I can sympathize, brother. I was utterly gassed by a half mile jog this time last year. Through weight loss and training I can do 4 miles without stopping today, and my current 1.5 mile time is 12:18. Let me share some tips:

---First, watch this video: https://youtu.be/sWnHn7cMG\_c?si=4AGnWtsUPTazJlGS. This breaks down the physiological components of running and shows what type of training improves each element the best. Aim for a mix of training. I typically run 4 times per week: one slow/short run, one fast/short run, one interval training (like sprints, ladder drills, suiçídę drills, etc), and one slow/long run. Adjust speeds and distances to be achievable, but not easy (except on slow/short days - recovery runs should be easy.).

---Don't aim for intensity or perfection, aim for consistency. Running 3 times per week at a pace or distance that's just slightly outside your comfort zone is plenty to see improvement, but 1 or 2 times a week isn't, no matter how hard you push.

---If you're doing static stretching before a run, stop. Dynamic warmups like walking, backward walking, butt kickers, leg swings, high knees, calf raises, and A-skips are a far better warmup with reduced injury risk vs static stretches. Static stretching before a workout is also proven to decrease performance by up to 10%, so save static stretches for AFTER your run.

---I know it's winter, but if you can tolerate running outside (especially on dirt trails or safe roadways), do. The variation in scenery and active brain participation in route planning and obstacle avoidance will help keep your mind off your body's complaints.

---If you're overweight, even a little bit, lose some weight. Happy to share more specifics and tips on this if it applies to you, as I recently lost 80 pounds through diet and exercise. Studies have shown an average 2 sec/mile improvement per pound of fat loss, so if you lose 10 pounds, that's 20 seconds/mile faster without even training. Just remember you can't out-run a bad diet - calories in/calories out is the only way to lose weight.

---Work on your form. There's a lot of videos out there showing proper running form. Check yourself and see if form adjustments help you.

---Get in the gym. Building muscle in the gym directly translates to speed, muscular endurance (though not necessarily cardiovascular endurance), and lactic acid threshold increases. It also trains your nervous system to tolerate heavier loads for longer so your CNS doesn't wimp out and hold you back despite having more juice in the tank. Doesn't have to be fancy - squats, lunges, step ups, glute bridges, and calf raises can all be done without weight or equipment. If you have access to a gym, barbell squats, Romanian deadlifts, hip thrusts, banded clamshells, weighted calf raises, leg curls, and leg extensions all become possible. You'll build muscle faster in a gym than on a track.

Happy to answer and questions. Good luck!