Hello:)

My name is Jennifer...I am 35 and a mom to two boys:) I am divorced and have Rheumatoid Arthritis. I have never run in my life besides the mandatory gym class. I decided to undertake this challange for myself...in order to accomplish something I never thought I could, to run for a cause (I am training to run in the Arthritis Walk/Run next year) and to show my boys that anyone can accomplish anything with dedication, persaverence and commitment. I am looking forward to this site. I have been lurking around for a week now and I finally jumped in and started my C25k this Sat:) I was really proud of myself. Today will be my second day of week 1:) Looking forward to getting to know everyone here.

Hi Tina,

One of the more important components of C25K is your off days. You need these for your muscles to recover, even if you're not feeling particularly sore. I would go with an every-other-day schedule. Cross-training (biking, swimming, etc) on the days in between your runs is helpful, but I wouldn't run for 6 days/week just yet.

Hi! My name is Kristin and I live in Virginia. I am 34 and very new to running.... or any type of exercise, really. I am on week 2 of the couch to 5k program and I am just proud that I haven't quit yet! Please tell me it gets easier! Of course, I also selected July (HOT) to begin....Since I can barely manage to get to work on time (I teach school and for some odd reason, summer school starts EARLIER!), I have to wait until the evenings to jog/walk since the middle of the day is oven-like outside. I am doing this just to get into shape. If I lose weight, great, but I would really like to tone up a little. I don't mind being overweight as long as it is a toned overweight Plus, I don't want to stress myself out by watching my weight (so far, I am up 1.5 lbs since I started this - yay, me!). My sister said it was muscle since I have actually been eating better. I have been trying to get my dog to go with me, but she only makes it but so far. Tonight as we passed the house I had to drop her off - there goes my exercise buddy. My high school gym teacher would be so proud of me now (I got yelled at a lot.....)

Hi all, I'm 58 from Southeast Ohio and in graphic design. I was a runner 20 yrs ago and miss being motivated to get outside and enjoy nature in whatever form it presented itself on any given day. I'm currently using the C25K podcasts to get it back. The poscasts are a real help and as I think back to hefting that old Sony Walkman around the course with me in my previous running life, I am grateful for the improvements in the technical end of things! I think shoes have improved a lot as well. I'm doing ok keeping up with week one and hope I'll be able to make the transition to week two fairly smoothly. It sure helps me to read how others are responding to early training sessions. Sure would like to hear from some other oldies out there who are pounding the pavement!

Nice to meet you all!

My name is Ronda and I live in Phoenix, AZ. I'm 39 (really) and I work as a product manager. When I turned 39 I think I finally realized that I'm the only person who can help me feel better, relieve my stress, and help me lose weight (DUH) ,so I've set a goal to get to my ideal weight (-30 pounds) by my 40th birthday.

I have a past history with running - we go waaaaaaaaaaaaay back. I used to run competitively about 20 years ago - HS and college - and despite getting burned out and hurt much of the time, I really did enjoy it. So I think running is going to be my best tool for getting myself into shape.

I think my biggest challenge is going to be that I'm an overwieght couch potato with a vividmemory of how fast I USED to run, and how effortless it CAN feel when you're actually in shape. Those were the good ol' days... (sigh)

I just signed up on this site tonight with the intention of starting my first day tomorrow. (Luckily my job has me on the east coast for my first week, so I'll get a small break from the heat!)

Ronda

Hi, I am a mom of three (4y, 2y and 5month), and have just finished week nine! For anyone who has doubted they could do it, I say go for it. I have all the excuses in the book. I am nursing my baby, up at night, tired, overweight , out of shape, and have found running to be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding experiences. Ok, not really running yet, more of a slow jog. But I could barely do 30 sec at the beginning, and my legs and knees hurt for the first two weeks. Now I can do 30 min and still move and breathe afterwards. Keep up the good work everyone!

Hi I am new and just learning my way around this site. I'm a finishing college student at the University of Idaho in Moscow, ID. I graduate May 2009 and I am very excited for that. I wanted be more healthy so I am going to try the "Couch to the 5K" training program. I am happy for this site to be here.

Olivia