Brand new runner here, HELP!

[WDW4us2006]

Hello!

I have literally just started a new running/getting in shape program after many years of unsuccessful attempts. For some reason, I am feeling really, really good this time! What I need, however, is ADVICE and ENCOURAGEMENT! I have never run before, and I'm presently just trying one of those couch to 5K plans, so far so good. I'm 43, not overweight (5'7", 145) but horribly out of shape.

I am a die hard Walt Disney World fan, and have set a goal for myself of running the 2014 Princess half. I know, it might be too much of a goal, but I'm going for it! If I keep up with my plan, do you think I can do it? If so, does anyone out there who has ever been in my shoes have any advice for me? I have found some fantastic inspiration on this board!!

I also have a question: how do I start a blog?? Would love to keep track of my progress and thoughts along the way.

Thanks in advance,
Linda

 

[freepixie]

You SO can do this!!

I started running in March of 2011 and ran the Princess 2012, never was a runner ever in my life! I was and still am a slight bit overweight, but I'm very active. So I know how you feel, but if you start out easy and slow, then slowly build, you will be perfectly fine!!

Go for it!

I mean, seriously you could probably do the Princess 2013, there is still plenty of time to train for it! But if you really want Princess 2014, I'm hoping that's when I can do the Princess again, so I'll see ya there

 

[johde]

Hi Linda - I'm going to pretty much agree with freepixie. Depending on what other goals you might have, the 2014 Princess half his not a big stretch at all. If your only goal is to finish, It shouldn't be any problem at all. I'm a 6'4", and at the time 325lbs guy and went from couch to walking my first half marathon in under a year. If you add other goals like running the entire way, or an ambitious time goal it could be a problem. But even then, you have time to figure that out. Good luck in your training.

 

[cewait]

Actually, I do not think you are challenging yourself enough. I think that depending on how your current C25 plan goes you are MORE than capable of running 2013.

Now the initial read of the above may seem non supportive but here is what I am thinking.... I find that folks who are starting up from the couch are really motivated. However, if their stretch goal is only a 5 k in the next 12 months, they tend to get bored and then regress towards the couch. To avoid that, I say lay out your schedule tonight on how you would get to the P 13 half. Make 14 your chance for your first Marathon

5k in August
10 k in October - thats a quarter marathon!
Princess in February.

If this is too scary, lay it out and push down the path. Find your intermediate races and plan on running them. Hold short on entering Princess until either you have the 10k under your belt or until the entries reach 70%. Note that the Princess will fill fast at the end since this is a 5 year anniversary medal opportunity.

As far as blogs.. Blogger.com is a Google bloging site. I find it really easy and best of all, free.

I say just go for it

 

[JCH]

I agree with Charles. For me, I needed concrete, near future goals.

I started very much like you. I had lost weight and found myself now in a normal weight range, but terribly out of shape! Much to the dismay of my family, I signed up for the Halloween 5k and started training in July of 2011 following Galloway's 5k program.

After finishing the 5k and seeing Galloway speak, I thought, hey, I can so a half! Went online and the Princess Half training program started that very week with 3 miles the first week. Perfect.

I followed the plan, finished the Princess (and other races as well), and now am training for the Marathon!

So, if you can, I highly suggest signing up for the either ToT 5k in late September or the Jingle Jungle 5k on Nov 10th. Once you get a taste of Disney running, you can't stop. It is a feeling like you've never experienced, even at the 5k level.

Oh, and look into Galloway's 5k program. C25K is better for people with an end goal of a 5k. The Galloway plan is one you can build on for long distances.

 

[sissy_ib]

I signed up for a 5K then I started C25K. My 5K is next Saturday, I am signed up for an 8K in September and a 10K in October. I am looking for more races that interest me. I am not a fast runner and still need a few walking breaks but I am loving it! I would love to do a Disney half but we wont be back to WDW until at least 2014. As soon as I have done the 10K I will start to look for and train for a half in my area.

