You're our Hero Nick ! Honestly,I carry your advice with me on every run,especially the part about "just enjoying yourself"

I read a great quote in Runner's World that went something like:

I AM A RUNNER because I value and respect my body. It will whisper to me when I've done too much. And if I choose to listen to that whisper, my body won't have to scream in pain later on.

Thanks again !!!!!!

Is it me or does it feel like everyone wants to hold hands here and start singing Cumby Yah?

I'm "running" my first 5K on Saturday and I am really hoping I beat the 45 minute requirement! I doubt that that makes me obsessed with speed -- more obsessed with not coming back to a finish line where everyone has already gone home!

Actually I am only five weeks into the C25K program so I will be walking more than "jogging", but that's okay, cuz I think I walk almost as fast as I jog. But I heard races are fun and energizing, so what the heck. Four months ago if I walked the dog around the block I thought it was a major achievement. 54 yrs old, so not sure I'll ever get to join your club -- but I will hold hands and sing (as any old scout knows it is really Kumbaya)

Just curious....I scanned the thread so I'm sorry if I missed the answer...How fast is "too fast"? I'm plodding along at a pretty low speed, and cover 1.5 miles in the W1 routine. I'd be killing myself if I did more than that.

Is this wrong though....I have a 35 inch inseam (yup, lots of leg) so I can WALK at 4.2mph on the treadmill. I leave it at that for the entire time, but just jog when I'm supposed to. If I get really pooped, I slow down that walking.

Sorry if this sounds stupid but I"m new, and well, you know how us virgins are!!!

Nick's good people; I'll vouch for him.

Yes, his posts can get a bit redundant but there's a reason for that - it's good information.

Now that Nick has told us that we need to slow down for the empteenth time, the question arises: What if we're in this to get fast? What then?

Patience grasshopper. It comes with time. My first race after getting back into this was a 10k, my favorite distance to race. I was 3rd from last. I beat a woman in her 80s and a guy who smoked a cigar during the race. I wish that was a joke, but it's not. I think a DFL would have had more dignity.

Fast forward 18 months to two weeks ago and a 5 mile turkey trot. Out of 1885 runners, I placed 676th, finishing in 42:28, an 8:29 pace.

How much speedwork have I done to get there? Virtually none. Tried some earlier this year for a few weeks but just didn't feel like it was time for me yet. So i just continued to run long and steady.

I am doing speedwork now. If fact I just started about 3 weeks ago. There is a time and a place for everything. You speed will come. The key is patience and consistency.

Oh, and when it comes time, I'll tell you it's a feeling like no other. Hammering your head against the wall till your legs scream for mercy and your guts leak out of your eye sockets during the final stretches of a race is one of the most incredible feelings in the world and when you do it in its proper time, it comes without injury or burnout and leaves you with a burning desire for more (just not at that moment).

Press on friends.

I love your advice! I thought I was running slowly, and then it got more challenging. I decided to go even slower, and it is working GREAT!! I am in week 5 of C25K, and I feel great. I signed up for my first 5K at the end of January. I may be slower than Christmas, but I know I'll be able to finish it. I think my pace right now is about a 15 min/mile. I know that is slow, but I just want to progress slowly. Thanks for the boost of confidence.

Nick, I think this should be posted every few weeks for all the newbies, because we need permission to go slow. I started in May with a 13:30 min mile. I'm down to a solid 13min mile. But I can run forever at that pace, well, not forever, but I finished a 10K in October without walking one step. I finished the 10K in 1:21:??, which means that a person who couldn't run for 60 seconds in May without wanting to die managed to run for almost an hour and a half 5 months later. So what if I am slow? I'm running a 15K in March, so I'm looking at two hours of running. It makes me pretty smug to think- "Hey, I'm going to be able to run for two hours without stopping!" The miles keep coming without injury, and yes I do sing when I run to make sure that I'm not going too fast. So in honor of you, my comrades on the trail tomorrow are going to get a rousing rendition of Kumbayah! And in honor of that other poster they are going to get all 5 verses (I'm planning a six mile run, plenty of time for singing).

Run slow, run strong!