CONGRATS on completing week 4!!!! And try not to worry about W5D3 too too much. I know I know easier said than done. I myself jsut knew there was no way in heck I was going to be able to do it but somehow I DID IT! Girl this program works!! From my own personal experience and from reading many others with similar experiences W5D3 usually goes WAYYYY better then you expect. Prepare to amaze yourself!! And CONGRATS on your great progress so far!!

Wow--GREAT JOB and IMPRESSIVE PACE!! Hope your Saturday Week 5 run went GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey everyone!

Well Saturday was W3D2 of B210K-51 min of running (Three 17 min runs w/1 min of walking in between). I have one more day left in W3 and then on to W4 which will have me up to 54 min of running. Can't believe that in just a few weeks I'll be up to 60 min of running straight!

It really is amazing considering where I started back the end of May. These programs really do work! Who would ever thought that this overweight, outta shape lady had a runner insider of her?!?! Not me that's for sure!

Hi Gweny - I'm curious as to what kind of shoes you wear when running. I'm shopping for some now and would love some first hand reviews.

I have a pair of New Balances that I picked up about a year or so ago because I hadn't bought a pair of new sneakers in like 10 years & they were really comfy and on sale at Burlington. I had hardly even worn them before I started the C25K program in May. So far they've been great! I don't know if I just happened to pick out the right kind of shoe for my foot and running style or what but so far so good. I do figure when it's time to get a new pair I'll go to a running store just to see what they recommend but I'm happy with mine for now.

What shoes are you running in??

I had some Reebok running shoes that I started out in. I had a lot of shin pain, and had done some reading on barefoot running that a friend of mine was posting on fb. I switched over to the Nike Free 3s and the pain was gone - I was able to run without any pain at all (other than the normal tired legs feeling). They made a world of difference for me. Minimalist style shoes really helped for me. I had the shin pain issue all my life...wish I would've figured it out sooner!

Right now I just have a pair of Avia's that I've had for a couple of years, but just started to seriously use this year. I bought them when I weighed 260lbs, and they are not running shoes, they are for walking or crosstraining, I can't remember.

But they are too big because my feet lost weight! So, I think my foot moves around in them too much and I get blisters and my 2nd toes gets crammed up against the top of the shoe and gets all red and icky after running. So, time for a new pair!

That's awesome that you just happened to pick up a pair that work great for you! I am going to try the Roadrunner website. They have a program that will help you pick the right shoe for your arch, pronation and bodytype. I'm going to try that and see if I can pick the right shoe.

Thanks for the feedback!

Krys- that's awesome!!! I may have to look into some of those. Though, I'm worried that I'm still too heavy to run without more shock absorption. We'll see. Maybe I will reward myself with a pair of minimalist shoes when I lose 20 more pounds!

In theory - they kind of force you to run properly. If you run in a way that hurts, you'll naturally adjust your stride so that it doesn't, and so that you aren't coming down so heavy on the wrong spots.

I found it to be the case. I've adjusted myself several times. At first, it was my strike. That adjusted out. Then I found a little pain in my hip/groin, and that adjusted out. It's constantly forcing me to pay attention to my form and how I am running, which is pretty interesting.

anyway - just my experience. Not trying to push the shoes or anything like that

Thanks, Gwen!

I did day2 week5 today, and my pace was 13:08. Couldn't bear to go full out on any of the running when I knew I had to do it for eight minutes straight. I was afraid today was going to be really tough because I started small group personal training (free weights) yesterday and after all the squats and lunges she had us doing, my legs were feeling it today. But I did okay. My real problem was that the shorts I wore to the gym are a little too big now and at first, I had to keep hiking them up. Fortunately, by the end of the first run I had sweated so much they were stuck to my body and they weren't going anywhere

Kinda scared of that big 20 minute run coming up. Eek.

Day3 week5 tonight, outside in the rain. Awesome. I ran 1.8 miles in the twenty minutes. I have never run a mile without stopping before, nevermind almost two. So excited by that.

That's so awesome! Big Congrats to you.

I jacked up my back running, so I'm out. Had to meet with the doctor that did my spinal surgery today, and no more running. Have to be put under for a procedure next week to help with the back pain - injections into my spine and hip. So bummed. But I have a long history of back problems, so I have to heed the advice of the docs and stop running. Ohh well.

Thanks, Krys. Sorry you have to give up the running.

I never ever thought I'd love running, but turns out I do.

Day3 week6 down. Gonna try for distance instead of time on next week's runs and see if I can actually run 2.5 miles without stopping. I think I can!

Well, finished week 7 today. Not too terribly happy about how I did. Wasn't able to run the 2 1/2 mile distance any of the days, though I did run at least 25 mins straight each time. Today I ran 28 minutes and 2.35 miles. Slow, and could not force myself to get through another .15 miles.

I guess I'm disappointed that I apparently won't be able to run 5k straight by the end of another two weeks unless I suddenly make awesome progress.