i_hope_that
For many of us, the holidays can be kind of rough. If you're searching for a network of understanding friends, this ultra-nurturing community encourages you to express your heartfelt wishes and offer other members encouragement and acceptance. Not for the terminally snarky or emotionally-challenged, this is a good-spirited place to lend comfort and support.

diygifts
Feeling crafty? If you've got a few last folks on your holiday gift list, this is a great place to seed your creativity and generosity. You'll also discover wonderful DIY tips to decorate your home and entertain guests. Offering a no-frills-no-skills attitude that welcomes the cash-challenged and arts-phobic, you're sure to get ideas and make friends in the process.

cooking_club
A fun and friendly community dedicated to those who love to cook, whether you're a meat-and-potatoes type, an aspiring gourmand, and/or a vegan. In search of a brilliant dish to use up those weekly leftovers? Post your ingredients and you'll be whipping up a feast by dinner. You can also share favorite recipes. For Type A chefs, you can spice up your culinary repertoire with exciting cooking challenges.

Oh hey, I forgot to put a race report here.

( Race report! )

As for post-5k, I'm continuing with Podrunner and doing their Gateway to 8k program. I just don't want to be too ambitious, because that would be bad. However, I cherish goals of going up to Mackinac either in June or September (hopefully September for the 8-mile!)

So, every part of my body hurt today before I went for my run, including the spot that I had surgery at in October..which is random, but expected. I went to run outside with friends and let them know that I was going to shorten my run..from the typical 30 minutes. I was hoping to make it 20 minutes...but anticipated only 15 minutes. Well...running the snow covered paths, starting out barely faster than a walk...I went further...further than I usually go... So weird, why do I have runs like this? When I'm feeling the worst, I run the best. The last 6 runs that I've had have been 30 minutes. I ran for 35 minutes today...in the snow. Twice, I stopped to walk...and walked for less than 30 seconds before I said to myself....you're not a walker, you're a runner....get those legs moving again. It's important to listen to your body, but it's also important to listen to your heart and your brain...not only do they get us through difficult runs...but they also get us through the difficulties in life. Everytime I think of stopping...I think back to the first few weeks of this program..when I wanted nothing more than to be a runner, and how painful it was to run for 1 minute straight...this gets me running again.... I can't stop to walk anymore, that's not me, that was someone else. I feel so good today!

As you can see it's early days for me and I am looking for a piece of advice. I have found that I keep running at the very front end of the treadmill, which means that I am actually scuffing the casing over the tread at the front. My treadmill also has a safety plug in the lower centre of the console and I am reguarly knocking it out with my hand as I am running because I tend to get so close. The speed of the interval that I am running does not seem to make a difference.

Has this been an issue for anyone else and is there something anyone can suggest. At the moment I have wrapped a ribbon over the handles about a half foot away from the console to try to keep me further back. The machine is definately long enough for me (142 cm X 51 cm running mat) But I still seem to keep running right to the front to of the machine.

Our first 5k Here is a picture taken of my husband and I running the last 1/4th mile of the Jingle Bell 5k on 12/12/2009. It was the culmination of hard work after completing the C25k program, and we are now training for a March 8k, The Union-Tribune Race for Literacy 8K Run/Walk, 8 a.m. | Sunday, March 7, 2010, San Diego, CA

Hi everyone, I've just completed my first week of the program and so far I am loving it. Hopefully I will be able to keep up with it as I have just confirmed my entry into my first 5K run in the new year (early March)and I am determined to do it! To be fit enough to do this would be a big accomplishment in my life (I've been fit before, but didn't do any running).

Like most newbies I've been reading peoples posts here, which were part of the inspiration to look into and try this program. So thanks in advance and looking forward to your input and assistance as I learn to run for fun.

I just finished running the last day of the program - 3 miles. I am feeling quite pleased with myself, but I also know it would have been much harder without the support, companionship and encouragement of the folks in this group, especially americanbeauty  so THANK YOU ALL!!!! As someone pointed out, this is just the beginning.... Michele

I forgot that I said I would upload this. Hereit is.

stepstomarrow
When granddaughter, Jada, was born with leukemia, a donor-match was located and Jada made a miraculous recovery. In honor of her grandaughter's health, Jeanna has decided to walk across the country (in the dead of winter) to raise awareness and build support for the bone marrow registry (all that's required is a cheek swab). Follow Jeanna's remarkable journey as she travels the United States by foot.