Beginning runner advice?

I've decided that I need to lose some weight and have heard the best way to do so is to run because "you never see a fat runner". Someone told me that and I can agree with it, so I'm giving it a shot. I found an 8 week walk/run program to help get my body acclimated with running.

For three non-consecutive days during the week:

Week One: Walk for 6 minutes, easy-paced jog for 1 minute. Repeat three times.

Week Two: Walk for 5 minutes, jog for 2 minutes. Repeat 3x

Week Three: Walk 3 min, jog for 4. Repeat 4x.

Week Four: Walk 2 min, jog for 5. Repeat 4x.

Week Five: Walk 2 min, jog 8. Repeat 3x.

Week Six: Walk 2 min, jog 9. Repeat 3x

Week Seven: Walk 1 min, jog 11. Repeat 3x.

Week Eight: Walk for 5, run 20, walk 5.

Week Nine: Run 30 min.

Does this sound like a pretty good plan? Do any runners on the site have any additional advice and tips to help me along the way? Hopefully this will inspire others to get more active alongside myself.

Sounds like an okay plan, but don't feel inclined to stick with it if you're not feeling the "burn." The difference between weeks three and four? I feel like you would be able to push yourself harder than merely jogging an extra minute.

Never run during the day, but if you have to run during the day bring water with you. So many idiots run without water bottles, especially in states like Florida. All that heat stroke. Very serious thing.

You should run as far as you possible can and walk until you feel ready to go again. Do that for an hour, don't plan exactly how far or how fast you'll go. The first 3 or 4 weeks are gonna suck cause your body isn't used to running but after that you'll start to enjoy it. Within 3 months you should be able to run 5 miles without stopping.

Also. 5 or 6 days a week is the way to go unless you are very overweight.

Looks like a good plan. As @kmdrkul said, don't be afraid to up the pace if that isn't giving you a workout. On the other hand, if you're feeling very winded in the first few weeks, keep at it. Once you reach the thirty minute week, you'll be surprised. You'll probably feel more comfortable during that run than you did in the initial jogs. When I first started running, two miles would just about kill me. Now, it takes me three miles just to warm up. Don't forget to stretch well, and drink water both before and after your run.

pick a pace and stick with it, don't let nothing slow down, you'll get that runner's high and that shit is fantastic. 
but also, take breaks if you feel short of breath 
@kmdrkul said:

Sounds like an okay plan, but don't feel inclined to stick with it if you're not feeling the "burn." The difference between weeks three and four? I feel like you would be able to push yourself harder than merely jogging an extra minute.

eat healthy, stay hydrated and make sure you have a comfortable pair of runners. good luck!

believer258's 2-Step Health plan, guaranteed to work!

1) Eat healthy; trade soft drinks for water, cookies for apples, and pizza for salads.

2) MOVE until you're sweating and you can feel a burn wherever you're working out (legs or arms or pecs or what-have-you), NOT to a set amount of time. Five minutes ain't gonna cut it, buddy.

I see chubby joggers all the time.

Watch for cars if you are on the road.  Don't expect drivers to be watching for you all the time.  Even if you have the legit right to go first, the car will always win if you play chicken.

I had a similar plan, didn't take in to consideration how quickly you can injure yourself, over did it, got shin splints, and gave up. Just be careful not to get too ambitious, and take it slow. Eventually, I took up swimming, because there's really no impact, and that worked much better for me. So maybe keep that as a back up plan? Anyway, good luck!

@phampire said:

eat healthy, stay hydrated and make sure you have a comfortable pair of runners. good luck!

^This! Having good shoes is really important, otherwise it's going to become really painful after a while.

EDIT: Also good luck, duder!

Don't be afraid to push yourself, I found I could run a lot further than I thought I could.

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

That's the Couch to 5k training plan that most people getting into running use, pretty much the same thing you've got there.

Make sure you get some good running shoes, don't cheap out, it's not worth it.

If you want to lose weight by running, then I recommend that you start off running a mile a day and increase that by a mile every other week for a bit. In the morning (mornings are usually the best time to run/ get your bodies metabolism going) run for a mile. It doesn't have to be fast at first but make sure you run it and don't walk. One mile should take you at most 10 minutes (depending on your weight) so it won't take up to much time at first. At first you may want to run everyday and a mile isn't that much so you shouldn't have any problems being tired but once you get to running more miles a day, you should not run every day so your body can rest.

