Calling all runners - newbie advice and motivation needed!!

[floskate]

I'm Irish????? English living in Wales actually but the same rules apply - we don't have the Running Room and there is no local running club near me for casual runners. Everything is geared towards race race race which puts me off as a beginner. As others have said - I'm setting my goals small to begin with and am not aiming to run the London Marathon next year.

Day after run one and my shins and calves are fine but feeling it in my quads despite stretching before and after, as well as a long hot soak in the bath. But that's to be expected when you use muscles differently. Second run tomorrow so will definitely be taking it a little easier and pacing myself better. Yesterday I covered 2 miles in 20 minutes of run/walk so I'm thinking I definitely went out too fast.

Great advice and motivation from all of you. Thank you so much.

[Erin]

I'm Irish????? English living in Wales actually but the same rules apply - we don't have the Running Room and there is no local running club near me for casual runners.

I was so close to just saying Europe and then I didn't. I don't know where I came up with that one then.

[Holley Calmes]

OMG floskate-I love Wales so much! You might not want to identify where you live, but I envy you. I'll trade any time! Llangurig is my special favorite place. So many memories! We stayed in Llandudno several times as well-so quaint and Victorian.....

I remember being in Llangurig where we had friends with a bed and breakfast. We would be out in the middle of this incredibly beautiful "middle of nowhere" and all of a sudden the Royal Air Force would send a jet down the valley and scare us to death!

Enjoy!

[floskate]

I'm about 1 hours drive from Llandudno. I live very near the English border.

Second run completed this morning and I felt great. Covered nearly 4k with only 8 minutes total running

[skipaway]

Second run completed this morning and I felt great. Covered nearly 4k with only 8 minutes total running

I think you're on an endorphin high. Wishing you well in your endeavor.

[BittyBug]

Stretch before and after.

Completely disagree about stretching before - it's much easier to tear a muscle. Stretching afterwards, yes, but I would never stretch cold.

And how do I keep up my motivation?

I don't think anyone has mentioned this yet: music! I could not run in silence.

[luna_skater]

Completely disagree about stretching before - it's much easier to tear a muscle. Stretching afterwards, yes, but I would never stretch cold.

Stretching before doesn't necessarily mean stretching cold. I often warm up with a brisk walk or some other form of movement. But, for those who may stretch cold, there's a lot to be said for body awareness. From experience, I know that I fare better stretching cold than not stretching at all. I would never stretch to the same degree cold as I would warm, but I know the threshold of pre-stretch I need to avoid injury.

[pollyanna]

I don't think anyone has mentioned this yet: music! I could not run in silence.

I did!

You can download music for free from a number of websites - podcasts designed specifically for the couch25k plan.

http://www.c25k.com/

http://runningintoshape.com/5k-train...s/week-1-c25k/

http://gonicoleyourself.blogspot.com...cast-page.html

http://www.kissmyblackass.org/podcasts/

[Lainerb]

Day after run one and my shins and calves are fine but feeling it in my quads despite stretching before and after, as well as a long hot soak in the bath. But that's to be expected when you use muscles differently. Second run tomorrow so will definitely be taking it a little easier and pacing myself better. Yesterday I covered 2 miles in 20 minutes of run/walk so I'm thinking I definitely went out too fast.

Great advice and motivation from all of you. Thank you so much.

I would suggest a cold shower on your legs rather than a hot bath. Especially if you've pushed yourself the heat will only increase the swelling that happens after a hard workout.

[Karina1974]

^^^Sure, if you want stiff muscles. I did hot soaks with epsom salts towards the beginning of cycling season this year, but as my legs got used to the workout I phased out doing them. I can do 25-mile rides easily now, with no warmup other than about a minute or two of pedaling at a lower gear than I normally ride. I will probably phase them back in when the weather gets colder in November, as I do ride in temps. down into the 30's. As long as there's no snow/ice on the ground...

I also injured my left shoulder in a spill back in July. Morning shower as hot as I could stand it worked wonders in getting the morning stiffness out of it.

[floskate]

Well seeing as this has been resurrected, a little update I'm on week 4 and now running 16 minutes total in two lots of 3min and 5 min splits with walks in between. I've crossed the line where we're now running more than walking. Four more runs and then the first real test - 20 minutes without stopping!!

Thank you all for the advice. I'm loving this program, I feel better than I have in years and the inches are coming off, as well as my fitness levels going up. So many people are asking what the difference is and commenting on how well I look and that I've lost weight But what's really great is that I really do love to run. Now that's something I never thought I'd ever say.

[Karina1974]

^^^ Cool!!!

[Holley Calmes]

Good for you floskate! Wish I could still run or even walk for fitness. I can hardly stand up straight anymore. Unfortunately, everything that can go wrong with a spine runs in my family, and even with all the hormones and calcium and exercise in younger years, I'm still pretty pathetic! Run for me, will you?

[floskate]

I'm bumping this thread for completely self indulgent reasons but I don't care. This morning, exactly 2 months since starting to run, I completed my C25K program!! I'm now running easily for 30 minutes, have a PB for 5K of 28:31 and have lost a total of 15 inches from my chest, midriff, waist and hips!

I never thought I would be able to do something like this but it's only the beginning and I'm looking forward to many more happy years running Thanks to all for the advice. It paid off

[Angelskates]

Flo, I'd see your doctor before going much further, especially if you're injury prone. Running isn't for everyone and it can cause injury or bring back old injuries. It really is good to have a check up and consult a doctor before starting a new exercise regime. Perhaps speak to your doctor and see if he/she thinks it's worth you following that up with anyone else based on your history.

ETA: oops. That's what I get for not reading the whole thread! Congratulations on your achievements floskate!

[Erin]

I'm bumping this thread for completely self indulgent reasons but I don't care. This morning, exactly 2 months since starting to run, I completed my C25K program!! I'm now running easily for 30 minutes, have a PB for 5K of 28:31 and have lost a total of 15 inches from my chest, midriff, waist and hips!

Congratulations, that is amazing!! I'll try not to be too jealous that in 2 months, you've run a 5K faster than I ever have (It took me 5 years to achieve a 30:00 5K, but obviously speed must not be my thing.)

On a more serious note, I'm glad to see that you're hooked and sharing your story. So many people (myself included) assume that they would never be able to do something like this, and we're almost always wrong, so it's great to get the word out.

[pollyanna]

I'm bumping this thread for completely self indulgent reasons but I don't care. This morning, exactly 2 months since starting to run, I completed my C25K program!! I'm now running easily for 30 minutes, have a PB for 5K of 28:31 and have lost a total of 15 inches from my chest, midriff, waist and hips!

I never thought I would be able to do something like this but it's only the beginning and I'm looking forward to many more happy years running Thanks to all for the advice. It paid off

Wow!! Congratulations Floskate! You set a goal for yourself and accomplished it and then some. 15 inches? Running for 30 minutes straight? Amazing!

[pollyanna]

Floskate, also meant to ask, do you notice a big difference in your energy level?

[floskate]

Thanks Pollyanna, Erin and Angelskates. Yes a huge difference....so long as I stay away from bread. It still makes my energy levels plummet. I'm going to try gluten free to see if that makes a difference.

[skatesindreams]

You already know how pleased I am for you, floskate.
However, I wanted to post it here, also.