Hey everyone, what a great thread!

I had always done little runs here and there, maybe 3 miles 1-2 times a week on a good week. But in 2009, I was just starting med school and it seemed like everyone around me was training for the half-marathon or the marathon in April. And I started to think, hey maybe I can do that. So I started to push myself a little farther and farther until I could run the entire perimeter of the park that is near my house 6 miles.

I didn't do the half marathon that year or the next (was way too busy around race time) but I did do my first 5K in 2010 and had a lot of fun. Last year I did my first half, and just registered yesterday to do it again this year!

Great to see how many of us there are
I'm just a beginner runner, I started jogginglast summer. This year I've signed up to a 10k in May

Okay, being that I'm just starting out, what do I do to AVOID blisters? I just started getting some and after a week of being sick I went to go workout and BOOM blisters again. I used thick socks, maybe not thick enough? Its getting pretty annoying lol

Darlingbrit - I'm no expert on blisters or running but I have gotten a blister on my heel while running. I definitely blamed the socks and haven't worn them since. But also make sure that your shoes are still fitting you correctly.

ilovetoot : I'm not doing marathon like you, but I feel it a bit too. I went through a glucose metabilism test the other day and the lady told me I had the metabolism of a college football player that they screen a few weeks before. And I'm not loosing much since I started running neither...

darlinbrit : Maybe your shoes doesn't fit you correctly? The right shoes can make ALL the difference

Ok, maybe if I write this down I will actually do it!

I'm going to start running during my free time at work. I did this in the summer when I was working in a preschool, but I have even more time during the day (1hr vs 45min) and sometimes more depending on the schedule. I'm a special ed teacher but I don't have my own class, I work with small groups and sometimes I don't see them if there is something going on during the day (I do all my planning in the morning, so usually during my lunch hour I'm eating/going on my computer).

I decided this right now of course so I don't have any of my gym stuff with me (and it's supposed to snow around lunch time so I can't even walk or something), but I will do it tomorrow! Especially since the gym is closed tomorrow! No excuses sontaikle!

I'm making a ticker to throw in my signature too. I WANT to be able to run in a 5k and the only way to do that is to ACTUALLY TRAIN. LET'S GO!

ilovetoot: you sound so inspirational - I want to be where you are at eventually. Though the body adjusting the net calorie need kinda sucks. Though as you say yourself, it doesn't feel as much as hard work anymore. So it's not like you need extra -effort- to lose the same aount of weight as you did in the past, you just need extra time? Or maybe you can somehow intensify it with intervals so the workout feels more complete?

Tiny Tiger: how did you go about from your 5k to your first half marathon? And what was the biggest hurdle you had to overcome? I am running a 5k next month, though I am already able to run one now. But I would love to work towards a 10k for spring and a half by the end of this year. Just don't know if it's realistic.

darlingbrit: it sounds like either ilfitted shoes or not-so-good-for-you socks. I bought sportsocks at the local grocery store for near to nothing and they are really good. They don't get wet from sweat. I think polyster or thick socks that get sweaty will get you blisters. That and shoes that don't fit properly or aren't secured tight enough. Blisters are caused by constant friction.. something sliding over your skin constantly + wet/heat = blisters.

sontaikle: yay for your resolution! Sounds like a perfect time to go running. Goodluck and keep us posted!

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Just wanted to say something in general to people doing c25k - I did it for only half and then I no longer enjoyed it. What I found so hard about the c25k is that you are focussed on time. On wanting time to pass by quickly. It makes you run faster than you should and it keeps your focus 'inward' more than just looking around you. So if you reach a point where you've done a few weeks and have the confidence that you can someday run a 5k, you can always just go out on your own. I did and it was great. I went from running week 5 of the c25k to running 3 miles a week later. Simply because I decided I didn't really need the intervals, I needed the patience and outward focus. I chose a route and told myself that I could take all day, just go for it. In the end I ran 24minutes. From 8 to 24.. sounds ridiculous, but if you are fit due to gym activity or other activity it's really not so hard. And after that you just feel really empowered!

