Iffley Road wrote:
It wasn't good. I went from being a competitive college runner to overweight in about 4 years. After college, I trained but not at the level I was used to. Throw in a injury that kept me from running a step for 6 months and then some personal problems( divorce, depression) and you have me at my current weight at 215. I weighed 135 in college. I carry the weight well, but when I have my shirt off it's really bad. Trying to start again but living in a real rural environment with no real training options is tough. Right now, I can barely run 5 minutes without stopping. Moral of the story, don't ever get out of shape if you can help it, because time and circumstance is not on your side.
Here's what you need to do, based on actual experience and similar numbers.
First, take almost everything you ever did and ran, pack it into a little mental box and forget about it for now.
Second, get out the door in the morning six days/week. Run as slowly as possible, and wear a shirt. Aim for 15 minutes; if you can only run five, then resort to intervals -- 1 min on, 1 min off, and increase the on segments until you're running for 15 minutes.
You know that it will get better after six weeks. Eventually you'll have a run that actually feels kind of good. That moment will get you out the door looking for the next time.
Third, work on dropping some weight. The basic idea is to eat less. I had some luck by substituting a protein candy bar for dinner. And drink lots of water. Weigh yourself every day in the morning out of bed, but count only the Monday weigh-in as official. Aim to lose 1-2 lbs/week. The number likely won't budge for a bit, but if you keep at it, one day soon you'll be at 209 and then you'll feel like it's possible.
Fourth, do a bit of strength training. I suggest going simple -- push ups and sit ups in the privacy of your own home. You will feel like you're getting something done, and this will help you get out the door.