I lost 85 pounds 2 years ago from running and that is basically what I did. I can't remember how many miles I ran at the start of my training but start now running a mile and then once you feel comfortable, increase that by a mile. I did this too the point where I was running 8 miles a day (not every day but taking a break once or twice a week). And don't push yourself with speed at the beginning either. Go at a comfortable (but not too slow) speed. I also say don't drink any soda or not necessary fatty foods. You don't need soda, and you can live for a little bit without cake or ice cream.

Number 1 thing. Don't give up. It will be easy to say what is the point to this or who cares but work hard at running and you should see results and be happy with your health. I ran two marathons and can say from being obese, running is one of my favorite things to do now!

@Kidavenger said:

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

That's the Couch to 5k training plan that most people getting into running use, pretty much the same thing you've got there.

Make sure you get some good running shoes, don't cheap out, it's not worth it.

Everything this guy said. C25K eases you in pretty nicely... as long as you stick with it, which I'm awful at.

I went to one of those shoe stores that analyzes your gait and recommends specific shoes, and the ones they gave me have been the best athletic shoes I've ever had. If you're serious about it I'd recommend looking into something like that. Take care of your feet! They take you everywhere.

How old are you?

How fat are you?

How long has it been since you took part in a physical activity? What kind of physical activity was it?

Running is not the best if you are too out of shape, you will probably hurt yourself. But that plan you have there seems ok I suppose...

I got back into running about a year ago now. Here's my advice:

A good pair of running shoes is essential, don't be a cheapskate when it comes to that. They will help you run longer with less effort. Also, find your own pace. Don't try to keep up with other runners. To do this, try jogging at what you think is a comfortable pace for you, then slow it down just a bit. This way you won't tire yourself out before your body builds the endurance it needs (cardio and muscular). Also, count the time you run, not the distance.

You will have good runs and bad runs. On the good ones you will feel on top of the world. The bad ones will make you question yourself and not wanna run. This is normal, don't let it get you down. Could be anything from your mood, what you ate, or that your body is just not cooperating that day. The most important thing is to just keep running! If you run regularly (when you're starting out I'd say 3-4 times a week) and eat healthy, you WILL lose weight. In fact, lots of runners start seeing food as just fuel for their runs and become mildly anorexic. Don't fall into that trap; running is strenuous activity that requires good nutrition. That said, if you eat too much, you'll want to make cuts where appropriate too.

Running is pretty painful at first but if you stick with it it gets easier and then eventually it even becomes fun. Remember, the human body is designed/evolved/whatever for endurance running tracking animals over long distances. You can't outrun a buffalo but you can sure as hell out-jog it. You were born to run!

Running (cardio in general) isn't a very efficient way to lose weight in my experience. Just calorie wise, 1 pound of fat takes 35 miles of running to burn off (3,500 calories in a pound of fat, and you burn ~100 calories per mile ran). Not bashing running altogether as I put in ~8-10 miles per week in the summers and enjoy it. It can definitely help you lose weight, it's just a slow method of doing so and more of a long term approach. My tips would be to get a minimal shoe, Nike Frees area good starting place for a beginner as they mimic a minimal shoe but still have some sole to them. Typical running shoes have built up heels which will train you to strike your heel as you run and result in bad form (which can cause injury over time). The standard running shoe approach is to pad your feet to avoid injury, but that padding causes you to modify your form and prevents you from feeling the pavement. Minimal shoes will let you feel the road more so that you can tell if your form is good (landing on mid or front of foot). Also, might views some clips on running form. The most helpful tips for me have been learning to lean my whole body forward to go faster instead of pushing off, minizing bouncing, and keeping your hips tucked in as if you were sitting on a stool.

• Drink lots of water before and after
• Stretch before and after
• Do it moderatly, you don't want to fuck up your knees so you can't run for a year until they've recovered or worse for that matter
• Buy good shoes
• Make sure you're doing it with good form
• If you're obese you should try to do something that puts a little less stress on your body like walks or biking until you've slimmed down some more
• Never ever give up (unless you're hurting because that's a pretty good indicator that you actually should stop)

I don't know what else to say except for good luck!

