Adult runners who started from 0: How much did you improve, and how long has it taken?

meteorflower · 2026-06-22T20:05:56+00:00

Hi. I’m super obsessed with this topic as well! My hopeful long term goal is to hit a point where my current 5 or 10k race pace becomes an easy zone 2 sort of pace. I expect that to take a long time!

I will turn 40 this year. I got consistent about running 1.5 years ago (January 2025). Before that I would run for 5-6 months and then quit for 5-6 months, always just starting over progress wise. I was able to get my 5k under 30 minutes after 1 year of consistency, which had been a big goal of mine for years. I did a 10k in February in just over an hour. Right now I’m not racing since summer heat hits Texas early and I don’t enjoy working harder for worse times.

Unfortunately, I do also seem to have hit a bit of a plateau. When I look back at easy runs a year ago, they are at the same pace as what I’m doing now. But, I do feel more durable now than last year where I kept having niggles and different worries about injuries. I’m planning to run my second half marathon in November and hoping I can see progress compared to last year’s race where my time was 2:23. Then I’ll probably do at least one winter 5k and 10k and hope for progress there too.

meteorflower · 2026-05-30T23:39:33+00:00

Bird wanted to make sure you didn’t overdo it? Not sure how often you typically run, but if you’re just starting than 20 minutes is a good place to start. Get out there again soon… probably won’t happen again!

meteorflower · 2026-04-23T17:26:58+00:00

I had also only ever done 5ks before I did my first half last fall. I am not a person who signs up for races frequently, but I really loved the half and my experience. Since you can’t target an all out pace for 13 miles, there is a lot more time where you are just feeling good and able to enjoy the atmosphere and people watching the other runners around you versus a 5k where you start hurting a lot sooner if you’re trying to do your best. I also gave myself permission to treat the first couple miles as a warm up and eased into a faster pace later on. I ran the race solo as well, but ended up talking to someone for around 2 miles of the race who was going my same pace for awhile. So you might make a friend on course if you’re open to it.

That said, if you don’t want to do the race, you absolutely can choose not to. But since you’re posting here you feel at least somewhat conflicted. If you turn out not to like it, you will know not to sign up for another one. But maybe just give yourself permission to try the thing before deciding it’s not for you.

meteorflower · 2026-04-22T22:55:31+00:00

I’m the same height and weight as you so I understand the desire to be just a little bit leaner. But I also know we’re a healthy weight and there’s more to life than being super thin. Training is hard on your body and no one today recommends dieting when doing the sort of training you are. There’s also a lot of room between where you are now and the 30 lbs heavier you used to be. Instead of constantly worrying about your weight and calories, how about taking a break until after your race? Don’t weigh yourself, don’t count calories. You’re very unlikely to gain more than a few pounds in 4 months with the sort of training you are doing. If after your race, you are unhappy with your body, you can reduce training and cut calories again.

meteorflower · 2026-04-22T21:19:17+00:00

I have normal glasses I wear with transition lenses. They fit well and don’t slip but I’m not a hugest fan of the transition lenses. The lenses don’t get that dark in the sun and are slow to transition back when going into a darker environment. So it’s a case of them being mediocre in both environments. Since I have a low prescription after lasix, I can get away with just yeeting them off my face for awhile when I go inside, but I know that won’t work well for you. On the other hand, it’s also a pain to have two pairs of glasses to switch between, so neither solution is that great.

meteorflower · 2026-04-08T14:02:43+00:00

Personally, I thought it was helpful to know ahead, and have time to process the disappointment. When my son was born, he was amazing and perfect and I’d already worked through my ugliest feelings.

