Newbie saying Hi and advice please

Hi have been reading alot of posts and decided to join your forum, wanted to say hello and to see what advice you can give me, also sorry if this post should have gone elsewhere its a tad confusing

 I am female and 43 years old, been using gyms for around 20 years to try and keep reasonably fit and always enjoyed the treadmill more than anything.  In school I was a keen cross country runner, I remember how I always came 3rd (funny how you remember certain things) and was even entered into the South Northants once and came 109th (lol I always remember that also although rather forgotten)

Anyway, as I say I always loved using the treadmill once in the gym, but always felt I was never giving enough effort to actually get to the gym more times a week.  Always wondered if I had a treadmill at home would I use it more often?  I have enough room in the house I am in now so quit the gym about 5 weeks ago and bought a Reebok treadmill off a friend at work for £50

Well, I have become totally addicted and quite obsessed with it lol, I find it so much easier being at home and go on it more or less every day.  I am already upto running for 30mins and found my speed comfortable at 4.7 (guessing thats not very fast but I am 5'3 and have little legs lol) last night I managed the 30mins on a 1% incline.

I would love any advice and ideas of where this could take me?  was thinking of doing a Race for Life on the 31st July locally just to see what time I could manage and give me an incentive to work towards.  Also I know the majority of you run outside but I am loving running on the treadmill so can't see that changing anytime soon and its just so convenient for me so please don't tell me to get out on the road, I won't rule out for a later date thought.

I need to lose about a stone and a half in weight and already seeing the benefits, I have stopped drinking for a while also which is a big big challenge for me

Anyway be great to hear from you

Im not a fan of the dreadmill and most certainly advise people to get out there and explore their enviroment, its amazing how much you can learn about your local area just by running round it.
I would also advise checking out parkrun.com which is a free 5k run every saturday mornings from local parks there should be one local to you where ever you are. You will find a mix of abilitys, many many people at the same level as you and possibly get some support and make some friends.

Good on you for for starting to better your health,  but if you stay on the dreadmill you will go nowhere, race for life is held outside and there is only one person stopping you from achieving these things, and guess what its not me !!!

Thanks will check out parkrun.com

also

trying to upload a pic and not having much luck, altering the size but its having none of it.....help

I used to do a lot of treadmill running (as I had a gym membership & went to the gym several times a week with friends) and so I won't say a word agin it. In fact I could have done with one this winter just gone!

Where could it take you?

Well, ten-odd years ago, a friend was propelling me & other friends round a 3k loop of the "hills" (gentle rises!) in town, and we were powered mainly by the force of Complain And Grumble. I was doing exercise to keep my stress down and my health up. We wore cotton tracksuits and pink sweaty faces.

Since then, my distances went up, I joined not one but two running clubs and through them and through running forums here and elsewhere I have made a lot of new friends. I've trained and raced (not very fast, always, but I mean to say there was a number pinned to the front of my vest ) all over the world. I have a drawer full of hi-tech running clothes and gadgets, a cupboard full of running shoes, and a multi-hook-over-the-door thingy full of race medals.

And there's a lot of stuff (club cross-country races and road relays, hash house harriers, local Vets League athletics competitions, local road race series, tower races, corporate team races...) I still have waiting on my to-do list.

Where could it take you ....? Anywhere but the Tour de France, I reckon! It's up to you.

There's no rush though... the oldest guy in my club still running regularly with us is 79... so you've plenty of time to have a go at things and find out what you enjoy

Hi

Good for you for getting on a treadmill. I used to do all my running on a treadmill and enjoy it, especially if there was something half decent on the telly to distract me. I have now begun to enjoy running outside a lot more, although in bad weather prefer the gym! Running outside feels very different to the treadmill.

Race for life is great, and a lot of people just walk it, so enter and enjoy, even if you can't run the whole distance it is a great experience. I did the 10K race for life this year (slowly) and there were lots of people walking that too.

I thought I was messing up the photo thing too, but I think maybe it does it overnight, so leave it for now, and look again tomorrow to see if it has magincally appeared - mine did.

Good luck and have fun! 

I run both outside and on the treadmill. For me, it depends on what type of run I am doing. I tend to do my intervals on the treadmill and usually do my long runs - although I have started to try and do more long runs outside.

I must admit though, I find the treadmill so much more difficult than running outside. I find that on the road I can run faster with seemingly less effort than on the treadmill. My heart rate is lower and I feel more comfortable...

Thanks for all your comments

 Unfortunately no parkruns in my area  closest MK, I live halfway between Northampton and Rugby

 Yaay my pic has now worked

I think for now I will keep trying to progress on the tready and then think about getting out on the roads, maybe the RFL on 31st July if I do it will give me that incentive to get out and about

Can someone  tell me where I need to go for a proper shoe fit?  Also is it true you go up a size to allow for feet swelling?  I currently have Puma's which I find very comfortable but thats just tready running

Thank god its friday ah, looking forward to the heatwave and having a BBQ sunday

Hiya Booey - welcome to the forum.

I'd google your nearest sports shop or look in runnersworld. I normally go to one recommended by fellow runners. Roadrunners or sweatshop are pretty good (i've never used them). The people in the store will help with the sizing but yes -it's normally 1/2 size or 1 size more.

My first pair of shoes I had fitted in JD Sports - this was because there was a bloke there selling Mizuno (?) as a promotion so was nothing to do with the actual store, just the brand. He went through my gait analysis and showed me video of me running on the treadmill They didn't have anything to fit me so I ended up with Asics instead.

Following that, my second pair I was fitted at Sweatshop. I hated the shoes as they were heavy (due to my wide feet they didn't have anything suitable which were lighter) and gave me blisters. I took them back after about 2 weeks and as per their 30 day policy, I quickly walked out with a different pair which I am happy with - although they'll need replacing fairly soon...

I think Sweatshop are expensive and you could get cheaper elsewhere however, they have my loyalty due to the excellent service and the free running nights they hold.

sweatshop are good, they will do a gait analysis and have the 30 day money back policy. I think they have a sale starting tomorrow, so might be worth going for a look if there is one near you

It isn't a money back policy - you get store credit - which is still as good in my opinion.

Just had a look at Sweatshop online and my nearest is MK so will pop along and have a look re shoes and also need some running bottoms........certainly looks like they have all the gear

Thanks for all your help

Cant find anything for Roadrunner stores? 

Hi Booey, I'm not local anymore but am originally from Rugby.  There is/was a club there, Rugby and Northampton if I remember, might they have a beginners section if you were interested? 

I'm like some of the others, do outdoors and treadmill too.  It worked great for me over the winter

Thanks Cinders, I was thinking of doing the R4L end of July in Rugby so could ask around there

Also maybe get on the village website where I live and see if anyone runs round the local park, I do see a fair few runners go past the house so there are some about

Booey where abouts are you?? I work in Daventry and live in yelvertoft. Personally running with other people doesn't appeal to me, i like it as a chance to get away from everything. But i have spoken to a customer who is a runs with the daventry runners group. Found this website but it looks outdated however i'm sure they are still going. http://www.daventryroadrunners.co.uk/

If this does interest you and the contacts on the website are out of date then message me and i'll ask my customer about it for you.

Hi Run to the Beat, thanks for the post

 I live in Long Buckby and to be honest since I posted I am out running on my own.  I have contacted a chap from Daventry Council who takes a group out running every weds evening, its part of the runengland groups and i will prob join them at somepoint

Did look at davroadrunners but like you say its well out of date

I agree with you about a chance to escape on your own and to be honest I am enjoying it.  I guess a buddy to run with now and again would be nice and also I am female so the winter months on my own could be a problem

Thanks once again