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welcome Jane. I did the race for the cure here in west palm beach, fl in january. was the coldest freakin day for a race. great goal and if you are already an athlete you will be able to train very nicely. i need to add wt training to my regime, but for now im only concentrating on the running. look back a few pages to Kathy's post to Machelle she listed the podrunner series link. its been systematically helping me to improve my stamina. will look forward to seeing posts from you as you get closer to your training goal. tc, Carol

wow kathy - thanks for the advice. im seriously considering what you suggested. as a matter of fact, i did go past the 28 mins tonite. i wanted to make it to 4 whole laps around the blocks in my neighborhood that i usually use as my course. thats just a hair under 2 miles. by next weekend i should be ready. tuesday im supposed to go running with a girl i know and she does about 30 mins. so i'll go with her then. the only other hold up is that my old computer died - the one with all my music and playlists... if i can figure out how to copy the stuff on my mp3 player to the other puter then i can do what you suggested. if not then by saturday for sure. now, for your NSV, Kathy...WOO HOO! now u can be the measure for your family to say - "I want to be as small as Kathy!" very proud of you! thats an excellent accomplishment. you are close to correct about me being cautious. but im not so much cautious, but methodical. I figure if someone has gone to the trouble to study the science behind the C25k program then its based on good info. But i really trust you and ive seen that info b4. so thats y im considering your challenge. will let you know when i am ready to be there. but tonite was the first time i felt like i didnt feel every step and ready to stop after the first lap. lyn and ktork good to hear from both of u. everyone else... have a great week! TC, Carol

1.9 miles in 28 mins! sooooo close to 2 miles i can almost taste it! will do 28 mins 1 maybe 2 more times for the conditioning. i get about 1/4 done and feel like quitting. but i dont!!! knees a bit sore, but not bad. keep y'all posted as i go. im sure that when i do up my time to 30 mins i will be at the 2 miles, but i want to be faster, too. i have about 6 weeks to bring it up to 5k. im hopeful but not sure how i'll do by my race in july. Kathy - Im leaving room for being able to do it. Even if i do it in 45 mins. more if necessary. my time in January was 52 mins + i think (its on my signature-lol im really shooting for a run of 45 mins. if its 50 i wont be upset. hey all please remind me of that if i need it. I'm rambling... tc, Carol

Malissa nope im doing my race on the 18th i think...(its on my signature) here in west palm beach. mine is an evening run too. and dont u dare cry...lol as one of the ppl who used to post on here regularly named Whosya. he started running VERY heavy and just kept at it. and a little over 1 1/2 yrs after banding he ran a 1/2 marathon. He taught me so much and introduced me to the ppl here. He says there are no bad runs...cuz u get something out of each one. i try to remember that and find a learning experience from EVERY time i run. I tend to report every run either that day or shortly after it. im very proud of myself and feel like i want to share it. Id love to have a running buddy for a race sometime. we can look for something in between tampa and here. tc and best of luck! tc Carol

Malissa, wow i planned to come here and offer my support too. Congrats on making the decision to get healthy and using running to do it. Im right there with you. The ppl on this site are wonderful as you can see from the support youve been given already! I use several of them for guidance and support all the time. But....then i saw that you registered for a 5k in July and that you live in FL... Im in FL too. I wonder if we're doing the same 5k. and if you live near me? Im in south FL (boynton bch to be exact). Let me know if you live near me. Im only a few weeks ahead of you if you decide to do the C25K program that Kathy posted. I took extra time on several of the weeks for the extra conditioning. let me know if you want to chat. you can contact me here or if you feel comfortable i can give you other ways to contact me as well. Kathy and Suzanne, thanks for the support! I'm definitely using your examples for inspiration as i get closer to this race! tc, Carol

Note to self: Carol - do not run when stuck. The other day i learned this very valuable lesson. so with the friends visiting and the aborted attempt at running when i was stuck, i didnt run for a week. well 6 days, but close enough. i did run tonite but the day started out rough with a tummy ache. got better enough to run... but mannnnn...was i slow. I managed to do the whole 28 mins, but got only a little and i mean a little farther than when i did the 25. gonna keep plugging away at it. not sure if i'll be ready for that 5k mid july, but im gonna try. tc all, Carol

