Wow, I have so much to write, I had to make a list on paper!  I'm glad everyone got a chuckle out of the squirrel incident!  I thought it was hilarious too! 

Welcome to the forum Leigh Ann - I too am a nurse who went from the floor to a desk and the pounds piled on.  I started this in Septemember. I'm down 24 lbs so far which isn't much but I'm glad its gone!  30 more to go!  I did the American HeartWalk 2 weeks ago in Akron, Ohio as well but it was a 2 miler and there was no running. Everyone had to walk.  I'm doing my first 5K tomorrow.

Looney - I LOVE that poem! I copied it to a word document, centered it, changed the font to some thing cool and printed it out.  Its on my Fridge!

Jeb - How awesome that you have 2 loops now! You have a plan and thats a biggie.  You are doing great!  Once you finish the C25K its hard to keep motivated especially when you are thousands of miles away from your family.  Keep up the good work! 

Greeny - Good luck with the podiatrist.  Read up on running with PF.  Alot of people can do it. 

Nicolette - so sorry you can't run today but I think this is best.  That sounds a bit trecherous for sore knees.  My use of a good ($40) foam roller and getting on an elliptical or doign a cycling class on non running days really helped my knee issues,  They are GONE!  But I did go to a doctor and get x-rays to ensure nothing was physiologically wrong first.  Hope you get better soon!

Almight D - Its almost here!  Our first 5K!  YIKES!  I'm excited and scared.  I had a dream I showed up late and everyone was already started so I started crying really loudly.  Then I heard people calling my name it was everyone on this forum!  You said "Just go now, Maureen!"  Then I woke up.  Glad it was a dream and I didn't miss it.

You will all be with me tomorrow in my heart !

It was a little odd this morning.  I had a harder time getting motivated to get out and do a 2 mile run than I did last week getting out the door for 3 mile runs.  I have found that it's a lot easier getting going when you're working towards a specific goal, but I set a goal to get my pace down over this two miles so off I went.  Apparently the Sgt. must have measured this 2 mile loop with his car because according to my Nike+ I went 1.86 miles so I'm going to check the route on Google Earth and see how far that says it is.  There are a couple decent "grade changes" on this loop though and I did feel like I was moving a bit faster.  I think one thing that threw me off was not having my 5 minute warm up walk...this loop starts right outside our LSA...but I think there is a way I can kill two birds with one stone.  Next time I'm going to backtrack for a few minutes before I start running to get my warm up in and then that will add a little distance as well.

AlmightyD, I sent you an email.... I'm excited for you and your daughter. I hope you have an awesome, safe race!

Maureen, Good luck on your race! Thanks for the advice. Hopefully my knee will be completely healed and ready to go by the 8th.

Hi everyone,

Greenybeany, AlmightyD and Maureen: I'm glad you liked my little poem. 

Greenybeany: I hope your foot heals quickly!  You are so close to finishing the program, too!

AlmightyD: I am sooo sorry to hear about your mother.  How awful.  How is she doing?  Please keep us updated. 

AlmightyD and Maureen: Good luck with your 5K's!!!

Nicolette: I hope your knee gets better fast!  I'm sorry you can't race.

As for me... after I finished my last run of the program, we hopped a plane for Legoland!  (This wasn't a celebration for me, though.  I probably would have picked Disneyland.)  When we returned home I was feeling like I was coming down with a slight cold, and since I have some health problems, I couldn't run until that cleared up.  I ran today, but I didn't do the whole 3 miles.  I decided to alternate my running days with speed runs and distance runs, and since they were playing soccer on the field where I always run, I had to run on a different and much smaller track so I did intervals.  Hopefully I can motivate myself to get out tomorrow and run again.

Wooohooooo!   I did it!  finished my first 5k. It was pouring rain (well it is Seattle).  and  I was passed by runners, walkers, strollers, children, dogs and yes at one point a squirrell which really made me laugh and the person next to me look to see what I was laughing at, but the squirrell didn't have a race number so techniqally he doesn't count.   My unofficial time was 46 min and my Nike+ app said I ran 9 1/2 mi (hmmmm that gps is definately off) .  It seemed alot longer than any other run and I ran it with one 2 min walk in the middle to take off my sweatshirt and tie it around my waist.   

Leighton had a blast doing the kids race and wants to do one again tomarrow!   hmmmmm maybe next month.

Way to go Maureen!   I was thinking about you the whole way!  

Now for a really hot shower and to go see my Mom and show her my number bib and Leightons ribbon!

Hey everybody. It's been quiet in here the past few days since so many people have finished!

To those who have (and to those who are about to): Congratulations and keep updating here on your continued running plans, races, and progress!!

I have an appointment with an Othropaedic on December 3rd. I wish they could have gotten me in earlier, but oh well. Based on my Runner's world injury forum questions/answers, I'm expecting them to want me to get an MRI and then possibly treat it with an Orthotic.

I did W8D2 and W8D3 over the last couple of days because my foot was feeling a little better after the rest period. Anyone else notice that if you run "there and back" rather than a big loop, the whole thing seems to go by a lot quicker? I did that big 5k loop around my neighborhood on W8D3 and boy did that seem long! Luckily it was really nice out, so it was a good day for it, but I think I'm going to stick with running to a point and then running back for the most part from now on!

I think I will go ahead and do week 9 just to finish it up while I wait to go to the Ortho. I've run this far on it, so whats another 3 days? It doesn't seem like I am injuring it any further when I run (though I'm sure if I ran consistantly with bad shoes, and walked around a lot with bad shoes, I might do some damage.. but, I'm not going to do that!). I will do W9D1 today.

Happy thanksgiving to everyone!!

Hey Everyone!

GreenyBeany- I hope everything goes well with your doctor visits.

Jeb6294- did you come up with a new running plan?

I miss running! I still have one week left of recovery and I am chomping at the bit! I still have three weeks of C25K when I get started again so please don't abandon me yet! LOL

I have had to run only up and down my street. One loop is a quarter mile. I usually do one loop for warm up and cool down and use my Nike+ app for my actual 5K. It works for me. I do miss the park I used to walk though. I can't run with my stroller so I had to start running after my husband got home and my kids went to bed. It works for me.

Ohhh...that was a bad idea.  Went out for a run around my shorter loop this morning after eating WAAYYY too much for Thanksgiving.  I haven't felt that bad running since week 3 or 4, although, after I was done I felt much better.  Thanksgiving is one of the few days off we get over here (even our one day "weekend" over here means we only have to work half a day) so I ended up sleeping through breakfast and we didn't go to get our holiday meal until about 2:00 so I was starving and ended up eating way too much.  Wednesday was a walking day and I didn't end up running on Thursday and since Saturdays are my day of doing nothing, walking or running, I figured I better get out there this morning.

I'm not sure I'm going to worry about a new plan right now.  Between the holiday this week and leaving to go home for R&R sometime next week, it wouldn't make much sense to start something new right now.  My only plan right now is to take my usual Sat. off and then I thought about just going ahead and running every morning around the shorter 1.85 mile loop until I get out of here and see how that feels.  The biggest thing is going to be sticking with it once I get home.