A Question for Runners

[missboo333 0]

Hi all!

My surgeon and I have been talking about my exercise since I was an exerciser pre-band (just didn't watch what I ate). He suggested that at some point I would probably need to start running to continue the weight loss. I already spend 5-7 days a week exercising (treadmill, elliptical, weights, and step aerobics) and he thinks running will kick it into a highter gear. I've wanted to become a runner anyway since I enjoy participating in 5K's -- eventually 10K's??

Here is my question.....for those of you who are runners, at what weight did you begin running and how did you do it?

Thanks for any ideas you all have!:confused:

[Jachut 487]

From memory, it was 3 months in, so probably 92, 93 kgs (still a bit over 200lb) at 5ft 10.

I planned to do the couch to 5K program, but I went out and just tried and did a very very slow shuffle and went 3kms, so I took it from there. I did it every second day, 3kms,. and then I registered for a 4km race, so I added a bit of distance. After I did the 4k, I registered for a 7.5k so progressively added a kilometre to my route every 3 weeks, then it was a 10k etc.

For ages and ages (2.5 years) my body and my fitness continued to improve from just running. However eventually I have needed to add strenght training to fine tune my body and really reshape the end product of the weight loss. I was aiming for another half marathon, but truly, I can see that running for 2 + hours at a time will not only stuff my knees and back (its hard on the body) but it really does not do the most for muscle building either.

So now, I'm on a 3 run, 3 circuit training schedule per week. At the moment, my goals from running focus more on the coming race season, improving my 10K time to under 50 minutes, rather than run every longer distances. I enjoy an hour's run, but more than that gets boring, so really why do it?

[MacMadame 81]

I started running pretty soon out of surgery. I can't remember exactly when. I was back at the gym at around 2 weeks but still doing the stationary bike at that point. But eventually I answered the treadmill's call.

There are people who decide to do triathlons at over 200 pounds so I wouldn't let weight stop you. Just start now and go slowly.

[Southern Missy 1]

I started about 6 weeks post surgery, around 240-250 pounds. I was V E R Y slow, mind you, because I was so out of shape but with the right shoes (very important) I kept plugging along and now I am probably in the best shape of my life and finally in ONEderland (as of 12/2008)! Go for it -- I don't think I would have been as successful as I have been without it.

[losingjusme 12]

i think i was about 270ish. i was VERY much in shape though. i had lost well over 130 pounds with my band and was an exercising fiend at the gym. i started slow (my 'running' was about 4.2-4.5 MPH, recovery walks were 4.3ish).

my longest distance was a 15K in May in just under 2.5 hours (right before pregnancy) ran a 5k right after i found out i was pregnant and then stopped pretty much everything. im scheduled for induction this Friday and will start running again as soon as my OB gives me the thumbs up.

good luck!

[missboo333 0]

Thank you everyone for your honesty and insight. Question....those of you who started running at a higher weight, did you find you have any knee issues? When I saw my family doctor last week for a sinus infection, I asked him and he suggested that maybe I should wait until about 200 or so because your knees bow weird to compensate for the weight. This causes knee problems.

Anyone having this issue?

Thank you again!!

[Jachut 487]

Knee problems often result form muscle imbalanced in the hips or feet, not from knees "bowing weird". What weight does is increase the shock force that travels through your leg and the friction in your hip, ankle and knee joints, which is why being heavy can result in knee pain. If you have a huge stomach, you may be sway backed, which alters how you use your hip and buttock muscles to stabilise your pelvis - muscles can get tight, weak or overdeveloped = knee problems. Have you ever seen someone with legs so big they kind of have to swing one thigh round the other? That's another example.

Its less to do with your actual weight and more to do with your own personal biomechanics. I've never ever had knee problems, I've been very lucky. But my right heel/ankle is problematic, due to a collapsed arch (pregnancy, sigh).

[TQUAD64 9]

This is a great question. I always wondered when I could start running again. I use to be an avid runner as a teenager and in my twenties, but stopped when life became busy.

Anyway, I power walk on the treadmill and log in my exercise on the exercise thread of this forum. I was reading through other peoples exercise and saw that there were people there who were my size running. How do the do that, I thought to myself.

