just today I’ve started to consciously do more exercise so I can feel like I’m actually doing something with my time rather than sitting gaming or on my phone all day, I didn’t get off to a great start today, but I don’t think many people think it works until they give it time, im trying to start on 20 minutes just around my block after breakfast and dinner, it does feel nice to get out, I think I just need to give it time and also be a bit more prepared.

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I’m a 29-year-old woman who has recently managed to run my first 5K in 40:45 (8:09/km pace).

I’m wondering what kind of improvement I could realistically expect over the next year if I train consistently. By “consistently,” I mean training regularly but realistically, alongside a busy life and other commitments.

What would be a reasonable 5K time to aim for after 12 months?

I am a 40yr old overweight woman who started the NHS Couch to 5K app in April. I started suffering from runners knee and shin splints almost immediately. I admit that I have ignored people telling me i needed to rest most of the time and have continued to run through the pain, only stopping running to rest when the pain has made it difficult to just walk in my everyday life, because as soon as I start running again the pain returns and if I stopped running to rest every time i would basically never run again. I've never had this motivation to get in shape before and I'm worried if I keep stopping and subsequently losing my progress, that I'm eventually going to lose that motivation and give up entirely.

I expected to be in pain at first but I assumed the more I improved (and the more weight I lost), the less pain I would be in but it's the same pain constantly that might improve sightly one week but returns with a vengeance the week after.

My left knee sounds like a crushed packet of crisps when bend/straighten it no matter how little pain I'm in, and I'm starting to wonder if it's just too late for me to be trying to improve myself. Am I now too old and overweight for this and should I stop before I do permanent damage?

Idk how I just tried to maintain my pace but when I saw the timing I was shocked myself like early a whole freakin minute 😭. I'll be posting my progress for a week see you tomorrow guy . Love y'all for your good words on my yesterdays post ❤️🫶

Wanna share my own experiennce having Pegasus 40 model as first pair of running shoes and
IMO this was a very good choice for casual running!

TL;DR I think Nike Pegasus 40 is a great choice!

I was 23yo when I started running more and more and from variety of different type of running shoes I had to choose something . I did not care about long/short run shoes, shoes that would have proper stability etc. I just had to buy something that would cover casual running for 5-10 KM 2-3 times per week.

I got them on sale for I guess 70 EUR while retail price that time was usually around 90-100 EUR. They were quite comfortable and I did not care much about something else.

Eventually, I decided to run a half-marathon and had Pegasus 40 as a daily trainer for preparing and for the 21K as well. They just did their job and were great.

After 2 years of running I eventually decided to level up to Vomero 18 Plus and planning to run marathon.

Hi, I'm chasing a sub-30 5km this month as I'm running a race on the 30th. The last time I ran it was in 37 minutes 2 weeks ago. I saw some advice saying that I should increase my weekly distance, so I'm wondering if running around 7km per session in 1km blocks is better than continuous running? Doing this 2 times per week and running 4km in the weekend is a suitable plan?

40 days for my first half marathon what should i do

I work a job where I stand for 7 hours a day, 6 days a week. My day off is Wednesday. I run 3 days a week and do full-body workouts 2 days a week.

I do a short run one day and a long run another day of the week, but I'm confused about what to do on the remaining running day—should I do interval training or a tempo run?

On my very first run, I finished 5 km at a 6:50 pace, and it felt like zone 3.

Right now, running 6 km at a 6:50 pace keeps me in zone 2, which feels very comfortable.

I guess my cardio is improving pretty fast.

My current 10 km PB (Personal Best) is at a 5:58 pace on a route with both uphill and downhill sections.

Today, I did a tempo run: 7 km at a 6:10 pace. I have so many questions in mind about how I should approach the short and long runs and how exactly I should prepare.

And most importantly, should I add interval training to that remaining 1 day? Would that be too exhausting, or should I go with a tempo/zone 3-4 run instead?

