Hi everyone. Room for one more? :-) I am on Week 6 of Couch to 5k program now..so this week goes up to 25 min...or I guess that is about 2 miles. I run outside since the weather has been so nice. I've never been a runner before so I've been pretty proud of myself for sticking to this program. To see the distances the rest of you run is really inspiring to me also and I hope I shall get there someday! :-)

Welcome gremlina!

I got new running shoes today. I've been putting it off but decided not to risk injury.

Anne

My half on Sunday went well. I ran 2:42:19, which I don't think is half bad. My back is a little stiff today, but other than that I'm feeling good.

So how much does this mean I should be running? For the most part I was running 3 miles 2-3 times a week. And once every other week or so I'd throw in a 6 mile run. The 3 mile runs are (usually) very easy for me. The 6 mile run, a bit more of a challenge, but not exceedingly difficult. I don't want to start off too fast and burn out, but I want to challeng myself? Any thoughts on where I should start?

I'm so proud of myself. I was away for the weekend, but I dragged myself out of bed on Sunday morning, left the hotel and headed out for 18.5 miles or so. Usually when I'm away I tell myself I'll run if I feel like it, this time I told myself I was running whether I liked it or not and if I got drunk on Saturday night I'd only have myself to blame. That's my last long run before the marathon done, and I'm now officially tapering. I did 30 minutes on the treadmill in the hotel gym this morning before heading back home too.

Finally made it to the doctor, who believes I have tendonitis. He says not to run for another week and then come back for an x-ray if it's still hurting. I asked him about Saturday's 5K and he gave me permission to try it. He said he'd prefer I NOT do it, but I can try it and then just walk it or quit if I have pain. He also said he'd prefer I run on treadmills or tracks for a while instead of hard surfaces. I'm going to try the race Saturday (though he said I can't run UNTIL then, which means I'm probably going to struggle anyway after all these days off) and see how I feel.

Thanks for the welcome ennay.

I'm definitely a beginner runner -- meaning I've been running exactly 5 times! I'm going for 5K (3 miles), but alternating walking and running. Not following C25K, although that was my inspiration. I figured out I'm running approximately 2.5K. There's a killer hill on my route that I CANNOT run up any of yet!

My goal is to run for the CIBC Run for the Cure at the end of September, at which point I should be close to my goal weight, as well.

LisaMarie - Sorry about the tendonitis. Good luck if you decide to go ahead with the race, but be careful to not injure yourself further!

Helen - I have trouble running or getting any exercise in when I'm traveling. Kudos to you for getting it done.

Went and did 3 miles around the park loop yesterday. Didn't want to go my usual route because it looked like heavy rain might be moving in, but the sprinkles and clouds had cleared by the time I'd finished. For my effort I was rewarded with a nasty blister on my left foot. Not sure why this happened all of a sudden, maybe I need moisture wicking socks now that it's warmer and my feet will sweat more? Guess I'll have to try some things out till I don't get blisters anymore. It kind of hurts, hope it’s all better by tomorrow so I can get another run in.

I got in 3.1 miles this morning, with no walk breaks for a change. My HR and pace were both decent too. And it felt great. Only 1 week's worth of consistency! Image what stringing 2 or 3 weeks together will do. Goal for Thursday is 4 miles.

Walked my elderly dogs after the run and saw a dead rattlesnake in the road. That time of year again.

Anne

Well, I finished my 5k on Saturday, although not as well as I would've liked, and I had to walk some. Ran a mile on Sunday just to shake off the soreness, and ran a tiny bit over 5k last night. This time with no stops, and beat my official 5k time. I can't believe I can finally run 3 miles + without stopping. Now, I have a question... will I start losing weight? So far, not really losing anything since I've been running. I like running just for running's sake, but it would be nice if all the exercise and watching what I eat would start paying off too.

Dee

Dee -- Congrats on your 5k... I started losing weight when I started running, because it was the most intense cardio I had ever done, I did eventually plateau, but I still feel better and physically fitter when I run...

Off to run to the gym, workout, and run back home... CYA

Dee - well done.

I did 7.8 miles this evening in the rain, mainly off road. I seemed to be a bit faster than I have been over recent weeks, which is good news, and I enjoyed it despite the weather.

I'm planning a run on Friday, probably a bit shorter than that, then my half on Sunday. That will be it for this week.

Helen - you are a constant inspiration, and reminder to get my butt out there, lol.

I did a little bit over 2 miles tonight, and actually had my best mile time yet, slightly under 12min/mile! Woo hoo. Over all, I ended up with a little bit over 13min/mile pace, but apparently I was really hitting that first mile.

Hi Dee, congrats on your 5K. Running is fantastic for me for maintaining my weight, but if I need to lose I really need to watch my food intake. Get rid of the junk, eat lots of fruits and vegetables and restrict calories.

I did my 4 miles this morning 2+2 with one short walk break. Finished the whole thing in 47 minutes, so my running pace was right on 11 min miles. That is about as good as I've done recently. Came back and walked the dogs for about a mile. No wildlife encounters to speak of this morning, other than a bunch of rabbits and a few doves.

Anne

I am thinking that drinking more alcohol last night than I have drank in the past 4 years was not a good idea TWO DAYS BEFORE MY HALF - what the **** was I thinking? I totally forgot about the half yesterday. Just didnt even think about it as I went "wow, this is the first wine I ever have really liked"

Yes wine. Not even beer or liquor. Wine, which is the ONLY alcohol on the planet which apparently can give me a hangover.

So no run this morning and then I'll do a little run tomorrow and then the half on Saturday.

Today I am eating fruit and veggies like mad to flush me out. I feel like garbage today.

Hope you're feeling better ennay! Don't know what kind of wine you were drinking, but a lot of people are allergic to something in red wine. Don't remember what exactly, but that could have something to do with it. Take care of yourself and I'm sure you'll bounce back.

My blister is on the mend. I'm going shopping for clothes this weekend, I'm going to try to get a pair of those moisture wicking socks and some new running attire for summer. It's been getting hot here this last week.