I get it...I've been getting up at 5:30 in the morning and walking/running in the cemetary by my neighborhood in the hopes that no one sees me. You've taken the first step...that's a big accomplishment! And you're boyfriend sounds like an awesome guy. I would say "screw em - who cares what anyone else thinks" - but that means I would have to follow my own advice and I'm not quite there yet.

OMG you guys cracked me up so bad snot flew out of my nose !! (Eww)

wow, that's really great advice. Thank you!! I'm going to remember that!!

you always find the perfect things to say elvislover324 Thank You!!

Woah!! You are SO brave!! and funny

Thanks everyone , you have no idea how much of a confidence booster this thread has been. I am sure to follow all your advice and take myself to the next level !!!

Firstly, love your BF!

Secondly, wanna know what EVERYONE is thinking when they see you out running??? Every single car you pass, every single runner, every single walker, are thinking the following:

ugh I'm late for work
I want coffee
my hair looks weird
is that a squirrel
I hate my husband
awesome song!
my car's making a weird noise

Sorry to burst everyone's bubble ha ha but the world doesn't revolve around you being on the street -- sad but true, NO ONE CARES

You are right! I guess it's only because I look at runners and feel envious and sort of pay attention to the way they are running because I am just starting out, I feel that maybe everyone else might be looking at me too (and judging) but, thank you!!! If I don't care, no one will care !!

Really, I truly don't really notice other people when I'm out running. Running is my me time, where, if I'm not obsessing about whatever upcoming race, I just zone out. Someone could run by me nude, and I'm not sure I'd even notice that. During races, I pay a bit more attention. I don't want to get in anyone's way or do any more zig zagging than I have to. I have been known to walk or run with someone that is really struggling. Having been the person before that really didn't think I was going to finish the race, I'll try to chat with those people a bit and motivate them to just keep moving forward.

Some of my fave running sayings:
Being slow isn't a character flaw. Stopping is.
Dead last > did not finish > did not start
No matter how slow you are, you're still lapping the people sitting on their couch.
Run, walk, crawl, finish!
It hurts now, but one day it will be your warm-up.

I'm a slow runner. I'm getting faster, but I'm not fast by any stretch of the imagination. And that's okay. When I run a half marathon, I cross the same finish line as everyone else. My medal is the same. I ran the same 13.1 miles.

I've also been working on embracing the idea of "If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try," and "The magic happens outside your comfort zone." Both of these proved to be true for me with half marathons. Now I'm moving on to a full marathon and then a triathlon. The thought of both of those is absolutely terrifying right now, but I also know how good achieving those goals will feel.

I think this is pretty common. It happened to me too. I absolutely HATED running in my neighborhood, I was so afraid to pass by someone's house that I knew and they'd see me running. Hmmm. I'm not actually sure how I got over, but it took some time.

I realized that honestly, most people do not care at all. When we're running we feel like everyone's watching, but really they are in there own world thinking about whatever is going on in their lives. I always try and imagine how I feel when I see someone running. I either feel like ,"hmm i should be running" or i look at them for a second then go back to wat I was thinking about. Sure some people may judge you or think mean thoughts but the vast majority of people aren't like that.

Maybe you should try going to a track at a high school, or an area you aren't familiar w/, where you know you won't see anyone and run there? Maybe you'll feel more comfortable in a place w/ complete strangers that you'll never have to see again, vs. your neighborhood trail w/ you neighbors etc.

It's honestly one of those things that'll go away with time.