Ok, I tried this once before and got way to eager. I started moving quicker than designed. This time I will follow the guidelines.

If you are not familiar with a Couch to 5K, it is a plan to go from not running at all to running 5k (3.2 miles) in only 2 months. It is very doable and such a great feeling of accomplishment. I ran/walked a 5k in May and it was one of the most rewarding things I have done in many years.

Here is the link to the info.. If anyone is interested in training together just join in.

Cool Running :: The Couch-to-5K Running Plan

We will start on Monday, June 29.

Let's get ready to MOVE!!!!!!:tt2:

That time of month I've found makes me a little tighter. Is everyone like that?

I really haven't noticed much of change in the tightness of my band during TOM. My band fluctuates some, but for the most part it stays pretty consistent. I think it's pretty common though. I've read many threads where women say they are a lot tighter during that time.

Hope you feel better soon girlie!

Georgia - I am so glad the doctor cleared you to run. I hope you do not have to back track like I did. I think it is different for all of us. I am going back on my road to run. Both times I tried the track it bust my butt. I think I was concentrating on how many times I was (or not) going around. I was not concentrating on the actual time. I guess I feel more comfortable on my road. I hope to get that 5 minute run in next week. We will see.

Georgia... Yeah!!! I'm so glad for you. Enjoy your run tonight and I'll cross my fingers that your knee feels ok afterwards.

Leslie... my band doesn't feel tighter during TOM, but does get tighter when I'm stressed. Which is actually a great thing since I'm a big time stress eater. It's saved me many times this last year.

Ok, my turn to vent off thread topic... sorry! In Canada we have Employment Insurance which we can collect if we lose our jobs. In the past it has been criticised for taking way too long to process, where people had to wait at least 8 weeks before receiving any payment. They made some major changes to it over the last few years and promote now that it will only take 4 weeks. Well... its now been 7 weeks and they've lost part of my paperwork and expect a further 1-3 weeks delay before processing it. OMG... this is killing me! It has been unbelievable trying to live off my DH's income and keeping creditors at bay! Ok, enough venting!

I'm looking so forward to my run tonight!!!

Kathy~ That's ridiculous! I hope it gets straightened out sooner than later. Feel free to rant, we'll always be here to listen.

I went to the gym and did week 3! I can certainly tell I haven't ran in a while. On the last 3 minute interval run, I had to cut it short. I only ran 1 and 1/2 minutes. I did throw in an extra 1 and 1/2 minutes in at the begining of the cool down though. Hopefully Sunday will be a little easier. I loved it!! Felt good to get back into it again!! So far the knee feels good...

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Well you all... I have been missing for the last few days. I decided a few days ago to lay off the running because of hip pain. My hip is feeling much better, but I can tell it isn't 100% yet. I'm gonna give it a bit longer. I sure do miss running. It truly gives me such a sense of accomplishment every time I finish a run.

My turn to vent. My husband is a complete mess! I'm sure I mentioned about a month ago that he was having back surgery. Well, he is now 4 weeks post op. The first couple weeks were going great. Then, he started having this new pain that was different then anything he has ever felt before. It has progressively gotten worse over the last 5 days or so. He is now to the point where he is in so much pain that he is taking percocet every 3 hours, isn't sleeping, cant bath himself, cant get off the toilet himself, cant do ANYTHING! The doctor finally ran some tests and will be doing a second surgery on Monday to figure out what is wrong. He either has a recurrent disc bulge or an infection. I've missed the last 2 days of work taking care of the poor guy. I feel so bad for him. I just want to make him better and there is nothing I can do.

Stress definately makes my band very tight as I can hardly get anything solid down right now. TOM makes me tighter but not as bad as right now.

Calgon... take me away!!

Mamato... I'm sending you mental thoughts of peace and tranquility! And hopes and prayers that your DH's surgury is helpful on Monday and he finds some pain relief. I've had a bit of a sore back over the last few years... sort of a dull ache most days in my lower back. This is very very minor, but enough to make me cranky. I can't imagine the type of pain he is going through. Hugs sent your way!

Georgia... (Rocky song in the background) :thumbup::thumbup::sad::thumbup:.

Renewed... how are you doing today!

My turn... I just finished my run... and I did it (mostly!!!) The first 8 min interval went great. I felt great, had lots of energy and at the end of the interval felt like I could keep running. Then the 2nd 8 min interval I was struggling a bit with it. I did 4 min, reduced the speed a bit, then another min. and then had to step off for 30 sec. Then I completed the interval plus the 30 sec. So I'm counting it as a success!

Our treadmill is in our family room beside the chair my son sits in to play video games. So often when I'm running he is playing his games beside me. I think I've mentioned that my son is intellectually challenged. So when I run, I ask him not to talk to me too much because I really can't talk with him... I'm usually sucking wind!!! So tonight he was so proud of his game that he kept asking me to watch this and watch that, and kept asking me questions. So during the 2nd interval I think I lost my concentration on the run, which is why I had to stop. Ok, long winded explaination. Sorry... I find the "analysis" is theraputic... lol

I plan to try the 20 min run on Sunday. I don't expect to make it the full 20 min... but will go as long as I can!