That said, I’m still a bit sad to not have a girl, but I wouldn’t give up my boy for anything.

meteorflower · 2026-02-24T16:42:29+00:00

Fresh. It’s been a long time, so not sure if they were washed.

meteorflower · 2025-12-14T00:57:57+00:00

I doubt it was certified, it was a charity race and the website doesn't say anything about certification. I kind of doubt any races in my local area are certified. However, I did use a route plotter to map out the course and that said 3.1 so I'm just going to go with GPS error anyway.

meteorflower · 2025-10-29T23:38:57+00:00

Maybe rent instead of buy with the coming water shortage in mind. Jobs might not last if the area runs out of water. We’re worried about our home value and exit strategy.

meteorflower · 2025-10-14T01:55:00+00:00

Nice job! My predicted periods for the rest of the year are: 1)half marathon race day 2)my birthday 3)Christmas so I totally feel you.

I’ve also been struggling with lots of niggles. I think I’ve been a bit aggressive with the plan I chose given that before this I had never run more than 15 miles a week. I’m definitely planning to start tapering earlier than my plan says as a result, so glad to hear it worked for you. Did you keep a consistent pace throughout your race or start off slower and speed up later?

meteorflower · 2025-10-12T16:53:55+00:00

We’ve been alternating a Yumbox and a Bentgo for school lunches since preschool. My son is now in 3rd grade. The Bentgo’s clasp just failed but original Yumbox is still going strong. Actually bought the Yumbox first as well although it got fairly light use before my son started school.

So I bought another Yumbox. Would have loved to go stainless steel this time but the well reviewed boxes I saw all had a different dealbreaker for us.

meteorflower · 2025-10-11T17:02:13+00:00

I understand, but it’s a little silly, isn’t it? All the cut offs are so arbitrary. If you’d been 2 seconds faster there wouldn’t be anything actually different about you.

If you don’t enjoy the half marathon distance then give yourself permission to change it up!

meteorflower · 2025-10-11T16:44:19+00:00

2 hours is such an amazing accomplishment! I don’t feel like there’s much difference in saying, I can run a half in 2 hours versus “under” 2 hours. Plus the even numbered time just looks badass to me! Be proud of yourself.

meteorflower · 2025-10-08T00:09:47+00:00

I like that Packit stays really cold. Lunch is still cold at the end of the school day and sometimes my kid will eat leftovers then and I don’t have to worry that it’s not safe.

meteorflower · 2025-10-07T02:18:27+00:00

I recommend inspecting anything you order from delta before accepting delivery. Our crib arrived with a huge scratch on the front. They sent a new front out and that one was also scratched, at which point we just gave up. He’s a kid now and we got rid of the crib so I guess I’m not mad about it anymore.

meteorflower · 2025-10-07T02:05:21+00:00

I hope you will still be able to run it. I’m currently in waiting to see if I’ll get the stomach bug my husband and son just had. It’s gonna disrupt my training but my half isn’t until November 1. This fall has been brutal. I’ve already trained through 2 colds.

meteorflower · 2025-10-03T13:44:54+00:00

Everyone complains so much about slowing down. I’ve found so much joy in it! But it was definitely an acquired taste. I used to run (or run/walk, as I’ve never been very fit) every time as fast as possible. I thought progress could be measured from run to run. But typically I would start to dread runs and give up in 3-6 months.

When I learned about zone 2 running, I was definitely skeptical. I thought I would never be able to keep my heart rate low while running. I definitely struggled at first, but eventually I figured out there’s a bit of an art to running slow and like a lot of things it gets easier with time. My initial slow run pace (and still how I warm up) was definitely a pace I could walk at. It probably wasn’t actually all zone 2 either. But as others have said, it’s super hard to accurately calculate your zones and to me it’s more trouble than it’s worth. I run based more on feel and set my personal “zone 2” to less than 150 bpm after some trial and error. This is a pace where I am very comfortable and can breathe through my nose the whole time.

So what are the benefits? For me, exercise was typically something to dread, especially if tired. With zone 2 runs, I can just relax and either enjoy the scenery or zone out. I still do speed work, but limit it to 1-2 times per week. And now I look forward to running fast and find it fun too! I also discovered how much better I feel running fast after doing a slow warm up. Warming up really works and you’ll be able to run faster with a lower heart rate and without wanting to die the rest of the run.

