philana : don't push your body too much the week before your weeks. More chance to hurt yourself, and you drain energy for your race. Do 2-3 (more likely 2) little sweet run so your legs can be fresh for your race That's what I did for my 10k in February

Reba : Congrats on your first race! That is awesome Isn,t it the most thrilling feeling ever? And I get you, after I'm done, I always also get that feel ''I could have push a bit harder''. But focus on the point that you did it!!! For the training program, I use one of the program offer (free!) of the Women Half Marathon of Toronto. There is different lenght program, depending of what kind of runner your are at the beginning and in what time you would like to do the race. Here's the link to the website : http://www.towomensruns.com/half_marathon_5k_tp.html If you need more informations on the training program, let me know, I'll be glad to help you!

***

I went for my first long run of my new program, a 6k. it went good. I wasn't really pleased about my average pace of my last run so I pushed myself a bit more on that one... I was a bit out of breath in the end but still made it. I'm slowly getting back on the cardio training mood. I also went for a 6.3k of mountain showshoeing yesterday, can't hurt the cardio!

I'm kinda a freak about running gear, and last week I bought the BEST PAIR OF SOCKS EVER. They're Thermal Mizuno (I SWEAR by this brand) and my feet were happy happy happy! Not cold at all! yay!

I've been stalking this thread for a while now and decided to join! I started running back in November of last year. I started the C25K program. Took me a whole 3 months to get to week 5!! Anyway, I want to become one of those people who are addicted to running, feel the rush, right?? Well that hasn't kicked in just yet!

Last week I hit a "MILEstone" I would say, I ran a mile straight without stopping!! As lame as this sounds, I cried as I left the gym. I was so happy. I didn't think it was going to be such a big deal but all of these emotions of being back in high school and being the last person to finish the mile in P.E. and being humiliated. So I finally did it! Yeah me! It was the first time in my life I ever ran a mile... EVER!

I'm signed up for the Susan G. Komen 5K in May so I'm working towards that. So I'm done creeping this thread and I'm officially part of it! I also signed up for the Run For Your Lives zombie obstacle course in August!

So the plan for the day is to run 1.5 miles without stopping! I haven't ran since last week because well... I can give you all a list of "excuses" but I was just lazy!! I'm really excited to be on this thread to give and get some much needed support. I see many ranges of runners on here, to beginners to long distance so I'm super excited! Happy to meet you all!!!!

Hi Ladies,
i am also a 20 something runner.. last year i completed my first ever 5 k and a 10k charity run.. although after a torn muscle last summer took a long hiatus.. i am ready to get back into it now that the evenings are getting brighter for longer..
tomorrow i am going to start C25K again..

TurboMammoth - Thanks for the link! I think i'm going to start up a 10k training schedule this week to start increasing my distance until i find a half marathon that i'd like to train for. I'm so excited to continue running! I almost cried as i approached the finish line. It feels a little silly after just a 5k but I guess i'm a really emotional person haha

aerogora - it took me FOREVER to make it to week 5 too! it took me weeks and weeks just to get to week 2! so i definitely understand you there! Congrats on running a mile! I get emotional over things like that too. It's good to be proud of ourselves when we accomplish new things!

curlysue82 - welcome to the thread!

paintedbutterfly - I had almost the exact same experience! I struggled with week 6 day 1 and then couldn't push myself to finish day 2! I think that it must have been all in my head. It's the weirdest thing. I personally stopped following my c25k podcasts and started listening to my own music and just pushing myself to run as much as I was comfortable with. But a week and a half later I ran (mostly) a 5k and had an amazing time! My advice is to just keep at it and stay positive even if you don't follow the program exactly. Good luck! I hope you get back to loving it soon!


I decided not to go for a run today because I barely got any sleep last night.. I had a lot on my mind and just couldn't shut it off long enough to get any rest. Plus my weigh in is tomorrow and sometimes I can be up a little bit the day after I run so I'd really like to see a loss this week after two weeks of stalling.. So I'm hoping to have a great run tomorrow after an extra day of rest!

paintedbutterfly- I didn't follow a program when I started running but I took two weeks off in December. When I started up again, I was having trouble running just a few minutes. I know it sucks but just push through it In a week or two you'll be back to enjoying those runs

Thats amazing That first mile run is a huge deal and it takes alot to get there. You must feel so accomplished
And I get the running in gym P.E thing...I think I was around 280-300 in High school, and its downright cruel to make a female teenager who's that size try to run a mile while EVERYONE is watching...it always took me 25-30 minutes and I was always the last to finish


I got lazy today. I've been running between 2 1/2-3 miles everyday but I got to the gym and after a mile run I just couldn't get modivated. SO I left..my day off from the gym is tomorrow anyways so today will count for that...but when I left, I noticed how nice it was outside, so I went for a run around the lake. Only about a mile and a half but I enjoyed it ^_^....

Wel, I did my official 5k today in 32 minutes. But it felt like a megafail. My usual time was 34/35min, so in that regard it's good. But I felt so unfocussed and chaotic with 4000 people around me. I did not know where the route was taking me and I did not focus on my breathing and running.

So I felt all stressed after that, which made me decide to do another run. It's PERFECT weather here, the first real spring day. So I just did a 4,3mile run in 49mins. Just because it was so nice to run by myself with my music and focus on my breathing. I feel all relaxed now.

