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It always strikes me as a bit of a pity that runners don't nod and wave upon passing each other the way a lot of cyclists do. 90% of the time when I see someone else out on a road bike, I'll give (and receive) a wave and maybe a "good morning," but I've never had anything except strange looks trying this on foot.
Hi Tillysue, do you have a parkrun near you? www.parkrun.com. These are free timed 5k runs in local parks all over the UK, on Saturday mornings. I guarantee you that there will be people there of all shapes and sizes and no-one will care a jot what you look like. But you will find friendly supportive runners who will encourage you in your aim. You can walk/run the course, however it fits in with your current programme.
Good luck!
Thirding the parkrun recommendation
I find that even the scary looking speedy buggers in skin tight Lycra whizzing along effortlessly will give you an encouraging grin and they were the ones I most wanted to hide from when I started. I don't think I've encountered a runner who isn't enthusiastic about new runners - more people to witter on to.
If I do get odd comments/funny looks I take great pleasure in picturing their clogged arteries, fatty organs and dead brain cells and then picture myself at 80, coming up to the finish line of a race with people saying "I want to be doing that when I'm 80!"
Good luck!
Firstly - screw 'em! I know - easier said than done - I hate it when cars beep at me!
Secondly - Couch to 5k is excellent! I love Laura! I ran for 25 minutes straight today for the first time - they work so well!
Thirdly - have you tried at night? I am not a morning person and will never get up before I have to. I sometimes run after work - at about 8-9pm when it is getting dark. Too late for commuters etc but too early for drunken idiots.
OR - join a running group - if you're not running alone you may feel more secure and less noticeable.
I'm quite sad to read some of the above comments about fellow runners. I always smile at people running past me and they normally smile and nod back. I do feel I'm part of a club! We all share our red faces and pain :S
Well done for realising you need to do something about your weight as its hard to even face up to that.
All I would say is: It comes down to how much you want it.... No lorry driver should stop you. You need to want it badly to the point where nobody gets in your way.
I get honked at and people say things about me because I dont kick back and eat junk food and drink alcohol. But I know at the end of the day I'm far stronger and fitter than they will probably ever be.
Do something for yourself, change your life and fuck all the haters....
Hi, been thinking about about you over this week. But I don't know whether other people have noticed this, but many truck drivers are overweight bevcause they sit down, most of the day, then in the pub in the evenning. The same goes for bus drivers.
Keep going gal!
I've just finished week 5 of C25k, have lost 9lb to date but am still about 2 stone overweight (currently just over 13st). Focus on how far you've come, how well you're doing and where you want to get to. Don't duck down under your cap when you're running - lift your head and flash the starers and horn-honkers a great big red-faced sweaty grin and a wave! Be proud of what you're doing, proud of your changing body shape, and let them see who you are so that when they see you again in 2 weeks or a month they can think to themselves "wow, that red-faced sweaty runner I saw a week or so ago looks better and better every time I see her!"
Who knows, your progress might inspire one of your watchers / gawkers to do the same, and then you're not a "tad overweight sweaty runner" any more - you're a role model
I pretend that they're honking at me because they think I look hot. Now I knoooow I don't - I'm red and sweaty and slow but I just smile and carry on thinking how slinky I must be looking! Lol!
I'm very lucky that when I'm out running the other runners all seem to be friendly and we have a little wave - it does feel like you're in an exclusive club! I've recently joined the running club and everyone was so nice and supportive.
Keep at it - remember no matter how slow we are or what distance we can do - we're still lapping everyone sitting on the couch!
Got super brave and put the dog in the boot and drove to the park - in the middle of the day to run!
It was fairly quiet and every walker I passed was nice, smiled and said hello. I passed one runner, and she looked at me like I was scum / didn't say hi back but then I passed a male runner and he smiled and had a great wave for me which made me feel better. So it wasn't too bad, might start running there regularly in the mornings.
Have now completed week 4 day 3 of c25k so in theory should be moving on to week 5 on monday morning but I struggled again today with the 5 minute sets, and only just managed them. So I'm thinking of repeating week 4 this week to build up my confidence before plodding onto the next week.
I'm ridiculously slow, more slow jogging than running but still a lot faster than walking and it means I can now walk the dog in the space of 30mins rather than 60 - and I can throw her in the river to cool off at the end lol
Well Done Tilly Sue. There will always be people that will give mucky looks but they dont matter as there will always be plenty of people who will encourage you.