Sorry, couldn't resist the title. I finally ran outside! I am no longer an outside virgin! I hit the walking path and ran three miles. What surprised me was my speed!! On the treadmill my comfortable speed is 4.6 which has me running a 5K in 42-ish minutes. I ran an outdoor 5K in about 30 minutes. How did I do that?! I know I kept slowing myself down telling myself it was more important that I finish than that I finish fast. It was hard!! But it was hard because apparently I was really clipping along.

I liked running outside, except for the oppressive humidity. Instead of it being about "getting through the song" it was about "getting to the next tree" or lamp post...or passing the old lady who must have been walking much faster than she appeared to be!

Yeah!!!!

I was amazed at how much easier it was to run when I started going outside. Keep it up. Just remember to hydrate well and don't let the heat get to you. Stay hydrated!

I hear ya there! I had to run on the treadmill last night - sigh - no fun lol

great job!! that's something to be proud of! where i come from it's snow 8 months of the year so i've gotten used to the treadmill, certainly enjoy outside better.

I can't deal with the monotony of treadmills, so I, too, am a outside runner! It's great! I just plan to be running either soon after I wake up, to beat the heat... Or I wait until evening when things are cooling back down again! I totally know what you mean about landmarks, too! I'm doing C25K, so whenever I'm on a running interval and it's killing me, I just tell myself, "Get to that tree! Now get to the next one!" Hahaha... I gert through it! Congrats on the running outside, keep it up!

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Fabulous!

Yes, isn't that great? And now a whole new world opens up before you. Just think of the places you can run. It's a whole new way of experiencing the outdoors. State parks, beaches, wooded trails. It's something to look for when you go on vacation or visiting someone.

I'm excited for you, can you tell? And also a little envious. I have issues with my left foot & cannot run very often, out of doors or in, or I get sidelined from exercise almost completely. If I could, though, it would change my life: I'd take vacations predicated on whether there were great running spots that were easily accessible.

Yes, I was thinking about this when I thought of vacations. How wonderful to be able to sight see with a run and there's no need to derail exercise for a vacation.

Most our vacations are planned around some sort of physical activity. Every summer we head to the mountains for 10 days of mountainbiking and hiking. The entire trip is planned around that.

Its great! You are out sightseeing and doing something you love.

Dumping my gym membership was the best thing I've done. I walk, run, and bike outdoors and a friend donated his Bowflex to me (too small for his place). I have everything I need.

Not only am I saving $60 a month in gym fees, but my public transportation costs have gone down because I walk or bike to work.

Can't say that I've saved any money. I've been spending too much on new clothes.

Good for you. I run faster outside as well.

running outside is heaps heaps more fun than a treadmill. I work away often in lots of different places, and go away on hol fairly often too - going for a run around wherever i am is always something i really enjoy and you always find out something or notice something that you wouldn't know about otherwise. Keep it up!

Motivated chickie, I sure wish I could bike to work but just to get to a normal road to attempt it I'd have to cross a major interstate. It's just not safe around where I live. In fact, the gym is within walking distance to my house but it isn't safe to bike there...or walk there. Again, it's that whole crossing of the interstate thing. My town needs to invest in more bike paths...or heck, just some sidewalks please!

Eliana, I'd also love to bike to work, but I live 25miles from the office and its mostly interstate.

Although, I've contemplated next school year carpooling with my son. His school is 9 miles from my work. We could take the truck up and get off the interstate where I could bike the rest of the way. After school he will head to lacrosse practice and I can just bike over there and we can go home together after practice. This is the first year he will be driving to school. It's an option to look into during lacrosse season, and since I'm honorary team mom, it really busies my schedule and breaks into my workouts.