New to running, want to start off right page

[Starkanda]

Hey, hope someone out there has some good advice for me.
I am going to do a 10k run in the fall, it's with some friends, and I'm not normally into running, and, crazy thing is, when I was big (I've lost 90 lb past year and a few months...) I absolutely HATED running, because it was so jarring, so on, so on. Now, I've tried again, it is not so bad, actually kind of fun, but I need to work my way up, because even though I'm pretty active (swim, play hockey, lift), I am an absolute NOOB at running
Most of where I'll be running will be concrete, so I am really reluctant to go full-on into barefoot/minimalist, and I was just at a running shoe store last night, and they tried to get me in "stability" shoes, with custom insoles and the whole bit. The useful part is that I see that I do tend to stand very heel heavy, and apparently favor my left side. Oh, and I kinda splay out like a duck when I run. Embarassing LOL.
There must be a happy medium here.
My goal is to run comfortably without getting hurt, and I would love to get the form/muscles going properly, so I won't NEED too much support in the shoe department, but I don't want to get torn up! That being said, I LOVE my VFFs, but you won't see me running in them!
So I guess I'm looking for pearls of wisdom from someone out there, about shoes, training, whatever, to help this running noob.
Thanks!!

[Annlee]

A lot of folks on the forum have recommended the counch-to-5K program (one link -- Couch to 5k - C25K Running Program). there's also a couch-to-10K program out there.

When I'm getting started back in, I do 2 things:

1. I have an elliptical (good one) because in the past I damaged one achilles pretty badly, leaving scar tissue in it and I am careful with it. I do my "distance running" on it for the no impact.
2. On the road/sidewalk, all concrete, I walk 50 paces and run 50 paces*. Rinse and repeat. When that's comfortable, with no problems in my achilles, I gradually increase the running and decrease the walking.

* I count every other time my left foot pushes off (never count on the right foot) as one pace (one (LR) - and (LR), two - and, ..., twenty - one, twenty - two, etc.). So for 50 "paces" my left foot and my right foot have actually pushed off 100 times each. That's a bit more than an eighth of a mile - but you can take any method of counting and make it work; I use this to keep the numbers low enough that I don't lose track. The key is mixed walking and running, with a gradual evolution of the mix into more and more running.

[Tribal Rob]

Pearls of wisdom -

Take it slow, build up very slowly - ligaments are delicate things, take a long time time to get strong and a long time to heal if you damage them. This is especially true if you intend to try some minmalist shoes.

Don't fall down your front steps and carry on running just coz it don't hurt to run, even though the top of your foot hurts, because you will damange your achellies tendon and still not be running 5 months later (this could just me me though)

DOMS (Delayed onset muscle sorness) is OK, but you don't need to push yourself to the point of getting DOMS to improve, though some will be inevitable to begin with. ANY OTHER PAIN is not OK stop and rest.

As for shoes - I ran in skeletoes by fila for a while - slightly padded, but not much, certainly more forgiving than my vivo barefoot trail shoes, something like new-balance minimus may also be worth looking at as they are flat, but not un-padded.
The only thing I can really tell you is skeletoes are rubbish in the mud uneless you like falling on your bum.

[Starkanda]

Thanks guys. I'm gonna start with the couch to 5K program, and right now I'm looking into shoes with some padding, but not over the top support. I'll look into the skeletoes. Might be interesting. Not doing any trails at the moment, so slipping in mud shouldn't be a problem!