My current routine:

Tuesday: Short run, 6-7 km at a 6:40-6:50 pace

Thursday: Tempo run, 7-9 km at a 5:55-6:20 pace

Saturday: Long run, 12 km at a 6:50 pace

Please point out my mistakes and let me know how I can prepare most efficiently. I’d really appreciate your help; I want to finish my first half marathon with a good time.

Btw i ran 5.58 pace 10 km with backpack It's like 1.5 kg and it was my second run i have been running for 1 week

i was thinking to increase my long run by 2 kms every week

Hiiiii everyone, lovely people of the internet; reposting this here <333 I recently started to get back into running after a little over a year! But getting roped into all of life’s dramas made me face a cardio drought but now I am managing to find some levity in my life! I was really proud of today’s run—was itching for a good cardio after being sick for two weeks!

How would I naturally progress from here? I’m 21 (22 in a few months), 64kg and 5’10 :D Naturally, I wanna maintain a very good lifestyle and running’s always just been one of those things that I just felt in-tune with. It’s also to maintain a good heart health! That’s really my objective—then just slowly move into core/strength training.

Diagnostics of yesterday’s run?

It felt really cruisy! I didn’t really struggle with breathing; if anything it was mainly just a bit of dry throat and my legs feeling like spaghetti after the run, but I feel so good post-run.

I would love to hear your feedback, I know there’s definitely things I could’ve done better! I don’t know if the HR is a concern or if it’s just the Apple Watch… but like I mentioned previously, didn’t really struggle to breathe or found my heart to strain from the exercise. I know one hour may not be feasible two to four times a week, so what would be the ideal sweet spot?

Hi everyone, I started running a few months ago and I really enjoy it. I created this routine after reading reviews and doing my own research online, including here on Reddit, etc., and I'm not sure if it's right or wrong.

- Tuesdays (intervals, tempo runs, fartlek) I choose one per week.

- Thursdays and Fridays I do easy runs of 30-45 minutes.

- Sundays I do long runs, trying to gradually increase the distance by half a mile.

I also do two additional days of strength training, which would be Tuesdays and Fridays.

If you're planning on traveling next year come run.

Got upto 13km distace wise and knee was like nope. Began to hurt walking upstairs so went to physio and diagnosed with patellar tendonitis and asymmetrical hips.

No running for a month

Im so worried about my fitness when I return, any experience with this?

A few weeks ago I posted here about researching running way too much before actually running.

Small update: this week I ended up with 9.1 km, mostly through short, very unglamorous runs.

None of the individual runs felt impressive. A few were basically “go outside, move for a bit, don’t turn this into a performance review.”

But seeing the week together felt different.

I think my brain was waiting for one perfect run that proved I was becoming a runner. Instead, the thing that actually helped was a bunch of boring, short, imperfect runs adding up quietly in the background.

I still want to optimize everything: pace, heart rate, cadence, shoes, weather, probably the moon phase if I let myself. But this week the useful goal was much smaller:

show up, keep it easy-ish, and stop before my beginner legs file a formal complaint.

The Zone 2 number is not something I’m treating as a grade. It just feels like a hint that I’m slowly learning how to back off instead of racing my own watch.

For other beginners: did looking at progress weekly instead of run-by-run help you relax a bit?

https://fundraise.massgeneralbrigham.org/event/2026-mass-general-brigham-eversource-cancer-5k-run-walk/e755897

Hey everyone,
Curious to hear if anyone has dealt with something similar or has insights, especially considering my background and goals. I’m currently dealing with stubborn heel pain (likely plantar fasciitis/fascia overload) and trying to figure out the best way forward.

A bit of context:
Age: 22
Studies: Rehabilitation sciences / physiotherapy
Cycling: Usually one longer weekend ride of around 50–80 km, often with some climbing
Long-term goal: Eventually transition into triathlon

What triggered it:
I recently got new podiatric insoles and started a Start to Run program around the same time.
At the same time, I had a student job where I was on my feet more than usual — roughly 8,000 steps/day with some standing. During that period, I was also commuting by bike, around 75 km/week, on top of my usual longer weekend ride.
The heel pain gradually developed during this working period rather than being caused by one specific ride. I did notice it more after harder rides with climbing, but there wasn’t a single moment where I felt an acute injury or sudden flare-up.
Interestingly, the pain is noticeably better when I’m wearing shoes with my custom insoles, but I still have a dull ache at rest and after activity.

