Thanks for the feedback. That's kind of what I'm doing now. I ran for 45 minutes tonight, and I would just run till I couldn't anymore, and then walk until I could breathe again, and run again. Maybe I'll just have to stick with it. I would love to get addicted to running though. Thanks for the encouragement.

When you ride you are mostly sitting down. The bike bears your weight. But when running it's all you. So my guess is that the more weight you continue to lose the better you will feel running.

As that happens try to inch up the running time and scale back the walking time.

March 3rd may be about 3 weeks away, but i think this training plan might have some things you can utilize. check it out:

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

good luck--keep us posted!

runners world magazine has a few good "nothing to 5k" training plans a year on their site.....its worth checking out

I would focus more on getting your running endurance up and ignore HR for now. Since you're not in running shape at this point, the HR data is gonna be a little skewed. Wait until you become more comfortable and can maintain a steady pace for a prolonged period of time before you worry too much about zones.
That being said, don't push too hard. Slow and consistent is much better than brief speed with a lot of walking. It feels better too.

Oh, and your HR may always be relatively high compared to others smaller than you. I weigh in at around 210, and have been running for about 7 years. I just completed my first marathon in shade under 4hrs last month, for background. My average HR for a steady 8-8.5 min/mile run (which I find comfortable for anywhere less than 90 minutes or so) is usually between 165-170. I think b/c of my size my running HR is naturally higher, so I compare it to my past values along with percieved exertion to decide if I'm in the right zone.

When I got back into running, I hit the treadmill 3 days a week at a 4mph pace (15min/mile) and just added a quarter mile each time until I could go for 3-4 miles

when you count that i was swimming and riding in between, i got where i need to be pretty quick....I started working out (after a 7 year hiatus) on thanksgiving weekend and just did 6.75 miles in an hour and it seemed like an easy run, and I only run about twice a week now that I've been trying to up my swim commitment

but u can do it man, just stay strong through the lung part and don't be afraid to listen to your legs, you aren't winning a trophy by injuring yourself

like my old coach use to say, bones and joints tell the truth, lungs are liars ;)

I agree with the run/walk advice and the take it slow advice. It takes a while to get into run shape. Don't try to keep up with everyone around you. Run at your own, comfortably slow, pace for now. A 45 minute run is nice and long. PLENTY long for having just started running a few weeks ago. Make sure you slow your pace down so you don't kill yourself on the run streches. The last thing you want to do now is to ware yourself down so much during a run that you risk injury.

Thanks for all the advice.

trimas, I'm actually trying to do exclusively base training, and that's the problem. When I walk, I can't really get my heart rate up at all, and when I run my heart rate jumps up to upper zone 4 almost immediately. So basically I can't find zone 3. I'll try the walking on a treadmill with an incline though.

From the sounds of it, I think I just need to get out there and run. I guess my heart rate doesn't mean much right now since I'm just not used to running at all. Wish me luck. Thanks again for all the replies.

Oh, Cap'n Mal, I'm moving on march 15, and I'm looking forward to having a treadmill to run on. I don't think I'm wearing myself down too much. I definitely watch that though because I weigh so much and what not. I'll definitely keep the running pace down.

I think if I were to watch Buffy, it would push my heart rate even higher. Maybe I should watch something like baseball or something.

It's not the vampires that will get my heart rate up. It's Buffy.

+1 on Syler being creepy though.

Haha. Yeah, I should have thought twice about that one. Maybe I should start with X-Files, and move my way up to Buffy.

running on the treadmill WITHOUT any incline might be just the ticket. that's what I had to do when coming back from ITBS in my knee. it's a LOT easier than running outside. (typically, treadmills need 1-2degs of incline to simulate outdoor running)

Thanks for the tips. I should be getting a treadmill in the next few weeks, and I'll try running with no incline, or walking with some kind of incline. I think I really just need to stick with it, but running is definitely my worst sport, so I think I'll just put in the hours for the next few weeks, and hopefully I'll see some results. Thanks again for all the tips. I'll keep everyone up to date as I become a world-class runner.

Careful on a treadmill with no incline: it can lead to knee issues.

1. Yes Buffy is hot
2. Scully has her moments, don't hate.

I've never really bought into the evo or other kind of taught running practices, I have neutral footfall so im not sure if that acounts for it or not but i have always just gone out and run however feels natural. I do leg speed drills and stuff to improve my efficiency but i find that thinking about it too much just distracts me. I usually encourage people to just run however feels naturally as long as your foot lands under your hips but cjhoffmn's comment is interesting. What all does this method entail? Not looking to change my form but I'm just curious.

Even temporarily I'd be wary of it. Especiallly with higher weight the knees are under enough stress. Adding that might be a way to an injury! I've never had it happen, it just seems odd to me to recommend lots of downhill only running (which is what 0% incline is) to someone concerned with weight and being new to running.

Yeah. I'm going to borrow them once he's done with them.

HAHA. Yeah man. Their dog is awesome.