I am so glad I started doing this. I love it. Just like what Mamato said, I feel like I've accomplished something really amazing every time I run.

Wow... 8 minutes! That's still unbelievable to me!

Congrats on the wk day 2 -- I just did that one today as well. I made it! I still can't imagine being able to go 20 minutes! I'm debating whether to do today one more time or just go to the 20 minutes.

Serenity

Way to go Serenity! You've been progressing really well. As for the 20 minute run... I know I probably won't be able to do the full 20 minutes, but I also know today I was able to go longer than the 8 min. So I'm going to give it a try and see how far I can go.

If you still had some energy left at the end of the first 8 min, then I'd say give the 20 min. run a try. If you were totally wiped, then maybe repeat it.

Whichever you choose, you can't lose. It's all good!

Mamato - we will keep DH in our thoughts and prayers. I hope all goes well on Monday and there will be relief of his pain.

Kathy - WOOHoo... good job with the 8 minutes. 5 minutes is kicking my butt right now.

Georgia - You will get back in the swing of things. I'm glad the knee is good.

Remind me of what everyone eats before the run. I know milk afterwards is great. I think it is carbs before. Maybe I am not eating the right thing before the run. I really feel like I should be able to get the 5 minutes down, but I just tucker out. Any hints would be great.

Sugar, I struggle with the pre-run nutrition too. When I don't have enough, I have no energy. When I eat the wrong stuff, I feel bogged down. Tonight I felt like I had just the right amount of energy. I ran about 45 min. after eating dinner. I ate mostly protein and a bit of carb for dinner, but it wasn't a very big dinner. Sometimes when I run in the morning, I have a yogurt and a bit of fruit before the run and that seems to work. Good luck.

BTW, I found week 4 was really really hard. Too many intervals. Today seemed actually easier than the 3 and 5 min intervals.

good luck!

Hey guys! I will catch up with the thread later. Just wanted to check in. I didn't run today either, so that means I haven't run since Tuesday. I had to catch up paperwork, so I only got 4 hours of sleep last nightm, then we were gone all day, so i just don't have the physical energy to run tonight. We are doing ok. Just exhausted..

I will try to read the thread and catch up with everyone tommorow. Good night.

Did you see Phelps finish 1/100th of a second faster than the silver medalist. AMAZING!!!!

Sugar~ I usually try to eat a healthy carb before I run. Today I had some whole grain triscuits. They seem to do pretty well. Sometimes I have a yogurt and sometimes I mix yogurt with a protein cereal (like Kashi) before my runs. That's a tip from a fellow LBT runner. If I don't eat some kind of carb, I run out of fuel pretty quickly. Depending on what time I run, sometimes I just go ahead and eat dinner afterwards or if I run earlier in the day, I'll have a protein shake afterwards (whey protein powder and milk).

Serentity and Kathy~ Congrats on the 8 minutes!! Very cool!! I can't imagine that right now.

I am so behind on these posts! I don't have a lot of time this morning to get caught up either!

Sugar-I have a protein drink about 30 minutes to and hour before my run...and YES we seen Micheal Phelps with 1/100th of a second win the race. INTENSE!

Serentity and Kathy-Im so proud of you both! Rock On!

Mamato-Sending big love your way!

As for me, I finished week 6 which was a 25 minute run on Frid (yes renewed, unfortunately it was 25 minutes) I actually felt really good about it and at the end of the 25 minutes I felt like I could have kept going, which makes me think I should bump my speed up. In the beginning when I first started and for a few weeks after, after I would run I would check my heart rate right after the run interval and it was in the mid to high 170s. Yesterday after my run, it was only 160 and I wasn't sucking wind. I don't want to have to fight the treadmill to stay on, so I still don't know if I should try to bump up the speed or just wait until I finish the program and then bump up the speed slowly and just repeat week 10 until I can finally run an entire 5k. Right now, after running for 25 minutes at 4.0 I end up with a total of just over 2 miles..which is really amazing and I shouldnt complain! I also started this running program 6 weeks ago at over 240 pounds and I am down around 10 pounds but it feel like so much more!

Good luck to everyone in the upcoming week! My kiddos are going back to school this week and I start going back to work as well! The summer went way too fast!

Bonnie - I have decided that speed does not matter as long as you do the time. The speed will come. Great job running 25 minutes!!!!

Me on the other hand decided to go back to Week 3. Well I walked out of the house and forgot to look at Week 3's program. ( I run the old fashion way - with a stop watch) It has been 3 weeks since I have ran week 3 so I sort of just winged it. I did not do my intervals just right, but I will count it as a success!!! One of my 3 minutes, I ran 4.