Do these sound like results you'd like to see?
Running has some really positive effects on your body, but you need to make sure you're doing it right. After only 2 weeks, my knees starting hurting pretty badly. At the suggestion of several runner friends, I went out and bought new running shoes today. I went to a store just for runners (Luke's Locker in Austin, TX, but I'm sure every city has at least one running shop) and spent more money than I'd ever spent on any pair of shoes (including my most prized Steve Madden stiletto pumps), a whopping $125. But it was absolutely worth it! The experts at the shop looked at how I walked and then recommended specific shoes based on what they saw. Apparently, my feet roll inward slightly with each step that I take and so they recommended a shoe that will stabilize the movement of my foot. (The shoes I ended up with are Mizuno's Wave Inspire 8.) I went for a run as soon as I got home and I could definitely tell the difference! My feet were a little sore on the outside, but I assumed it was a result of the correction of the new shoes, and a few of those runner friends confirmed that. By my second run, my feet were feeling much better. Best of all, my knees weren't hurting!! I was skeptical that my shoes could make that much difference, but they really did. So if you want to get serious about running, start by having an expert help you pick new shoes.
The two programs I mentioned above are excellent programs for beginning runners. C25K on iTunes is a 9 week program, while Ease into 5K for Android is an 8 week program. I'm sure there are programs you can find online, but I like having it on my phone because it literally tells me when to walk and when to run. Just as their names suggest, they are designed to slowly take you from being a couch potato to being able to run a 5K. They do this with running/walking intervals - the first week they have you run for about 30 seconds and then walk for about 30-40 seconds. The second week they increase the length of each interval. And then slowly, over the course of a couple months, they increase the running and decrease the walking until you are able to run for at least a half an hour without stopping. It's certainly not easy, each progression is a challenge that pushes you past what you were able to do before, but it is definitely doable. I recommend finding a 5K race in your area within a week or two of the end of your program for the added motivation - if you've paid a registration fee for a race, you're much more likely to complete the training. I have 2 5Ks coming up in February, a 10K at the end of March (C25K is followed by Bridge to 10K), and then a 10 mile race in April. This time last year I could barely run a mile and now I'm registered to run a 10 mile race! EEK!!
Finally, let's talk about form. The following pictures explain the proper form for running pretty well:
You may notice one of these says to land on the ball of the foot and one says to land between the heel and midfoot and roll forward to the ball of the foot. I'm not sure what to tell you here... I've found a few sources supporting both positions. This might be one that is different for everyone, maybe not. I've tried both and while it works the calves more to land on the ball of the foot, neither one causes any pain.
One final note: running is not only great for fat loss and building your endurance, but it's also great stress management. If you're feeling particularly upset about something, go for a run and I promise you'll be feeling at least a little better. If you are anything like I used to be and feel there's no way you could be a runner, let me leave you with two thoughts:
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