Thread: The "I Love Running" Club

I can relate 100%...it is inspiring to hear your story. I too have an athletic build, I have lost about 15 pounds over the last few years and have been at a steady weight since, but have come to the realization that I will never be "skinny." In junior high I was a very good sprinter but I quit the high school track team because I had to run one mile a day...I hated running. Anyway, I started walking/jogging three years ago. At first I would try to speed walk and just run for short intervals, then I'd try to run for a whole song, then I focused on running mostly and walking if I needed to. I became "addicted" to exercise even though I don't see much change anymore, but it is by far the best addiction I have. Now, I run 5-6 miles about 5 times a week (give or take some days)...I do it because it is a great stress reliever and gives an awesome feeling of accomplishment. I rarely ever time myself because I don't want to be disappointed if I don't always beat my best. Although I would say it's a love/hate relationship, overall...I Love Running! Keep up the good work.

I did it!! I ran the 5k without dying! It felt amazing. I brought my boyfriend (who brought his handheld tetris) and I told him to expect me around the 45 min mark. Hey, I know that's a long time, but I really thought it would take that long. At 38 minutes I ran right past him (he was into that darn game) and finished. The poor guy went out to the last bend to "cheer me on" as I was turning in my time. I could see from far away that he was getting nervous as the walkers were coming in. He felt terrible for missing my shining moment, but I was just so excited to have completed (and in under 40 min!). After doing a little research, I realized my time was actually horrible in comparison to other runners. Truthfully, I am still proud of myself. And I am signed up for another race on Memorial Day. There's one on June 23, July 4, and possibly Aug 18 that I'm thinking about too. For now it's just one race at a time...

I ran my 2nd 5k on Memorial Day and cut off two minutes from my previous time. I'll be running my third 5k June 23rd. Any tips on how to continue cutting minutes off my overall time??? Any other runners out there with their own stories??

Congratulations! That is so great.

Seems like you are on the right path. I'm a boxer so I only run to stay in shape so I don't have a lot of advice on competitive running. But sounds like you are doing it right. I guess you should start timing yourself when training and setting goals each week to increase your time by a few seconds each time and eventually you'll be getting that time down.

Good luck to you and keep us up on how the next races go!

Hi--I am not sure how I got here-- I am not very computer savvy. I ran across your message and thought this was a pretty interesting site-- but it took me the better part of an hour just to figure out how to respond to your message!!! Anyway, I just wanted to say congratulations on your running! I am an on again off again runner. I really like it when I am consistent with it but it always seems that my routine gets sideswiped every couple of months. I am a single mother of an active teen that swims competitively. When she is training/competing (about 9 1/2 mos of the yr- with intermittent breaks about 3 wks long) I just don't seem to be able to get a lot of time to myself. So in the mean time I at least try to stay in the running mode in my head. Like you I go with the add a little at a time way of running. I used minutes instead of blocks and alternated between walking/jogging to build up my distance. As long as you keep moving you will continue to improve. I usually only do one local race and only because the whole event is just so much fun. I am not very competitive -- I just run because I like it. Stay on the roadway and hope to hear more on your progress! In the words of John Bingham " No need for speed and waddle on!"

I ran my 5th 5k in 5 months last Friday. Sadly it was my worst time overall. Luckily I have good reasons in that I had oral surgery a week before the race and had been living on liquid only meals/ no running whatsoever. The race was called the "Blazin Hot 5k", it was at 630 pm, and if you're anywhere in the midwest (ohio specifically for me) you know it was indeed "Blazing Hot." With the combination of heat (upper 90's), lack of training in the past week, and post-surgery diet, I just couldn't run normally. My other races have ALL been improvements, however. I can't go on about it enough...this running thing has really got me on an endorphin high! I haven't picked my September race yet, but there will definitely be a September race. And here's the plus: since I began running/training in February, I've lost 26 pounds! That sounds like a lot, but really, I have MANY more that I need to lose. Thank you for all the advice, and if you have a story, post it up!