 

[bunnyfoo]

I think you've given yourself plenty of time to achieve your goal! I recently wrote a blog post for new runners. It might be a good starting point - it covers the basics. You can find it here.

To set up a blog, you can go to can of the blogging sites and register. I've used Tumblr for work and WordPress for my personal blog. I personally prefer WordPress but that's just me.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress

 

[RunRookie]

I agree with everyone's comments here. I believe that you can achieve a goal of the Princess in 2013.

In 2011, I weighed 300 lbs and started walking for exercise. By May, I used a C25K program to run my first 5K in May. In August, I completed my first 10K. In November, I completed my first 15K. And in Jan 2012, I ran my first Half at Disney World. I work better with defined goals laid out, and then I worked a Galloway training plan to get me there.

People thought I was kinda crazy to attempt this. But I had a lot of time to train and prepare myself. You have that same amount of time. It is totally possible for you to reach your goals. I just saw a poster that said the 3 "D"s of living a fit and healthy lifestyle are Discipline, Dedication, and Determination.

I say go for it!

I, too, created a blog to journal my journey. The link to it is below. I use two sites: blogger.com and squarespace.com. Blogger is great and it is free.

 

[dragitoff]

I agree with coach. You may want to push yourself a little more. I started running last January (2011) for the first time. I just ran my first half a little over a year later and almost finished under 2 hours. I'm currently training for my first full, which would be almost 2 years to the day that I started running. I was over 250lbs. when I first started running and certainly way out of shape.

While I'm not in great shape now, I'm down 50lbs. and have run in quite a few 5ks, a half marathon, and routinely run 15+ miles on my weekend long runs.

You can certainly do it! Set some short-term and long-term goals like others have said. Your 1st 5k. Your 1st 10k. Your 1st half. And so on and so on.

As for blogs, there's a part of this very website dedicated to people keeping their Journals. I have one as do many others. It's a great place for Disney enthusiasts to give you encouragement and keep you going when you hit the invetible lulls. It's also a great place to get those pats on the back that sometimes help push you to the next goal.

 

[WDW4us2006]

This post is exactly what I needed! All of this advice is great, I'm printing it off to keep it with me, really! I plan to start some kind of a blog tonight, I have already kept my efforts and thoughts on paper, but would love to do it online.

My program is going great so far...actually, I feel like I could do more, but not sure if I should...??

You have no idea how exciting it is to think that I really CAN do it....that reading your stories and how quickly you have met some of your goals is amazing to me. I had no idea I could accomplish things in this amount of time. I thought it would take years of extended workouts to get to a half. See what I know?

Another question for you. We are heading to WDW on August 19. I have set my goal of a 5K for the first time while I am there.....how's that for a short term goal? I think that if I can do it, I will register for a 10K in the late fall, and be totally psyched for the Princess half in 2014. Obviously, there isn't a race at WDW then. I would love to run around Crescent Lake (the BC/YC/BW area) to do it, as that is truly my favorite place on Earth. Any idea how many times around a 5K is? I know there is a runner's map of WDW, where can I find it for distances?

Thanks again for all of your encouragement, I am pumped!!

 

[BikeFan]

My program is going great so far...actually, I feel like I could do more, but not sure if I should...??

Sure you should! As long as you're not injuring yourself, keep increasing your mileage. Listen to your body and see how your recovery is after you do longer runs, but if you're recovering quickly and not experiencing nagging injuries, there's no reason NOT to push yourself harder. My 10yo just finished her first 5K in under 28 minutes, and I'm already thinking of letting her run a half with me and my son next spring.

You have no idea how exciting it is to think that I really CAN do it....that reading your stories and how quickly you have met some of your goals is amazing to me. I had no idea I could accomplish things in this amount of time. I thought it would take years of extended workouts to get to a half. See what I know?

That's a common problem - too many people let themselves get intimidated by the task. Don't hold yourself back! You can totally do these things. I remember when I used to think 10 miles was practically impossible, but these days, it's just another long training run. Most people have far more inner-strength than they even realize, or take the time to develop and use.