Kathy - the site doew look really weird, looks like theyre doing some work on it maybe... I havent started week 8 yet between friends coming in from out of town and the evening rain, ive been a real slacker this week. thanks for checking on me though it helps to motivate me to run tonite if the weather holds so i can impress my friends. hope i can do the full 28 mins. do any of you use a stopwatch? im thinki8ng of looking for an inexpensive one since the nike+ is not in the budget. im thinking that id like to use my own tunes for the longer runs... any suggestions to monitor my time/distance? tc Carol

wow renewed its really good to hear from you again. congrats on the 2+ mile run. I ran almost 25 mins again. I guess im done with week 7 though. todays slightly abbreviated run was not my fault. one of the ppl in my neighborhood from the other side of the lake, had his dogs and one caught him by surprise when i came around the corner and the dog pulled the leash out of his hand. He has a hard time controlling them on a good day. at any rate they were jumping on me as i rounded his part of the lake, and i really had to stop cuz the more i moved the more they jumped. these dogs jump on their sliding glass door when ever ppl go by walking or running by the house too. a few times i thougth they may even go thru the glass door some day. ugh. was a bit disappointed to not get the whole 25 mins in, but im counting it anyway. it was a nice run, and i enjoyed running in the constant but light drizzle. kept me a bit cooler, though id have appreciated having a tiny bit of air moving around. without the sun beating down, i was able to do a somewhat earlier run, so i feel like i accomplished something. next run may be delayed a bit due to having friends visiting this week, but i plan to move up to the 28 min run. hope i can feel good about adding 3 little ole mins. tc and ttys, Carol

yes, kathy, its memorial day on monday. i can imagine your frustration though. it took me waaaay too long to sync my new mp3 to include the podrunner series. i got my songs but not the series whenever i tried. I still dont have it set into files right, but at least i can listen to the sets on it. i ran last nite very late. (i spent most of the evening trying to load the mp3 and getting psyched up for it.) i had a hard time getting motivated but i managed to get out there just b4 11pm. I made a promise to a friend and hubby. the set went well till the rain started just after the 25 min run. I discovered that even though im on week 7, i like the music slightly better on the week 6 run. and since they're both 25 min, i just did the week 6 run. i think i may do this week a few more times for the conditioning. every time i do the 25 mins, i am very sore going up the stairs to my room for a shower. but after 3 advil and sleep, i managed to wake up not totally achy today. and, the breathing is doing somewhat better too. i still feel congested in my chest when i do a long (long - for me that is) run. so, progress again. :wink2: still looking to run the 5k in July, i hope i'll be ready. if not, i'll still do it but may have to walk some. tc and ttys, Carol

I had a good run too today. 1.75 miles in 25 mins. not too shabby for me. my run the other day didnt quite complete the full 25 mins. so its motivating me to do 2 more days at 25 mins b4 moving on to week 8. those 3 additional minutes intimidate me. last few days when i run i feel a slight rattling congested feeling in my chest middle to the end of the run. as if theres something loosening up in my chest. my lungs arent burning as bad when im at the beginning of the run as much. so progress! feels good but sore. (a good sore ) TC all - talk soon Carol

Mac the rest time between runs...1 day or can it be 2? dont know that anyone saw my ? the other day. i was dragging my feet a bit last run. distance was shorter by about a tenth of a mile and so i gave myself one extra day to rest b4 the next run. anyone think this is a reasonable idea? ive been bummed though about my wt. I know ive done all the rationalization...muscle weighs more than fat, etc, but im still bummed ive been at a plateau since my slip in october. same 5# bouncing up and down since then... im gonna try to restructure some of my eating to put the concentration of proteins in different times of the day. we'll see if it does anything. ktork - what i see of your new pic here looks great. i'll run for u tonite (25 mins) i appreciate the way you described the running. what a way with words. :rolleyes2: fanny - site? what kind of site? i dont understand. also, i have 2 banded friends in perth. if u want let me know and i'll be glad to introduce u, but you may already know them. tc all, Carol

wow Suzanne! sounds like a great running partner very encouraging...but he had awesome material to work with!!! i'm very psyched for you! well i did w7d1 lst nite. my distance was shorter for some reason. i did feel my feet dragging a bit during the run. it was kinda weird though. I felt more competant with the run ...less winded and definitely not as lightheaded at the end. so mixed results i guess. im actually looking forward to the next run on Sat i hope. Or, should i take 1 additional day to rest, wondering if i need a little extra time to recover??? anyway had a revelation of sorts last nite too. after i run i have a hard time with my band when i eat. it seems that every time i run i get stuck badly very soon after i start eating. and yes, i was following the band rules for eating. i called my bari nurse ths morning and she said that since the stomach/esophagus are muscles, i should drink something warm before eating, again following my doc's band instructions regarding drinking/eating. she said the warm liquid can help relax the esophagus in particular. then she gave me a very nice NSV. she really complimented me on running and gave me lots of encouragement! tc, Carol

