I have to admit, I'm getting tempted by the couch-to-5k program. I've been reading a lot about it, got the podcast...

Why do I want to run?

Well basically I've been watching too much of the Biggest Loser lately (got all but season 1, I even have the Aussie version...) for motivation, and I'm getting jealous at these fat slobs (like me) who are jogging for over an HOUR! REALLY jealous.

But I guess the big question should be - can my body even HANDLE running while I'm this weight? Yeah, I'm doing my elliptical religiously, but the treadmills are in view and I really wanna try - I also want to be able to sneak an extra workout when I feel the need without having to get all the way to the gym, so a little jog would be nice...

So - to try or not to try (yet)?

i just got a look at your stats.. great work sir.

i don't see any trouble in at least trying to jog... if it hurts, stop!

it might be a good idea to try walking for an extended period of time on the treadmill (maybe at an incline?) for a week or so just to see how your joints react to the pressure.

honestly it seems like you're doing an awesome job as is, so maybe save the jogging endeavor for when you hit a plateau? maybe our local experts can shed more light on this subject...

Cast another vote for walking. Also, unless you're getting bored w/ the elliptical, stick with it until it's hard to get your heartrate in the higher cardio zone... once that happens, start jogging - it will get there quick that way!

I don't think there's anything wrong with introducing a higher impact exercise to your body very slowly. Just get on the treadmill and see what 30 seconds of slow jogging feels like, and stop. Leave it at that for the first day. Do it at the end of your elliptical training. Then evaluate how your body feels the next day. Is it sore? Is it a bad sore or good sore? In a few days maybe you get up to a minute of light jogging. If you try it and the 30 seconds hurts your knees and you feel sharp pains, shelve the idea for a few eeks. You've got plenty of time, don't rush it, just get your body used to the feeling.

I remember when I first got off my duff and did some jogging. I nearly passed out after 9 minutes. But 3 months later I did a duathlon, 2 mile run, 15 mile bike, 2 mile run.

hehe, I remember a couple months ago I tried it on the treadmill and got to about 45 seconds when I felt like I was on a bad acid trip - couldn't focus, frantically jabbing at the controls to slow it down, sweat flying everywhere

Now, I'm not too impressive, but in a couple weeks I worked up to running for just over a minute at a time, then walking, then repeating for 20min...

I'm not sure that's ever going to happen - or maybe I'm just fooling myself...

I'm running the interval program at level 12/20 right now - yeah it's tough but the resistance on the machine is incredible - I can't imagine how hard it's going to be to keep up any sort of tempo at level 20!! lol

I'm in the same boat with you with regards to the elliptical and wariness about jogging. That being said, this isn't the first time that I have been working on dropping weight and in the past when I was able to switch over to real jogging I found the experience and results to be much more rewarding than time on the elliptical. Listening to birds and jogging for several miles just is nicer than listening to my ipod and doing the elliptical for forty minutes. My current plan is to switch over to part time treadmill in the next month and then start jogging outside twice a week once spring arrives.

As for safety, I wish I could find the link, but I read recently (in men's health I think) that the elliptical machine can be worse for joints and such due to incorrect distribution of weight and muscle development.

One of the best resources for the c25k program is the cool running forums. If you look around there, you'll find a common suggestion that if you're unsure about starting the program to spend (at least) the first week doing three 30 minute walks. And that if you can do that fine, then you should be okay to start.

Also remember with the program, that you don't have to complete it in 9 weeks. And you don't have to do it exactly as stated. I jumped in a couple of weeks into the program and only really every finished up to week 7/8 before I got sucked into running with a group of people and just did that instead.

Just remember to do it at your own pace. There are two ways to do the program, one is where you run/walk distances and the other is based on time. The time one feels a little less judgmental (in my opinion) when you're starting out because usually (and I'm in this category) when you start you're quite slow so trying to go a certain distance can take a lot longer than the time intervals.

If you find a week particularly hard (any week, week 1 thru 9) it's not a bad idea (and is usually recommended) to repeat that week. So the program takes a little longer, but you're more likely to stick with it if you feel you can do it then you feel you're pushing too hard too soon.

As a side note... if you have an iPod Nano and love information look into the nike+. It's what really kept me interested in running when I started and makes me really excited to continue.

Neesha

Spyke...I started the couch to 5 K @ 317 pounds. I was under 300 in just weeks. The program was perfect for me, excellant pace. My plan in March is to do the program again at a much faster pace. Best of luck my freind.

I do not know if anybody has mentioned this yet but it also might be a good idea to get the right running shoes for heavier runners such as models from asics or mizuno. It is important to find shoes which cushion the impact from running. Your joints will thank you for that.

i think you should try it! i would start out walking for a few days, and then slowsly ass slow increments of jogging in. plenty of heavy guys at my gym jog, and i think its super. youlll never kno if you dont try. i love running, and i love the feeling that it gives you! so go for it!

tex

hehe... heh... slow ass running - that's me!

Dice has a good point -- I had tried and given up on running several times before I finally bought a good pair of shoes (Mizuno Wave). The extra $10-$20 you spend at a runner's specialty shop over a generic shoe store is well worth it too, for the proper fitting and shoe selection they'll perform.

