I ran today for the first time in 17 years since I tore my Achilles tendons running cross-country. It hurt a bit, felt very weird, and I couldn't keep up the kind of intensity I can with pretty much any other cardio exercise.

I will run again.

If I hit 'post' there is no backing down.

you're running too hard. The important thing is to keep your heart rate elevated and not to run the 4minute mile. Different activities require different parts of different (and the same) muscles.

A part of the 'getting fit' process is your body building the right sized blood vessels to the right areas of the muscle, in order to deliver the required amount of blood (and oxygen) to it. The muscle might be there, but the supply roads are not. The heart and lungs may be fit and willing but if they can't get enough blood to the muscle cos the blood vessels aren't there, you'll struggle and that's not your fitness that's low, it's just your body not being qutie prepared.

These blood vessels take a little (but not a huge amount) of time to create and so start gently to encourage this to happen and within a few weeks you'll be able to run at your preferred intensity.

The important thing is to avoid injury. Don''t be too macho and assume it's a mental thing or you can push the limits, be sensible and work WITHIN the limts for a month and THEN rack up the intensity.

Good luck.

That's the spirit!

Take it slow, ramp up, you'll get there. You don't take 17 years off and then hop back onto a galloping horse. Not how it works.

Couple ways to build up. Build up distance at a certain pace, build up time of a certain distance, build both at the same time, do sprints and shorten time between sprints. They all work differently, try them all.

You'll get there. Check out some running books, or what my husband has done, some tri books/magazines. there's some good programs in there to increase your ability.

But remember, it takes time. Don't kill yourself with intensity before you even start. You're seriously deconditioned.

And don't forget to cross-train.

The biggest hurdle is just the motion of running. It feels very strange and makes me think back to the weeks of hobbling around while my tendons healed.

I've been doing lots of other cardio so my heart and lungs are up to the task and my leg muscles are in fine shape from the elliptical glider and biking.

Each exercise treats your body differently, and half of your fitness level in any exercise is muscle efficiency... therefore while cross training is important, you still have different vo2maxes for each exercise you do... and they can vary significantly.

You're ahead of the guy who has been a couch potato for 17 years, but you're still deconditioned when it comes to running.

I hope you consulted a Dr first. Not that an injury shouldn't heal after that long, but just to give you peace of mind, which perhaps is the one thing making you feel so awkward? Glad you're going for it, good for you.

Are you warming up? walk first for 5 minutes... gradually walk a bit faster. At the end of the 5 minutes, do some very gentle stretching

DO NOT BOUNCE WHILE STRETCHING! just lean into the stretches slowly, until you feel the stretch, then hold for a few seconds, then release.

Now, start walking fast again. then, kick it up to a very slow jog, after a few minutes, stretch it out to a run, only for a couple of minutes (if that), then slow back to a jog.... finish by dropping back to a fast walk, then a medium walk... cool it down to a slow walk... stretch a bit more.

Drink lots of water.

As you get used to running again, of course, adjust all of this to accommodate more running time.

YMMV -- I'm not a professional, just an opinionated amateur!