Help/advice/motivation required

[Richchap]

Hi all,
I’m huge. 44 years old, 6’1” tall and 7-8 stone overweight. I do little to no exercise.

but - I want to change all of that. I want to run, and I’m looking at signing up to a half marathon in 12 months time. I know this will keep me motivated but what I don’t know and hope you lovely people can advise, is whether that’s achievable? Any other advice would be appreciated too

If you think you'll find it motivational, then yes go for it!

But look for an event that does not have a tight cut-off time. I'm not saying that because I don't think you can do it, but because it can take quite a while to build up the endurance and running stamina for anyone to go from 0 to a half in as littles as a year.

The hardest part is getting going - from 0 - 5k takes a lot of motivation, and then doubling from 5k-10k is a further big effort. But I found the next doubling (10k - half) the easiest one, as I knew I could do it by then!

So start with the first bite, which is 0 to 5k. The most recommended way is to use the C25K programme (couch to 5k) - NHS free version is as good as any, but there others available (including the storytelling "ZombiesRun!" which you might want to investigate if you thing being chased by the undead would be motivational). It takes a minimum of 9 weeks - and can take a fair bit longer if you repeat weeks, which is a very wise move if you find it a bit hard, because this early building of the base level is important. Take as long as you need.

You'll need a sports bra and decent trainers, otherwise you can get pretty uncomfy even in the early weeks where the plan is mainly walking with the odd 90sec outbreak of jogging as slowly as you like. A running belt or arm cuff to stash phone/keys might be useful. You can reassess kit needs as you go on.

C2HM in a year is doable and Sept/ Oct is main HM season.

Break into phases so C25k first which would work through this autumn. 5k-10k in the spring. A HM plan (often 12-16 wks) in the summer. 10k is a great base for picking up a HM plan and you may find that it starts from a lower base.

The advantage is you have several achievements building up through the process. You end up with stable phases of consolidation of your base fitness. There is time for life to get in the way because life will happen and you're reducing the stress of racing the calendar.

A feature of training plans is cut-back weeks, so every few weeks, the load is reduced to allow for recovery- it happens at weeks 5-6 of C25k when some relatively easier runs are mixed in with the build up of continuous running. Rest is an important part of building up strength so pacing it through a year with rest built in will be much better than going for it in one training block.

Add in some strength work. That doesn't have to mean long sessions down a gym, and frequent short sessions can really make a difference. I build them in to my cool downs. That will really pay off as the distance and time on feet builds up and muscle imbalances start showing up.

C25k is the hardest stage because it's new on all the body's systems.

This is a nice time of year to start and the temperatures are comfortable. You can add extra layers as you need to. I started mainly in hiking gear. When temperatures drop, you'll find your comfort zone. I started C25k in an October and used to do a short warm-up loop then chuck my jumper in the front garden before going onto a longer loop.

Decathlon is great for practical gear.
The two most important bits of kit are trainers and a sports bra