older newbie

I would like to say hi to everyone, over the last few days I have been reading posts on the forums and have taken the plunge to sign up. I am new to excerise in general, only about 6-8 weeks ago I started going out for so called jogs with a friend as we decided to sign up to do a 5k. Well our jogs were more of walks and talks with about 5 minutes if that of jogging over a 3 mile walk. We did do our race and came in at 40mins I know not good but, we were not last and we did finish it, even though we did walk a part of it. On the whole we did more jogging than all of our so called training lol.

The thing is, now I have done the race I feel that I want to carry on and follow a proper c25k plan, I actually enjoy getting out there, yes I have many aches and pains but with the slight changes I already have noticed, body shape etc its all worth it. This week I have done two small attempts 1 mile distance run/walk with my young son, today managed to jog full half mile (very slowly) a few seconds rest then back, did have to walk for a short while but already doing more than I have before.

Can anyone tell me anything about the Gymboss minimax as I was thinking of getting one to help with timing could by a watch but at the moment its early days so thought a Gymboss might be the best for now, any advice would be great. Look forward to starting to chat to you all.

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Comments

  • Hi there welcome, can't offer any advice on the gymboss, but well done on completing your first race. It doesn't matter if you had to walk part of it because you did it which is more than lots of people. As you keep up with your training you will get faster and manage longer stints, and soon you'll be running all the way.
  • Never heard of a gymboss before but I have googled it and it would appear to be an interval timer .. pretty much a cooking timer on an armband  image

    I would say for the £16 odd that they are asking for this piece of plastic you could buy a cheap sports watch with a lap counter/timer and still be able to wear it day to day

    All you really need to do is time your minutes, one minute on/one minute off or whatever, plenty of time for buying gadgets that you dont really need image

    Invest your money in good shoes and a good sports bra

  • ChimneyChimney ✭✭✭

    Well done. 

    It's a dangerous thing you've started to do, 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon, Ultra

    I came late to the party, in my early 40's. In three years I went from not doing any running at all to a 40mile run. I've been doing 3/4 mara's a year and various other races ever since.

    When I started I had no plan, just ran until knackered, walked until recovered, ran until knackered. It worked to a certain extent. As soon as I started on a structured plan for a specific race I increased everything that needed to be increased and decreased everything that needed to be decreased, no-brainer.

    Welcome and enjoy. And keep away from any Ultra discussionsimage

    If reality matched intention I'd know I was dreaming
  • Chimney it is a dangerous thing, I have been looking at half marathons, why I dont know cant even run a mile yet lol, hubby just rolls his eyes at me and says I will end up killing myself. Might have to prove him wrong we will see. if nothing else I should be healthier. M...eldy never thought of it as a cooking timer but yes suppose it is, will have a look at the cheaper end of watches will invest in better trainers once I can do the c25k as just bought some for now maybe a treat for when I complete it, as for sports bra did buy one from Matalan, yes I know no way near the best but better than without for now. Need to get christmas out the way first before I spend proper money just incase I give up, which I hope I dont.

    And Hi Peter Young I was pleased with finishing after years of doing nothing it was a small achievement and hope to go on and do more. I go out in the evenings when its dark so people cant see me struggle lol so hopefully by the time spring comes round I should be able to look like a  'proper runner' lol  like the ones I see when walking the dog, the ones who make it look so cool and easy and effortless.

    Any other help and addvice would be really welcome. If I can follow a plan until christmas then I thought maybe join our local running group, I do know someone in it and have thought many times of joining, but want to be able to do a couple of miles without dying in front of strangers first.

  • Good for you Soniamarie - C25k seems a really good way to star being a bit more 'serious'.  A couple of tips: take it slowly (if I understand it you are carrying a bit of extra weight?) - allow yourself plenty of recovery time while your body adapts.  When you train, be more concerned to spend time on your feet than worrying about how many metres you have run.  Improvements will come in fits and starts - don't get discouraged if progress seems patchy and some days you feel slower than you were a week ago.  It happens.  Just keep at it; it will come in time if you persist.

