wow, everyone is doing so well!!!  I'm impressed AND inspired.  I hate that I can't even check the board at work, then by the time I get home from jazzercise around 7, get some dinner, relax with my better half on the patio, and here it is 9 PM! 

I'll be starting W7 tomorrow  morning at 5:30 AM.  I absolutely love the morning runs.  It was pretty warm here today, and I'm not a big fan of the heat, so the early morning temps will serve me better.

Will & Dave - I used to be an advil-a-holic, taking 4 a day "just in case" I got a headache.  I haven't taken any for quite a while, I hear it's not good for your stomach.  Hopefully you'll both be able to do the runs without pain and without drugs!

Carole - you are rocking it girl!  Keep it up!  I'm really proud of you and what you've done for YOU!    Hopefully your husband and kids see what a good thing you're doing too.

CW - great job this weekend.  and running in Hawaii?  how awesome is that?  At least it might be cooler than AZ, but probably a lot wetter too huh?

even though I feel like I'm a little far behind most of you, I am looking forward to hearing about the Gateway 2 8K program.  I'll just be happy to have a couple of 5K's under my belt and see what I work on from there.  I'm pretty sure with all the prodding from this group, I'll be looking at running a full marathon some day!!

Carol

Hi All,

Just wanted to check in and hold myself accountable.  You are all doing so awesome.  MN - Don't worry about being behind us, I feel like week 7 to week 9 are so close in workouts that we are all at the same place running non-stop...some just a smidgen longer than others.  Also, in my c25k research, I read somewhere that most people don't make it past week 4 or 5 and we have all blown right past that.  

I have good news and bad news.  I consider the bad news to be that I had a lazy weekend and indulged in some (too much) yummy food, which resulted in the scale not really being my friend.  The good news is, I rocked my W9D1 last night and actually turned it into a non-stop 5k which I completed in 37.15 and regardless of the scale, my pants are fitting fabulously. Funniest part, I finished my 5k on the corner of the busiest 4 way intersection in my neighborhood and I was jumping up and down and high-fiving my husband with all the traffic looking at me.  What a goof!

I am also a med popper...Aleve seems to work best with this pain.  After my run last night my ankles, shins and calves were really hurting.  I can't wait until the day when I can run without this pain, watch out Forrest Gump, I will be unstoppable!!

We are visiting the parents in Long Island this weekend so I will be taking my runs to new territory.  They have a beach not far from the house so I will be mapping it for distance to see if that might work.  If I follow my plan, I will get one more run in at home this week and then graduate when in L.I., hopefully I don't make too much of a fool out of my self when I celebrate the end of my graduation run

Cheers!

Hi all. Sounds like everyone is rockin' and rollin'. Dave don't you just love 11 year olds. They're like "Hey I think I'll go out and run a 5K" and they just do it. Ahhh, youth is wasted on the young!   Will get better!  I need you chasing me thru G28K to keep me motivated!  I'm an occasional pill popper - sometimes I take a couple of ibuprofen if I get home and feel like I'm going to be sore.  Also I take one 375mg aleve every night before bedtime (prescribed by DR a couple of years ago - I have slight arthritis in my knees).  But overall the aleve takes care of the pain and I don't really have issues (knock on wood).

So I went out and did G28K W1D1 yesterday.  I had planned to do it today, but I have to run in the afternoons this week (early AM class) and I decided to take advantage of the fact that it was cloudy and 82 degrees when I got out of work!  It went well - you think it would be a piece of cake - but the four 7 minute intervals with one minute of walking in between do bring on a different challenge.  I think the hardest thing is to start running after just one minute of rest.  I didn't really feel ready to run yet.  I guess that's part of the training.  The last three minutes of the last interval were a little tough, but I've come far enough now that I know I can slow down and get three minutes in.  As Will says, "stopping is not an option." 

Speaking of pill popping, it was funny yesterday.  I stopped in and quickly read your posts about taking meds before I went out to run.  When I came home, it felt like one of those days that I would normally take a couple of ibuprofen.  But I said no - I'm not going to do it.  I was sorry last night - my knees ached all night!    Lesson learned for me - I'll take them, but only on days that I need them.  But on those days, I WILL TAKE THEM! 

