Beginner at jogging
 

I have wanted to become a runner for quite some time. However, I am so intimidated by it. I have begun to walk six miles a day and am hoping that this will get me in enough shape to be able to jog half of it. I was just looking for some words of advice since I am starting out.
Also there is a 5K in my hometown this September. Is it unreasonable to think that if I begin now I might be able to participate? Thanks.

Couch to 5K-Best program on the web.
Start incorporating some jogging into your walks now. There really is not much carry-over between walking and jogging/running. You use the leg muscles in different ways and you don't have to deal with impact forces when walking.

Doing a 5K in Sept. is very doable, even a 10K is not out of the question.
Good luck.

Shannon,

I am pretty new to jogging also- just the last couple of weeks in fact. I have never purposefully jogged before and never thought I would, but I want to increase my calorie burn so decided to go for it. :)

When I started exercising I started by walking on a treadmill at a low 3.0-3.5 pace for an hour. To start with I was walking about 2 miles. I gradually increased my pace until I was walking at 4.1 and was walking 4 miles in an hour. I needed to get my endurance level up because I had not been active for so long.

I recently started adding jogging to my workout. At first I would walk 5 minutes and then jog 2-3 minutes and during an hour workout 20 minutes of it would be jogging. Today I alternated 5 minutes walking, 5 minutes jogging and was jogging for 30 minutes of the workout and went 4.5 miles. I plan to keep increasing my jogging time gradually until I run longer blocks of time without having to slow down as often. Then I will work on increasing my speed a bit more. Right now I jog pretty slowly (a 4.8 on the treadmill) but it feels great to know that I can do that.

I think if you gradually add jogging intervals in you will get where you want to be. Just listen to your bodies signals and be sure to warm up, cool down, and stretch.

beginner at jogging
 

Thanks so much for the guidance handcycle and terrienne.
I am excited to give it a try today! Thanks again!

Shannon,

I'm a late in life jogger / runner, and can't recommend it enough. I didn't think I could run a mile, and the first time I realized I had done a ten minute mile, I couldn't believe it - I just finished five of them this morning, and while that is high for endurance for me, it was not the speed that challenged.

The runner's high is real (I'm on it right now) enjoy this gift!

Abby

I've found that the runner's high only kicks in after I'm in sufficient shape. First I have to overcome the suffering of getting into condition. In fact when I was a tub-o-lard, it took me three months of running until I finally started to get into condition and experience the affect. :cool:

But I prefer the biker's high because it lasts for longer (I can easily go all out on the bike for 3X as long).

Hi Shannon, congratulations on six miles walking everyday.
That is a great start to prepare yourself for running. I ran for a few years and started off slowly. My initial target was ten minutes, and it took me a few weeks to start increasing that. I ran a half marathon just over a year later, so a 5k is definitely doable. To begin with I used to run in the park, eventually I ran around the streets. I found that the thought of running made me very self conscious, but once I started I was so focused that I didn't care what anyone thought.
Make sure you invest in a decent pair of running shoes, and take a water bottle with you. Take it easy, and good luck.

Keep your body upright, without tensing up, while running and look straight ahead instead of bending down. Don’t stoop your shoulders, or your upper & lower back, as it causes more strain on your neck. Keep your arms relaxed, without clenching your fists, and allow for a smooth movement that goes in tune with your strides.

Ditto to the C25k. I did that a few years ago and loved it. 9 weeks and you are running a 5 K. There are all kinds of apps and podcasts that can help as well. I just recently finished the pooch25K and now running with my dog 5 K 3 times a week. 5K by Sept is very do-able.