BMac05

First off, after all you've been through, getting back into a running is a great idea. Running / exercise can improve mood, decrease stress, improve your body image over time - so many benefits! So congrats for taking responsiblity and getting out there! As far as the pace, starting slow is perfectly fine. Endurance has to come first. I'm only running 5 mph so speed is not the main thing - it will cause you to burn out and stop. Keep it up! Off to a great start!!

I'm not a runner whatsoever so getting back into it after all these years has been a challenge. I have a 5 k in about a week. My goal is just to get through it, regardless of time, by jogging and not stopping to walk. My speed at the moment is VERY slow. I need to build endurance before working on upping speed, although I'm trying to do both.

Thank you, everyone for the encouragement and tips! Actually, I'm doing MUCH better. In fact, I actually finished the 8 week course! (5k still about 2 weeks away). I took SteveJ's advice and slowed my pace just slightly (from 5.0 to 4.8 mph) and that really helped. Also, I don't check my phone (time/app) as often and that helps. A week or so ago I made it 30 minutes without stopping. My last 5 tries or so were completed without stopping. This is a big step. My only concern now is that my pace is so slow and even though I'm finishing the time required, it hasn't amounted to more than about 2.3 miles at most. So when I run it in a couple weeks I might really lose steam in the last mile. Still, I've got another week or so to build more endurance and then I'm going to rest for about 4 days before the race. Thanks again, all!! ~ Bill

Great job! I finished week 8 the other day with some great support / ideas from here. My 5k is a couple weeks out. I'm going to go back to week 7 this week to give my body a slight rest and do week 8 again next week. Maybe up my pace a bit so I'm closer to an actual 5k in distance. Keep it up and good luck on the 5k! - Bill

Hello - I was a runner as a teen but those years are long past me. Now, I'm woefully out of shape. I've started getting back into jogging and am going to be involved in a 5k next month. I did it last year but walked about 2/3rds of it and was a bit disappointed in myself. I'm expecting to run all / almost all of it this but could use some help / support. I've downloaded the ZenLabs Couch to 5k app and I've been working through it with fairly strong success. I made it to week 7 (8 week program) and at the suggestion of a trainer at work, I've gone back to week 6 now, and will reboot week 7 this week. Here's the issue I have. Not even sure there's a solution or advice someone can give. It's more of a mental one. When I just see "Run for 25 minutes" it's tough. I try it and can't do it without stopping 2-3 times for a walk and water (these are brief - under 60 secs). I really want to make it all the way through. I think its the mental piece of "that's too long for me" I need to get over. I believe I did a 20 minute jog without stopping once and that was a victory. Getting up to 25-30 is where I'm struggling. I don't want to beat myself up over the brief walking stops too much but I also want to push myself. Maybe just continuing to get in better shape will fuel better endurance. About a month until the 5k and I just wish I can jog for longer without stopping (bc I've been working out on a treadmill, which I've always found to be easier - once I run outside it will feel even longer). Any ideas on how to get over this mental hurdle and take things to the next level? Thanks in advance!