So, I'm a late starter but I have started. The first few weeks, I putzed around, not having a clue what I was doing but I was getting out there & moving. It was frustrating as it was disorganized & a bit lonely. Now with C25K, I have a plan & support group. W2 is under my belt. I'm sure W3 won't be pretty but one session at a time is doable. I compare my 'pre-C25K' body to an old car that hasn't been maintained. Now, I'm tuning up the engine & the other parts & trying to put in better fuel without turning into a nutrition nazi. And a mere month into a slowly & steadily improving lifestyle, I'm seing & feeling BIG changes. I sleep very well & because of that, seem to need less sleep. My energy levels this past week have soared, after 3 weeks of being about the same as before I started C25K. My mood overall is great, pretty cheery without being sickeningly perky. My appetite is great & as someone who's always struggled to keep weight on - I'm loving not looking like a poster child for Feed The Children.

This morning after a good breakfast I took a 6.5 k walk - mainly just for fun. A few places I had to haul myself up some steep inclines. Rather than groaning at the 'work', I relished it. Best of all, I didn't tire until the last kilometer or so. Came home to a good lunch, got supper going & other chores done & now I'm about to take a nap. I used to have to nap a lot but never felt rested. Right now I'm what I'd describe as pleasantly tired. I know I've done my body good today & later, I'll do a strength & flexibility workout. I think I've finally lost my fear of a few minor aches from working muscles. Aches mean they're finally getting work they badly need & in the long term, I benefit & my family benefits from a healthier, happier me.

Anybody reading these threads thinking they don't have what it takes, that it can't work for them, that they're too unfit... I suggest giving yourself a chance. If you don't feel quite ready for C25K, start by working your way up to a 30 minute walk 3 times a week. Once you can manage that for a week or 2, you're good to go. There's always someone here starting Week One & loads of encouragement from everybody. I know I still don't think of myself as a runner but for now, it doesn't matter what I think, as long as I do it. I KNOW I'll consider myself a runner when I can finally manage 30 minute runs on the last week, whenever that happens.

But with everyone's support here & hauling myself out for my sessions, it WILL happen. And if I can do it, anybody can.

I'm in Mississippi, not too too far from you! I think I'm the only one from way down south here on the coast. Stick with it! You'll be surprised at what you can do.

And I asked about the every day thing too, and was told only to walk on in between days. Use different muscles if you want to work out, let the running muscles recover and get stronger. I have read spinning is a good choice, I may try a class in that for further calorie burning. And upper body free weights on off days. I'm 45 and about that many pounds overweight! I figure my lungs are just going to catch on slowly. Its better than week one, that was embarrasing how much I huffed and puffed on the recovery walks. Its much better already. Keep going!

Week three is upon us...let's not be scared of it, or nervous about it. Let's attack it!...let's go after it, and defeat it! Let's continue to encourage and support one another as we strive to FINISH.

Week Three & beyond still scare me to death. At 12 or 13 - I don't even remember, I started smoking. It was soooooooo kewl! I got hooked fast & hard. Until a few weeks ago, I was smoking 2 packs a day of a fairly heavy brand. Over the past month, I cut back & cut back, worked on my attitude & yesterday smoked the last cigarette I'll ever smoke. For the first time ever in a million attempts to quit, I actually WANT to. Why? Because Finishers don't smoke. Runners don't smoke. Oddly enough, it's not bothering me nearly as badly as it has in the past; this not smoking. Tomorrow will be my first 'post smoker' run. It won't be pretty but I will visualize sick, glued together lungs being forced open, the garbage in them coming out & fresh, clean air finally having a chance to do their thing. I know it will take time to FEEL the benefits so I'll take them on faith for now. That's going to be my big issue for the next little while - the whole addiction to smoking thing but I hope it won't be too long before I start feeling some benefits. I just don't know what to expect. I'm going to keep imagining myself, some time in the future, crossing a finish line somewhere having run the entire distance without dying from lack of oxygen or training.

Others have done it. So can I.

I did the last of week 2 today (earlier than I thought, hubby got an earlier flight, yay!) and it went so better than the previous two. If I can do that three minute run next week, I'll be floored!! I can hardly wait to give it a try!