    Don't worry about what other people think - 'proper runners' had to start somewhere too, and you'll generally find them very supportive.

    Best of luck with your plan.

  • Well done - just to say my wife did a 5k and took 46 minutes and wasn't last, her friend did 56 minutes - its not about the time its actually about getting out and making the improvements to your life that you have made - so well done to you and keep it up.  And yes get a proper schedule it will pay dividends.

  • Well done on doing a 5k. If it helps your time was faster than mine and I have been doing this now for 8 weeks (but I started from a hugely unfit state where I couldnt even manage 100 yards without feeling sick) - it's not the time that matters, as everyone says, it's the getting out the door and doing it that counts!

    I found My Asics website helpful in giving me a focus and plan, and I bought the cheapest garmin watch I could find at around £90 and that really helps me to see my improvement - quite often I would beat myself up over a 'bad' run only to find I had increased distnace or speed.

    Good luck and let us know how it goes.

    image

  • never too late to start! i started running a couple of years ago in my mid forties and have progressed to half and full marathons

    I friend of mine is in her early 60's and only started running 3 years ago!

    well done for finishing your 5k, and thats the key, you finished it, doesnt matter about if you walked or how long it took.

    C25K is a very good start. I would recommend you take a look to see if there is a parkrun near you also as there will be lots of people there in the same boat, and everyone will be happy to help you.

  • Is this just cleverly disguised spam? A new poster talks about jogging and in an opening post mentions some product that we have all never heard of. Already some people googling this new product. 

  • Sussex, it's not new just not really a running product imho. As M...eldy says it's basicaly an interval timer (I use/d my for my core/back excercises).

  • thanks everyone for words of encouragement its nice to talk to people who are or have been there, bit of knee problems at the moment, not sure if its just normal after not doing any excerise for many years or not so have an appointment with gp next week just to make sure I'm not doing all this with any major knee complaints. No jogging tonight but 3 hours of jiving in my book is still excerise.

    As for the gymboss timer thing if anyone has used one if they could let me know what they are like as thinking of ordering one, I have looked at watches but at the moment think I best leave it a little while. There are two plans that I may follow one is a timer method thats why I was looking at the gymboss, the other is the Asics which goes by distance which to be honest I would not have a clue how to work out how far I have run, would need to plan it all out before going out. Just hope the weather over the weekend holds out so that I can get out there but home next week so hope to plan some routes so I dont get bored. As for parkruns there are none in my area image

  • Hi soni, have a look at the bupa website I really found there plans good to work with. I started the begjners marathon when I was quite new to running had basic gear and tbh wasnt really ready for it! They are easy to follow and startes uskng times rather that distance. By the time I got to sectilns with distences and more indept stuff id been seduced by running had better trainers and splashed out on a garmin fore runner! Keep up the good work!!!!!!
  • I'm half way though a C25K at the mo, being brand new to running, and I'm using the Go Couch to 5K iphone app, which was only £2.49, and records your pace and distance as well as coaching you through. It's quite basic, but it serves my purposes really well at the moment; I'll upgrade to something more compeehensive once I've been running a bit longer. The NHS does a free C25K plan via podcast if iphones aren't your thing, and my friends who follow that say it's really good too. IMHO, it's best to go for a really cheap/ free option when you're just starting out, and give yourself time to understand what motivates you and how much coaching you need before investing in anything more 'serious'.

  • thanks for that MrsMcnab I have had a look at the nhs podcast will have to wait for my  son to come home and sort it all out for me lol I'm not computer minded at all and still usless with my smart phone, anyway it sounds like it might be just the thing I need at the moment. I can understand when people say dont rush out buying things and best wait for a couple of months to see if I carry on, which I hope to but guess depands on what sort of winter we have as I wont go out in the ice/snow clumsey as hell I am will end up breaking something. Not joined a gym either so will have to try and excerise some other way.

