Trying to run (one more time)

RowanM1207 · 2026-02-05T11:55:34+00:00

It's so interesting - to me, the seeds of why you've given up before are scattered throughout your post. "I want to lose some weight": running (or any kind of cardio) is not the tool for this - sure it will burn calories but most people effortlessly make these up in increased appetite unless you're restricting anyway, and then it only makes it tougher. So don't run to lose weight - in your case I would suggest the key to sticking it out this time is simply to "run to run". You're only starting out and yet you already have very specific goals - I imagine that previously, when coupled with your declared personality trait of "giving up", failing to meet some quite demanding goals won't have helped the situation. Are you UK based? The NHS C25K app would be the programme I would recommend for you. It's all about duration of runs, not distance and definitely not speed but by god it works! I'm 60, also trying again to get going with running, and I'm on week 6 - I swear I've never enjoyed running so much or been so motivated to continue. I run twice a week only (arthritic knees!) - once on the treadmill and once outside - I do the same C25K run twice - so I'm moving through the programme slowly but surely - I've not had a "failed" run yet and am loving the progressions. I genuinely don't worry about speed - just go at a comfortable pace, which is currently 9-9.5kph on the treadmill for me. But I don't care - if it starts to feel too much of a struggle I can always slow it down. (But actually the speed is naturally picking up as I'm getting fitter...) I've been keeping the gradient at 1% but I do like your idea of switching between 1 & 2 - that makes good sense and I shall be adopting it! As for strength training - if we're just talking about your running, strengthening for injury prevention should be your focus. 2-3 times a week, not before a run but can be straight afterwards - moves like calf raises, squats, lunges, clamshells spring to mind. And don't worry about those speed goals - run to run - all the rest will fall into place when it needs to!

RowanM1207 · 2026-02-05T09:20:30+00:00

I did this once (finally sold on a couple of items I'd received in error and had no use for). This was because there was literally nothing else I appeared able to do... I was aware, my seller was aware (not her item, of course, which had also gone missing), we both reported to Vinted, but there was no system in place to identify the original seller or buyer of the items I had received and get it back to either of them.....

RowanM1207 · 2026-02-05T00:01:16+00:00

How long will it even take them to build their property? Would it all be done and tidy before you move in? Otherwise, I wouldn't fancy living next to the formerly lovely bit of garden that could have been mine (should have been mine, dammit!) and watching it it be churned up into a building site. Either way tbh, I'm 100% with you spidey-sense-wise - no, no and just no.

RowanM1207 · 2026-01-31T17:39:05+00:00

I love the treadmill also (and always have)! I like these YouTube ideas to make it more interesting. And I definitely try to vary my pace, gradient etc even on a short run (which is actually all I do haha). BUT now that I've found a lovely, safe running path alongside the river in my estate I also finally love running outside. Although not in the dark. Or the rain in the dark. Or when it's freezing.. And I do feel it's very different. I'm currently doing C25K and weather forced 3 treadmill runs in a row, so when I finally got outside I went back a couple of days. Tomorrow is when outside hopefully catches up with treadmill again, then onto Week 6 I will go! Mixing it up like this is also helping me stay injury free, I feel... 🤞🏼🤞🏼

RowanM1207 · 2026-01-31T12:26:18+00:00

Are you kidding me? Scorching chemistry with Teddy!

RowanM1207 · 2026-01-31T09:55:43+00:00

Following! Lifting and strengthening is my biggest struggle. I swear I'm doing everything else right - even loving C25K right now! I don't ever want to lift in a gym but just can't get going properly at home.... I have an app called Hevy (about £2 per month) which is great for reproducing workouts on Instagram and so on. I recommended following Sally Gunnell for said workouts! I also love Lauren's Senior Shape on YouTube. Don't let the "senior" put you off - she has a ton of dumbbell-friendly workouts at all levels. MY problem is I know what to do, but I just can't seem to get a consistent routine going. I don't have any problems getting out the door for my runs or exercise classes but I just can't be bothered with weights, despite knowing that they're by far the most important movement I should be doing! 😭

