Hi and welcome. I would recommend bringing the C25K to your doctor and getting medically cleared first. Many people of varying sizes and fitness levels have completed C25K. (Just scroll through previous posts for inspiration!) Next most important thing, go to a store that sells and fits running shoes. Footwear is really important. Best of luck to you and I'll keep an eye out for your posts. I had never run either and it is a kick to say..."I ran this morning"

Hey Lemonademaker! You're one of my friends on SP!

And BTW -- Lemonademaker is right! www.Sparkpeople.com[/URL" target="_blank"> is an awesome place to partner with coolrunnning in trying to lose the weight while you pursue a running program.

Glad you found us here at CR!

~Shell

I'm you . . . about 8 months ago.

Happy being a couch potato since retirement, I was "encouraged" to join my daughter in this C25K program last February. Frankly, back then, 200# was coming closer and closer on the scales, and on my 5'3" body, it was not pretty.

Cold temps and fear of being laughed at (and low monthly rates at our Y) made me start on a treadmill. Nah, week 1 looked impossible since I couldn't even run to our mailbox (10 seconds away) so I walked on the treadmill for a couple of weeks to "get in shape." When I began W1, I thought the 60 seconds of running would kill me, that they'd have to carry my lifeless body out of the Y on a stretcher. Well, it didn't kill me after all.

But I had to repeat W1 until the 60 seconds of running seemed a bit easier. In fact, I had to repeat most weeks, even doing W5 and W6 (I think) three times! But for some reason, I stuck with it and finally completed C25K late June. Since then I've tried to run 2-3 miles most days of the week, not just the 3 as suggested. (Health reasons sort of require me to run this much.)

I tried running outside on neighborhood roads this summer but waited too late to start, and the heat and humidity forced me back in after only about 3 weeks outside. Maybe next spring I'll try again. I'm not afraid anymore of what people think. Runners will encourage me; nonrunners in the neighborhood waved and smiled and talked about joining me. If they made fun of me behind my back, so what. Oh, I'm also not pretty running - my face turns beet red, and my hair is wet with sweat. But my blood pressure has dropped, my cholesterol and all those readings are excellent now, and the doctor tells me - Keep it up!

I run in the mornings after a light breakfast; by evenings I would have too many excuses not to run. For breakfast I have a small glass of OJ and then a banana, or a boiled egg or two, or a cup of Yoplait fat-free yogurt. I take a bottle of Fruit 2-zero to the Y with me to drink after running since I'm not that coordinated to run and drink at the same time. : ) And I run so slow - call me "slower than a slug" but I'm faster than people still on the couch. I've learned to drink a glass of water before running and others during the day. Running before breakfast or after a "more substantial" breakfast doesn't work for me; find what works for you.

Right now I weigh 164 with about 40# to go. If you read many posts here on this board, most all will say that running will not drop pounds, that it will get our cardio system in shape and tone us up. Calorie intake and portion size also have to be watched. I joined Weight Watchers last spring, and that program works for me. Running (and WW) have caused me to go from too tight size 16 pants to fairly loose 8 or 10s (depending on the brand). Oh, you're close to my children in age as I will be 60 in two months.

I still have to convince myself to go running in the mornings but do feel better the rest of the day. Take all the advice on all the posts here (go slow, repeat weeks if necessary, get good shoes, etc.) and go for it!

Oh, yes, I did have pain at first. My legs burned like fire when I began, but after a few weeks, I noticed that pain had disappeared. The muscles in my rear end were pretty sore too, but I figured that part of my body was getting smaller/more toned which was a good thing!

quote:<HR>Originally posted by JJ33:

I'm currently walking on my treadmill, and trying to work my way up to even starting week 1!!! Just looking for advice and support! I really want to get this started, stick with it (for the first time in my life) and succeed at something that will make me a healthier and happier person!

http://This message has been edited by JJ33 (edited Nov-01-2007).<HR>

You are being very smart about your approach. My advice to any beginner is to get and use a heart rate monitor and keep the number of heart beats per minute (BPM) under 180-age. So if you are 30, keep your heart rate under 150 beats per minute, and in a zone of 130-150 bpm. This will keep you from overstressing your body while you build aerobic fitness. Most likely, you will have to walk some when you are overweight.
Until you lose the weight, make sure you are always breathing easy on your runs. The heart rate monitor will help.

