Thanks for the warm welcome, everybody. I just wanted to pop in to suck up some more inspiration - the in-laws are in town for a weekend of sight seeing, but I'd like to (and I WILL) get up at 7am to run before we head out... Obiebyke, it sure is my bunny. We have 2 and they're spoiled rotten and cute as a button. Stinks to hear about your car - unexpected expenses like that are the worst! CanadianMeg, I'm Canuck too, running here in Ottawa. Wise words about not rushing things, runswithdogs. I can see myself getting antsy to get back and go far but it's not a race (yet. ) Okay, off to bed. I'm NOT going to miss this run tomorrow.

Completed OHR w5d3 this morning in super high humidity. Leaving for vacation to Florida later today, so I guess the high humidity here can be looked at as conditioning for Florida. I'll check in again after vacation and w6d3.

kiwirunning - How exciting! I'm really happy for you that you're finding success with your running and are doing so well. Congratulations! polepole - Looks like you're being real consistant. How are you feeling? unlapsing! Welcome! What a cute bunny! Mind if I put him on our home page? obiebyke - bummer about the bent rim and flat! You could almost buy a cheap commuting bike for $350. If you've not already sprung for it, you might also want to contact your local police department. I know of at least one city whose PD holds a fairly regular bicycle sale for all the bikes they pick up that are just lying around or recovered from stolen but never claimed, etc. Cheap cheap cheap, plus it benefits your local PD. D'oh! I thought you were talking about a bike too. How's the hip? It's pretty normal to be a little sore for a few days after an accident, but it should be getting better soon. CanadianMeg - are you having trouble with the mapping feature here on RA? I just want to make sure you know that there is a sattelite feature on this site too, so if you want to have your routes in the same place as your log you can. mimi73 - Hi! If your calves are feeling tight after a run, it might be a good idea to GENTLY stretch them after every run. You may be running faster than your body's ready to handle right now. Doesn't mean fast is out, only that it takes some time to work up to. Patience; slow and steady wins the race this time. gwhutch - I hear ya on the heat and humidity! Oy! Congrats on finishing the "dreaded" W5D3 workout! Take it easy in Florida and have a good trip! theyapper66 - welcome and congratulations on finishing your program! Are you racing any time soon? What's next for you? We have several people doing the One Hour Runner program; you're welcome to join that group if you like. And yes, you're a graduate. I'll get your name on the list right away! runswithdogs - asphalt is absolutely faster than trail, especially if that trail is at all "technical" (read: roots and rocks and twists and turns and so on...). Running on man-made surfaces doesn't absorb as much impact, so you "bounce" a little bit harder. Plus, you can get into a better stride/rhythm when you're not always having to watch your step so much. yellie - good job on getting started in the OHR. Are you addicted yet?

Welcome, yapper! Yeah, car thing is a bummer. Thanks for the sympathy. I feel recovered from last Sunday's 5K now, so today I did OHR W9D2. It was a little warm out, so it felt slow and a bit nauseating, but my left hip didn't hurt like last time. Only 4 more runs until I graduate from OHR! Now if only I didn't have to shell out $350 on my car, I'd treat myself to a massage. Blast. Happy weekend, everyone.

We've got a local 5k on June 28th. I'll be registering Monday. I'm nervous and excited. I am looking at "the next training program" now that I'm done with C25K. Is OHR the best one? I've alos been looking at Hal Higdon's spring training program. Any suggestions?

Question: how long did it take you to get a bit faster? I'm curious to hear from people who are in late C25K or have moved on to OHR. I did W5D3 yesterday. I ran the whole thing without walking (yay me!), but still covered the same distance as usual. I suspect I slowed my pace a bit to make sure I could run the whole thing. I'm wondering now if I push more during the run when I know I have walk breaks to rest a bit. Yes, I know it's about time OR distance, not both, and I should be content with how far I've come already and not belittle that by worrying about distance. I know that, but I still wonder about the distance part of things. It's going well enough I haven't felt the need to repeat any weeks so far. It will come, right? Am I just being too impatient?

Question: how long did it take you to get a bit faster? I'm curious to hear from people who are in late C25K or have moved on to OHR. I did W5D3 yesterday. I ran the whole thing without walking (yay me!), but still covered the same distance as usual. I suspect I slowed my pace a bit to make sure I could run the whole thing. I'm wondering now if I push more during the run when I know I have walk breaks to rest a bit. Yes, I know it's about time OR distance, not both, and I should be content with how far I've come already and not belittle that by worrying about distance. I know that, but I still wonder about the distance part of things. It's going well enough I haven't felt the need to repeat any weeks so far. It will come, right? Am I just being too impatient?

It's really hard not to be impatient! Congrats on making it through W5D3! Everyone's different, but you're most likely to continue getting significantly faster all through your first year. Assuming you don't get injured or burn out from TRYING to run too fast. For now, just take it easy and enjoy the ride. The biggest things you can do AT THIS POINT IN TIME to become a faster runner is to stick with the program (ie, don't skip weeks), run everything "easy" (you should be able to do the talk-test), focus on consistancy and learning to love running, and - after you finish the program - GRADUALLY build up your mileage to what your body can tolerate and then hold it there. Doing anything more your first year is asking for injury and has a very small work-to-returns ratio compared to what you can get just from doing a ton of easy running. There'll be plenty of time NEXT YEAR to worry about speedwork, etc. Concentrate on making THIS YEAR a good one and chances are you'll be ready to tackle more next year.