Kathy here's your tough-love-swift-kick-in-the-butt! Get out there, woman! The endorphins will help u work more efficiently and u know it. dont over reach for now, since time is an issue for you but even a short run will serve you well. <3 ya TC, Carol

I really understand about the heat/humididty. I live in S. FL after all. Thats why i usually run in the late evening just b4 dark or just after dark whenever i can. The 5k i'm working towards is an evening run... Oh, and i only run outside, cant do a treadmill and would be very nervous to run on one i think. Hubby tracked the mileage for me last nite since my car doesnt have tenths of miles on it. and i was wrong about my distance in the 25 mins...it was actually 1.75 miles! makes my time per mile just over 14 mins...going for the distance for this run in july, not time so much, then i'll worry about improving my time as i go on i think. GA...just be careful. TC, All Carol

25 minutes kicked my a$$...i did it, though. was shaky and a bit light headed after the cooldown. may have to do it again to get better at it.it came out to 1.6 miles. next time i'll aim for 1.75 miles in that timeframe. TC Carol

Thanks Suzanne, I'm pretty much back on track. Have my DS's nano recharged and will use that till my new one is synced right with the podrunner series. Id do the restructured schedule because Whosya always says to taper b4 a big race. and since u already did so much this week, rest and recooperate...and Woo Hoo! WTG! on the 5k on the weekend. 36 mins is awesome. Mac...WTG! I'm psyched for u. Planning to run tonite! still not sure about repeating week 6 from the beginning due to not running last week from my tummy and neck issues. Or just do the 25 min run for W6D3??? Any takers for opinions? TC, Carol

I had an interesting running experience last nite. my new mp3 hasnt been synced properly yet...still learning it. so i wasnt able to use it for my run. The nano was out of juice so i wasnt able to use it either. since i was still undecided about intervals vs. the 25 min run that was scheduled, i did my own thing. I did 1/4 mile (a bit over 5 mins) of a walk, followed by a 1/2 mile run then another 1/4 mile walk, and repeated the 1/2 mile run. I finished with a final .4 mile walk to cool down. it was interesting to learn that i could run "under my own steam" without the music as a distractor and motivator. When i run tomorrow nite im hoping to have the new player synced finally, but was quite proud of myself for what i did. my first impulse was 'its almost 10 pm and i have no tunes...I'll just blow it off another day' but i sucked it up and did what i did. Yay for me. I felt good after, but not sure i did enough. but MUCH better than blowing it off! Thanks for reading. TC, Carol

Woo hoo Kathy...Look at u hotsie totsie!!!!!!!! the dresses are so pretty on u. TC Carol

Whosya - u already know what i think about your progress, but what the ppl reading this thread may not know is that you did phenomenally well in your first 1/2 marathon, and that this duathlon was your 2nd annual... with what a dozen or so other events since your first one last year???You dont give yourself enough credit. Congrats on the duathlon BTW, but im waiting for u to post your results from it on c25k. keep up the inspirational work. see folks, its not all about the wt, but obviously Whosya is certainly a role model for success in that regard. Most ppl just see the numbers. but its also a desire to make a comittment to yourself to get fit and healthy. Whosya did that, and most of us on these threads have as well, then again some of us (myself included) struggle with it every day. for me its a welcome struggle. whether we have over 200 to lose or 100 or anything in between, we have to make a comittment to ourselves to put one foot in front of the other and get healthier with every step! Let Whosya motivate all of us, we all can do it too! TC, Carol

