I often miss this thread due to the number of notifications coming through but welcome to @lissadecker and others Join in on the September challenge while it lasts and be looking for the October thread soon!

Hi, I'm Jo from Houston, TX. I felt a bit lost after finishing grad school a couple of years ago and decided I needed a goal to work toward, so I signed up for my first half marathon. In the process I realized that I actually enjoy running so now I train for a couple of halfs each year. Sometimes I struggle to find the time to run consistently, but I'm hoping setting a monthly goal will help keep me honest!

Hello I'm Annessah. I am 34 years old. And I am new to running. I am working on developing a healthier lifestyle for me and my 2 sons, 6 and 7. They are both in sports and I am trying to become more active with them. I have lost 70 lbs and I still have about 50 more that I would like to lose. I am excited about this new journey I am starting becoming a runner. Every year I participate in the March of Dimes 5 mile walk and for this next race in April I plan on running/jogging most of the way.

Hi, I'm Arielle. I try to run a couple miles a day, but I want to get back to my 6 miles a day. Slowed down a lot after a nasty illness. Looking forward to the November challenge!

Hi I'm Rose and I'm not a runner but want to be one when I grow up! The best I have done so far is completion of an Oly tri, so 10K and that wasn't all running. I signed up for a half marathon next year to help motivate me toward a goal. This forum will help too, thank you! This month I will shoot for 50 miles to start. I am overweight and out of shape, but can at least jog part of the way there.

Hi my name is Renee from Philadelphia, PA., I started running in August 2015 with Black Girls Run. I completed my first 5k at Trenton in October 2015,my pace is in 14 minute range. I haven't done much running this year as I also started road bike riding. My goal for this year is to run Broad Street (10 miles) and possibly Minneapolis half Marathon.

Hi all, my name is Tony... I'm a runner. (all echo, Hi Tony)
While I say I am a runner, I am a true novice.
I started my first Holiday Streak in 2013 on a dare from a friend, who is a die hard runner. Since my birthday falls just a few months before Thanksgiving, and as a middle age man, with a big middle…. I was game for the challenge. I couldn’t honestly wait until January 2nd when I could stop running.
2014 – my friend reminded me, hey dude, Holiday Streak coming up… so once again I was game this time I had been doing a little bit of running prior to the start of the Streak. The beginning of December, he suggested hey your running is looking good… good weekly mileage (for a beginner) , why not run a half marathon… I stopped running, looked at him like he was flippin’ crazy nutso. We finished our run and we talked about it…. Next thing I know I was training for my first half marathon….. I was up to 30+ miles a week…. Then…. I somehow came down with double pneumonia… and eneded up in the hospital for 3 days getting breathing treatments and IN antibiotics. Needless to say I was NOT a happy camper. It took me a long time to get over that…..
2015 – seemed more like a “chore” to do the holiday streak, but my wife asked my around the beginning on November if I was going to do the streak again, I told her if she’d join me. Hahahaha, she is not a runner, of into fitness at all. But, I did it anyway.

My goal for this year’s Holiday Streak is to break my mileage record of 79 in 2014.
2013 – 57.83
2014 – 79.00 (training for the half that never happened)
2015 – 53.04 (more like a chore)



http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/117056-2017-holiday-streak

I'm from Colorado Springs, at least for the last 19 years. We are at 6500 feet so the running feels different here and different when I visit other places. I have in the past run pretty long races, but gained weight and ran less after kids. Now I run 5k races current time around 29 or a bit more I would guess on a flat paved course. My goal is to hit 25 minutes someplace somewhere for a 5K. I run about twice a week and do weights once a week.

Tim welcome. I have my first half planned for early April.... good luck and happy running

Hi, all! I'm not sure how I missed this thread before. I jumped into the monthly challenge thread around this time last month but I guess I never formally introduced myself. I'm Hilary, 29, and live in Buckeye Nation in central Ohio. I began attempting to run around 2009. I tried the C25K program several times throughout the first few years and completed my first 5K in May 2011 but quit shortly after. In 2012, I started actively trying to lose weight and started up running again as a supplement. I ran a few more 5Ks and completed my first half marathon in the spring of 2013. I got a crazy bone in my body that summer and decided to train for both a triathlon and my first marathon. As you can probably imagine, that did not turn out well. Carpel tunnel kept me from continuing triathlon training and a heart breaking stress fracture led to a DNS for my first marathon. I recovered from the stress fracture and took my doctor's orders to a more conservative marathon training program and completed my first marathon in April 2014. I PRed in the Chicago Marathon that year (4:42) just around the time I hit 60 pounds lost. Several relatively minor running-related injuries later and a bit of weight gain back, I am buckling back down again. I'm working hard to improve my overall marathon pace and shed a few pounds in order to aide with that.

It's funny, I've now completed 8 marathons but since I just started really running 4 years ago I still consider myself a new runner. I was involved in just about every sport growing up and was a great sprinter but really HATED long distance running and NEVER would have thought I'd be a runner in my adult years. When people ask me why I started running, I tell them it was for the challenge...it was one of the few sports that intimidated me because I struggled with it. I definitely don't consider running much of a "supplement" anymore but rather a big part of my life. Funny how things work out.

I'm still pretty new to MFP so feel free to add/friend me!

I've been running for about a year and have worked up to consistently running between 1-2 miles, 3x per week. I am still very overweight, so hopefully this helps me lose and my stamina continues to increase.

New to group - just joined today. Goal is 60 miles for the month of December. Farthest race was a half marathon in 2009. Would love to do another. I try to run before work as I am just too beat after work. Living in Texas and it is finally cooler out - perfect for running! Looking forward to December!

Hi I am Yanni and I am new to running, but I enjoy it, one of the few exercises I can keep up and maintain, really. I guess I never really push myself to my running limit so I usually only run on the treadmill for 20 minutes (2KM) and then stop, because the gym's rules says so.
And because I already a bit tired by then. I once injured myself when I run, so I am looking for resources/advises on how to run.

I really want to join a 5K and preparing myself to do that. How long did it take? I practice inconsistently but I hear if we are consistent we can change from a couch potato to running 5K just in a month.

My goal is only 50km but I doubt I could even reach that. Surprised at everyone else goal!

Hello, My name is Jen. I am new to this group, but not new to running. I started running in late 2014. I've ran 1 half marathon and loads of 5Ks and 10Ks. I suffered a couple of nagging injuries earlier this year, and gained a bit of weight in the meantime. I'm finally back to injury free and I'm excited to get back into running again. I'm looking forward to running more half marathons this year and beating my PB times from 2015.

Hi! I love running, but an ankle injury kept me from working out. I'm hoping to get back to 30 min 5ks! For now I have to couch to 5k it lol nice you meet everyone!