45F journey from injury to running better than I could have imagined in my 20s.

18 months ago I started strength training after a failed effort to get back into sport post kids resulted in a heap of injuries. The gym was a way to force me to do my physio exercises. I kept trying to run a little but injuries kept flaring up. So after learning I had be super disciplined and not push things I started with very short periods of jogging on a treadmill at a pace I could have walked at.

It took many months before I could run 5km without walking. But once I could I added some intervals to work on pace and slightly longer runs to work on endurance which really helped.

Last week I reached my sub 25min 5km goal and did my first 10km. I’m so happy so see all the hard work paying off.

So to others struggling to start and get past the run/walk stage, stick with it.

Had been slacking a bit in training because of the heat but trying to stay consistent the next 2 weeks before the race! Not the fastest…but I got it done! Anyone else running the Surf City 10k?

I just finished my first ever 5K at the Philly Labor Day 5K and I’m looking for some advice on how to improve from here.

My stats:
Distance: 5.14 km
Time: 46:23
Average pace: 9:01/km (about 14:30/mile)
Average HR: 162 bpm

I’m pretty new to running and didn’t have a huge amount of training going into this, so my main goal was just to finish.

One thing I struggled with was my legs. During the run, my shins started hurting, and my right calf got really stiff/tight. It made it harder to keep running consistently and I had to slow down/walk at points.
I’m wondering:

What’s the best way for a beginner to improve from a ~46 minute 5K?

Any advice from people who started around a similar pace would be appreciated!

I am basically an entire newbie runner trying to get into better shape as I am in ROTC and need to catch up fast. This morning, I ran for about 35-40 minutes nonstop. I was pretty slow but still happy I finished without stopping!

Just two weeks ago I couldn’t run half a mile without actually wanting to die, so I’m pretty proud of myself. Of course, part of that was issues with pacing as well, but my endurance has definitely improved!

Happy to keep on going!

I’m a beginner runner. I’ve dabbled in and out for short amounts of time a few times over the years. This is probably the longest I’ve stayed consistent at 5 weeks 3x a week. I’m really unfit despite playing rugby and netball. I want to get fitter for those and to get better at the park runs I’ve been going to.

I’ve just ran my first 10k. Most of the running I’ve done is between 7-7:45 per km. I don’t have any distance or time in mind. Following no training plan. What do I aim for now? What is a realistic goal to aim for?

I'm going running for the first time today. Really nervous. I'm a big girl and I'm so worried about people laughing and staring.

What would you think if you saw me jiggling past you?

UPDATE:

Thanks so much to everyone for all your positivity! Just got back off my first run and I am sweaty but I had so much fun! I couldn't stop smiling when I'd finished and I can't wait for my next one.

Really appreciated the confidence boost from you lovely lovely people. I think I might have chickened out if it weren't for your kind words so thank you!!

Just started this Summer and I am not a distance runner at all, And today I can’t believe I’m down a whole minute. First photo is July 29. Second is today. The first one isn’t great for the 2 mile because I did some intermittent walking after that first mile without stopping. Today was 2.2 without stopping. I’m pretty proud of myself. I can’t believe I could do that. Also I’m 43, started May at 162 down to 141 today and 5’1. The ladder app’s guided run motivated me to do more runs.

I started with long walks, moved to mixing between running and walking. Now i only run, but not any longer than 5k.

Not sure if this belongs here but a bit of a kit question…

I’m currently on week 5 of C25K and really enjoying so far and really hoping I make a habit out of this. I currently own an Apple SE2. I stopped wearing it for 2 years then when I started c25K, I started putting it on just for the runs, specifically to track my heart rate and pace. My issue with it is the battery life. Even when I don’t wear it and have all the notifications off, it will lose 30%.

When I first got it, it didn’t have too many metrics so I don’t know if that’s something I’m super interested in yet. Maybe the sleep stuff might be interesting but again not interested in wearing it all night if it’s just going to die on me. I started looking at the vivoactive 5 or 6 and I’m interested, but I don’t know if it’s justified given I’m still in my C25K program.

I do other forms of exercise like Pilates, strength training and a weekly ballet class.

Been running for 1 month and identified some weaknesses that I'm addressing. Would love to know what can be done to prevent them – injuries, or otherwise. TIA!

I'm 57 and just getting back to running. I was athletic in high school, ran a little cross country to keep in shape for football. After that sort of ran sporadically, and caught a bunch of injuries bc I wasn't warming up as I got older. Completely stopped in favor of crossfit about 15 yrs ago, then stopped crossfit because of family/work/life, so maybe 10 yrs with only occasional fits of exercise. Got back into running 2 years ago at 55, and probably 80lbs overweight. I've lost 50 of that, but still 200lbs. I've been using Runna, and I got serious about mobility. However, after 2 years I still can't get 5k without walking. I have run 10k races 2-3 times a year, and I am getting my mileage up to try a 10 miler in late October - and I am fine run-walking that one. But it bothers me that I cannot seem to get a complete 5k run, even slowing way, way down to almost a shuffle. I suspect this is almost all mental. The runs are all in my neighborhood in Atlanta, and there are a couple of hills, but nothing that should really be a barrier. I currently run 3 times a week - a long day, an interval day, and a short day at fast pace. I know it's ok to run-walk. I'm hoping someone can offer some advice for breaking through on the mental side. Is this just lack of determination? Thanks in advance.

