I have been for a run My knee is NOT a happy bunny. RICE for me for a day or two. I think the problem started yesterday walking around town in non-supporting footwear, then sitting for an extended period of time in the cinema. It felt odd last night, but then was better this morning. Unfortunately after about 2.5 miles it started screaming, so I walked the rest of the way

2frustrated, sorry to hear your knee is bothering you. Rest up, you don't want a more serious injury.

I ran 5 miles today - it's 75 degrees and humid in Chicago today, so I felt like I was running through liquid. This 5 mile run was way harder than the 9 mile run I did yesterday under cooler temps. Hope this is not a precursor of how running in the summer is going to feel. I assume that it's an adjustment period, like most things, but today sure felt tough!

8.25k run today, it was awesome, took me an hour.... I had plenty of stored up carbs from the Chinese food last night ...

Rachel , I don't do well with warm weather running either... I'll try harder this year though ... Last year I just about stopped running in the summer and biked instead...

You'd love my husband -- a math teacher AND a running coach!

Helen, amazing job on your half marathon -- as always, very inspiring! Great job to everyone, by the way -- we're putting in some serious miles in this little group!! And we all seem to be improving at our various levels of experience, which is so great to see and to share.

I cleaned my house all day, preparing for family coming in this week (as you may remember, my brother is coming up to run the 10k, and bringing his wife and daughter and my mother will be here as well). My house is an utter wreck so it's been an all day job and we're still nowhere near done, so we missed our usual Sunday yoga.

I did squeeze in a 2-mile run, however, and it was pretty nice. Ran at about an 11-minute pace, which is my comfortable pace for shorter runs now, and actually wore shorts! Lovely sunny day. I have a problem with shorts, though, unless they're very tight, because they ride up and annoy me. My legs have become MUCH thinner (I always lose weight there first anyway), but my shorts still get caught up in my abundant thigh fat. I ran around 6pm and I saw my shadow most of the way, and I couldn't help thinking how much smaller my shadow is these days! My legs looked like they belong on someone else, I swear!

Awww Fru! I feel for you. Is this the same injury from last month? Mine is just starting to get better. I finally have more range of motion. Unfortunately, I really can't run more than ten minutes on it yet. The knee starts to ache and then my gait is all over the place trying to compensate for it. Just not worth it yet for me. Hang in there. It just takes time.

Just jumping in here to say that I plan to start this tomorrow morning first thing! I've been on my current plan for 6 months and am looking for a boost of something new at this point as an add-in. One question that I could not find the answer to on the CR website. On a treadmill, what is considered running speed for an avg height woman? 4.0? 4.5? I know speed is not one of the early goals of the program, but I want to make sure what I"m doing is really running and not just what would technically be considered a fast walk.

Hey Fran

Great to see you over here on the running side of things.

I am brand spanking new to just about everything and I run outside so I can't say for sure about speed but my best guess would be to start at 4.5 and go from there.

What's your plan for getting started? Have you looked at C25K? Its very good. I did my own but it involved the same Jogging/Walking intervals. I found it very helpful.

The way I see it if it feels like a run then it counts. Yes you don't want to go for speed but I think that it feels best if you push yourself a bit. That's why intervals help so much. It gives you a chance to push and then recover. Otherwise I probably would have dropped dead in the first week.

Anyhow I didn't really answer your question but I wanted to welcome you over here. Let us all know how it goes tomorrow.

Thanks HC. I've been hanging out on the CR website in the newbie forum. So I think I'm going to try their official Week 1 program. It's 3 days of running with days off in between. I think it's ok to do my cardio walking even on the days off, right? It just means no running, is my guess. I'm trying not to pepper their forum with too many silly questions, and trying to lurk 'n learn for now!

Hi all,

I'm going to try the C25K program. I've wanted to try it for a while, but wasn't sure my joints would take it. I decided to give it a go yesterday, though, and did the first workout with no complaints from my ankles or knees! So far, so good. I am going to skip and extra day, even though I am anxious to try the second workout, because I want to get it on a schedule of alternate days with riding my bike. Looking forward to getting to know you all.

Cheryl

Lydia - yeah it's the same thing. It felt like my someone was trying to prise my kneecap off with a screwdriver! So I'm thinking perhaps it was the shoes I have some new ones being made as we speak so we shall see.

Fran - I think you're running if you have both feet off the floor at the same time - a fast walk and you always have at least one foot on the floor. I think that's how they judge those power-walking events. I remember reading someone being disqualified for running because they had photographic evidence of her with both feet off the floor. I think however fast/slow you go, as long as you feel like you're jogging rather than walking then you're doing alright

Hi cheryl!

Fran - I think a "comfortable" starting speed is different for each person. I didn't do the C25K because I didn't have the time to devote to it and I was in okay shape so I kind of did my own thing but many people swear by this, if you're really new to running.

For me, I started off walking at about 3.5 and a light jog at around 4.2 and slowly increased my distance and speed over time. Now I "run" (and I use that term loosely) my 5k at around 5.2-5.6 and still slow to a walk for a minute if I ever need to. Not sure if that helps but I think once you get on the treadmill, you'll figure it out! My one "outside" run, I finished my 5k in around 36-38 minutes, I think and just tried to stay at a comfortable pace.

As for me, I'm not thrilled at the weather here this past weekend. It was supposed to be quite nice and, of course, Friday was but yesterday turned out to be quite cold and chilly and I didn't get out for my run. And yes, I know people run at all temperatures but I'm not quite there yet.

Oh well, this week is supposed to be quite nice!

Good luck to all your cool runners.

Frus: Good luck with the new shoes. How cool to have them made just for you.

Fran: Good luck with your first run! You're gonna love it! And as everyone else stated, don't worry too about how fast you should go. You will find your own natural stride and it will just keep getting better the stronger you become. Choose just one thing, time, distance or speed and improve upon that one at a time. And lastly, if it ever starts to hurt, just stop. Sounds silly but for me it takes just as much discipline to stop as it does to get started.

Yay!! I just finished Week 6, Day 3 -- 2.25 mi run with no walking!!

I LOVE RUNNING!

Now that I'm in the longer runs of the program, I'm going to have to find a way to avoid my old treadmill. (I have access to a nice new treadmill 4 days per week, but when I commute -- it's an old treadmill for the other three days, and the old treadmill hurts my feet and legs.) I may start going to the gym on campus -- though all the tiny co-eds kind of intimidate me -- so that I can use the newer equipment there. That'll throw a crimp in my schedule, but it might be work it, since I'm only in school for another three weeks anyhow.


Fran: I'm 5'4, and I walk at 4.2 and run at 5.2. Not a huge difference, but my body feels it!

Woo Hoo Poppins! See I told ya you'd love it.

Those first real runs are so amazing. It is quite an acomplishment.

Today I got out and did 3 miles. Still feeling worked from Sunday's run. But managed to go out and have a decent (but slow) time. I still have to work really hard just to go slow. I wonder when a slow run will feel like a walk in the park.

Pretty day today up here in the hills. Chilly and frosty dawn with a hint of spring when the sun comes up and the flowers are all starting to bloom.