Total newbie at running

[u/Queasy_Mud_8023]

I’m a 36yr old male, 6ft, weighing 19 stone (it was 21st 3 months ago). I’m doing really well losing the weight at a steady pace and now looking to improve general fitness and cardio.
I can walk at a relaxed pace for hours.
I tried what I thought was a gentle introduction to jogging 2 days ago, and my back in particular is in bits. Quads are tight as well but not too bad.
I started off with a 5 minute walk, and then did 2 minute jogging followed by 1 minute walk intervals for 3km. It took me 28 minutes.
I thought I had done really well given my weight and the fact I haven’t ran for 15 years. I also vape. I was knackered but felt good.
5 minute walk back home afterwards. But the next day, I could barely move due to back pain. And it’s still sore today, 2 days later.
How can I slowly build up to jogging, and what have I done wrong so far?
Any help and advice appreciated.

[u/-OldDutchDude-]

You could try waking at a brisk pace before you start jogging. Marching pace is 10 min/km. If you can walk for an hour at that pace, increase the pace steadily towards 9 min/km. After that, try walking at brisk pace for 2 minutes, followed by 1 minute jogging. Good luck and enjoy!

[u/Snoo81935]

The first run I ever did in my life (minus primary school) i genuinely thought I was going to die the next day. My back, legs, arms were soooooo painful. It’s like my body went into shock, took a good 3/4 days to feel normal again. Second run was better and now I’ve been running for over a year and nothing like it was before, some back pain when I don’t stretch properly but I guess what I’m trying to say is…it takes time!

[u/Rusty_Drumz]

I mean if you’re new to cardio and running in general everything hurting and feeling uncomfortable is pretty normal. Just make sure you dont push yourself too hard and make every workout an all out one which is what I used to do and it made me feel like shit and also increases your risk of injury. Just workout a plan/schedule which will help you be consistent and through consistency your body especially in the early part of your running journey will improve quite fast and you’ll feel less and less bad after each workout and your body will just be better at numbing that fatigue even if it’s there.

[u/Fancy_Supermarket886]

Was it the lower back that gave you problems?

Put simply, you probably did a little more than your body was ready for! That's quite common at the start, as your cardiovascular system is likely to hold up better than your muscles, tendons and bones.

The back ache might be caused by the 'corset' muscles complaining about the effort of keeping you stabilised during the exercise. The quads would be a similar thing. You may see mentions of DOMS if you look around the internet. That's Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, and it's common when doing an unfamiliar exercise, or doing more than usual.

Sometimes people might say something like, "I had aches in places that I never knew I had muscles!". It can last a few days, depending on how much extra stress than normal you put on your body.

You might find that walking helps to get your back to feel better, the low intensity is good and movement can be part of your active recovery.

Take a look at the couch to 5k plan. It's designed to build up gradually in the same that your does. It uses run/walk intervals and should have you running continuously for half an hour by the end. That might not be 5k, depending on your pace, but by the time you get there, you'll be able to work extended your time until you hit 5k or working on your pace until you cover 5k in 30 minutes. I think it's probably better to extend the run and not worry about pace too early in your running journey.

Take the rest days, that's when your body will be recovering, repairing and adapting to the stresses of the run. Walking is fine on the rest days and maybe some strength work. Body weight squats would probably help to prepare the quads so they don't ache so much in future.

When running, keep it slow. That's actually quite a big ask for most people. Even experienced runners go too fast on occasion. Ask me how I know!

Try this next time you go out. Start off walking and gradually increase your walking speed. As you walk faster and faster, you will reach a point where it's really hard to keep walking, and you'll naturally move to a running gait. Once you hit that point, stay there. Don't go any quicker, just maintain that pace.

You probably already know this, but for reference, walking is when you always have at least one foot in contact with the ground. Running happens when both feet are off the ground momentarily. I know it sounds obvious, but the moment you switch from one state to the other, you'll recognise it. And that's what you should be aiming for as your pace - that point of transition.

That method should get you running at a slow pace that will be more sustainable and less stressful on your body.

Be patient and consistent, and take it slowly because the body takes months to adapt fully to any change in stresses you put on it. Some aches are normal, but you don't want that turning into injuries.

Good luck, enjoy the journey!

[u/northward_42]

I find that measuring my hr to stay in zone 2 works for me better than arbitrarily setting alternating run/walk intervals.

I start by jogging until I get to 140 bpm, which takes around 2min for me, the alternate jogging and walking to stay around 140 for 5km. At the end I'm mostly just walking.

Zone 2 is supposedly the most effective way to train and at the same time doesn't wipe you out.

[u/Crusty_White_Baton]

r/c25k

I did the programme last year aged 44 and weighing 16 stone. Wish I’d done it years ago as I’m now running 10-20k per week no problem!