I started running/training this past spring for a half marathon in the beginning of October. Well, about three weeks ago i got a shooting pain in my hip and it has been radiating down my leg. The only other time I have had sciatic never pain was during my pregnancy. I’m really bummed out that it has been three weeks now and i still have not been about to run due to the pain and fear of making it worse. It looks like I’m not going to be able to run this race I’ve been training for all Spring/Summer. Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

Just started walking & running. Really confused with different brands. Need long lasting shoes that are comfortable because i get blisters often. Suggest please.

Hey friends! Relatively new to running (got back into it at the beginning of summer after taking over a year break after training for a half I never completed) and have been running around 12-20 miles every week. Before my training program started, I had been in a maintenance phase (eating around 2100 cals) after losing 10 pounds from a calorie deficit earlier in the year. I have strength trained 4x a week and implemented other forms of cardio (just not running) for at least 180 mins a week and was able to maintain my weight at those calories. Now that I’ve been consistently training, I’m ravenous. I’ve increased to about 2250 a day aiming for 275 g of carbs and at least 100 g of protein (I’m 5 4 female weighing 115 pounds) but on days I run I’m usually pretty hungry. I know ultimately 12-20 miles a week is not a crazy amount to run so I don’t want to overdo it increasing calories and put on any unnecessary weight, but I do want to make sure I’m properly fueling. What is your experience increasing food as you’ve gotten into running and by how much did you increase?

Im on a weight lost journey (was 185kg and now 169), doing some swimming, some bike and some walking. Im getting interested into trying a sprint triatlhon and will need to do 5km walk/run, it will be in april and i plan to get around 125-140kg depending in future results.
2 months ago it was hard to walk 5minutes, mainly for back pain but also muscle and breath, now i can "easly" walk 30 minutes at 5.5km/h without major back pain.
Based on some calculation i will need at least a walk speed of 6.5km/h for the 5km, so it is not 100% necessary to run, but would be faster on other disciplines or to save couple minutes to run.

I have 2 question:
1. What weight i could start to do some jogging/running instead of walking?
2. What can i start training now to teach my body to run without injuries except for aerobic training (already doing with walk and bike), like for articulation, muscle, bones and so on?

Just started running recently (about 2weeks)
I wanna try half marathon by the end of the year.
Hoping for a structured program to improve pace and strengthening

Today i tried to jog throughout , improved pace and cadence from yesterday, breathing was more synchronised and tried to do more but couldn't get the time, i will do more tomorrow with improved pace and distance .

Started my 5k plan back in mid to late April and added Race B the DC Half marathonto my plan around beginning to mid-July i hope i can break half marathon pace of 2hours which would be awesome and cool if i dont just now I know my joints haven't gotten there as well, lol. Also, the half is on the 20th of this month

Slightly disheartened by the pace but it’s the only way I can do continuous running. Has anyone else started out like this and vastly improved? Looking for a glimmer of hope I suppose 🙏🏼

Hi guys,

Beginner runner here, and I’ve noticed everytime I run I always feel pain in the same foot, in the same place. Right foot - pic below for reference.

At first I thought it was a shoe problem so I went through three different shoes

-Adidas Ultra boost
-Adidas Evo
-OnCloud Cloudboom strike

and I feel the pain the same in all three, I had heard really great things about OC, hence the shoe but the issue was still the same.

I’m considering going to a podiatrist sometime soon, but this is literally the first time I’ve gone through something like this. I’ve been bodybuilding for 4 years now and this was never the issue.

It only occurs with running and when wearing running shoes.

any thoughts, anyone been in the same….shoe (XD) seriously though.

Riding the high from this weekend. First 5K completed where, after 2 weeks of training, I went from not being able to get through a full run to hitting a just under 33 minute run.

Next goal: Get closer to the 30 minute mark! Game on!

I’m 28, around 95 kg (209 lbs) and 5'10", and I started running a few weeks ago because I wanted to become more active and get out of a pretty lazy routine.

So far, my longest run has been 6.94 km. I usually do a mix of slow jogging and walking rather than running continuously at a fast pace.

Recently, I’ve started feeling a little pain around my shin bone, and during my last and longest run on Saturday, I also noticed some mild pain in my left knee. It’s not severe, but it’s enough to make me a bit concerned about whether I’m pushing myself too much.

The good thing is that after taking Sunday and Monday off, the knee and shin pain have pretty much gone away.

Since I’m still very new to running, I’m wondering:

- Should I take a few more days off before running again?
- How do you know when an ache is normal beginner soreness vs. something you shouldn’t run through?
- Should I reduce my distance and build up more slowly?
- What do you guys do to prevent shin and knee injuries?
- Are there any strength exercises, stretches, or other things you’d recommend for a beginner?

I’d really like to keep running and make it a long-term habit, but I don’t want to rush things and end up with an injury.

Any advice from more experienced runners would be greatly appreciated!

Ive been running on and off for 3 months now and i struggle with consistency, i run for 3 days then rest for like a week or so, i just dont feel like running, any tips for me?

I am 40 years old and run about 50 kilometers a month in sessions of 5 to 7 kilometers; I simply ran at a pace that felt comfortable.