I started running about 18 months ago, I’m 65 and had never done running before, in fact hated cross country at school. I was worried about my weight and fitness so I started gradually with an app called couch to 5k, which is a nine week course to literally take you from being a couch potato to running 5k.

Before I started I couldn’t run 100 yards without collapsing in a heap, now I regularly run 5k at least three times a week. I’ve started doing the organised park runs, today I competed with over 350 other people of different levels of ability, I came 233rd and 2nd for my age group, I beat a lot of people years younger than me and did a personal best for me of just over 30 minutes, I felt so proud. I’ve lost over a stone in weight and feel physically and mentally a lot better than I did.

I can recommend it to anyone who is physically able it’s great fun but start with the couch to 5k programme which starts you off very gradually with short runs followed by a walk to get your breath back and then gradually builds up your stamina and confidence until you can run 5k.

 

 

I was considering it to lose weight, yet I've been advised against it.

At the moment I am having short walks with @UnitedPie - hopefully I might be able to revaluate things within 2-3 years but I'm struggling to adapt with certain changes now so it seems unlikely but I am a very stubborn person.

Thanks for the tip @Fan of Big Tone, I might give it a try myself. I tend to get a stitch when running even short distances, but that's probably just a lack of practice.

@Chris my missus was advised against running or cycling because of the pressure on her joints. Instead she was pointed towards aquabiking, which is a really good workout but lots of fun too. Maybe that would be an idea?

11 hours ago, DangerousSausage said:

Thanks for the tip @Fan of Big Tone, I might give it a try myself. I tend to get a stitch when running even short distances, but that's probably just a lack of practice.

@Chris my missus was advised against running or cycling because of the pressure on her joints. Instead she was pointed towards aquabiking, which is a really good workout but lots of fun too. Maybe that would be an idea?

I was exactly the same @dangeroussausage but if you build yourself up gradually you’ll find it a lot better. 

@chris walking is good too but again build it up gradually don’t try to do too much at once and I’ve heard you make delicious pizzas but really mate that is not good if you want to lose weight.  If I have a pizza I have to run it off with a longer run next day.

Don’t know what happened to my tagging let’s try again.

@DangerousSausage

@Chris

Hmm, worked that time. 

I was doing quite a bit until about 6 months ago when I done the ligaments in me ankle playing footy.

Find it's quite good to clear the mind aswell. Can let your mind wonder, especially if you're on a route you've done many times, next thing you know you've done 4k and can't even remember doing it!

On 4/28/2018 at 20:42, DangerousSausage said:

@Chris my missus was advised against running or cycling because of the pressure on her joints. Instead she was pointed towards aquabiking, which is a really good workout but lots of fun too. Maybe that would be an idea?

I'm being told things like swimming is no good for me due to EDS/Fibromyalgia.

I've always enjoyed swimming mind but I'm not sure where things would stand, maybe if things improve but at the moment I am certain my physio would advice against it (I almost made a joke about breathing there). It's the way things feel at the moment.

On 4/29/2018 at 08:46, Fan of Big Tone said:

@chris walking is good too but again build it up gradually don’t try to do too much at once and I’ve heard you make delicious pizzas but really mate that is not good if you want to lose weight.  If I have a pizza I have to run it off with a longer run next day.

I'm only doing small walks, there's not much chance of me over doing it Tony.

Besides, @UnitedPie isn't the biggest walker himself and I need someone to keep me company. I've found it really enjoyable walking his dog 'sandy', it's helping in more ways than most would realise.

Lastly nobodies taking my pizza's and homemade pies away from me

@Chris I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia a few years ago now, at the time I was working in a stressful job, I’m sure you are well aware of the various symptoms, lack of sleep, joint pains, brain fog etc etc., I could hardly walk down the street to the paper shop without being exhausted, the doctor prescribed amitryptylene (sp?) but it created a problem with my liver function so I stopped taking them.

When I took redundancy and worked from home my symptoms very gradually got better, I wonder if I was mis diagnosed, I think I was suffering from stress and the symptoms came from that. I think a lot of doctors just diagnose fibromyalgia when you’ve had all the tests and nothing else shows up, it’s very much an invisible illness because you look well but feel like death.

Believe me during those dark days I thought that I would end up in a wheel chair or something but look at me now, running 5k for gods sake, when I think back I still can’t believe how far I’ve come. I still have flares occasionally but on the whole I feel I’m cured.

There is always hope, you are young, in spite of what you may have read or been told you can recover from fibromyalgia it just takes time.

So I finally got around to installing the same app as @Fan of Big Tone and went on my first run/walk today. I've lost quite a bit of weight over the last few years, but losing weight and getting fit are two different things. Plus some of my new work colleagues are taking part in a company run in May and I wouldn't mind having a go myself!

On my first day I covered 3.6 km, about 1.5 km of which I was actually jogging. I was quite pleased with it as a start. I did feel a bit self-conscious (plus my route took me round the prison so I was concerned someone might think I was an escapee) but the nerves subside after a bit. What amazed me is that I didn't get a stitch at all. Fingers crossed I can improve from here and my knee doesn't let me down.

Thanks once again for the tip!

i cycle but i dont run, i dont really like it.

cycling can be a good inbetween activity tho.

I can’t run to save my life but I do walk that’s better for me 

I can run but i usually run for short periods of time so not really one for running like exercise wise.