Penguins?  I am new to running, so I guess I'm not hip to the lingo....what exactly makes a penguin?  I noticed something in the new, slow runner thread about this one so figured I might be in this classification of runner.

Pam:  Hula hoop class?!?!  That sounds like fun; let us know how it goes!  Maybe something to introduce to my office, too.

=o)

I'm proud to be a Penguin and glad to have found this group.  I did the No Boundaries 5K program in March and ran my first 5K in June.  The cool running 5K plan sounds interesting!  Maybe I'll join. 

Melissa age 48 and new penguin runner

Penpals,

I had planned to get up at 5 am and have my long run done by 8 am. I noticed that the belt on my treadmill was off center.

I tried to adjust the belt but my Allen wrenches were metric instead of standard. No stores were open so I had wait ontil they opened.

I went to Lowes (7 am) and got the right tool. I finally got the the belt adjusted and lubricated by 8 am.

Oh well, so much for the long run.

I got in 2.7 miles. Not a very eventful run. After all the trouble with the machine, the run was anti-climatic.

I hope everyone else has stress free experiences today!!!

Last night my daughters and I ran a 5k in a themepark in our area.  It's held at 10pm, after the park closes.  There must have been close to 2000 walkers/runners.  I went into this one with very few expectations and it was a good thing, that way I wasn't disappointed with myself!  LOL   I live in the Ozarks, so it was a very hilly course.  The route went through the parking lots for over halfway (hilly), then continued and finished within the park.  It was lovely, all decked out for the Christmas season.

Anyway, I did NOT have a good run, none of us did. The first 8 minutes were all downhill, very pleasant and enjoyable.  Then I hit the first, LONG hill in the parking lot, and got a horrible stitch.  I can't remember the last time I had a stitch, but I do now!  To top it off, it was a cool night to begin with and I was HORRIBLY overdressed, with nowhere to leave my extra clothing, so I wore it.  Being so overheated didn't help at all.  Oh, and this shows either my sick sense of humor, or my state of mind at the time, but as we were winding back and forth through one of the parking lots, I looked out at that sea of hundreds of people, and it made me think of the scene in "Titanic" after it had sunk and the people were floating in the ocean, screaming and crying for help.  But I'm pretty sure they were talking and laughing instead.  

Then, with about 1/4 mile to go, we hit the steepest hill of all.  Now, WHY would they make the finish like that?  Cruel! lol    Just as I had about 1/10th of a mile to go, the event shirt that I had tied around my waist started slipping, and I could just see it falling around my ankles and tripping me!  So I had to deal with trying to untie the shirt and several people got past me there at the end.  Good for them, I did not mind a bit!

My time was 44:xx, which was over 6 minutes slower than my last 5k.  But, like I said, I had no expectations for this one!

My daughter had kind of a funny story.  As she was trotting up that final steep hill, one of the volunteers was yelling, "You're about halfway there!  Keep it up!"  A man running next to Megan started yelling "We're only halfway done?!?  You've got to be kidding me!"  The poor guy thought the 5k was only halfway done.  Megan told him the lady meant that hill, so he calmed down and finished.  I guess he thought he'd accidentally gotten in a 10k there for a minute. haha

My girls (22 and 18) said "We're never doing this again!"  And then a few minutes later they were talking about how they knew better how to dress next time.  So I don't think they're done yet.

I'm still trying to talk them into the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, but it may be too soon.  Maybe next year.

Pam, I have a very close friend that started c25k in September.  Back in July she did a 'boot camp' that was offered through her church.  The trainer treated them all as if it were a real boot camp, and unfortunately, her stubborness and pride caused her to push herself waaaay too hard and she suffered ankle problems for awhile.  So now she is following the c25k faithfully, not varying from it in the slightest.  She is about 60-80 lbs. overweight, but she is up to running for 30 minutes at a time now, with no problems.  She's very slow, about 3.5 mph, but she is doing it, and SO CAN YOU!  You are a very wise woman to be willing to take it so slow in order to avoid injury.  Good luck, and we're all rooting for you!