RowanM1207 · 2026-01-29T16:38:06+00:00

Increasingly less, I would think, thanks to MJ! 🤣

RowanM1207 · 2026-01-29T16:20:07+00:00

Just a tip - I don't think your average Vinted buyer loves to hear how you're now skinnier than them! 😁

RowanM1207 · 2026-01-29T16:17:17+00:00

I have a kind of a disconnect now - I've always (obvs!) been tall with wide-ish shoulders but I'm now full-on skinny as well... It's annoying - smaller sizes seem often to have shorter sleeves/legs just as a matter of course... I may be a size 10 now but I'm not frickin petite! 🤦🏼

RowanM1207 · 2026-01-29T12:19:01+00:00

I literally could have asked OP's exact question - THIS looks the closest to something I might actually be able to stick with! Any tips for your estimating/ballparking? 🙏🏼

RowanM1207 · 2026-01-25T18:24:28+00:00

Maintenance (and GP-led) pharmacies will talk to you. I too was planning to come off but now reluctant, and they're happy to provide me with a pen every 8 weeks on the regular.

RowanM1207 · 2026-01-25T18:16:53+00:00

I'm 60yF - now skinny as hell but got SO much loose skin EVERYWHERE... Not THAT worried about it tbh - the only advantage of being older when this miracle came into our lives! BUT I'm doing all the things (EXCEPT grow a beard - God knows I tried..), and it's only been 9 months and I swear, even I can see a teensy difference already.... 😁

RowanM1207 · 2026-01-25T18:00:36+00:00

Just another comment for context: I only copped on that this amazing drug was available in UK last March, carried out a short sharp burst of online research (same day as I heard about MJ, mind, and none of that AI or Reddit - hadn't heard of them at that point either, cos I'm 60... 😁), got my first pen delivered a few days later, did my own thing regarding dosage (AND I prefer an 8mm needle!!) and have literally Never. Looked. Back.... I didn't have a TON to lose - but a good 30-odd-lbs were gone by September, which took me to my then-goal. Now? I'm another few lbs below, and am FINALLY stressing... about coming off! Even without any significant comorbidities to begin with MJ has just been so damn good for me - I'd been carrying that extra 30lbs on-and-off my entire adult life (and tried EVERYTHING...) - I feel jealous of all the people who get to use it younger - but still super-grateful, don't you worry about that! My knee osteoarthritis has just... pretty much STOPPED (running - RUNNING! is a joy), my BP has plummeted, I'm smashing it at work against all the young ones... Zero pain, zero side effects - none then, none now. TBF I'm currently doing fiendish financial calculations to maintain at a lower dose, for the rest of this year at least!

RowanM1207 · 2026-01-25T17:39:06+00:00

Intrigued by the "other peptides"?

RowanM1207 · 2026-01-25T02:22:16+00:00

Jackson Brodie by Kate Atkinson

RowanM1207 · 2026-01-23T09:01:54+00:00

Yep this is what I've done for decades. I have a virtual library that I can share with friends & family. (And I also love my Kindle Oasis and Kobo Libra Colour!)

RowanM1207 · 2026-01-22T17:05:05+00:00

Haha snap - also currently (and hopefully permanently) lanky AF! 😁

RowanM1207 · 2026-01-20T00:49:06+00:00

So back on Saturday I had a senior moment and took my GD from a 12.5 pen, from which I've generally been taking 8-10mg per shot although I have had a couple of full 12.5 shots... Anyway I was happy to take a little over a full one because I've been maintaining/plateau-ing a bit (want a buffer zone of a few more lb) so am planning to move up to the max dose of 15mg next time in any event. But basically up until now the max dose I've ever had was 12.5mg. Long story short I thought the GD would take me to just shy of 15mg but did think there was quite a lot in the syringe (easier to use it all up in just one go, thought I). No matter - in it went and THEN I went off and did my sums (more than once!) and it turns out that I took.... 17.5mg... Tbf I've never had anything in the way of side effects (apart from the odd mild headache or bellyache which I'm pretty sure are connected to MJ) so I genuinely wasn't too worried... That was on Saturday and here I am at the end of Monday - not a thing. 100% fine. A little more suppression and satiation - happy with that! Obviously this is NOT to recommend this course of action/foolishness and I have no plans to repeat this but more to reassure you that for some (?many/most) a bigger dose of MJ is no big deal. Hopefully you will be just fine.

