nice group.
I used to go and run/ walk and build up.
No one minds if you don't run.

A while ago Runners World magazine did a piece on what experienced runners want to say to newbies. One of the main things that was "I wish I'd gone to parkrun earlier"

It really is OK to walk it, even entirely, or to just have a few minutes of jogging at intervals as you go round

10 mins running is quite a long interval when you're just starting out - I think you're doing really well.

When I started, I did a kind of test, and found I could at maximum do 8 mins, so I started C25K part way through. If you do a brisk walk, 5 mins jog, brisk walk until you feel steady again, then another 5 mins, then walk, you might find it easier to add to it slowly (eg first 5 becoming 6, then in a week or two, both being 6 etc, or turning it into 4+4+4), and run 3 or 4 times a week, do pilates/yoga/another workout/a different sport 1 or 2 times a week, and rest 1 or 2 days, then you'll find your fitness comes on in leaps and bounds

I agree with above, as soon as you feel you can walk 5km comfortably in around an hour (ish; there's no rules or cut-off time) then go to Parkrun anyway. Walk it all or walk a bit then run what you're comfortable with then walk again, build up each week. You'll see your Parkrun time start to decrease and it'll spur you on.

Never feel bad about walking; I've done over 100 Parkruns and several half marathons, and yet last week at Parkrun I walked half of it as that's just how I felt on the day. It all still counts!

You'd be very unlucky to find a Parkrun that doesn't welcome and nurture new runners and walkers, the whole ethos is to welcome everyone. We have an out and back section in ours and so often the speedy racing snakes will cheer the walkers as they pass them by, and vice versa.

I fully agree with many others, ten mins running is too much to start with, and every day is a bad idea too. Your legs need to recover.
I agree Couch to 5K app is great, the first couple of weeks are so easy that it's really fun and doesn't put you off. You can stick on week 2, 3, 4 as many times as you like and only move on when you're ready, but from ten mins a day I reckon you can do the whole thing at the app pace.
I've been running on and off for years, I'm similar height and weight to you but I'd describe myself as reasonable fit though clearly a bit overweight too. I love restarting C25k and am currently in week 4 after restarting again after hating a 15 minute run I tried from cold.

Hi OP,
I have led courses for beginner runners for my local club for more than 10 years now and started running myself from scratch in my mid 30s.

PPs are right:

• start doing parkrun and walk it. Talk to the parkwalkers and tell them your ambitions. You might find that ten years ago, they were you!
• install the NHS c25k app but don't force the pace - better to spread out workouts to ensure you're recovering properly, and avoid injury, than risk it all going tits up and having to start again from scratch.
• do have AT LEAST a day off between workouts. Workouts break the body down - it's during the recovery afterwards that the body builds itself back up and adapts to doing that sort of thing. So adequate recovery is vital.
• Sports bra which is running specific
• comfortable running shoes
• ideally find somewhere level but soft to run on - bark path, golf course, playing field, level dirt footpath. Reduces the impact a bit, easier on your joints.

Running won't make a lot of difference re weight loss, but it will help you keep it off.

Thanks everyone for your advice - much appreciated!

Why don’t you sign up to volunteer the first couple of weeks rather than run? You’ll get to meet the core team and get an idea of the sort of thing you can expect and the range of people taking part? Might make it less intimidating.

I would forget about running until you can comfortably walk 5km. Then download c25k and use that to build up your running. Otherwise you're going to struggle to progress beyond the 10minutes a day that you're doing. But definitely go to parkrun, you might just find that having other people to run/ walk with keeps you going more than going out on your own.

I second this.