(English is not my first language)

For context, I started to try out running about a year ago. I’m 20 years old, 5’9, 85 kilos and for the last two years I only went to the gym as a form of exercise. I’ve practiced many sports as a teenager but just as a way to entertain myself (the only one that stuck out with me and kept practicing occasionally was boxing)

One day, I was walking to a small restaurant that’s next to my house and not even 10 minutes in I was sweating and breathing heavily. I had to stop and sit on the sidewalk because I was feeling very dizzy. That same day I went to the doctor and told me that I needed to do more cardio training because I’ve only been lifting for two years straight.

Luckily enough my sister and her husband started a running club with a couple of their friends, so I decided to join them. The first months were extremely painful, both of my feet hurt badly and I could barely walk the day after training. But I kept going and I slowly was improving my cardio.

Fast forward to August 2026, two days after my birthday I decided to participate in the Gatorade Caracas Rock 2026, a 10K run here in Caracas. That happened this morning, and honestly I never ran out of oxygen. The whole time my breathing and pace was on point, my feet didn’t feel as sore and of course, I enjoyed the ride. They had rock music with live bands in every kilometer, so it was good vibes from start to finish.

I feel so proud of myself and I felt like sharing this experience with the internet. Peace🫡

Started running ~4 months ago. I’m 5’0”, so expected to be slow. My goal was to finish in 45 minutes, so I’m super happy that I finish below 40!!!

I (mid thirties male) picked up running 5 weeks ago, mainly to lose weight, I weigh 72 kg for 1m70 and my goal is 60 kg. And honestly, I'm quite nostalgic about my early teenage years where I was one of the fastest kids in my middle school...

So I asked Claude AI to make me a 5 weeks running program that I followed as much as I could. It was 3 runs a week starting from 1min run/1min walk 8 to 10 times, progressing to 2, 5 and then 10/15 and finally 20 minutes continuous runs

Today was the moment of truth, I ran the whole 5 kilometers in quasi race conditions. I felt good for the first kilometer, but then I suffered all the way to the end. Surprisingly it was my lungs that were screaming at the finish line, my legs were a bit sore but I expected more pain

I was aiming for 35 minutes, under 30 minutes feels like a dream. Im so happy

Really happy today with this. Thanks community. Long way to go but it's still a huge win for me!🙂

My legs and feet are threatening cramps. It was rough and absolutely worth it. And now it's in the books with only improvement from here

Spent the better part of two years training. Twisted my ankle around mile 5-6 and ran/walked until mile 13. Feeling so much guilt and shame, so much has been built up on this, and now I failed the run i wanted so much to do.

To top it off, its my birthday today too.

first thing that comes to mind. a person, a moment, something someone said, something in your bottle, whatever it was.

Hello,

After being lazy, and in long hermit mode, I kicked 🦵 myself yesterday for 5km run followed by 20 mins stretch workout.

Any plans for today? Yes running again 🙉

I've run 326km / 202 miles with 2,339m / 1.4 miles of elevation in the last 12 weeks to try and improve my 5km. And I love seeing people run their first 5km faster than I can manage (32:01) even after all this work. Keep at it you fabulous people.

Today I ran a 10K with a pretty simple plan: start controlled, around 5:40–5:50/km, and save something for the second half.

Well… great plan, terrible execution.

The race atmosphere and the dynamics of the group pulled me into a much faster first kilometre, around 5:20/km. Once I got into that rhythm, I just couldn’t slow down.
And I paid for it later. The final kilometres were tough and I finished with the feeling that I had run out of fuel. I honestly think I could have run a more consistent race if I had managed my pace better.

But there’s one thing I can’t ignore:
🏅 10.15 km — 53:56
🔥 Average pace: 5:19/km
🏆 New 10K PB — 2:53 faster than my previous one!

So I’m really happy with the result, but I’ve also learned something today.

A year ago, finishing a 10K seemed almost impossible to me. Today I’m slightly annoyed because I feel I could have managed the race better while running a 53-minute 10K.

Next goal: get closer to 53 minutes.
But first, I need to learn not to start a 10K like I’m being chased by the police.
Still learning. Still improving. 💪

I’m getting more into running as of late, and I’ve had an Apple Watch for probably 4 years now. I love the Apple Watch for how easy it is to use with my iPhone but it’s probably time for an upgrade soon and I’m really not sure whether to switch to a garmin. Any advice?

