Thread: Anyone taking up running?

New year and new you as they say....

I decided to be ambitious and am registering for Fit for life running at out local track with a (much) fitter friend who claims she is not. I really don't know how this will go as I am (a) a total beginner at this (b) afraid I will have a heart attack within 5 minutes and (c) ashamed as I used to be a fitness instructor and my levels of fitness are at rock bottom!

On the up side its only ,€50 for the year and I can't afford gym membership. Any one else getting ambitious this January

I started running in September, there are quite a few of us with the running bug on the forum.

Good luck, but also remember not to try and do too much at once, if you try and run too fast or for too far without building your fitness up first then you will only put yourself off and may also injure yourself. Do you get proper training with what your signing up for?

I'm sure you'll love it, I could never run when I first joined and signed up for my first marathon now in October, I'm still a long way off it but its keeping me motivated to keep it up and slowly build myself up to that level.

I've just signed up to a Race for Life 10k in July! I must be mad! I've done the 5k one before and it was hard, although I'm lighter and I think fitter than I was then but still I can only comfortably run for about 2-3k without feeling like I'm going to die! Some serious training to be done now, and at least I have a goal to do it for, and it was the only NY resolution I set myself so I couldn't not sign up!

I took up running in January last year aas a way of shifting my last half stone. Signed myself up to complete the Great South Run in October as a goal to work towards. Did the race for life in June as I have been doing these for the last 6 years even at 18 stone.
Loved it - statred by running for just 30 seconds then walking for 1 min then run 30 seconds, that was back then but completed the GSR in 2 hours adn 10 minutes and that was 10 miles.
Still run now and can run for at least 40 to 60 mins without stopping.
Just go for it at least your getting fitter, sign up for your local Race for Life they're only 5K the atmosphere is great and you'll be achieving something worthwhile.(the medal at the end is worth getting as a momento of your achievement)

Would love to take up running, but have tried it a couple of times and can only run for about 10 seconds and my chest feels like it is going to burst.

I also had really painful hips the last time I tried that lasted for a week or so, think I must be doing it wrong

I def agree with Donna - if you're following a beginners schedule to build up fitness you may feel like it's TOOOO easy and be tempted to skip stages of the plan. The trouble with doing this is that the schedule are designed to build up your muscles (that support joints and shins, etc) before you go onto more difficult runs. I learned this the hard way and ended up with shin splints. Very painful. Slow and steady really does win the race!! Have fun with it though - it can be lovely (esp at this time of year surprisingly - as long as there's no slippy ice).

Thanks for advice guys. I did mostly walking and a little slow jogging in between so I was absolutely fine and took an extra walk on Sunday. Oooh I know the danger of doing too much so I am aiming to be able to jog and not run for now as my mini target and to be able to jog for a 10k in september. Good luck to all. There is a training group there but they are fairly advanced and there is no way I could keep up. I'd prob do more damage than good. It is a pity I noticed that there is little support for beginners. I was basically on my own at the track last week.