[Thinker]

Originally Posted by Sparkle

I've recently added running to my exercise routine.

I've never particularly enjoyed it and I've not run consistently since I was a teenager and training for sports teams.

I'm currently in week 5 of the C25k programme, but I'll be running week 4 again because I had a miserable time of it last week. Week 4 heralds in the 5minute intervals and I struggled through every single one of them.

I started C25k because I was growing bored with speed walking and I knew I needed to up my aerobic activity to continue to lose weight. I also needed an aerobic activity that required very little money. My house is on a bike path that stretches for miles in either direction, so I bought a decent pair of running shoes and started.

I'm not focused on running a 5k, it would be a great "side effect", but its not my goal.

My goal is to be able to run for 30-45minutes comfortably so that I can feel fit and that I'm doing my best to take care of my heart, so that I can lose/maintain weight, and so I have an aerobic activity that I can do anywhere.

It has been really challenging. And right now I'm feeling very impatient with myself. I want it to hurt less and be easier, and now please.

I had a few runs, two weeks back, when I had that rush of endorphins afterwards and I felt like a million dollars. I'd quite like that feeling again. And I'd love to get to a point where that is how I feel after every run.

Two things I'm currently struggling with and would love to hear other people's experiences of:

Finding a comfortable pace as the running intervals become longer
and breath control, I'm still having a hard time maintaining a good breathing rhythm.

Always love your posts! Thanks for sharing your experiences here, Sparkle.

I gotta tell you... I don't have working knowledge of what I am/am not doing right now. I'm just doing it. I will say, though, that I start my little jog at what I would call a snail's pace because I know me and if I start out any faster it will hurt and I will quit.

My wife told me that as she looks around at others, I'm going at their pace or better. I find that hard to believe because I feel like I'm just shuffling along, but I may very well be unaware of exactly how strong my pace is. *shrug*

My breathing feels good, which really is the most shocking part of all for me. And I wish I could tell you what I'm doing, but I really don't know; I just started this, and I gave myself permission to go slow so that I could keep moving at a pace other than a walk for longer and longer periods of time.

Sometimes I'm afraid if I think too much about it, I'll mess myself up. I'm pretty sure I'll get to a point where I want to do better and have more knowledge of what's really going on; until then, I'm freakin' stoked that I haven't quit yet!!

I like your thoughts about having an activity you can do anywhere. I never thought about it that way before.

Kelt, in the weight loss thread, shared this article with me. It's exactly what I needed to reinforce my decision to go this route.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0825105018.htm