In my younger days I was actually quite a bit thinner and at a normal weight and I used to run at least a mile a day. As I got into my twenties and the weight started to pile on I quit excercising. With the low carb way of life I seem to be so full of energy. I've been walking a mile a day on the treadmill. However I'd really liek to get back into running. I've been walking and then running for small periods trying to build back up yet also being conscious of not heart rate so forth!!! anyone else this heavy trying to get back into running!! Maybe we can be support for each other! It's sooo hard!

Hi Chub,
A couple of months ago I started my running program when I was just under the weight you are at now. When I first started I thought I would die (or at the very least my heart and lungs would explode) but now I have to say that running is my passion.
When I first started I was keeping about a 4.5 mph pace and could only go about 4 tenths of a mile but now I am running at a 5.5 - 6.0 mph pace for up to 3.1 miles.
The way i did it was by doing interval runs. I would walk for 45 seconds or so and then jog for anywhere between 20 seconds to a minute. Each week I would increase my runs and decrease my walks and it wasn't long before I started to see the results in both stamina and distance.
Now I do at least a 2 mile run per week and most other days I incorporate intervals or incline work but I am continuing to build. My legs have gotten much stronger, my lungs have tons more capacity and that runner's high....well, I just can't say enough about that.
Stick with your program...don't over do it and you will see the results. Running is about the greatest thing I've ever tried and I can't believe it took me reaching the 40 year old mark to realize that.

I have been doing lots of brisk walking and decided to try jogging a few months ago (alternating jogging and walking). I'm in pretty good shape, I can easily walk four or five miles and I walk at a speed of about 15 minutes per mile. However, shortly after I started jogging my knees started to bother me. Jogging puts a lot more stress on the knees than walking and I think that at my weight it was too much for my body to handle. I'm back to just walking, but I will try jogging again when I get down below 200.

liz
you are covering good distance with your walks...I used to walk 6 miles with 20 pd weights . That was before back problems put me down.
Now that I am managing that I also jog the intervals according to what my knees can handle. I KNOW I can't jog on pavement, but the tread gives just enough bounce back to handle it. Furthermore I do hamstring excercises such as squats and lunges to strengthen the knee alignment. It seems to help, but being careful not to let the knee go over the toes.

Lots of "highs" to everyone.
Bu

I should have put in my post that when I was jogging it was on a padded treadmill. I do a lot of my walking outside, but I know better than to try jogging on pavement at my weight! However, even on the padded treadmill I had knee problems.

If anyone wants a good workout on a treadmill without jogging, I have found that setting the treadmill on an incline (I use 7 percent) and keeping up a good pace (at least 3.5 mph) provides a much better work-out than just walking with less impact on my knees than jogging.

I've always hated running! Even when I was 19 and weighing in at a whoppin' 140 I still hated it. Now that I'm doing atkins and actually have energy and feel good I actually like feeling my body move and am still amazed at how much it can do, and I've only lost 30 lbs! Unfortunately, though I'm only 24, I weight 190 and pretty top heavy. Sports bras help, but there is no way I'm going to take out an eye trying to sprint down the street. I like to jog then back to a fast paced walk on the treadmill. I still feel silly trying to run on the treadmill in a busy workout room. Still a little self conscious I guess. I've started lifting weights so I'd like to build up some good muscle tone and thin out a little. Then I think I will add in running as a steady part of my exercise routine. What's better to start out with? Small intervals of running then quick passed walking, or just plain jogging at a moderate steady pace? Any suggestions on shoes for heavier people?


~ Cori ~

liz,
yes the incline can take place of speed, but be aware it also puts alot more stress on your knees.
But like you, I like mixing things up a bit. One day it maybe the ET, or ET and tread with either incline or w/o and more speed. Gotta keep things interesting, the body mixed up and the joints from squeekin'....

corianin,
as mentioned, I would start out with intervals: warm ups for 5 min, fast paced walk for 5,then jog for 3.
Doing this at least 3-4 times. Next week increase the jog to 5 min and deacrease the walk to 3 also x3. week after that do 5 and 8 etc etc. Until u have ur desired time . then I would increase the speed in the same pattern.
slowly but steady builds endurance w/o getting discouraged.

QUOTE from corianin: I've started lifting weights so I'd like to build up some good muscle tone and thin out a little. Then I think I will add in running as a steady part of my exercise routine. What's better to start out with? Small intervals of running then quick passed walking, or just plain jogging at a moderate steady pace? Any suggestions on shoes for heavier people?

