Hi Ed thanks for starting the group. Well my running story is brief, so far, but barring injuries, I pray that this is just my beginning. I have always wanted to do a 5k, lost a bunch of weight walking last year, joined the Y on New Years, started the C25K the same day, and did my first 5k 3/9/13 in a 34:50. Not fast by any stretch but not slow for a beginner, and I am 50. I want to do a few more 5ks, then a 10k, and see how I feel. I am doing my first Sprint Tri in 3 weeks and that will be a true test of my fitness. I did a Y Tri challenge at my local Y Sunday, all indoor, and came in 5th overall in women's. NOT in my age group but overall During the running challenge, a trainer at the Y came up to me and asked me how long I was running. She told me I had a great gait, nice and light on my feet, made me feel great. I may be a 'runner' after all What's your story?

I am a former runner, high school track and cross country...then I fell off the wagon and became a married mom. Three kids later i was back to my starting weight, but not in shape. Started getting frequent migraines, started meds and gained 28 pounds in 6 weeks. Got ticked and depressed gained some more . Started running again on and off, nothing serious. Two years ago i was able to get off meds, and my home town area started a Half marathon. I wanted to participate, so i started training, had hip spur issues. Got that cleared up, plantar fasciitis last year. Finally got the foot issues cleared up, and started running while hubby was in pt for hip replacement. Did good til,the snow started, and I got lazy. End of January I was again saying i wanted to do the half (third year now) so I told a bunch of people, one was my brother who goaded me til I signed up. My goal, to finish it. Walking or running. I started training again, seriously now. My time won't be great, but I WILL finish :-)

I have never been a runner. In high school I played volleyball, basketball and ran track. By ran track, I mean I particpated in the sprints. I did get talked into an 800 a few times, but never anything further. I was prone to walk/run on the long runs at practice. I decided I finally wanted to lose weight this past September. I started out with a run/walk on the treadmill. Before I knew it I was able to run 8-9 miles once a week and average 5-6 miles the other 5 days. This last month I've battled illness and knee injuries. My goal when I joined my work weight loss group in January was to compete in a 5k and a 10k within our 6 months. When I realized I actually ran more than or at least that most days of the week I got it in my head to run a half marathon. The recent knee injuries have me second guessing myself, but when I get healthy I for sure want to compete. I didn't know I could enjoy running so much. It has become something I take pride in and I do it for myself only and that sense of accomplishment.

Hi everyone! I joined MFP at the first of the year to keep me honest in my eating habits after a bit of holiday over-indulgence got the best of me :-) (Have to say, I love the site and the holiday weight is gone.) I lost 50+ lbs nearly 12 years ago and took up running in 2009 after a year or so of boot camp-type classes. After the timed one mile runs of that boot camp, I started to realize that maybe I actually could run. For some reason, I jumped right in and signed up for a half having never run a race before in my life - and I've been hooked ever since. Fast forward to today, and I've done countless 5k's, halfs, and am currently training for my 6th marathon. I'm not the speediest of people - that's something I've been focusing on as of late, but I do my best and each time I race, my time is a little faster than the time before.
I've made so many friends running, and I have to say that it's been a huge part of how I've kept the weight off over the years. I love talking to people who are just starting out - I remember my first 5k (34 minutes) and I love talking to people who are training for their first races.
To the triathletes out there - more power to you. I've always wanted to do one, but need to get over an intense fear of drowning

Hi all. What a great group. I have been using MFP off and on for almost 2 years. In June of 2011 I started a weight loss journey and 15 months later in Sept 2012 I had lost 77 pounds, but still wanted to drop 20-35 more pounds.
Growing up I was a 3 sport year round athlete through college(volleyball, basketball and track), was thin, tones and in shape, but never a "runner", just sprints. Then I had 4 kids, was tired, and barely struggling to get through the roller coaster life of parenting. I became a stress eater. I gained a lot of weight over 11 years.
As far as my running story:
I went on my first ever walk/run (SLOWLY) in Nov of 2011 and two weeks later on Thanksgiving I ran/walked my first 5K with my then 11 year old. Two weeks after that I ran my first 5k without stopping. I signed up for some local runs (a 3mile hill run and a 15k Shamrock). I was able to run longer, but still around a 12 minute mile. In May of 2012 I ran my first Half Marathon. I had felt nothing more than the need to show people that you can be overweight and still run or run/walk for fun, in races, or for exercise.
This past Oct I fell completely off the wagon. I am now sitting at 50 pounds lost. I resorted back to old ways. Eating out and no exercise. A month ago with the Shamrock around the corner I decided to buy a new pair of runners and hit the pavement again. I wasn't real committed until that 9.3 mile run came. My friend and I ran/walked the whole thing and finished. It was so fun and was a great reminder why I loved running. And a great reminder that training for these races are SO much fun. So here I am overweight, but recommitted to eating healthy and get back in to running. I am currently only able to run about 1.75 miles without stopping and at a 13.5 min per mile pace. It's almost more of a mental battle because I was in a place where I could run longer without stopping. Some runs are good and others are not so great. I haven't signed up yet but hope to for the same Hlaf Marathon I did last year. Which is in 7 1/2 weeks. I look forward for some running support on this discussion board. Thank you for starting it. And I feel even more inspired after reading everyones posts.

Smashed it! just shy of 4.6k in 28 minutes! though I'm going to ease up again on Friday, it was a hard slog at that pace!

So it took you the same amount of time to do 4.6km as it did when you did 4.4km, awesomeeeee stuff

yeah on Monday I was unsure of what pace I could manage for 28 minutes as it was snowing and high wind, but by the final 5 minutes I stepped it up and realised I could have pushed more.

so today, less snow and less wind I knew I could push myself that little bit harder from the start, and I made it to the end but it was probably a slight push too far as I was exhausted!

Hi all! I am Amy and live near Washington DC. Married with 2 teenage (1 is an adult and in USMC Basic training) boys and 2 Australian Cattle dogs. I started running in August of 2012 after getting motivated by my husband's running. I still cry every time he crosses a finish line. 6 years ago I didn't know if he was going to survive and to see him succeeding just makes me emotional. Anyways...back to me! I did my first 5k on 10/14/12 in 29 minutes. Second 5k was 10/28 and finished in 27:52. I am now training with my husband for a 1/2 on May 5. At this point I am getting nervous.
Thanks for creating this group and hopefully you don't mind an intruder.

"Denver-ite" here. I am just starting my run training. I have been doing the Couch to 5K. Does it get easier? On top of my run training i do about an hour toning with resistance bands and an hour kickboxing class. My legs and back are more sore from the running than from the band or KB.

well, i didnt know this was for runners, but i try at it. i am now 57, overweight by 100 lbs and tonight i am starting a zumba gold class. i have been struggling with my weight since menopause and it just gets worse. never was heavy till the 46 mark and it just creeped up. i can ride a bike 10+ miles and walk, but the weight wont come off. i decided to try this and some different exercise. i would LOVE to be able to run, i did it for a little while 10 yrs ago and loved it. now bad knees and feet, taking meds for that now so i can start to work out. i dont mean to sound like a sob story. i just am today starting this journey and i hope i find my nitch and can get some of this stupid weight off.