     

  • Or just do what I did, buy a really expensive watch, and then think I have to go out and run to somehow justify the cost of the watchimage 

  • thats another way to look at it booktrunk just wait to see what doctors have to say about me knees when I go on Tuesday.

     

  • That's what I have done aswell...spent a fortune on a watch, shoes and some entry fees for races to keep me commited!! Good luck with the dr's and training....I am very new to running and absolutely loving it!! 

  • thanks everyone, I am so tempted to go for a garmin fr60 with heart monitor and the foot pod thingy intstead of the gymboss the way I'm looking at it is I would still want the watch in a couple of months anyway, so why waste money on a temporary device, but going to hold of until I have been to drs as long as he says its ok for me to start the c25k then I will order the watch, an early xmas pressie image.

    Have had a rest today from running as yesturday out at dancing lessons, 3 hours of jiving was just as good as any work out.That said did miss not going out, even though its just a short jog/walk.  Just hope the weather gives us a bit of break tomorrow so I can do my normal little route. Not heard from my running friend so not sure if she will carry on or not, dont like to pester people just because I have found something that I like doing. My daughter keeps saying that I look a bit happier now that I have found something that I like doing, or should say try to do lol  even if its not for everyone.

  • soniamarie wrote (see)

    thanks everyone, I am so tempted to go for a garmin fr60 with heart monitor and the foot pod thingy intstead of the gymboss the way I'm looking at it is I would still want the watch in a couple of months anyway, so why waste money on a temporary device, but going to hold of until I have been to drs as long as he says its ok for me to start the c25k then I will order the watch, an early xmas pressie image.

    Have had a rest today from running as yesturday out at dancing lessons, 3 hours of jiving was just as good as any work out.That said did miss not going out, even though its just a short jog/walk.  Just hope the weather gives us a bit of break tomorrow so I can do my normal little route. Not heard from my running friend so not sure if she will carry on or not, dont like to pester people just because I have found something that I like doing. My daughter keeps saying that I look a bit happier now that I have found something that I like doing, or should say try to do lol  even if its not for everyone.

    ....welcome to the dark side imageimage...

  • Hi Sonia, I have only been running for a little while too and I am currently on week 5 of the NHS C25k podcasts. I also go out running once a week to do a 5k walk/run with my son. Really looking forward to following your journey. I have the Garmin forerunner 10 watch which I got on eBay for about £50 it's quite basic but does everything I need it to do. My only bit of advice would be if you want to spend any money spend it on a correct pair of proper running shoes. Good luck with the doctors hopefully your GP will encourage any exercise 

  • spent all evening with hubby trying to download the nhs podcasts to my ipod, managed to get the first couple of weeks dont know how we done it and cant seem to do the rest of them, so frustated. All hubby keeps saying is you dont need it anyway, just go out and run till your knackard then walk for a while. He just doesnt understand, does he. lol

     

  • Thats a shame Sonia, sorry can't help much with the ipod I got my daughters boyfriend to sort mine out, if you really cant get all the other weeks maybe you could just download the .pdf document and use the timings but play your own music, it may not be as easy as having someone tell you when to run and walk but you can be assured that the music will be more to your own taste image There is also an app for the iphone from cool running's website that is the same timings but I have an android phone so haven't tried it.

    Good luck which ever way you decide to go the most important thing is that you just keep going now that you have come so far

  • Mummysaurus I did wonder about the music, but for now its the timings I need so I have something to go by and its free. I do have an android phone so may see whats available on that but dont have anywhere to put my phone so prefer to leave it at home for the time being.

    If the weather stays dry today, at the moment its sunny I will be able to start my day 1 week 1 of the eight week plan. I know I should go out there now but I have only ever gone out after it gets dark when I finish work, less people see me and no comments lol must pluck up the courage and just get out there, maybe do an early morning run at weekends. I might even take the dog for the runs this week, she is overweight so could loose a bit and needs the excerise, depands if she spends more time sniffing than walking/runing.