I would second Likesspace: the easier way to start is to alternate jog with walk. For legs (regardless of age, weight) it is much easier to alternate jog walk (45 sec-1 min walk, 30-60 sec jog) for 30 minutes than to try to jog/run constantly even as less as for 3 minutes. Walking use different muscles than jogging, the walk breaks help to recover your jogging muscles.
Runnersworld offer an excellent starter program:
http://www.runnersworld.com/home/0,...?site=NewRunner
You can read more about the importancy of walk break from Galloway's book, he is one the leading expert of running injury prevention - http://www.jeffgalloway.com/)

Finding the right shoes is a real science. You can read a lot about this here:
http://www.runnersworld.com/home/0,1300,1-52,FF.html
As you can see they repeateadly advice to find either a store where there are expert salespeople or a veteran runner who can help you to check your legs. Usually overweight people need arch support - all the big running shoes manifacturer offer this type of shoes. There are three versions of many shoes: regular, (extra)wide, arch support
I remember when I started to jog with 35 lbs excess weight. As if I have had a 100 lbs baggage on my back...
Stay away from asphalt, concrete... Treadmills, trails, packed dirt roads or - my favorite - a nearby high school track?

Quote from Liz:
If anyone wants a good workout on a treadmill without jogging, I have found that setting the treadmill on an incline (I use 7 percent) and keeping up a good pace (at least 3.5 mph) provides a much better work-out than just walking with less impact on my knees than jogging.

I agree, walking on an incline is a great workout. On the other hand for many to walk/jog on incline excessively could be hard on the Achilles tendon, leading to tendinitis. (For MEN it is much bigger danger than for women.) I would recommend alternating faster walk day with slower incline walk days. (With rest days of course.)

Interesting info here.... I recently started running. I am still having problems with breathing

Hi all, I too used to be a runner, it was the only time I was thin (118lbs). I ran in the morning at the corporate gym for 1/2 hour, then worked out later on in the afternoon with cardio & circuit training. So now, over 100lbs later, I want to run again. Everyone in my family runs, they're ALL thin & in great shape, I've always been the "black" heavyweight in my family.

So on a 235lb frame, running is pretty major, so I started with one minute walking, one minute running, 3 minutes walking for a total of 5 minutes. I did that for a week, and exactly one week later I added another minute of running. right now I'm in my third week, 3 minutes running, 2 minutes walking. My legs are ok, but my breathing is what kills me in the end. Some days are definitely more energetic than others! But I do it daily, and even on days when I feel ready to move up a notch, I realize this is a lifetime change and to just take it easy and add only one minute a week.

I also do 1/2 hour on the eliptical, 1/2 hour circuit/weight training. As I get more into running, it will eventually replace the eliptical and after I've lost 50lbs I"ll start doing aerobic classes, yoga, etc.

So my advice? Take it slow, especially with running, being large can put you at more risk for injury, and also get GOOD shoes. I don't run outside at all, too many negative comments from people driving by, but at the gym no one cares what you look like or what's jiggling around as you're running, so I'm much more at peace there.

Keep up the exercise everyone, this will make the difference between the weight loss being temporary to being a lifetime committment!

C

That is true!!! I like getting up early on the weekends and going for a run as the sun is coming up. Refreshing and man .... its nice time to think

When I started a couple of months ago I couldn't jog for longer than 1/4 mile at a time. I can now jog a 9 minute mile with no walk breaks.

I started off with similar plans to what people have already posted. I would jog for 1 minute, walk for 30 seconds, jog for 1 minute, walk for 30 seconds. With my stride and pace this resulted in a mile time of anywhere from 12 minutes to 14 minutes......depending on how fast my walk was in between. Slowly I added in more and more jogging until one day I decided I had to "push" myself and quit giving up so early, and that was the first ever in my life I had ran a mile straight without stopping.

You all are an inspiration for my running!!!! Awesome!! I know I can do it!

I told my family that I am going to start running this summer and they all were supportive and asked how/when/where. I was pretty impressed. When I first started this WOE they were all pretty skeptical. Now that they've seen the results and know that I'm motivated they're all 100% behind me!! I used to joke that the only time I was going to run was if something big and scary was coming up fast behind me. Now when I think about running, it seems like an enjoyable fun way to exercise. Funny how perspectives change when you're not looking at life from the couch, eh?


~ Cori ~