Another recommendation on the Cool Running forums is to stick with Week X if you don't feel up to going on to the next week.

Expect to be sore the first two or three weeks, but don't give up. Stick to Week One exercises for a few weeks if you have to.

Also, don't automatically skip a workout just because your legs feel like a lump of solid wood and you're walking like Lurch-- at least give the 5 minute warm-up walk and first run a go before you decide to call it off. I've been amazed at what a simple warm-up walk can do to my leaden legs on a day that I would have otherwise talked myself out of running on.

Spyke, go for it! You will never know if you can do it without trying. I used to hate running, jogging or even walking. I started running in Feb 07. Now, I can run a marathon.

The traineo friends have provided a lot of great tips already. Go for it!

hehe - my experience exactly.

I decided to take the challenge. Today, after my elliptical and weight training (pushed myself HARD today - yah!), I looked over at the treadmill and... got on it.

Started walking fast. Faster. A little incline. Faster. No slower. Ouch. Wuss.

Found the 10km/h button. Punched it. Ran like a mofo for 45 seconds. Ok, only 45 seconds, but I felt proud of myself for trying! Tomorrow I'm gonna try and go for 1½ minute

And MAYBE, just MAYBE I'm going to begin considering the couch-to-5k program. As soon as I figure out the "easy" way to work our treadmills - they're so advanced they're impossible to just RUN on...

Oh, and you all know the expression "feel the burn"? I felt it today, and finally understood what that means! lol



Well, I don't have a nano, but I have an iPod classic - what's the nike+?


EXACTLY what I needed to hear!! How was running on your joints? I'm thinking knees, but I'm also thinking BACK. I'm thinking that the extra poundage jiggling up and down all that time must be wreaking havoc somewhere - no?

I think you should consult your doctor before starting the couch-to-5k program.

Some great advice That was given to me that I failed to pass on....Go to a running store and get fitted for shoes. It does cost an extra $20..0 or so but well worth it. The shoes made all the difference in the world. Make sure you do the warm up and cool down. My knees and back were fine just tok it easy. On a side note I did week one for two weeks its a great program. Nike plus is a device that will tell you your distance you have ran, time, and maybe calories burnt not sure. One other thing go get a heart rate monitor to measure your progress. You may think your killing yourself but being able to see my heart rate i knew better.

I haven't read all the replies, so forgive me if this has already been mentioned:

Get brand NEW running shoes. I can't emphasize this enough. Even though your current shoes might feel great for walking around and other aerobic workouts, running is a whole new level of impact. You put THREE TIMES the force on your joints when you run or jog as opposed to walking.

Start slowly, and if you feel any discomfort AT ALL, take a break until it's gone.

Spyke,

Inspiring how you are keeping to healthy food choices and the 30 lbs lost to date.

Just a suggestion -- ease into it gradually over time to prevent injuries. We keep seeing a lot of folk who get shin splints early on, because they tried to do too much too soon. Your entire body needs time to adapt.

30 seconds is a good length for an interval. As a fellow Clyde, I'd say 45 secs could be a bit much to begin with, at that speed, if your body isn't used to it at all.

You might want to work in those short jogging pace intervals like 8 kmh into your walking program for a couple of weeks, before moving before beginning the C25k in earnest. Believe it or not 10 Kmh is getting closer to a "run" than a "jog"

It's not just the cardiovascular system you want to watch but the knees, feet, legs, and lower back.

Start gradually and your body will thank you by letting you continue.

Riding the bike like you are, is still a good way to lose weight -- one of the best -- and if done with a good bike fit will only help your running down the line.

http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/fitness/article/healt h-burn-fat-better-1065?source=newsletter&attr=all/ 2007/08/02

Whatever, make sure when you do jog or run, you have real serious motion control running shoes with the best cushioning you can get your hands on.

BTW. Nice dog! [Mine is telling me he won;t be satisfied with anything less than a 1.5 hr walk today -- or maybe it was my conscience.]

hi ,
the best way i found to start running is to begin walking 1 minute and jogging 1 minte alternating for up to 30 minutes , when you are comfortable take it to 2 minutes then 3 , 4 5 so on before long youll be running 10 and walkig less and less , just listen to your body ,
i had never ran in my life and in may i took the bull by the horns and began , in october i completed a half marathon in 2hrs 33 minutes and now run for over an hour at a time with no real difficulty , the fitness comes so fast and who knows , if you just keep sitting, wishing what you could be missing out on , go on !!! you be one of those guys that others watch and envy !!!!!

Almost anyone out there can run a 5k. I did with no prior training and I weighed just over 20st.

Granted... I did it (sub 25mins - not bad for a fatty! ), but I couldnt walk for 3 days afterwards due to incredible pain in my joints.

So sure... you can run, but you'll die afterwards!

For comparison, I recently went to the gym for the first time inside of a year, on my 2nd visit, I decided to stay on the cross trainer for a full hour. I did just under 12km, and followed up with some leg press work, and other strength stuff. I could walk straight after, the next day, and apart from some mild stiffness from the exercise, I felt fine. So for me at least (weighing about 20 stone still) im staying with the eliptical workout until I reach at least 16 - 17 stone.