    Anyone else take there dogs with them, is it a good idea or do they hold you back I know not at the begining but as you progress through the weeks training, just wondering.

     

  • Sonia just had a look on my phone and found I have an app called Pocket Casts it was a free app and you can download all 9 weeks of the NHS 5k podcasts so hopefully that will work for youimage

    I am also a bit like you, I don't really like running around my own area but I have gained more confidence as the weeks have gone by but I always take my phone just incase I have a problem........I tried once and only once to run with my dog he was a nightmare I couldn't concentrate on my form or breathing and he nearly tripped me over several times so until I have the time to train him to run along without sniffing we will be keeping dog walking as a separate pastime to running.

  • went to the doctors today, been diagnosed with Osteoarthritis of the knees, I asked him about  jogging which he did not recommend but suggested I take up swimming, which doesn't help me cause I cant swim.  He said I could try and jog gently/lightly how the hell I do that god knows.  I have googled OA and excerise and seems a bit mixed on whats best to do some sites say jogging wont cause anymore damage and others dont recommend it. I think I may still give it a go might not be looking at marathons lol but for gentl excerise.  Armed with creams and pain killers will see how it goes for a little while and if the condition worsens will have to rethink things through. He did say physo etc maybe something to consider but pain killers and cream for now.

    Any suggestions, anyone with the same condition and still jog, if so how do you cope with the pain etc. Please remember I am new to this and was going to start properly the c25k and hope to do more races next year. Or should I just stop and look for another form of excerise.

  • Grass or treadmills? Gentler than roads.

    you could always learn to swim. I'm in my 40s but I had my first swimming lessons this year. You are never to old to learn, it's no different from learning to run. 

  • Sonia I also have OA in both my knees image and at 54 I am not exactly the greatest candidate for starting running my GP was more than a bit surprised that i wanted to start but even he said that as long as I took it slowly and ran with correct form I was unlikely to cause any more damage than I would cause by walking. I agree with booktrunk good to run on grass or treadmill. For me I do not heel strike but land more forefoot and find this causes far less impact on my knees in fact since I started I have not had any knee problems, but I guess losing weight may have had something to do with that.

  • thanks booktrunk, think I will still give the jogging a try if it causes to many problems will have to rethink, will try jogging on grass and see how that goes.

    Have often thought of learning to swim, feel a bit too old lol very late 40s. Dont have the time at the moment as self employed and not enough hours in the day, thats why jogging would be ideal, no planning as such and can be fitted in as and when the time allows, no time for fixed times and classes.

     

  • Soniamarie, I have had some knee problems, including microfracture surgery a couple of years ago.  The things that were helpful were -

    losing weight 

    realising I had a vitamin D deficiency - this affects mood, energy, pain levels and recovery.  It is also surprisingly common.

    general strengthening of core and legs to protect the knees better

    building distance and speed very slowly

    treating niggles quickly with ice, stretches, rehabilitation exercise if necessary and (as little as possible) anti-inflammatories.  NEVER before a session, and never in order to do a session.

    Of course, your problems may not be the same as mine, but for what it's worth when I started I could only go for a few minutes, a couple of years on and I have run 1400 miles in the last 12 months**, including a marathon and a 56k run.  So give it a try and see how you feel in a few more weeks.

    **but not very fast image

      

  • If it helps I had a new ACL 6 years ago and when I took up with this running lark (8 weeks and 2 days ago) I got the most awful knee pain.....went to a physio and it was an inflammed fat pad (nope, I hadnt heard of it either) - had some ultrasound, ice bag after every run and cut back on mileage. (Well, from 3 miles to 2 miles, let's not get acrried away!)

    Also bought a foam roller.....and yes, ibuprofen after a run if it niggled.

    Not had knee pain for 6 weeks now....but I still foam roller and ice....

    Losing weight - yes, that's a goal of mine....

    Soniamarie - dont know if that helps. We are all different and my diagnosis is not yours, but dont give up!

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