I was just wondering...about how long would it take to prepare for a 5k, assuming I'm not much of a runner now?

I reaaallllyyy want to push myself to run one before the year's out, and there's a race in a neighboring town on November 14th. Would it be unwise of me to register? I'm fairly "cardiovascularly fit," I guess, and I USED to run quite a bit...hmm. I would appreciate your thoughts/feedback

The "Couch to 5K" program is 9 weeks. There are a lot of 6 week programs out there, too, including this one from Fitness magazine:

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/worko...weeks-to-a-5k/

At risk of asking a silly question...how will I know when I've gone a mile?

I use mapmyrun.com - easy website to chart out your path before you get out & hit the pavement. The C25K program can be done for distance or time. It might be easier to clock time if you are doing it outdoors vs. on a treadmill. I also think there are podcasts you can download for free to help you through each week...but I've not tried them.

Good luck to you! I'm impressed & wish I had your bravery!! Would love to run a 5k, but am petrified of it for some reason.

Go get 'em!!!

I use walkjogrun.net to map out runs, or I use the treadmill. And I think how much time it takes to train is relative to the person. And it also depends on your goal for the 5k. The way you describe your fitness level makes me think that you could definitely jog a 5k by mid november.

You can also use gMap Pedometer to map runs:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/