Kerrster enjoy your runs on L.I. - a couple of my best runs so far  have been when I was away from home.  Everything is different, so it gives you a whole new dynamic.  It also makes you feel accomplished because you think "Wow - I can do this anywhere - and I am!"

Everyone have a great day - CW

Everyone have a great day!

Week 8 is done.  I did stay after school today and did 2.75 miles in 25 minutes.  I did like I planned and ran on the trail around the practice field.  It was different running on ground as opposed to asphalt.  My knee didn't hurt nearly as much, but it was different dealing with uneven surfaces.  I am even more proud of my wife she did W5D2 and it was her first run that wasn't on the treadmill.  She managed to go a little over 2 miles with her warmup then two 8 minute runs with the 5 minute walk between them.  She is terrified by the 20 minute run but i keep telling her that she can do it.

I do think that I am going to take off until the 5k on Saturday.  I had originally planned to do W9D1 on Thursday and the let the 5k be day 2, but for the first time since I started this, my legs feel like they have given out.  Not sore, just exhausted.  I started looking back at my Nike+ history and realize that I have rushed through the program.  Often I would run one morning and then the next evening, before taking a day off.  I did my first long run (W5D3) on May 4 and here it is two weeks later and I am finishing week 8, so I squeezed 3 weeks into 2 weeks.  My plan now is just to walk and do other stuff until the 5K on Saturday.  Now of course if I wake up Thursday and my legs feel great I might be tempted, but I don't want to mess it up before the race on Saturday.  Any input you guys have would be appreciated.

CW- Thanks for the heads up on GW28K, I guess it is good to know that it will present a challenge from the start

Carol - Way to go on the run, today was gorgeous here, around 75 sunny, with a nice breeze at 3;30 when I ran, nearly perfect.

Will- So far no Motrin after today's run, let's see if I regret that in the morning.

Dave - I cracked up when you wrote "I stayed after school".....like you were a bad boy or something!!  I haven't tried running on a track, I'm an asphalt kind of girl.  I'd be afraid on uneven surfaces that I'd twist my ankle or something.  Sounds like you made good time.

Will - your body is telling you to take a rest.  You've crammed a lot of running into 3 weeks, and you have a big race this weekend.  Time to kick back and relax for a few.

Kerrster - have fun on L.I.- running in the sand sounds like fun.  I sometimes wish I still lived in CA so I could run on the beach.  oh well, the asphalt will have to do until I can get back out there.

Cindy - you'll be graduating soon!!  Not too up on all the hockey stuff, but maybe you can celebrate your graduation with another Penguins win?  Isn't it almost finals?  I'm still in the basketball phase - go LAKERS!! (see, I'm still a CA girl at heart)

Talk to everyone tomorrow - happy running!!     Carol

Hi Everyone, I run w8d2 tomorrow, hope I kick ***!

I took notes, hahaha!!!

Carol-congrats on getting up early & doing w7d1!! You Rock!!!

Dave-Good luck on your 2nd 5k!! And take it easy superman!!! If you has slowed down a little we could have started g28k together, not that I would be able to keep up with you!!! Tell your wife that if a 46 year old smoker who is trying to wuit, could run w5d3 then she can!!! zI was scared to death, but I did it!!!!

Cindy-congrats on w9d1! Keep in mind if u wanna wait a week you can start g28k with me!!!! I know u won't, u r too pumped up!!!

Kerrster- You kicked butt on your own personal 5k!!! Are you on facebook with us?

Wiil-ER I mean Coach Will, take it easy for a couple days!!!

CW-take pics in Hawaii & u will kick butt!!!

Marty-Did u graduate??

Tracy-Can't wait to hear how your last run went!

Lori-I hope you are having a great vacation!!!

Mike & Leah-How you two doing??

SEE I told you I took notes this time!!! Let me know who I forgot, like I said, it's old age with young kid syndrom!!!!

Carole

Sounds great Cindy, I missed that when I read your post!!! Thanks, Carole