Anonymous wrote:I am 43F, 180#, 5’8” and I ran cross country in HS and college. I stopped running regularly in my mid-20s. I started running last March to get out of the house during shutdown. I used a Couch to 5k app and completed it in about a month.

My normal run 4-5 days a week is 2.5-3 miles. Once a week I have been doing 4.5-5 miles. I got to 5 miles in about 8 weeks. When I started I could not run a half mile without stopping. Remember to take rest days - don’t run 7 days a week. Remember to stretch! Maybe get a shoe fitting at a running store.

I think you can get to 6 miles by May if you work at your long runs once a week and don’t worry how fast you are going.

Also - I weighed 193 last year when I started running. I am 179 and down two pants sizes.
You can do this OP!

I am 43F, 180#, 5’8” and I ran cross country in HS and college. I stopped running regularly in my mid-20s. I started running last March to get out of the house during shutdown. I used a Couch to 5k app and completed it in about a month.

My normal run 4-5 days a week is 2.5-3 miles. Once a week I have been doing 4.5-5 miles. I got to 5 miles in about 8 weeks. When I started I could not run a half mile without stopping. Remember to take rest days - don’t run 7 days a week. Remember to stretch! Maybe get a shoe fitting at a running store.

I think you can get to 6 miles by May if you work at your long runs once a week and don’t worry how fast you are going.

Yaay OP! You can definitely do this! Buy some new work out clothing to keep yourself inspired, and head outside when it isn't so icy. Just keep at it, and I'm positive you can do this!

Good for you OP. You can do it!! I ran a half (somewhat) easily at 5 5 and 160 pounds. You’re really not that overweight. It will be a great feeling when you complete it!

OP, just want to give you fair warning- running can be addicting!!

I was overweight when I started running (post-pregnancy, but I had been in the upper end of healthy before that). I fell in love with it. I’m not overweight anymore. Running (and diet and a lot of other things) helped me lose 30 lbs, permanently.

The running community is very diverse and welcoming to all body types. There are a lot of overweight runners at races. Some of them even pass me.

I will say it’s my personal belief that if you want to run long-term, you should try and get to a healthy body weight, it does take its toll on knees. I recently lost some weight, and even though I was already in the healthy range, my knees felt much better after losing 10 or so additional lbs.

Good luck- hope to see all of us back out there soon.

Anonymous wrote:OP you sound really uninformed. Your problem isn't that you are fat. It is that you are out of shape and have been lazy. Specifically running shape since that is what you want to do. Can you get into running shape for a 10K by May? Of course. Will that do anything for your judgement as to what constitutes a fat person running & how they could possibly run and still be fat? I doubt it.

Very helpful. Thank you for this ray of sunshine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Congrats, OP! I would love to hear more about what Prozac did for your PMDD and depression and the difference in how you felt!

I went to my PCP because my PMS was getting HORRENDOUS. I was having really bad and scary thoughts 3 days before my period and I was insufferable. The PCP suggested a low dose of Prozac for 10 days leading up to my period. She also gave me the option to just take a daily low dose so I would not forget. I figured I'd do the daily dose since I'm not good at remembering to do things consistently. After a week it was like an entire cloud lifted on my life. I had no idea I had depression until I didn't have it. Everything changed for me. I have more energy, I have more patience, I have more focus, I have less anxiety, I don't anger very easy, and small things no longer exhaust me.

Wow! Thank you. I have been thinking about trying a med, too.

I know this sounds like. Tired cliche, but it's been life changing. My happiness slipped away so slowly I had no idea what happy meant.

Nope, you will not fail. You sound like a pretty determined person.

Anonymous wrote:OP here!

Just wanted to say that I just got off the treadmill for an hour. I did exactly 60min and went 4.1 miles on a 2 incline It was a combo walk run. Whenever my breathing got really uncomfortable I dropped to a walk until I was ready to jog again.

That's awesome. You're way more fit than I am

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Congrats, OP! I would love to hear more about what Prozac did for your PMDD and depression and the difference in how you felt!

I went to my PCP because my PMS was getting HORRENDOUS. I was having really bad and scary thoughts 3 days before my period and I was insufferable. The PCP suggested a low dose of Prozac for 10 days leading up to my period. She also gave me the option to just take a daily low dose so I would not forget. I figured I'd do the daily dose since I'm not good at remembering to do things consistently. After a week it was like an entire cloud lifted on my life. I had no idea I had depression until I didn't have it. Everything changed for me. I have more energy, I have more patience, I have more focus, I have less anxiety, I don't anger very easy, and small things no longer exhaust me.

Wow! Thank you. I have been thinking about trying a med, too.

Anonymous wrote:Congrats, OP! I would love to hear more about what Prozac did for your PMDD and depression and the difference in how you felt!

I went to my PCP because my PMS was getting HORRENDOUS. I was having really bad and scary thoughts 3 days before my period and I was insufferable. The PCP suggested a low dose of Prozac for 10 days leading up to my period. She also gave me the option to just take a daily low dose so I would not forget. I figured I'd do the daily dose since I'm not good at remembering to do things consistently. After a week it was like an entire cloud lifted on my life. I had no idea I had depression until I didn't have it. Everything changed for me. I have more energy, I have more patience, I have more focus, I have less anxiety, I don't anger very easy, and small things no longer exhaust me.

OP here!

Just wanted to say that I just got off the treadmill for an hour. I did exactly 60min and went 4.1 miles on a 2 incline It was a combo walk run. Whenever my breathing got really uncomfortable I dropped to a walk until I was ready to jog again.

Run/walk combo, and start from the outset. 2 min jogging/1 min walking. Or whatever balance you like

and then settle into the grind

Anonymous wrote:OP you sound really uninformed. Your problem isn't that you are fat. It is that you are out of shape and have been lazy. Specifically running shape since that is what you want to do. Can you get into running shape for a 10K by May? Of course. Will that do anything for your judgement as to what constitutes a fat person running & how they could possibly run and still be fat? I doubt it.

I don’t think that was OP.

OP - you get to decide what success and failure mean here.
Success may be just finishing - whether walking or running and at any time. Why not start here with this?