hi all you running moms! happy mom's day!!! i was surprised today when DH actualy remembered to get me something, and it was something i wanted...kind of. He bought me my own mp3 player. I wanted one that did music and pics. Ive been using DS's nano for my runs. I wish we could have gotten one of those, but not in the budget of course. this one is smaller - a phillips go gear. i bought an armband for it for running. we'll see.... today the kids and i r going to MILs and hubby will meet us there after work. food may be an issue since she lives in a retirement home and the food there is great. taking it easy though so maybe it wont be an issue since i was stuck again yesterday. hopefully i'll be home early enough in the evening so i can run tonite. its too hot during the day. as a matter of fact it was 95 F already this afternoon. the neck is still a bit stiff in the mornings but does better as the day goes on. I NEED to run. never thought id say that in my life. lol. im just not sure since i havent run in a week if i should move back a week or do W6D3 as scheduled. Hmmm? any opinions? well, Happy Mom's Day again to all the running moms and even the wanna-be running moms! tc, Carol

Yay Suzanne. Best of luck tomorrow! Neck still stiff this morning. Hope more flexibility later. If I do, I'll walk. Not run to my nearest lake and relax. Getting very tense from not running. (erggggg. this can't be good. <whine>) Tc, Carol

Amy - welcome. I agree with the others who said jump in. I started out walking and wanted to do more since my nutritionist told me to aim for a 15 min. mile. Well, I have these short stubby legs that could only do it at a run. I started just throwing in a few sprints on my own. Very short like 120 feet. Then I decided to get more methodical about the runs. I do the First Day to 5K podrunner series that Kathy sent me a link for. Just anohter option for u. I feel like such a slacker this week folks. After my scare on Monday with my band I'd planned to go back to running yesterday or today...well tuesday during the day, I started getting a very bad stiff neck. and it kept getting worse thru the day. its muscular, and if you believe my friend the massage therapist and his wife the accupuncturist, it may even have something to do with my band trouble since the trigger points set off points in other parts of the body. I wish they lived closer than 3 hrs away so I could go have them treat me. I'm not having much luck with advil, or ice or heat... and being the big baby I am...it hurts <whine>. I'm hoping that I have enough mobility tomorrow to run. I'm missing it so much. And I'm frustrated cuz im afraid I'll lose the endurance that I've built up so far. Thanks for listening. TC, Carol

you know Suzanne...ordinarily id have thought of this myself. cant really believe i didnt, but thanks for the suggestion for the walking. i have to remember that its not all or nothing. I can do a brisk walk tonite, i think it'll be good for my mental health. lol. GA, wish u well for this stubborn back of yours. hope u get some relief soon. remember to let yourself heal for a few days after the pain is gone completely or whenever your doc says b4 resuming your runs. i have my appt at 1:30 today, and will let y'all know if its anything bad. dont remember if i mentioned, but i anticipate he will send me over to the hosp for a fluro. we shall see. tc all, Carol

hi all. sorry to say but my run today may be delayed. i'm planning to take it one day at a time. yesterday i got stuck very very badly. to the point where i was having pain that was very similar to what i experienced this past october/november with my slip. hoping that i caught it in time. today is an improvement over last nite since i can actually swallow liquids without pain. im sticking with the liquids today at least till i see my doc later. unless the lingering pressure and bloating subside more, i'll be cancelling my W6D3 run tonite. Im really bummed about this situation and about not being able to run. tomorrow is my anniversary so scheduling may be an issue since i run in the evening. already too hot here during the day. that makes thursday my next best chance to run. I hope i dont lose any ground and can do the 25 minute run. ttys Carol

GA and Suzanne good luck to both of you for your respective things. Suzanne, you will do great at your race this weekend. Sounds like u really r ready. I'm excited for u and right behind u. 38 minutes doesnt sound slow to me... And Ga, I really hope u feel better soon. Kathy wow, amazing. I hope i never have to experience a flaa like that, but if i do, I'm gonna make sure im ok just like you did, then hope i can pick myself up and keep on. Thanks for being such a great role model well my wt stays stagnant. maybe im just meant to be here hovering around 180. my "directional" scale keeps staying above that stupid mark. i feel good most of the time and am really proud of my running. i need to start doing something for my upper body, but im just so into the running that i keep putting the upper body stuff off. was supposed to run tonite, but its DDs birthday and she wants to go out for pasta...ugh, so i'll do the run tomorrow instead. sounds like a salad for dinner for me tonite. Ive been getting stuck at dinner lately, so we'll see how i resolve that. and since my anniversary is wednesday, timing will work better for tomorrow anyway. tc all and have a great week, Carol have a great week everyone