Looks like I'm the first one here today! I finished Week 8 over the weekend. I'm so pleased with my 'bad self' to have made it to Week 9. This is a great birthday present to myself (Thursday!)....last year when turning 40, I was out of shape and definitely not 'fabulous'. This year, I can run for 30 minutes without keeling over, I have muscles, I can touch my toes... It just keeps getting better. Next year at this time I hope to be gearing up for a 1/2 marathon in October. To all the OHR's....make room for me, I'll be joining you next week! Hope everyone has a great week.

I started week 9 this past weekend. I was visiting my brother up in the UP of Michigan for his wedding and a bunch of people went running out on the trails he has on his land. He trains and races sled dogs so he has miles upon miles of trails out in the middle of nowhere right off his yard. It was a great start to week 9. The trail running was great, it was beautiful. The fact that I had no idea where I was going, or where I was may have made time go by faster because I was scared of getting lost and I was scared I'd see a Moose or a bear. But I would run on those trails before my usual city runs any day! I'm back at home and I have to run here today out on the sidewalk...

I just did my first 3-miler in about a month...and it wasn't so bad! I just immersed myself in the music, ignored other people, and kept going. The last mile was painful (side stitch, which I always seem to get in my 3 mile...no matter how slow I'm going) but I finished and could have kept going. I'm back in action! Got new running tights, too...they kept me warm in the chill morning. I really am addicted to getting new running stuff! ETA: I forgot to tell all of you guys how far you have come! I'm so impressed.

I ran twice last night. The first run was my usual plan to go farther than 3 miles that didn't work. I made it 2 before I had to take a walk break. Then I got home and my husband was looking for some exercise so I went back out with him. He runs a lot slower than I do so it wasn't a big deal to add a little more on for the night. We ran a another slow mile and then walked/ran another half mile or so. I wish I could figure out how to get myself running more than 3 miles continuously.

Just ran W6, D1 but we changed it a wee bit because we were a bit delinquent the past few days. So it was R8, W3, 3X. Yay.

Happy birthday, Cyndi! I bet all that running makes you feel younger. Thanks, Erendis! And I must say - if you've been helping me out with the charts...I 'ppreciate it! 2 miles today, doing a plan that a very wise runner concocted for me. 2nd mile was faster than the first, and let me tell you that that HURTS! He said it's a bad habit of runners to slow down each mile they tack on, and he's right. Absolutely right. So I ended up running an 11:10 mile and a 10:46 mile (PR!) for a "blissful" 21:56 of running. The first mile was odd because I felt like I wasn't running fast at all...funny how your pace will get so much better that you're running faster when you didn't think you were. I honestly thought the first would have been 13:00, but nope! I am the fastest big girl in the world! I am proof that you can run, even if you don't look like Deena Kastor. Happy running! Runners are some of the nicest people in the world, as evidenced on my run today!

Congrats on everyone's progress this week! I'm doing W4D3 of the C25K tomorrow. Almost half way through! I'm loving it, though.

Man, I haven't poked my head in here in a few weeks, and I am so impressed to see all the great posts and progress! You guys are doing amazing things. Keep it up!