I thought I would not be able to do that until, I was in Onderland. But if other people are doing that then why can't I do that. And guess what, I can do that. I just began slowly doing it. It is hard, but every day I add more minutes of jogging/running to my exercise program. I really cannot believe I am doing it, but I am. I started running around 5.5 weeks post op. Now I am not a quick runner, but I will get there one day. I just know I will!

Anyway, it is helping me lose more weight and tons of inches. And it has not caused any knee issues for me.

Good luck!

Edited January 30, 2009 by TQUAD64

[TQUAD64 9]

im scheduled for induction this Friday and will start running again as soon as my OB gives me the thumbs up.

good luck!

Best wishes on your induction on Friday!!!:bored:

[georgia girl 35]

I was about 260 lbs when I started the couch to 5k. I did have some knee pain at first. I had to start pretty slow, taking plenty of rest days. Eventually I was able to run without the knee pain. I think I just needed to build up the muscles around my knee. I still run pretty slow, about 4.5 mph, but for now I'm just trying to focus on endurance.

Don't let your weight stop you. Just take it really slow. Best of luck to you!

[ajoneen 0]

I completed a Triathlon last summer at 220lbs. Im signed up for three this year and a Muddy Buddy.

You have to have good shoes. If you're striking the ground well/evenly you will be ok.

I had a slight knee problem before running. I don't think the running is making it any worse. Shin pain is another matter. That is my personal demon.

Good luck and have fun.

[kossde 6]

I started running at 250 lbs. I had already lost 70 lbs since the surgery and felt that my muscles could withstand a little extra pressure at this point.

And incase you want to compare my situation to yours - I'm female, 5'3, and am about 27 years old. I don't and never have suffered from bone or muscle problems.

I had read somewhere a year ago, that in order to prevent damage to muscles and joints, you should start running very slow- get your body used to the motions before going all out. I started by jogging 30 seconds every 3 minutes (at around 4.6 mph). Now I can jog 15 to 20 minutes non-stop at around 5 to 5.4 mph.

I think the most important advice I can give you is – MAKE SURE YOU GET ENOUGH PROTEIN!!! I stopped taking my Protein Drinks about a month ago and within days had seriously injured one of the muscles in my right thigh. It didn’t start healing until I went back on supplemental Protein.< /span>

[hags70 5]

I started exercising a couple weeks after surgery (recumbent bike, elliptical) but didn't start running until 8 months after surgery. Pre-surgery, I tried to run several times but always had to stop because of arthritis in my both ankles. Once, it got so bad that I limped around for an entire month. So, as you can imagine I was hesitant to start running even though I knew it would really kick start my weight loss. July, '08 I finally couldn't wait any longer and planned to start real slow. My first day running, I couldn't believe how easy it seemed. I forced myself to stop after half a mile. From there, I slowly built up to where I am now- 4 miles a day, 5x a week. The first three months after I started, I lost 36 pounds. I can't remember exactly but I think I was in that 250+ range when I started. Some recommendations for those of you looking to start running:

1.Get very good running shoes (Asics -what I have, New Balance, Saucony, Nike- don't go the cheap route)

2. Go to GNC or one of those stores and get Glucosamine/Chondroitin and take every day- I take the liquid variety and mix it with cranberry juice and it seems to work well for me. The pills are huge and I had problems with them.

3. I try to not go more than two days in a row. I run two days, take a day off and repeat. Our joints need to recover and I found it's better to err on the side of caution

4. If you have access to a jacuzzi, soak in it on days you have run. I don't know if this had any real affect but it seemed to work for me the first couple of months. I'd go in for 15 minutes and direct the jets to my ankles and it felt great.

Sorry for the length of this post but as you can tell, I've become a big fan of running post band surgery. It's made all the difference for me. Surgery 11/07 and 120 lbs. lost so far

[MacMadame 81]

Hey, how long did it take you to get to 4 miles? I have to be there by mid-April and I'm a bit worried it's going to take me too long.

[Jachut 487]

Notice the theme here?

Patience, realistic goals and s-l-o-w running and progress will get you there.

the people who didnt do that arent answering this thread, coz they're probably not still runners, lol.