Thank you to all the encouragers out there.  W6D2 is done as of this morning.  Not AS bad as D1 on Monday.  First 10 minutes breathing got a little labored, but all in all it was fine.  Recovered during the walk quickly.  Second 10 minutes were okay until about the 7 - 8 minute mark then it became a struggle.  But, I tried the trick of running to the next rock or tree or shrub (reminds me of Lady Bird Johnson..."a bush, a tree or a shrub") or whatever and ultimately finished.  It's just so hot...even at 5:30 - 5:45AM.  I left the house with it 84 degrees and 75% humidity.  I kept telling myself that when it cools down I'm gonna feel sooooo good.  If I can survive this heat, then cooler weather is going to be absolutely wonderful.  They're predicting highs in the 90's this Friday!! Whoo Hooo...it's been around 105-106 the last two days with heat indexes of 110- 115.  Of course that's in the afternoon.

I'm wondering if I should quit running with the podcast and just run listening to my rhythm and breathing as I get close to the end of this program.  What do y'all do?  It's been nice having the music and of course I needed the prompting for when to run/walk.  But I just wonder if it's time to leave the mp3 player in the car.  Or at least wean myself from it.

The big W6D3 looms on the horizon.  Pray for cooler weather!!

AllGirlsDad:

I don't know where you live, but please be careful in your heat & humidity.  Drink lots of water (preferably with an electrolyte replacement) before you start.  If you don't carry water with you, make sure that you have places to stop for more water as you go.  Some of my routes go past either a city park with water or past my house, so I can stop every few miles and refill my bottle.  Also, drink a lot when you're done.

I have never run with music.  I can be more aware of my surroundings, such as traffic, dogs and other people, if I leave my ears uncovered.

I don't know what's causing your knee pain, but you may want to consult an orthopedist or physical therapist if it continues.  Nothing worse than making great progress (as you are surely doing), only to be sidelined by an injury.

Keep up the great work.

I am 55 and I have been running on and off for a couple of years. I want to run a 5K in my town on August 28th. only 19 days away and I only found out about it today. Any suggestions as to how to train on such a short time-frame. Appreciate any advise. All the best and keep in running for the love of it.

pgburt - good luck, you have worked hard to get to this point and you will do fine.  Regarding warm-up before the race.  You will walk from your parked car to packet pick-up.  Packet will include your bib and/or chip for race timing.  Pins for the bib will either be included in your packet or in boxes on the table.  (I always take extra pins, just in case).  There may be some goodies or flyers for upcoming races in the packet.  By the time you have walked back to your car to drop things off and then back to the race start, you will have your walking done, although it will be considerably before you line up for the race.  I just walk around until the race - not a brisk walk necessarily, just enough to keep blood flowing and muscles warm.  Do not try out new foods or gear on race day.  Eat and drink what you normally do before you run; this will help you avoid digestive disturbances.  Wear the clothes, shoes, socks that you always wear for running (do not wear the race shirt for the run).  Wear your bib number on the front unless directed otherwise.  At most races you will see a few people with their bibs pinned on their backs.  At some races that do not use electronic chip timing, at the end of the race you may have to tear off and turn in the strip on the bottom of your bib.  This does not work well when the bib is pinned on your back.  (Now that chip timing is more common, it's less of a problem.)  Be careful to run your own pace.  It is very easy to get caught up in the energy of the crowd and go out too fast, making it hard to continue past the first mile (I have done this).  Above all, enjoy your experience.  You will never have another first race.  After the race, grab a water and whatever they are offering in the way of snacks (bananas, oranges, bagels, etc., are pretty popular around here).  Do your cool down walk.  Bask in it; be proud of what you have accomplished.  Let us know how it goes.

Welcome jrj... to the thread. Sorry that noone responded to your question earlier. Congrats on deciding to run again. My suggestion would be that since this is such a short window to prepare for the 5K you want to participate in, would "be realistic". Plan to do a run/walk at a comfortable pace. If you haven't done so already, check out the couch to 5 k program. You will notice that it uses walk/run intervals. A lot of ppl walk 5K's, so don't think that you have to run hard the entire race. I assume you are over 50, so remember that our bodies do not respond like they did when we were 30.  I hope that you intend to make running a part of your life beyond this one event.Good luck and let us know how it goes.

PG, you got good advise on how to prep for your run this weekend, so I won't add any more to it. You will make your Mom proud!

Marie

Question time...

I finally got to see my orthopedic doctor today.  I've been having some left knee pain for about 10 days.  Started at the end of my W6D3 run...as I was cooling down.  Turns out, he tells me, that I have tendonitis in my left knee.  He gave me a shot in the knee and told me to come back in two weeks.  I asked him about running and he said "cut it in half right now". 

I'm repeating week 7 'cause the first time through didn't go so well.  This week has been going as expected.  Monday and this morning...25 minutes...nailed it.

How do I "cut my running in half"?  Just run 12-13 minutes but stay on schedule...M-W-F?  After two weeks where do I pick back up at?  I'm a little confused and very much bummed out.  But I'm not going to let this stop me.  I just need some ideas/advice?  My running daughter tells me I have plenty of time to ramp back up after this "slow down" to get ready for my first 5k at the end of September.  My ears are open... 

So I'm up to Week 8, and finally got outside yesterday for the first time in a month!  It's been too hot to run outside, so I've been running on the indoor track.  What a difference, though!  Does anyone else struggle with the difference between outside and inside?  I don't know why it seems so much harder to run outdoors, it should be easier (more distractions!).  Anyway, I'm scheduled for my first 5K next Saturday the 28th, and I'm not sure I'm going to be ready!  I seem to have developed plantar fascitis in my right foot.  It really only bothers me on my off day, but I can run on it fine.  It's not until the next morning that it's agony to get out of bed.  But by the next day it's ok again.  Any suggestions/stretches/help in getting ready for next week would be appreciated!  Thanks everyone!

GREAT job, pgburt! Congratulations! Now onto a 10k?!?!