hello everyone, i was insipred by the london marathon as i was last year, but didnt do anything about it!. now im ready to get off my but. im 19 5ft 6 9 stone. i have asthama. and have never run before.

i was wondering is is possible with correct training to be able to do a 10k run in four months time? our local fun run? it something id love to achieve. we have a park about 5 mins walk from us, so i could go there and do training.

what would you suggest for a beginner who can't run for 3 mins flat without feeling like her throat is closing up!

ive seen people on the TV who are very overweight being able to run long distances, so the asthma im hoping wont get in the way!

thanks for all your advice

I run with a friend at my local running club who has asthma and running seems to have really helped but you need to build up really slowly and make sure you have proper running shoes - go to a proper running shop not a High Street chain.

I think you ambition is totally achievable. If I were you I would find a walk/run training programme that gets you running continously for 30 mins - don't worry if you can't run very much at the moment as you will progress.

Have a look at www.johnbingham.com and www.runinjuryfree.com also have a look at some of the Race for Life beginners schedules - this is how I started running. I could barely run for 1 min last year today I ran 13 miles.

Good luck and let us know how you are getting on.

P.S. Welcome to the forum.

welcome MM go for it, i'm sure you wont regret it. I have exercised injuiced asthma and have gone from a total non runner in December to a slow but have run 10 miles runner. I jumped in a signed up for a race then next day started training- it gives you the insentive.
As SE says get the right trainers and start gently. I was also watching some of the FLM and would love to do it one year. Good luck

SE wow 13miles well done. I am aiming for 12 next week. Didn't have much time today but wanted to try Hoe part of the course so parked by Laira bridge and ran the home leg and then the out leg back about 6.5 i think. Really looking forward to May now, how about you? bet the confidence is flowing.

I actually ran over the HM route yesterday - got up extra early so I could still watch some of the London marathon. I used my HRM and ran at 75% of my working heart rate and I'm hoping to repeat the route next Sunday but maybe try 80%. It took me 2:39:16 but that wasn't at race pace so maybe I'm looking at a target time of 2:30.

MM - go for it, much easier to start running if you have a goal to look forward to achieving (sp!)

My advice (as a relative newcomer), have a good pair of running trainers, take it slowly from the beginning, plenty of liquid before and during your run, warm up and just as importantly warm down afterwards.

10k run in four months time - no problem !!

My ex-girlfriend said: "I will not have a boyfriend with an ass smaller than mine!" (exact words) So she decided to do something about it...
She smoked and didn't do any exercise!
The following week she went out for a run and managed 150m!!! One hundred and fifty metres only and then had to stop!!!
She went out every day, trying to add some distance with every session.
After 2 months she ran non-stop for 57 minutes (and just over 10km).

So MM... I would say, yes, it is possible

I`m glad your back............

LOL - I'm not !

Did not realise people read my posts

thanks for all your replies

i hadnt told anyone what i wanted to do, untill today i told a friend and asked if she wanted to do the race for life, 5k 3 miles. which i am definatly up for. id just love the feeling of just running, knowing im doing it! because i have never felt it before because of the asthma. i know once i see a bit of an improvement ill carry on. we have arranged to meet up for training, its good to know that someone knows, and nights are lighter now. it will be weird running in public, ill feel like everyones watching me. ill stick my sunglasses on, headphones in and away i go!

what do you wear running, baggy clothes? tight clothes? im really new to this, and not sure what is best...

i am also going to have invest in some trainers. anything else i will need?

I felt very 'self aware' the 1st few times I went out in daylight , but to be honest I don't think anyone else paid too much interest at all.

As for clothing, I guess it all depends on what you fnd comfortable. For me it is T-Shirt and shorts with deep pockets for Jelly babies, for others its an all in one Lycra suit (He knows who he is !!)

Things you may need?, might be obvious, maybe not, but a drinks bottle to take with you.

Good luck

I like to wear technical tops as I sweat and they wick away the seat. I'd probably invest in a sports atch timex ironman are good.

I also felt the same when I first started running as the area I was going to be using always seemed to be used by lots of fit and fast looking runners! After the first couple of times I went out I realised that no one was really bothered about me plodding along puffing and panting, they were all more concerned about themselves.

That certainly made me feel better about it

Hi there, Mariliyn.
I also have asthma, which only rears its ugly head when I'm running and never at any other time. I only developed it about a year and a half ago when I was running in Reading on a dark winter's night in the cold and got lost! My half hour run from the hotel turned into an hour and a half in the freezing cold and I went down with a bad cold and chest infection which turned into asthma. I never even knew it was asthma for about two months, I just thought it was a lingering chest infection until a friend saw the effects in the gym one day and he knew it was asthma because he is also a sufferer. It would kick in after about two miles and I would get a stitch, become breathless and start wheezing terribly and it forced me to stop one day which is something I would never do normally. I went to my doc and he gave me an inhaler, advising me to take a few blasts just before I run, which I did - and I ran like a panther! haha, it was like getting my legs back! It doesn't affect my running now because I always use the inhaler before I run and I have no symptoms at all. I'm not sure whether the condition ever improves but I daren't run without using my inhaler first these days. Unless your asthma is chronic I think you will be alright, but maybe you should ask the doc anyways. Good luck with your running too - I'm also doing a 10K this year, let us know how you're getting on. And keep coming to the forum - it's a great place for morale and support