Hmm... running in place/around a small room or on an elliptical isn't going to give you the same type of workout as running outside or on a treadmill would, so you probably wouldn't be able to do those exercises and then go outside on day thirty and run the 5k.

If you are just looking to get more active or trying to stick to a preset plan, you might try doing a modified plan using the elliptical. Maybe instead of "running" and "walking" on the elliptical, you can change the resistance from 5 to 10 and back and forth.

Being more active is a great start, but unfortunatly, walking around your house/running in place is not going to get you to a 5K in 9 weeks. The difference in running on a treadmil vs. outside is even totally different. Running in place and actually running is two different exercises. But the running in place is a great start!

Yeah, I agree with the others, it's not going to give you the same thing as running outside or on a treadmill. Actually running on a treadmill is easier than outside too (there's no variation in terrain and no wind resistance because you're not actually moving through space). But running in place is a great cardio exercise in and of itself! So you will definitely get a benefit from it and it will increase your cardio endurance.

Thanks for all the feedback! I really wish I could actually go out and do it, but I just can't with the kids. My 4 year old would probably enjoy running around, he would think it was a game, but my 4 month old is just too little to be out now. My husband is a truck driver so I can't just get up early in the morning and leave the house. Maybe in the spring, when it is warmer out, I can try it outdoors. We don't have a lot of great parks around this small town, but we have the high school's track. The only other place I can think of is our Lion's Club park, it has steep grades and long almost flat roads. Would it be better to just try that or the track? What have you done? I would really like to be able to run 3 miles nonstop. I have only ran 2 miles at the most, when I was 17. This is a huge thing to me and I would really like to prove it to myself that I'm capable of making it.

i'm sorry where is the post/thread about the c25k challenge, everyone talks about it but i haven't seen it