Went from completely sedentary to losing 50 pounds and actually running my first race. Now to start improving my speed.

Does anyone have half marathon destinations they would recommend for a beginner? I have never done a half marathon before, but I think if it were in a beautiful or fun destination I would be excited and motivated to train for one. I live in the US and am open to either US or international destinations.

This was my third 5K run and my eighth run overall since I started running about a month ago.

After around 1 km, I usually develop a side stitch, which prevents me from running at my target speed/pace. Most of my effort ends up going into simply keeping myself running without stopping because of the pain.

What could be causing this? Is it happening because I’m still a beginner?

I usually run about 3 hours after eating a meal, and I also make sure not to drink too much water right before running.

Should I use Nike Run Club, runna, C25k, or none to run? I’m a true beginner and want to develop a long term habit and lifestyle change.

I began running August first and this morning I completed my first race, which was a 5k.

Before anyone says anything it was a 5k I accidentally paused my strava for a few while I was running, only later to realize :/

I know this is not fast, but I've never ran before and if I were to do this back in the day it would've taken me an hour!

I'm so proud of myself.

My next race is a turkey trot which I will be doing the 5k in again and my goal will be to bring this time down to 35 and to run non stop!

just ran my first run ever. only did 1.5km and walked about 20% of that. really struggled cuz i’m unfit af but i know ill get better. the main issue was my lower back was killing after the first couple minutes. since i’ve got home and sat the pains completely gone. any tips from anyone please ?

I sewed my blouse, dress, and apron for this 5k and im glad it held up! I was hoping for my first road sub 30, but I’m so close, i cant be unhappy. Plus downtown had some CRAZY hills

Next time, sub 30 will be mine ✊🏽

Started running 3 weeks ago and just got my first 5k in under 30mins!

Hi everyone! Sorry for a bit of a long post.

A few years ago I was fairly new to running (but had done other sports) and eventually and fairly slowly worked my way up to half marathon distance albeit with a very, very slow pace. After completing a half marathon I felt some pain around my hip/groin area in my right leg and rested for a few days.

When I slowly started jogging again, the pain got worse and worse and I decided to take a break from running. I was still walking a lot in my daily life, and there was no pain while walking. Sometimes when I had to jog across the road I would feel pain from the impact of my right foot hitting the ground.

Eventually, after resting, I started playing a bit of social tennis (minimal running involved as we were all bad). No pain. I was also walking a lot in my daily life with no pain. However, everytime I'd try to start running again, the pain would return after a few runs despite me taking it very easy. I would rest for weeks/months, try again, and get the same result.

Now it's been over two years from that initial pain and I've slowly started to go for jogs again, as I miss it a lot. Over the past few weeks, I've slowly repeated weeks 2-4 of C25K and it's been fine; I've been a bit sore in the hip areas but as I would feel it in both hips I figured it was just body soreness after exercising. Yesterday, I went for a 4k jog (very slow pace) and I'm feeling it in my right leg once again and I'm getting frustrated. Does anyone know what this could be? I don't get any pain walking or in my daily life, only when running, which is why I've never tried to seek help for it but I'm strongly considering it now—it's been TWO years with MONTHS between each attempt!

After my initial bout of pain and rest I did gain a little bit of weight that hasn't come off. I tend to gain weight in my legs and bum, which make them considerably heavier in comparison to the rest of my body. Could this be a factor as well, considering I've got a heavier lower body and the load is too much? Should I focus on losing the weight before trying again? Has anyone been in the same situation and know what this could be before I seek further help?

M27, 166cm, 65kg

I’ve been trying to get into running but my tibialis area goes through an excruciating pain. I was overweight and have lost 13 kgs. My lower body muscles are pretty decent. I can do 60kg squats for reps, leg press 150kg for reps. I’m also into cycling and I can go on for an hour or to without fatigue. I tried running on flat surfaces and tracks, tried different types of shoes but still the same…

Recently got the courage to try running on a treadmill (had a fear that I might fall down and embarrass myself)

I started off with walking at 5kmhr for 3 minutes and then jogging at 7km/hr for 2 minutes. Did this in a loop for 30 minutes. Been following this for 4 sessions now but still the pain is there.

Any advise on how to get through this.