@zudthespud said:

Don't be afraid to push yourself, I found I could run a lot further than I thought I could.

This is only partially true. I think everyone is surprised by how much more they can accomplish with a little discipline, but there definitely exists a critical point where you overexert and injure yourself. My advice is to find this limit so you don't get seriously hurt.

I'm not talking about something as trivial as loss of breath, i'm talking about when you have to alter your step and resorting to secondary muscle groups because the primary muscles you would use when you run with "good form" are fatigued. This is how you tear tendons (Achilles, ACL)/develop joint problems.

@bonorbitz: Good plan, i usually just go as hard for as long as i can until im basically forced to walk. thats not a good plan but i hate pacing myself

Just run and never look back. Go wherever the wind takes you.

I just started running again last week! It's hard to find the time to do that stuff during the semester. Anyway, I have always based my own running plans on this article over at Runner's World. Aside from just having an 8-week goal, I listen to my body and do what it feels is best. That's really the key component to any exercise program, whether it's cardio or weight training.
 
I always do a 5 minute warmup and a 5 minute cooldown regardless of whatever sort of running I'm doing: intense, easy, short, long, whatever. When I'm just building up my running endurance, I do alterations of 2 minutes of more intense running followed by 1 minute of brisk walking. I'll usually repeat that for 30 minutes but since it's easy to do, you can go for longer. I'll do that for a week or two and when my body starts to feel like it's not being challenged, I'll run 3 minutes and then walk 1 minute. Later I'll run 4-5 minutes and walk 1 minute. I'm sure you get the point. The most important thing, though, is to let your body decide when you want to challenge yourself, not some arbitrary numbers.
 
Edit: Like other people have said, stretching regularly and having a nice pair of shoes are of the utmost importance. I can't stress the importance of stretching enough. I usually do it before I go running, but it's also a good idea to do it during your cooldown. Well, time to go running!

I'm in kind of a similar situation, and wanted to emphasize the importance of having shoes that fit. Go to your local sporting goods store (or a running store if you have one), and get properly fitted. They'll watch how you run, and be able to get you a pair of shoes that fit your feet and method.

Get the best running shoes you can afford or in the long run your knees will suffer.

Running is great. But as with any exercise, you always have to be honest about how hard you're really pushing yourself. After a few weeks you WILL need to increase the intensity (especially with jogging/running I've noticed. You get better fast). I see a lot of overweight joggers in the tracks, and funny enough it's been the same people for the past years. I bet they're telling themselves that the 30-40 min trudge every weekday will do wonders someday. I bet it will not, as harsh as that sounds. So don't be scared to raise the bar significantly if needed. That's my tip.

Oh, and I agree that good shoes is key. And don't forget to drink plenty of water.

Read Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. Even if it doesn't convince you to take your darn shoes off, it will most certainly inspire you to run farther.

Or just watch the guy talk about it:

It is basically about ultrarunning and how humans are still around because of our long distance running ability.

Depending on how unfit you are, you will SUCK at first. Don't be put off by that, just do what you can - you will rapidly improve in the first few weeks.
 
Make it a part of your routine, and make it a routine you can stick to. You will find it easier to get up and go if your body and mind are telling you to go, through habit.  If you start letting other stuff mess with that habit, I find it can quickly unravel.  I'm currently in the 'quickly unravelling' stage, because I started messing with my routine...
 
Also, don't cheap out on shoes.

Read Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. Even if it doesn't convince you to take your darn shoes off, it will most certainly inspire you to run farther.

I live by a strict don't run for nothing policy. So I can offer no advice other than "Don't do it!" Not very helpful, that...

Back when I didn't live under that policy (a dark time in my life... (I kid)) and would run for sports related reasons there was just something about the breathing process that I couldn't get down. Either I have terrible allergies constantly and don't realize it or something else I don't know about prevents me from taking in the oxygen necessary to move at a swift pace without dying.

Ok, maybe here's some advice, get some books on tape and better yourself in two ways at the same time!

Some good advice here and I'll add mine, have discipline. Don't be lazy and stick to the plan. Having a good positive mindset will help you especially in the long run figuratively and literally.

There will be points in your run when you feel like you can't carry on anymore but keep telling yourself you can make the next bend, then the next, then the next and suddenly, you've covered more distance than you originally thought you could.