I do have a blister though and my knee hurts a tiny bit. Running 12k in one day while I've not done more than 6k in one day before might not be so smart, but I really needed to do it.

philana : awww, blisters are the worst... they make special cushy band aid for that, it helped me when I got some in the past. You might want to check out if your shoes or socks are allright though, it's not normal you get blisters like that.

Congrats on your 32 minutes 5k!

Philana: Congrats on your 5k and wow! I can't imagine running so much in one day! You're amazing! Hope your blister and knee feel better soon!

Baker23: I think that sometimes enjoying the run matters more than the distance!

I've been kind of struggling to get back to where I was before my 5k last weekend. I think it's all in my head. I hope I get backingo my groove soon. Until then I'll just keep doing what I can.

Turbo: Thank you. I only have one blister, and I've not had it before. I have good socks and my shoes have been good for me this far too. The thing that was different yesterday was that it was the warmest I've been since running. I did most of my running in wintertime, yesterday was sunny spring weather. I also had bad form because I paid zero attention to form because of the chaos. If I get another blister I will look into it more closely for sure.

Reba: Thank you! I couldn't imagine it either. Haha. But there's this headspace I got into that just made me wanna run and run. Also found proper breathing came easy all at once, made the running much nicer. My knee is all fine again already, so no worries there. - Doing what you can is always thebest approach, I am sure you'll find your groove back!

--
I've been messing around getting to my 5k, just doing c25k half and then on my own but my speed isnt improving and I notice I want to add in distance faster than I should so I found a training plan for 15k/10m to work to. It adds in strength and tempo runs and such. It's this Hal Higdon plan: http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51...aining-Program

Have any of you used such a plan? How do you go about strength training for runners?

Keep

philana : I use a plan similar to that... So far it's okay, but I'm only at week 3. For strenght training, I mostly do some bodyweight stuff, mostly squats, lunges, standing calf raise, abs and half short bridge for the back.

Turbo: I notice the thought of execises that I don't already know daunt me. Just because I am not so good with my motorskills and afraid I do stuff wrong. LOL. Any simple tips/explanations? I have a bunch of dumbells in the house so want to find some strength training that's easy.

I may have over-done it a little bit. The sides of my shins are super sore. Usually when that happens it's due to bad shoes, but my shoes have been good from the beginning. Maybe they aren't now that I am starting to run longer distances? I can't really afford a new pair and these were expensive and look like new still. So I don't know what to do.

I've taken a break from running to do some cross training the last few weeks, but I think today I'll get back out there and run again. The weather is really nice, I have a 5K in a month, and I just entered the lottery for the Peachtree Road Race! It's a huge 10K that goes through downtown Atlanta on July 4th, and so many people want to do it they have to draw names for it. *fingers crossed*

philana : I'm the same with you for trying out new workout! Usually, if I find one I like, I just feel like sticking with it forever LOL I honestly don't know much about exercising about dumbells (I don't have them at home) so I only do bodyweight stuff (except for the arm when I use the boyfriend resistance cable) but because it's for the run, I mainly focus on the legs.

I'd probably just start with the basic stuff, and it might sounds really stupid, but youtube helped me a lot to know how to do the moove correctly ;
- bodyweight squats (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqj1qjIA6E0) start with a few repetitions and slowly add more when you feel okay
- lunges (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2n58m2i4jg) for the bodyweight and the lunges, if you have motorskills issue like I do, at the beginning I was doing them next to a chair so I can keep my balance in case of trouble LOL
- standing calf raise : you just stand on your feet and slowly go up on your toes, maintain for a few sec, and then come back to the initial position. then repeat. Might not look like it, but if you do a lot, it will get you calves burning the next day LOL
- short bridge (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHV7YRxFCM0) for the back and the abs
- for the abs I use the routine on the randomabs website. I started slowly and wasn't doing all their repetitions at first, but they show you videos of the moovement your suppose to do.

Hope it helps

MusicalAstronaut : good luck for the draw, the run looks like a lot of fun!

***

So I'm in my week 3/17 of my half-marathon training, and so far everything is doing fine. At this point, I'm still running distances and speed that I was running for my winter 10k training. In the next 2 week the things will step up a bit though.

I haven't officially subscribed yet though. I'm SUPER stressed out. I still have issues, wondering if I'll actually be able to make it... They also have a mandatory checkpoint (8k at 1h20, which I know i'm able to do no problem in a normal run conditions) and on their website they mention that the first runners should arrive after around 1h13 and the last after 2h45... I'm training to make it in 2h30, but they're just seems to be a tons of ''what if?'' what if I can't make it?

i guess all of this make me anxious

Hey guys!

I know I posted at the beginning of this thread sharing my love of running, well I'm happy to say I can join in on the conversation now because I'M BACK IN THE RUNNING GAME!

I did Insanity for 6 whole months, and I'm starting to get a bit restless and want to get outside and run again. My manager at work is organising a bunch of us to do a 10k, at first I hesitated but then thought "this got me out of slump before, it's going to do it again" and signed up. Plus, it's for charity, so I can't back out now =p.

Monday I'm starting training again. I follow the Hal Higdon programme (which you can look at here: http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51...Novice-Program ) since I did it for my first 10k race and I really enjoyed it and felt I progressed nicely.

I can't wait to join in on the chatter!