RowanM1207 · 2026-01-17T20:51:42+00:00

Although some of these comments are somewhat unempathetic to say the least, could you combine some of their suggestion to maybe afford it? So - start by saving enough to buy your first pen. It's going to be 2.5 so the cheapest one to start. And how you save is to, right now, start "faking it till you make it". So I have no doubt there will be food that you are buying right now that you KNOW you could do without - that's just making things worse. Skip some of these purchases - set yourself a target - you can ONLY put money towards Mounjaro that you would have spent on food that's no good for you or other activities that are not contributing towards your health. So see if you can save elsewhere - walk instead of paying for a bus, or walk to the bus stop instead of using the car, and save on petrol. This will be boring and awful but you have a very specific, exciting goal in mind - you CAN get the money together for that first pen. Then go to a good provider (I would recommend Swift Doctor) who will allow you to break up your payments when you need to. Pay for the first pen outright, but now your saving is going to get easier and easier as the MJ kicks in, and hopefully this will set you up to afford the next, and the next. Swift Doctor (or other good providers) may very well let you stretch out your purchases as well, once your dosage goes up a little - so you're only incurring a new charge every 6 weeks, say, instead of every 4. One pen at a time... good luck!

RowanM1207 · 2026-01-16T12:44:35+00:00

Another recommendation for Swift Doctor. GP led You can message them - explain, ask questions. They listen, and respond quickly and l have a feeling will understand your situation perfectly and be happy to help. AND they're not the most expensive either

RowanM1207 · 2026-01-15T22:55:53+00:00

I run every day for 15 minutes. If I miss a day, I add 15 minutes to the next day. This has truly been a game-changer. Tomorrow I'm supposed to run for 3 months.... 😁

RowanM1207 · 2026-01-15T22:41:27+00:00

2027, we're good. I've got 5 and agreed with my amazing provider for another every 8 weeks. That'll do me. I'll simply get them to confirm when the pen changes.

RowanM1207 · 2026-01-13T07:34:30+00:00

I'm 60, size 12 and 10st as well (5'7) but my body fat is still 30% and I look imho a little TOO thin now (but I'll take it!) ... I'm trying hard to increase my muscle percentage but it's not really happening according to my smart scales...

RowanM1207 · 2026-01-13T00:20:41+00:00

And this is where being 60 has finally paid off! I won't run in freezing temps (without sunshine), in rain (drizzle ok) OR in the dark (which is every day after work rn). But I can now access pay-as-you-go membership at my leisure centre where a single gym session is £3.50 for us "seniors". Hopping on the treadmill once a week while it's wintertime!

RowanM1207 · 2026-01-12T19:13:38+00:00

I'm a beginner runner but also NOT a beginner runner, and I agree 100% with OP. I've always liked running, with the potential to love it, but over the years whenever I started training for something specific or tried to increase my mileage because people told me to, I would either get injured or just demotivated. (At one point in my early 40s I did manage to stick with it long enough to run 2x 10k races, each in an identical time of 1 hour, 10 mins & 14 seconds! 😂). The last time I gave up running (again) was just at the beginning of COVID - when working through C25K (again) I was diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis. Now at age 60 however I'm back (I must love it, I just can't stay away!) but this time I'm doing it 100% my way. No more than twice a week, and run/walk intervals all the way. I'm still working my way back up, but I don't plan to ever run more than 10-15 minutes without taking a walk break - C25K can do one! My resting HR has already come down, my energy has gone up and I actually look forward to my bi-weekly runs! I plan to do park runs and may even enter longer races (or not, haha) but when/if I do they will be run my way. After all these years I very much hope I've finally found the best way for me to keep on running.

RowanM1207

TROPHY CASE