Started Jogging

[surgtech1956]

I started jogging. Back in my 20's & 30's I averaged about 45 miles a week. Now, present time, 54 years old, 50# overweight. I'm getting back into it. The plan I'm following is walk/run - from driveway to driveway. I walked/ran 4x this week, only 25 mins at a time. I guess its one step at a time.

[zoom-zoom]

That's the way to do it...do what you can, walk/run, GRADUAL increases. I definitely recommend the Couch-to-5k plan. Got me started and I know dozens and dozens of others who started the same way. You can do this...and you will come to love it if you do it right!

[marni]

also podrunner pod casts which have a couch to 5 k, 8k and 10 k series with funky disco music at set speeds at set intervals at ever increasing lengths with a good warm up and cool down. I use these at the gym and love them. Podrunner also does another series that are just long stretches of music-45min-over 60 at set beats.

go you

[surgtech1956]

Jogging update. Its not going too bad. I've decided to do my own training - which is jog/walk from driveway to driveway. I'm doing about 25 mins 3-4 times a week, this is my second week. I want to start out slow, especially being overweight and over 50. Do you think I should stick to the distance(probably a 1/2 mile) till I can jog it without walking? I know I'm gaining some fitness and a little weight loss just from what I've been doing, because I'm not as winded walking up the 3 flight of stairs at work, and some of 'my parts' that jiggled are jiggling less. LOL. I would appreciate any suggestions or advice. Thanks in advance.

[jdubble]

i know you want to do your own training, but i'll put in another plug for the Couch to 5K program. it really does take you from not running to being able to run a full 5K (or very close to it, depending your your speed) in like 9 weeks. Very gradual, very safe.

If you have an iPhone, there's an app that you can get that will play your own music but will insert tones to tell you when to warm up/walk/run/cool down.

[surgtech1956]

Thanks. I'll check it out, I do have an Ipod Touch.

[Bike Chick]

Good for you! My advice would be to hang in there and keep at it. I'm a fairly new runner also and you will have set backs and frustrations but keep plugging along and it will all pay off. I didn't progress as fast running as I did on the bike---it was a lot slower process---but I've been at it for almost a year now and it's paying off.

[Tri Girl]

Good for you, surgtech!

I used to run marathons, then became injured and have been working my way back into running for the last year. I've lost every bit of running strength/stamina I used to have. It's taking a while, but I'm getting there. I did the couch to 5K when I first started running 5 years ago, and just recently did it again. It's a great program that lets you build gradually. I just want results NOW!

Keep at it, and enjoy it!

[eofelis]

Now that I have finished the Bicycle Tour of Colorado that I was training for, and *had* to ride, I am going to start doing some running again. Mostly trails.

I ran trails several years ago when I lived in WY and hooked up with some trail runners. They ran ultras and I even worked up to doing a 50k (32 miles!) run in the mountains. My knees hurt after that run and I never really got back to running. I started riding instead.

I have a friend who runs and I'm going to do some running with her. This evening infact!

I don't usually have leg or foot issues but I plan on taking it easy, walk-run. I have no particular goals except to get out and get moving.

My usual training is to go out for an hour: run until it's too hard, walk until it's too easy. I'm not good at strict training regimens.

[surgtech1956]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the encouragement and advice. I'm thinking about getting a heart rate monitor - nothing expensive, maybe one from www.pricepoint.com(around $40), to see if I get use out of it. I'm going to give the Couch 25k a try. Downloaded the app on my Ipod Touch.

[weaver.terrence]

All the very best Surgtech1956