Starting to run again! Tell me how!

[Anonymous]

Many years and 30lbs ago, I was a daily runner. Tomorrow is the first day of spring, and I hope to be a runner again by the first day of summer, and hoping to lose weight in the process! I’ve tried to start up again before, but I’m determined to not give up this time. I’m better outside, so I’ll be training at the local high school track. I need your advice on how not to burn out.

How many days a week at first? (I think I’ve failed in the past because I want to run daily like before.)
How many laps? (I was thinking of alternating half laps of walking/running at first?)

Anything else?

[Anonymous]

Cross train. 3x/ week running should be enough. Other days do strength, yoga, biking ... But not running.

Go slow. Be realistic about your body and your self. Run-walk I'd you need to at first. It's ok.

Do it with a friend. You are more likely to succeed if you have a friend to support and be supported by, and you will be less likely to skip a day of running if you have a buddy.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Sign up for a race. 5k or something easy - a month or so out. It will give you the motivation to stick with regular runs. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Where are you located? Montgomery County Road Runners has some great training programs like this one: https://mcrrc.org/training-programs/spring/beginning-women-runners-march-june/ Having a group and a time/place to show up can help a lot with motivation to keep running.

[Anonymous]

Couch to 5k.

Changed my life 9 years and 30 pounds ago and I’ve never looked back.

[Anonymous]

take it slowly. like too slow, annoyingly slow. people always start out too fast and then have a hard time making it to the end of the block. take it slow and feel good the whole time. go a little farther every day, follow one of those couch-to-5k plans.

[Anonymous]

Couch to 5K for me too, which I started in January and finished a few weeks ago.

I used the free Zenlabs app (someone recommended it on here). There are also podcast versions, charts you can look up online etc. I liked the app best because I just showed up and hit play with no need to figure out my plan in advance, and you can listen to your own music during it.

Now I am doing Couch to 10K - went from someone who always hated running to actually choosing to do more!

[Anonymous]

I second couch to 5K. It is a great place to start. I love that it has you build up gradually which reduced the risk of injury and burnout.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where are you located? Montgomery County Road Runners has some great training programs like this one: https://mcrrc.org/training-programs/spring/beginning-women-runners-march-june/ Having a group and a time/place to show up can help a lot with motivation to keep running.

This! MCRRC was what got me to run years ago. I need to get back into running as well.

Couch to 5K Apps on the phone work too. There are some fun ones like Zombies Run, if that's your things.