Yes yes yes it's free! It's called "Couch to 5k" and there are a lot of programs that are all free to follow. It's basically just a guide, a schedule of running. They break it down by day and week. The program is usually around 2 months and the start will be something like "this week run for 30min - alternate between running for 60seconds and walking for 90seconds. The 2nd week will direct you to run a little bit more and walk a little less. It's a great safe way to build up your endurance in running and avoid injuries. There are many programs to choose from and they're all similar. There are even apps for your phone that can help you along. https://www.google.com/#q=couch+to+5k+program

Awesome!! I'm going to have to look it up now!! Thanks!!

Btw, when you guys run do you breathe out of your mouth too?? I was running with a friend and she told me I was going to get tired faster by breathing through my mouth! WTH?! I'm so confused breathing through my nose feels so wrong!! but what are your opinions? Is that the norm (breathing through your nose only)?

It is much better to breathe through your nose, and then exhale through your mouth. If you take breathes through your mouth it promotes shallow breathing, which will definitely make things more erratic and difficult for you.

The key is deep, steady, controlled breathes. Breathing through your nose and out your mouth promotes this. Once you start you will see a huge difference!

The moment I actually think about my breathing or what I'm doing with my hands while I'm running my whole world falls apart and I become a wheezing, uncoordinated, flappy-armed weirdo.

I'm in the "Ignore Your Breathing and Your Hands and Just DO IT" school of running. I'm the Dean of the School actually.

Haha! That's funny but when you have thought about it did you notice whether or not you were breathing through your nose? I'm very aware of my breathing because this is aerobic exercise after all which by definition means to move oxygen through your body. So it is very important how you breathe

Oh cool! I will have to try this! Thanks!

Haha!! flappy-armed weirdo! that's so funny! I totally get what you mean! You know what I've been doing lately? I will be running, listening to music, and then I will glance at the treadmill and see I've burned only 20 cals and then I will feel SO exhausted like all of a sudden!! It's ridiculous! then I will tell myself omg you're tired, time to walk blah blah...end of run. it's so bad!!

So now I've made it a point to not stare at it! lol


I feel like my mouth is always partially open when I'm running ( that sounds weird to me now haha) but it seems easier? I feel like my nose doesn't have enough hair going in and out so I need to breathe through my mouth, must be in my head!

If you're not able to breathe comfortably then you're running too hard. You should be slightly out of breath and can hold down a conversation with slight pauses. If you're huffing and puffing and gulping air through your mouth you haven't worked up to that intensity yet.