@analogkid:
I want to lose weight but would also love to start a tradition of running in races across the US (long term goal.) I have no medical conditions other than needing weight loss. I jog/walk with my dog but have to slow back down to a fast walk due to being out of breath. I know it will get easier the more I run. A friend suggested using a high school track but I thought I could use the trails too.
@SoonersinTX: Sounds like you are generally fine to get going then, though checking with your PCP is never a bad thing to do when starting such an endeavor.  The school tracks are fine (middle schools here; they lock up the HS tracks, which is a whole other topic for me), but will get quite monotonous after a while unless you can go with a friend/group.  Safety-wise though, it is a good option, this time of year especially.  I really wish the greenbelts were more crushed gravel than cement, but at least it's something.  I would definitely use East End Park.  Nice crushed granite trails, good scenery, almost always someone out there.  It's a nice getaway from noise and pavement too.If I were you I'd consider a walk/run basis for starting out for the first couple of weeks.  Be conservative and patient with the process.  You have to allow time for adaptation, especially of connective tissue and the endocrine system, both of which take weeks to months to fully come onboard.  Cement is everywhere here, and even asphalt would be just slightly better, and is about the hardest surface you can run on.  I would tend to pace your outings more by time than distance.  The body doesn't necessarily care about how far it's going, or gone, but it does care about how long.  After a couple of weeks of run/walk, then look to drop a walk interval each time out until you've ramped up to full runs for 20-30 minutes.  From there you should look to continue to build a nice volume base of running and begin to consider a plan for races that you want to do.Consistency is key, and the hardest part of just about any run, even for veteran runners, is getting yourself out the door.  Write down a short term (achievable within the next month or two) and a long term goal (6-12 months) in bright colors and stick it up somewhere where you will see it every day; revise/update when those goals are met. All of this, of course, should be in concert with a bit of cleaning up of your nutrition plan, if not already in place.  Good luck and good running! 4951