Welcome! Congrats on your signing up for your first run. I will look forward to hearing how it goes.

Well, my knee is improving daily so thats great news!  I am taking a cycling class on Monday and Wednesday nights so I think that helps.   The weather here today was absolutely gorgeous.  It was 65 and sunny.  I ran 3.36 miles - ok ran/walked in 46 minutes.  I am not running a full 3 miles yet and thats ok with me.  It will be awhile.  I need to strength thrain more before I am doing that.  I kept messing up my breathing today which was frustrating but I'm still thrilled I did it.  I ran a 13 minute mile which is more than acceptable to me.  Sunday I'll be doing my first 5k and my only goal for that one and the one I'm doing on Thanksgiving day is to finish.  If I improve my time, thats even better.  I know I won't run the whole thing.

The base I'm on here is pretty huge...if I remeber right I heard 6,000 acres...so we've got shuttle buses to get poeple around.  Apparently the bus drivers must think we are all mental deficients.  The road I run/walk on is two lanes and is plenty wide for a pedestrian on there too.  On top of that there's a 6-8 foot shoulder.  Usually I'll get the slight move over from cars almost like they are just making sure I know they see me more than anything because there'll be plenty of room.  I've had shuttle buses almost run into the t-walls on the other side of the road they are getting over so far.  The other day one of them actually stopped and put their hazard lights on until I got past them.  I guess they must think we're so dumb that we might decide to jump out into traffic.

Most of us in my office are pretty lucky.  Our contractors have to provide us with a vehicle so we can get to the project sites.  This is the only place where picking up hitch hikers is the norm.  The buses aren't on the most reliable schedule so any time I see a soldier waiting I'll stop and give them a ride.  I still hold the office record from the last time I was here when I got 13 guys into my Toyota Hilux which is about the size of a Tacoma/S-10/Ranger at home.

Dezjell, AlmightyD and Nicolette78: Thanks so much for the congrats!  I still can't believe I can run 3 miles. 

AlmightyD:  What an awful experience, almost getting hit by a cement truck!  Glad you're okay.

Maureen:  Glad your knee is doing better.  Good luck on your 5K!

Finished W9D2 this morning.  I can't believe I only have one more run and then I'm done with the program.  Wow.  My 6-year-old son wants to go with me to the track to watch me run my last C25K run, but I like to run in the morning before breakfast and it has been really cold then!  Maybe I'll have to go later that morning, just so my kiddo can go and cheer for me.  (We homeschool, so we can go anytime.)

Have a good week, everyone!

Almighty, thanks for the encouragement. This forum is awesome! I don't see Lauraruuning on here but I'm so grateful for her starting this group! I love hearing Jeb's amazing accomplishments. I was smiling from ear to ear as I read Nicolette's blog about her first 5K and I'm inspired by everyone's dedication and resolve! Ill be thinking about you during my 5k Sunday as well! I'm going to put a sign on my back that says "This is my FIRST 5K, so cheer me on!" It will be neat to see how much encouragement I can get!

Greenybeany, we can't change our past. Only our future by what we do in the present. I'm so sorry you are having foot issues. Hopefully it will improve. Don't give up! I had a doctor tell me to stop running. 3 weeks later, my pain is gone and I'm running! The info I got from runners world, this forum  and friends who run really helped me. I found out about foam rollers, stretching techniques, taping, and the importance of strength training. Look up plantar fasciitis on runners world and see if there are things you can do.

Today I ran/walked 3.36 miles and my legs were totally fine. My breathing is another story. It was rather cold out - 35. But I didn't feel issues from the cold. I felt just plain out of breath too much. I'm finding that I'm getting stronger and my stride is faster but my lungs can't keep up! LOL! I'm doing cycling and an elliptical on the days I don't run. It's made a huge difference but I think I may need to add lap swimming to improve my endurance.

I'm using the Nike+ app on my Droid but I'm not sure I can help you out much as far as accuracy.  Oddly enough, there is no Verizon network in Afghanistan so I don't have phone service but the GPS on my phone appears to work.  I do get the little warning message every morning that I have a weak signal but it has never "lost" me yet.  I have a feeling it does that because there are no towers to get a confirmation on my location...from what I read it sounds like the GPS works off the satellites but double checks with the cell towers.  To be honest, I think I would take the GPS over a car's speedometer especially when you're going that slow.  The speed limit on the base is 25kph which is actually 30 on my speedometer based on the radar detecting speed signs they have set up.  Another thing is that the distance my Nike+ is giving me seems to jive with what it should be based on my pace and time.  We have a digital measuring wheel here so I suppose I could actually measure my walk one morning and compare it to what my Nike+ is giving me, but I'm sure I look dorky enough when I'm out there shuffling along so I don't need to make it any worse.

AlmightyD, sometimes I think they should do things at home the way they do them here on base.  You get caught talking on the phone while driving...they take you car and it gets impounded.  You get caught texting while driving...they take you car and it gets impounded.  Driving without a seatbelt?  You guessed it...they take you car and it gets impounded.

Another thing I started thinking about is that if you're having issues maybe it's a problem with your phone or the GPS in your phone.  According to the Nike+ website "the Nike+ Running app uses the GPS functionality and your mobile device's built-in accelerometer to accurately measure the distance of your run" which to me sounds like the Nike+ isn't so much a GPS app as it just grabs the phone's GPS info to track/map your runs.