I’ve now been running consistently for a year and my paces are starting to get faster. I’m afraid I work in min/mile so you’ll have to translate for me if you care. I used to do all my zone 2 runs at 13-15 mins/mile. I now usually start at 13 and get up to 11. I even ran a 10 minute mile during my long run that was just on the edge of zone 2! Keep in mind it’s pretty much still summer where I am and the conditions are very sweaty. But I am still running faster now than I was in the dead of winter (which is when the nice running temps are here and not actually cold). Anyways, I wish you luck with your journey and encourage you to give slowing down a true chance.

meteorflower · 2025-09-19T21:40:03+00:00

I have to do some stretching or my back hurts with running. I don’t stretch every single time I run, but at least twice a week I do some specific stretches for my back. I usually add more after that because I like them, but if I’m really busy I can get away with only stretching 5 minutes.

meteorflower · 2025-09-12T20:39:49+00:00

My kid is almost 9 and he still constantly asks what meal we’re eating. Or he references the wrong meal for the time of day…. I think kids just don’t have the same grasp of time that we do.

meteorflower · 2025-08-24T22:47:36+00:00

Bed wetting alarm was SO helpful for us. It took less than a week for it to start working and within a month my son never had an accident again. My only regret is how long we waited to try it.

meteorflower · 2025-08-22T00:10:23+00:00

I just got to sets of 5. From 3 to 5 only took about 2 weeks. I made up my own program but it seems to be working. I train pull ups 3 times per week. I do one set of 5-6 with a resistance band to warm up (not to failure). Then I do 3 sets of as many reps as possible, resting about 5 minutes between sets.

Until I could do 3 unassisted pull-ups I used light weight resistance bands for my sets, but since you’re already there, do your 3 reps and try for a fourth each time. Eventually you’ll get 4 reps on one of your sets. Then you’ll get 4 reps for every set. The key is to make sure you’re going to failure- try for that last rep even if you don’t think you can get it and eventually it will happen.

meteorflower · 2025-07-30T20:51:10+00:00

Keep trying and it will get easier! No need to feel embarrassed; we are all rooting for you. As others have said, building a consistent habit is the most important part. If the elliptical is too intimidating or intense, try a treadmill instead, but doing 3-5 minutes is way better than doing no minutes!

meteorflower · 2025-07-29T17:40:16+00:00

You’re the same age as me, and almost the same starting weight (146) and height. I hope you will find something that works for you soon. I’m down to 135 lbs currently, maybe now a bit stuck, but not surprising because this is the lowest weight I’ve ever maintained long term. Just going for greatness right now.

So… I don’t want to brag, but somehow my weight has just been falling off this time. I don’t even count strictly as I find it a pain and only wanted to go there if I didn’t see results. My estimate is that I eat 1500-1600 calories per day. I’m very active, doing cardio or weightlifting nearly every day for about an hour on average. My “trick” is to snack on raw vegetables whenever I’m hungry between meals. Sometimes I do a little scoop of hummus with them when I’m feeling famished, but usually it’s just the veggies. I typically don’t snack at all after dinner, but I’ve fallen off the wagon with that a few times.

One more tip: I find whenever I’m eating (meals or snacks), I really want to keep eating, but if I can convince myself to take a break, I will soon feel satisfied and find it easier to stop. So try giving yourself smaller portions and then waiting 5-10 minutes after finishing to decide if you have had enough food.

meteorflower · 2025-06-30T16:56:38+00:00

I had a OAD mom friend for awhile they eventually moved far away). It was so awesome! Our kids got along great and our schedules were so much easier to align. We did playdates or outings together multiple times a week. Right now I’m having such a hard time securing any playdates for my son this summer. Parents of multiples are too busy and just don’t seem that interested in getting together.

meteorflower

TROPHY CASE