Everyone is doing fantastic!

I've been sick this week, but it's been above the neck so I've still been running. 4 on Wednesday and 8 Friday. Today I'm not feeling much better and starting to worry about tomorrow's "cutback" run - 16 miles...seriously when did 16 miles become a cutback week. I'm planning on resting today, although there's lots to do so it will be difficult, but no intense exercise. Tomorrow I'll just have to listen to my body. Fortunately, my program comes with 2 cutback weeks after the first 20 miler so I have lots of time to get better as my next 20 isn't for 2 weeks.

On a crazy note, I'm seriously considering upgrading my June half marathon to a full marathon if all goes well at my first marathon...so I'll have about 8-10 weeks to train for my second half depending on how much rest I need after the first. It's official, I'm addicted.

Keep it up everyone, happy running!

I am living precariously through all your accomplishments. I haven't been in my running groove for almost a year now - very sad. I go for 'wogs' but end up mostly walking. When I start running, i just want to stop
Legs feel heavy and full of aches and pains. Any runners experienced this before? How do you get that running 'chi' back?
BTW i used to run a few 10k's/wk.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Susan

With Couch to 5K you walk and run at set intervals. So if your legs feel heavy and achy you know you only need to run for 15 more seconds. The first day I went my shins felt like they were being sliced through with bone saws and my lungs felt like someone had shoved Brillo Pads and molasses down them.

A few days ago I was doing it and it felt like my quads were detatching from my femurs. But I ran until the recording said "walk."

I had no chi. No flow. No high. But I was following the program. Now, there's more flow, more chi. My legs feel stronger, my lungs are better.

I highly recommend the Couch to 5k recordings. Then you just follow the program. If your legs hurt, you follow it. If you feel awesome, you follow it. If you feel bored or exuberant - follow the program.

No Problem --

Hi ladies! I'd love to join you! I haven't been around 3fatchicks for years, but I'm going to try to get back into the swing of posting! I also just started exercising again in December. I followed the plan in the book "Run Your Butt Off," which is essentially the same thing as Couch to 5k. I finished the program a couple of weeks ago.

I'm really interested in running a half marathon. There's one in August that I'm particularly interested in. I just dn't know if that's too ambitious of a goal, but I'm going to try!

You're all so inspiring! I look forward to joining you!

Not too ambitious at all Iowa - go for it! When I did my first half I decided in July and ran it in November.

I've been sick all week, but manage to get my miles in, but had to do them back to back since I was pretty much bed ridden the begining of the week. Did 8 last night and 5 this morning. Got 12 miles to do this week and then the big 2nd 20 miler is next weekend - can't wait!

ran 6.2 this morning my knee has been hinky so did not push it just want to run. Took 1hr and 15 min. My 10k race is next Sat. I did not run at all this weekto rest knee hoping it feels good in Morn want to run a few days in a row as mid week working.

I find this thread so inspiring!

I'm on week 3 of C25K and my friend and I are going running for the first time together. So excited!

*waves*
I've been afraid of this thread in the past. Mostly because I'm ashamed of my terrible running ability. I've decided I have to man up now though, I signed up for a 120 mile relay race (my portion is 6.7 miles) in late April and I'm deathly afraid I'll be so slow my teammates will resent me. Not that we're going to win, the groups that do have try-outs for their team and train for months. But my teammates run an 8:15 average mile, whereas, I did my first 6 mile "run" (in which I ran 300yds walked 100yds each circuit of the track) In 1hr 10 min last night. That's an 11:45 average mile.

So, my two questions for you are, how did you break through the mental barrier to running continuously rather than having walk breaks? And how do I go about improving my speed?

I know everyone swears by it but please don't tell me to do C25K, it didn't work for me and makes me focus too much on running *only* until the thing says stop/the timer counts down which is how I ended up with this run/walk problem in the first place.

Sat ran 3.5 Sun off Monday ran 6.2 trying to get ready for my first 10kon Sat. My knees are still not great.....May decide after this race to stay with 3.5 and 5 mile runs. May just be to much for these old joints {and I HATE thinking old} but the reality is at just shy of 60 I just want to be able to KEEP running as it brings me such JOY!!!And it is a new found hobby of less than 6 months.

fromthebox, first of all - welcome! Second, I completely understand your fear, and that you are intimidated, but don't be. All your runner pals haven't always run 8:15.

Lastly, to improve your speed you need to building endurance via - speed work and long runs. Two totally different types of endurance and skills. Speed work can be intervals, fartleks, etc. A little googling or a PM to MKroyer will provide you tons of info. Second long runs - you need to be sure you are doing a long run every week and continuing to push yourself to run longer without walking to get yourself to a point where you can continuously run. Just add 10% to your long run each week and run for 10% longer before walking each time.

Running is like any sport it just takes practice and time. Good luck to you!

I'm just plugging along. 20 miler this weekend then the big taper before the big race. It hasn't quite sunk in yet that I'm running a marathon in a month!

I'm on week 5 of Couch to 5 K which is run 5min, walk 2, run 4, walk 2, run 5 walk 2, run 4 cool down. I did really well! I can feel myself getting stronger and I actually like it! I've been doing it on the treadmill since it's been cold out and that makes my exercise induced asthma flare up, but I'm hoping to get outside tomorrow.

Some of my pants are too big, and smaller pants are fitting me even though the scale has only moved down a pound or 2. It's very interesting to notice all the changes going on. I haven't purposefully changed my eating, although I can tell I'm craving more protein and am not as hungry in the evenings.

sznn I know what you mean!!!!! I've had a hard time refinding my mojo as well. I've signed up for another 1/2 and while I am dreading it less and less, there isn't any joy ( except when I 'm done with training for the day LOL) . I feel heavy and bored most of the time. Dh and I were chatting about this yesterday and he commented that his running lately has felt more like a job and less like the enjoyable hobby it actually is. I'm hoping that if i continue to put in the time I will find it somewhere, hopefully sooner than later. To that end I'm slugging along slower and feeling heavy than I would like and trying to find inspiration anywhere I can get it. I am definitely relearning patience .......

SG - how often are you and your husband running? When I start feeeling like that it means I'm running too much or too hard. Do you do any kind of cross training? Maybe something that is equal in endurance may interest you. Something like Spinning.

Got my second 20 mile run tomorrow, nervous and excited. Then...taper time! Race is 3 weeks from tomorrow...insane. Haven't really processed my feelings about any of it yet; but as cheesy as it sounds this experience and process had changed me.

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the spring coming (sorry I'm west coast so it's pretty much spring here now!)

ncuneo - sending good vibes that you'll have a great run tomorrow! You are an inspiration, girl!!

Nothing much new on the running front for me. Other then it warmed up enough for me to run outside on Thursday - first time outside since November! I have a friend who is an avid runner who gave me all sorts of dire predictions about how treadmills KILL the ability to run outside and it would be like starting from scratch for me. SO not true! I was immediately back into the groove - no soreness, no breathing issues - it felt so great I ran an extra 1/2 mile before I had to stop. And I had to stop because I was on my lunch hour, otherwise I may have gone further!