 

[cewait]

This post is exactly what I needed! All of this advice is great, I'm printing it off to keep it with me, really! I plan to start some kind of a blog tonight, I have already kept my efforts and thoughts on paper, but would love to do it online.

My program is going great so far...actually, I feel like I could do more, but not sure if I should...??

You have no idea how exciting it is to think that I really CAN do it....that reading your stories and how quickly you have met some of your goals is amazing to me. I had no idea I could accomplish things in this amount of time. I thought it would take years of extended workouts to get to a half. See what I know?

Another question for you. We are heading to WDW on August 19. I have set my goal of a 5K for the first time while I am there.....how's that for a short term goal? I think that if I can do it, I will register for a 10K in the late fall, and be totally psyched for the Princess half in 2014. Obviously, there isn't a race at WDW then. I would love to run around Crescent Lake (the BC/YC/BW area) to do it, as that is truly my favorite place on Earth. Any idea how many times around a 5K is? I know there is a runner's map of WDW, where can I find it for distances?

Thanks again for all of your encouragement, I am pumped!!

Most definitely, increase. But keep your weekly increases to no more than 10% a week. Its a rule of thumb but it will lower the injury risk dramatically.

http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/fullscreen/104975217/

This link is a map that I run regularly. It is the Boardwalk 5k that I run anytime I am in the area... and on the Friday before the marathon. The course loops the lake, then runs to DHS and then loops the lake again. Oh, I try to turn around about where the Christmas Tree is located in the satellite photo. Any closer to the gate and one generally feels like there are eyes on them.

Run it early, before folks get up and plug the way. You will see CM washing the boardwalk, rabbit animatronics (I swear they are as they do not move) and beware of the probable spider web as you cross under the underpass.

 

[JCH]

I don't know if you picked 2014 because of financial reasons or vacation days, but I seriously urge you to aim for 2013. From experience, it is so easy to slack off when there isn't a race in front of you. If you are going to wait until 2014, plan some 10k races in between at intervals that will not allow you to take a month off. A year and a half is a long time to stray away from the course.

 

[JennyDrake]

Hey good for you! I am/was in a similar situation. I started running at age 46 for the first time EVER last summer to do the F&W 5K. I was/am height/weight proportionate but I also have asthma and only 40% lung capacity. I found Galloway's program to be a good reference, but it was WAY out of my league. (Ex: My first time out I could not go fast than a 24 minute mile without wheezing.) FOR ME interval running was the answer.

 

[Ebeezy]

I agree with everyone who says that you should aim for a race in 2013. Honestly, you have more than enough time to get ready for the 2013 princess half. even if is not the that race aim for another half.. Waiting 2 years to run a half, allows for a person to get lazy with their training.. You will definitely have enough time to train and finish a half marathon in 2013 especially now.

 

[Momto2PrncChrmgs]

Good for you, you can definitely do it!!

I'm signing up for my first at the Disney 1/2 in January, 2013. My DH has been trying to get me to do a 1/2 for years (he's actually the race director for one around here) and I've resisted, joking that if I ever did one it would be in Disney, and I'd be wearing a tiara...well, we picked our week for vacation next year and found out it was marathon weekend. I think it's a sign! I've done 5k's, 5 milers and one 10k, but I do WAY more walking than jogging. I'm super excited to start training for January and work up to running at least 2/3's of it. If you go to the rundisney website and click on the Jeff Galloway link, it has training schedules for the different races. I'm going to start the couch to 1/2 this evening!

Best of luck with your training, and make sure to post your blog so I can follow you!!

 

[kmg148]

I too think you should aim for 2013! The training program doesn't start for a couple months, so if you can work on running/walking around 10 miles a week until it starts you will have a great base!

 

[bunnyfoo]

Hope your training is going well Linda! I've done a post on my blog for running in the summer and hot weather. I thought it might be helpful for you or someone else. You can find it here.