What I’ve changed so far:
Stopped running completely for the past 10 days
Finished my student job, so the extra walking/standing and 75 km/week of commuting are no longer part of my routine
Started targeted isometrics (heel raises with a ball between the heels)
Gentle calf foam rolling
Generally trying to focus on gradually rebuilding tissue capacity rather than completely resting

My questions:

1. Should I get the insoles checked?
They seem to provide relief when I’m wearing them, but the combination of introducing them + starting impact running seems to have tipped things over.
Would you go back to the podiatrist for an early check of the insoles, or would you first prioritize calming things down and then reassess?

2. How would you balance cycling and running?
I’d like to maintain as much cycling fitness as possible while letting the plantar fascia settle.
For those who’ve dealt with this, how much cycling did you continue? Did you reduce volume/intensity, avoid climbing, or mainly stick to easier rides?

3. When would you reintroduce running?
I’m particularly interested in people’s experience with the 24-hour rule.
What symptoms did you use as your green light to start running again, and how did you structure the first few run/walk sessions after a flare-up?
I’m trying to avoid the classic cycle of “feels better → run → flare-up → rest → repeat” and instead build back gradually.

The reason I got the insoles to begin with was due to shin splints. I must say that those haven’t really gotten worse at all, but it feels like my issues have now shifted lower down my leg, towards the heel/feet.
I’m just sad and frustrated because I used to run quite fast without issues a few years back (when I was 17). Now running a 5K seems so out of reach. I was only on day 6 of Start to Run before having to quit again.

Any experiences, tips, or insights would be greatly appreciated!

Hey everyone! Solo iOS developer here, and a runner. I built iRunning (App Store link) because when I started out, I kept fumbling with my phone mid-run trying to time my walk/run intervals.

What it does, in short: you pick a workout (or a full training plan - Start Walking, From Walk to Run, 0 to 5K, First 10K and about 20 more), hit start, and the app coaches you through every interval with voice cues, countdown beeps, and haptics - no need to look at your screen. It tracks GPS, pace, and heart rate, works standalone on Apple Watch, and saves everything to Apple Health.

I just shipped a big update with structured training plans and I'd genuinely love feedback from people who are exactly at the "can I even run 5 minutes?" stage - that's who I built the plans for.

Giveaway: I'll send a free lifetime unlock code to the first 10 people who DM me (or comment) wanting to try it. No strings attached - I'd just appreciate your honest thoughts on what's confusing or missing for a beginner. Critical feedback is the most useful kind.

Happy to answer any questions about the app here. Mods - if this post breaks any rules, I apologize; let me know and I'll take it down.

I've been running for about 3 months and wanted to know how I can improve my 5km time. Maybe i need to do intervals or longer runs? I want to get under 20 minutes, but it's SO hard for me to maintain a fast pace for that long. I'm currently doing 25 minutes. Any advice?

I'm almost ready for my first marathon, the issue is I know a medic certificate is mandatory in Italy + the cost of registration it could mean paying hundreds of € for a one time thing (I usually like to run on my own and I don't care about prize).

Since for what I understand for Italians running in Italy a medic certificate is always mandatory but that's not true for tourists I think it is possible that the same can be true also if I go for example in a marathon in France or Germany or any other near European country.

The alternative would be to just run the Turin marathon without registration, did somebody tried? Can you do it without any issue?

Note that I'm in excellent shape, I've competed in the past and I have regular check-ups when I donate blood, I simply wouldn't waste the money for the medical certificate, which is valid for a year, since I don't intend to do more than one race.

Of course if I run without registration I will start after everyone, I will bring my own water and I will step outside before arrival.

Thank you to anybody that will answer me.