I am taking another day of rest because my knee is a tad annoyed. Doesn't really hurt but it feels funky. Rather safe than sorry so I just aint gonna run. I am also a bit fed up with running in the snow, I've done 3.5 miles as my farthest run in the snow, and I REALLY wanna know what it feels like on clean streets. lol.

Edit: I just couldn't not go running, so I went for a half hour run. Ran 2.4miles. Was still in the snow and I usually run with our female shepherd she behaves wonderfully but today I took the dude. And he is so annoying. Needs to be leashed and hits the breaks every now and then. Uhg.

I have blister issues too. I didn't have them with my first 2 pair of shoes, then after I lost some weight I started getting them. I figured it was a combination of old shoes and training for a 10k, so I got 2 new pairs. While the blisters aren't as bad, I'm still getting them. :/ I got new thick running socks too. Mine are between my toes though, not on my heels. For heels I think thicker socks will definitely help. I might buy that stuff you put between your toes to keep them from rubbing, because I don't have time to let the blisters heal between runs with my training plan.

My Blisters are on the balls of my feet, not on my heels- which is why I'm guessing its socks :/

I actually kind of disagree. When I did c25k, I used a podcast which just told me when to stop and start, so I actually never looked at the time - I just ran whatever pace I wanted, listened to the music, and looked at the other people around, and just stopped when the dude said stop. I'm sure it all depends on the person, but for me it was great the whole nine weeks.

Ooooo a thread for runners my age? Amazing!

I started running in June 11 when I was around 160lbs. It started out as a way to lose weight and at first I HATED every minute of it. I had also recently quit smoking and my lungs were shot, I couldn't run for more then 2mins without being completely winded. I kept plugging away at it though and now I am doing around 3-4 miles 6 times a week at a walk/run pace. I am nearly running the whole way now though. I fell in love with it and am excited to keep getting better at it!

I typically run on my treadmill right now since the weather is wet and cold. However on the sunny days my boyfriend and I take our dog out to the dykes and go on a nice scenic run. I LOVE DOING THIS! I would do it every single day if I could lol My poor dog isn't in shape though and gets sore if we do it to many days in a row. Recently we did it 3 days in a row and the dog actually fell behind us, we had to stop and let him catch his breath. Poor guy. That is my new goal, get my lazy pup into shape!

I've been looking into the shoes issue and just read that you should wear shoes 1/2 to a full size larger then your regular size to avoid toe blisters or black nails - ick!

It's really confusing me! When i first started running i just went out and bought the cheapest pair of sneakers I could find. Now i've been experiencing the joint pain (and because i'm becoming quite serious with my running) I thought I should look into getting proper shoes.
Well! I've become a bit overwhelmed with the info out there. So I wanna know how much effort you girls have put into your choice of footwear and whether you could give me some advice. All the info seems to shout at me YOU MUST GET THIS PAIR WITH THIS WIERD TECHNICALLY SOUNDING FEATURE OR YOU WILL BREAK BOTH YOUR LEGS AND NEVER RUN AGAIN. which frankly scares the **** out of me.

Ali: The simplest advice? Go to a running-store that helps you get the right shoes. They have you run and watch/videotape your feet to see which way you lean more. Then you get to test a few shoes and see how it feels.

The most important thing really is that you have shoes that support your feet in the right places, and that totally depends on the way you walk/run. All the other stuff is just sales-krap. . I got myself a pair of nikes for about 80dollars and love them. But it could have been any pair of shoes that fit right.

Totally agree with you on that.

Getting proper shoes for running was the best decision I made! And it's a really basic Nike pairs, without any fancy thingy.

A good pair of shoes make all the difference

I think part of the reason I was hurting when I last ran was because I was using crappy sneakers. My mother bought me some nice running sneakers for Christmas and I'm looking forward to using them for the first time tomorrow They will be exclusively for running and I'll use another pair I have for the gym.