Frog-leg,

Just hang in there.  It's okay to repeat weeks.  I started the C25K program last February, but had done a lot of walking up and down many flights of stairs at work several weeks before beginning.

Slow down, jog as slow as you possibly can go.  It will get better,

It is wonderful that you quit smoking!  Way to go!

I jogged my 4th 5K today, on a hilly course, after not running a race in ~ 10 months.  I quit running last summer, because I run outside, and don't tolerate the heat.  So I started training again in January.

I will plan to run a 5K in mid to late April and another one in May.  I am definately a PENGUIN!!!

Congrats Melissa!   Sounds like you had a fantastic first race!

froglegjack - are you adequetely fueled before you workout?  Maybe you're body just needs a bit more energy to rev up.

Congratulations and well done!

This is such a cool thread! Penguins (the animal) have been my favorite since high school, but I didn't realize this is what the penguin fetish at the running expo was all about! I'll never be considered an athlete - that was always my other four younger brothers and sisters. I was always the musician, the marching band one. Marched forever, and looking back, it was great training for a slow jogger/walker/runner like me. What a great image!

A few years back, I tried the Disneyland half-marathon and from my back corral start, stayed just ahead of the bus. But I finished, despite plantar fasciitis issues that went on for years.

Approaching my half-century mark, I have decided I can get old and fat, or just old. After a superstressful Fall season at work, which took away all training opportunities for me, I managed to complete the Disneyworld Half-marathon in 3:25. Bless the woman running the 3hr Clif Pace team! I stayed with them until Main Street, Magic Kingdom, which gave me enough cushion to finish ahead of the 3:30 bus. This penguin lives in fear of being picked up by the bus!

My next goal is to get signed up for the Disneyland Half this fall, so I can complete my Coast to Coast (penguin style, but finish it). I was astounded to be put on the wait list two weeks ago

But the great news is that for our actual 50th year celebration (I'm 49 now) in 2012, my husband just agreed to sign up for the WDW half and try for the Coast to Coast, too! Penguins unite!

I love this thread. I have always had "crunchy" knees, even as a kid, so I doubt I'll ever get to much better than a 3 hour half marathon. But that's just fine with me. I just want to get through it, and then go have some more fun. That's what it's all about, right?

It's wonderful to hear about all the great race results as well as everyone's supportive comments.  I think we're all doing great -- whether we're running our C25K (and repeated a week for the third or fourth time), running a first 5K, or a 10th 5K, or a half.  It's wonderful to hear people so happy, busy, and committed.

I've had an interesting week although not related to running in particular.  I'm on my third week of training for a Sprint (short) distance triathalon and have been getting plumb tuckered out with all the activities.  I was thinking how much I am going to enjoy this coming week which is very little training followed at the end of the week with swiming, biking, and running timed distance tests.  I decided to take my bike in for its warranty tuneup so I'd have it back for the biking test -- that necessitated putting my bike rack on the trunk of my car.  Went on easily no problem on Wednesday afternoon.  Thursday morning I went to the dentist and when I got there I decided I was thirsty and would take in a bottle of water from my stash in my trunk.  I got out the bottle of water and reached up to slam down the trunk but neglected to get my head completely out of the way.  The bike rack caught me across the bridge of my nose -- ow ow ow.  I almost passed out and as I did my injury assessment I discovered that my two front teeth were slightly loosened, too.  For Pete's sake!  On the way into the dentist's office I discovered I had a cut on my nose that was bleeding like crazy.  At least  I was in the right place to get my teeth looked at.  Good news -- no permanent damage.

By the time I got home the bridge of my nose was completely swollen but not knocked crooked -- it's still very painful and probably broken but there's not much to do about that.  I now have two very beautiful purpley black eyes that go all the way down to my cheekbones.  I look like a prize fighter or a character from Avatar.  I struggled through my swim lesson on Thursday -- the goggles hurt and would barely seal.  On Friday, I decided that my head ached too bad to work out so I went to the chiropractor and she straighted me out -- my headache went completely away.  Today I was able to swim (nose still hurts though) and bike so I feel much better now.  Tomorrow I'm going to run -- rain or no rain.  Hooray for getting back to normal.

Another one of many lessons learned.  I figure by the time I finally die, I'll know everything but won't have much use for it any more. 

Hey frog - press on, don't give up.  I am right there with you trying to gain some measure of improvement and after reading through

the posts - everyone is at a different spot.  My contentment has to be with where I am slogging forward at my pace and it is where I have

to just keep on - adjust, go slower, faster, mostly go slower - good for you to with the ability to stop smoking!  That is very difficult

and a tremendous victory!     

Cheering us on in physical activity!