Maybe "eventually" but not right of the bat.

Sure, a few folk who may be 25 and in excellent health might be able to pull a 5k off without any training, but in the real world it ain't happenin' just like that.

There is a huge range of fitness levels out there; some folk are older; many have joint issues that need to be handled carefully; some haven't done anything like this in years; some not ever; some have medical conditions they are trying to rehab slowly and steadily.

Good news is, no matter how beaten up you come in here, there's a chance you can make some real improvements that you will feel good about.

Spring is almost here. Depending on your weather, you might already be able to bike. That is a lot better on your knees, especially if you are pushing 250 or something.

Try to ride bike at least couple hours and push yourself. The combination of biking and weightlifting has helped me in the past.

If you really want to run, go ahead and do it. Don't go all out the first time and ease into it. Also just stop if your knees hurt and do something else as well.

slow ass running? haha i seriously did not mean to type that! i just noticed. i meant to jog slowly at first! lol. thats me too though! im a preety slow runner still!

tex

HellO!

I agree with the start slow an easy and go from there which has been said over and over again. I see people in the gym twice my size jogging as if they were walking, but I avoid the moving sidewalk as much as possible. An athlete all my life, I have never been a jogger, and I have learned to live with that. Don't feel you fail if you cannot master jogging/running. But I really urge you to try. Like said, if your knees give you trouble- STOP. So, I suggest the rowing machine (the cool kids say "erg"). That dusty thing in the corner of most gyms that no one ever goes on, yeah, give that a whirl. It is knee friendly and when you get off of it you feel like a champ.

JM

I can't wait until spring is here - i DO bike as much as I can when it's not so cold out - the 10km uphill to work and back is a great workout - it's just going to be interesting to find time to workout when spring gets here, because the time I need to bike to work is usually the time I use to train atm.

I AM going to start slowly - talking to my doc this afternoon, will be looking at running shoes later this week. Hoping to incorporate the treadmill into my cardio days from now on.

The rowing machine - holy cow is that a hard workout. I usually can't get past the 15 minute mark on it, but I'm working my way up. I find it hurts my back a bit... but you know what? it's getting better

OK, forgive me as I haven't read everything in this thread - just don't have time right now. I did skim through though.

I agree with the few that said so - new shoes - from a good running shoe store where they watch your walk and run.

Also, I say - don't start running - start slow and walk at first - give yourself at least a week or two of steady faster paced walking. If you already do this then forgive me, start past this point.

Then, and only then, add 100 yards of running each time you go out for a walk. Then keep increasing it. You will get there, I did! It seems like it takes a long time, but if you try to go too fast you will end up hurting yourself, especially since you are carrying around the extra weight like I was when I started. I know there are posts around here about it, but I have chronicled my journey with running at my blog at blog.262quest.com Check out the link on the right when you get to the site that says "Where I started"

The slow approach is better than the no approach

I agree, don't go from doing nothing to running. That is how I got my ingrown toe nail that I now cannot get rid of. Too much random pressure on my feet that my body just wasnt used to. Well that and I think my running shoes are too tight.

Thats fair to say, hence why I said "almost anyone" If you havent any major health problems other than being obese (which at 20st both you and I am), then you can with will power quite happily jog/run 5km. Its not that far.

On a treadmill its easy, just cover the display with a towel, and run for an episode of whatever tv show is on the gym tv screens at the time.

If you have health problems then you really shouldn't be asking on a fitness forum for advice, but rather your doctor.

You may want to do walking, but 5km of walking is nowhere near as effective, and in fact I'd prefer to do 5km of elliptical work instead. Minimal impact, and I can get up to a nice jogging pace.

I am just talking about what I did, being a similar size, shape and weight to you I'd imagine much of the same would be true.

Stuff running (you can do it... theres no point hurting yourself though) and stick to low impact, pick up rollerblading, or biking. Biking uphill I find incredibly more rewarding than running up the same hill, seems a hell of a lot more difficult, especially if you keep your cadence up at around 85-90... good fast cardio workout, as opposed to slow slog of impacty pain.

i didn't really have time to read what everybody else wrote, so this has probably already been said.. ( i have a paper i should be writing haha)
anyway

if you are really interested in running, i think a shock to your system would be good, the elliptical can only do so much after awhile. however, you shouldn't just get up off your couch and try to run 5 miles.
first, you need some running shoes, fit for your feet, which you can find at a running store, or even a doctor could give you some advice.
then, you need some clothes that won't rub the wrong way.
i suggest you go on the treadmill (if it's too cold outside) and start off by walking for a week. walk a couple miles, play with the speeds and incline. speed walking is amazing for your heart. it can burn just as many calories as jogging, and surprisingly i find it harder to do haha.

after a week of this, you should try jogging at 5mph.
hopefully you see where i'm going. you have to be very careful about your knees and joints right now because if you have too much stress, you can ruin them for the future. it's important you strengthen your body to be able to do this.

and hey, if you really have the urge, you can always just get up and try to go for a jog around the block and see how you feel. who knows, maybe you're a born runner goodluck