Wow. Such awesome advice from everyone; thanks for the tips and the "good lucks"!

Reading all of this is really inspiring and makes me want to get going right now. Unfortunately I'm at my desk job currently, which is part of the reason I need to get a running plan going. Tonight after work I'll look around for a finess shoe fitter and go from there.

@tineyoghurt said:

Read Born to Run

I just thought this was funny.

Get someone to chase you.

@Kidavenger: That's my kind of humor right there. And they're right, gravel is the devil.

Which reminds me: if you want to stick to those "old-fashioned" shoes, get some socks that actually fit your feet (I don't know about those super-elastic technical running socks, but at least get the right size). 'Cause if there is something worse than running barefoot on gravel, it's running (in shoes) with blisters.

If your pee isn't clear, you're not drinking enough.

Seriously.

Stretch a lot before and after. Make sure you're warm before you start your run. You'll go a lot farther and feel better. Then stretch again after. That way you don't end up too sore the next day.

i understand jogging for 20 minutes but running for 20 minutes, no way

and again the burn sensation will stop you

If you own an iPhone; look into Zombies, Run! as well as the 5k apps. My friend who was to say nicely "overweight" used em and lost a good 40lbs.

@Subject2Change: I jumped into this thread to suggest the same app! Seriously, Zombies, Run! is an amazing app, and everyone (from beginners to experienced runners) should get it. It has turned my morning runs into a fun immersive game, and I'm a man who used to equate exercise to not fun at all. I really look forward to my runs now because I get to know more of this story and build up my town.

Here's a link for those interested: https://www.zombiesrungame.com/

@kermoosh said:

i understand jogging for 20 minutes but running for 20 minutes, no way

and again the burn sensation will stop you

Jogging is just running at a leisurely pace, so if you're jogging for 20 minutes you are also running for 20 minutes. As long as you're airborne for a couple of milliseconds it qualifies as running. I think too many associate running with running at around 90% of your capacity, which is a lot harder to keep up than, let's say, 70%. Just consider the difference between a sprinter and a marathoner, a sprinter runs as fast as he can for 100/200 meters while a marathoner runs at a slower speed for 42 kilometres. Sprinters pour all their strength into those few seconds, while a marathoner has to conserve his strength for several hours.

You'll actually be better off with goals in terms of distance and time (such as 3 miles in 30 minutes). The plan you have set up looks nice, but it doesn't make much sense. You want to keep your heart rate high. If you're tired, slow your pace but keep running. Make most of your time and make it count. You're out running, so push yourself while you're off the couch. Also, run everyday.

I lost 40 pounds last year and I started it by doing a month of running, so good call with starting out with running!

@tineyoghurt said:

@kermoosh said:

i understand jogging for 20 minutes but running for 20 minutes, no way

and again the burn sensation will stop you

Jogging is just running at a leisurely pace, so if you're jogging for 20 minutes you are also running for 20 minutes. As long as you're airborne for a couple of milliseconds it qualifies as running. I think too many associate running with running at around 90% of your capacity, which is a lot harder to keep up than, let's say, 70%. Just consider the difference between a sprinter and a marathoner, a sprinter runs as fast as he can for 100/200 meters while a marathoner runs at a slower speed for 42 kilometres. Sprinters pour all their strength into those few seconds, while a marathoner has to conserve his strength for several hours.

yea that makes complete sense, but you have to be in good shape to go 20 minutes straight (hence marathoner)

but your right, i can run really fast so my personal perception of jogging may be someone else's view of running. i guess it all depends on the person's physical features to define types of running

@kermoosh: Seriously? Jogging for 20 minutes is not anything.

@Dany said:

@kermoosh: Seriously? Jogging for 20 minutes is not anything.

Breaking News: Some people are unfit

Note: I agree, though am aware that some people would not be able to do 20 minutes.

@MrJorOwe said:

@Dany said:

@kermoosh: Seriously? Jogging for 20 minutes is not anything.

Breaking News: Some people are unfit

Note: I agree, though am aware that some people would not be able to do 20 minutes.

well yea jogging is easy, but i said running for 20 minutes. my definition of running is faster then others so i'd get tired from it. unless it's playing sports where I can go for 3 hours before breaking down