The most important thing is your health. Finishing a 5k healthy is much better than finishing one injured and sick. If you train too hard, you will most likely finish the 5k injured and/or sick. You need to give your body and its tissues time to strengthen.

So, keep on track. Monitor your HR while walking, and when you start to run, do a little at a time. Start with a 1/4 mile, when you get to 1 mile or 5 miles in a week, then build by a mile total for the week each week. When you get to twenty miles per week, build by 2 miles per week. Take walk breaks as needed (to stay in your zone). Eventually you'll be running everything.

As you build up volume. Take a hard day (more time or miles)/ easy day (less time or miles or rest) approach.

Take it one day at a time. It is going to take a few years, if you are smart. One run at a time.

I used to weigh 230 pounds (now am 172). Used walking and golf for a number of years (with diet), and graduated to running when I could handle it. I now have 6 full marathons under my belt and have qualified for Boston in 3 of the 6 marathons.

You can do it, but do it one day at a time. Eventually, you will be a lean-mean aerobic machine!

Stay healthy. Be a tortoise , not a hare.

Keep going.

--Jimmy

MAF log[/URL" target="_blank">

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Good morning!

I just finished week 5 of C25K. I am a female, now 207 lbs from 266. I didn't start running until I was about 215-220 lbs. I did a lot of intense cardio and weight training first when I started losing weight, then was so excited about being active that I thought "what else can I do!?" and I started the running program.

I think that if you're looking to lose weight, it is important to make your running/walking sessions long enough to keep you HR up for as long as you can. Running is awesome for your cardiovascular health, but for weight loss, it will be most effective paired with a healthy diet.

Good luck, you will amaze yourself and feel great!!

Lisa

I don't agree with this post to much. I am 5'6 175 pounds and I run 3-4 miles 3-4 times per week. Your weight should be the reason to get out there and run. Yes, you could probably feel better if you were smaller running but that is not a reason to not go ahead and get started. Just take it slow and know that you can do this. Most of the time it is our minds that stop us not our bodys and if you can use "mind over matter" you will be just fine. Good luck.

quote:<HR>Originally posted by Marnee:
I started running at at 175 lbs. At 5'6" and female that is significant weight. I had been walking every day for an hour for about 2 months and bicycling-about often, before I started. Let me tell you, that extra weight is not easy to lug around and can be a terrible burden on joints and connective tissue. I would drop some poundage first, while very slowly adding in some running intervals to my walking, incorporate some cycling, and a good strength training program is always helpful, especially for losing weight, before I started a beginner running program.

But if you think your can handle it, I suppose the c25k program is the best place to start. <HR>

quote:<HR>Originally posted by hopper31:
I don't agree with this post to much. I am 5'6 175 pounds and I run 3-4 miles 3-4 times per week. Your weight should be the reason to get out there and run. Yes, you could probably feel better if you were smaller running but that is not a reason to not go ahead and get started. Just take it slow and know that you can do this. Most of the time it is our minds that stop us not our bodys and if you can use "mind over matter" you will be just fine. Good luck.

<HR>

I would say that the best way to go would be to let your doc help you make that decision. While it's true that your joints are going to put up with some stress they haven't had to tolerate before, that's more from inactivity rather than the weight in and of itself. Even someone who's not overweight will have some adjusting to do when they first start out - we saw this on the recent NOVA show. As you gain xperience, your joints and such will strengthen and carry you through just fine. If you do this correctly, the most you'll have to deal with is a little bit of initial soreness as your joints make the adjustment.

Look at it this way - I'm 10-15 pounds heavier than you but have been averaging 30-35 miles per week for a good chunk of this year. My joints are fine - better than fine, actually because running strengthens them so much. I can't stress enough, however, that this will be something you need to ease into after getting your doc's ok.