Azatol

Way to go!!

What kind of shoes?

Actually you didn't do 8. You did 21. It's been scientifically proven that run/walking has the exact same endurance training benefit as pure running. If you ran/walked 21, you can run 21!! That's why we train that way!! You already have the needed skills

Ahh UnderArmour. They claim they have redesigned the heal with a restraining system that doesn't require a heel lock. If you are having trouble coming out of the shoe it's a bum fit. Sorry. All the major shoe manufactures use the heel lock eyelet. UA is rather new on the scene. They aren't even sold in running stores out here. Nothing wrong with them. Just different technology.

A couple things... First off know that this program is based on science. Your body IS ready to run 20 minutes. Youd mind is messing with you because it's lazy and doesn't want to. Trust me, You ARE ready. Take a look at this tip. It worked for me and many others. W5D3 is scary as all get out but everyone who finishes it says it was no big deal. You will say the same. PROMISE!! http://forums.zenlabsfitness.com/topic/1446-get-your-hands-off-that-phone/

Time to bump this as it's come up several times of late

I'd say it depends on your physical condition. If you are a fairly athletic person, you may want to start at week 2. If you are not so much inclined, start at week 1 and just try and run your 5K before it's done. Tell yourself it's ok if you have to walk some of it. Another option is to run every other day and not the same 3 days of the week, then half the weeks you would run 4 times while still having a rest day off between each run. Then you'd finish the whole program in time.

Don't let week 5 scare you. Your brain is screwing with you. Your body is totally ready if you've completed week 4. Your brain is lazy and hates running and will try and defeat you. Ignore it. You are in charge

I really don't care for the idea of people giving advice in this kind of area until you've spoken to your general practitioner(Thus I will not). Make sure you don't have a real health issue before we look at basic stuff like diet and sleep. Running is a contact sport and really needs your doctors support to know you can semi safely do it.

I started running 5k 3 times a week. Then I picked one day a week and started running 3.5. Then one day I went for 4. Then held that a couple weeks then went for 4.5, then 5, then 6, then 7, then 8, then 13 LOL(that was a big jump and probably part of the reason I'm injured). Your long run is an integral part of your running. You should run long one run every week. For you a long run may be 3.5 miles right now and that's fine. You should also run easy on virtually every run and only do one fast day a week. 1 speed day, 1 long day, 1-2 easy days. RInse and repeat. It's also important to up your mileage very gradually. Increasing mileage is a high risk for the injury category. I track my mileage for each run and my weekly total. If I want to run 10 miles on Saturday, I will shorten up some other days so even if I dial up my long run a significant amount, I wont raise my weekly mileage by more than a little bit.

Virtually every athletic shoe in the world has the extra holes that are a bit lower than the normal holes. I've had them on my tennis shoes my entire life. Check out the below pic to see those holes I refer to. As for cotton socks, ABSOLUTELY. Cotton socks = blisters. They rub and they cause sweaty feet which makes it worse. Tight fitting running socks are where it's at. Cotton is the devil for athletics. It makes you colder in the winter, hotter in the summer and causes chaffing.

I didn't do the 10K program. After I completed the 5K I just gradually started running a tiny bit longer on my long run day once a week. Before you knew it, I was past 6 miles. Nothing wrong with the 10K program but you've now learned the trick on how to gradually dial it up on your own so either way would work.

Ruthie is correct. Heel lock = win!! Also the reef knot will keep your shoes from coming untied. http://forums.zenlabsfitness.com/topic/3149-the-heel-lock-and-the-reef-knot/

Sean, yes and no. Speed training is what truly helps you get faster however if you are able to run 6 miles and are only racing 3, you will find that you're not pushing yourself to your distance limit so will naturally run faster as you have to keep less in the tank to go the distance. Does that make sense?

You need to do speed training. Google stuff like "Interval workouts for running", "Hill Sprints", "Tempo workouts for running". You should do speed training once a week. Also add in strides to help a bit with speed and help keep you healthy.

Try imagining a string attached to the top of your head pulling you upwards and also try and touch your spine with your belly button. That will induce proper form

WAY-2-GO. Not sure what it was I was talkign about though LOL.

Awesome time on the half. Kicked my butt LOL!! I totally get the feeling. I had tears running down my face as I crossed. It's just an unexplainable wave of emotion. Can't wait to see what 26.2 feels like next year!! (taking as year off buuilding distance to do speed work and try and medal in some smaller races)

I have no opponant. Every runb ius a joy, even the toughones. It's a privelege not everyone has. I just want to be a tiny bit better than last time to level up my life!!

Surprising results at the physical therapist. Everything looks fantastic. My dorsiflexion is 20 which is huge. Hips and calves and everything are loose with great range of motion. It's just a simple bruise that's healing. Additionally he told me it's fine to run. He said that it's actually good stress he wants on the knee but I need to avoid bad stress. Bad stress is running hard, running hills, lunges(aside from warmup and cooldown), squats, step ups, stair climbing(up and down) and running multiple days in a row. I need to avoid all those things for a couple more weeks but keep running so I'm going to a Mon, Thu, Sat routine for a couple of weeks. Ran an easy 3 tonight and it felt great.

Cord down your back instead of the front is a popular trick. Sometimes even inside the shirt. Many running shirts also have a loop at the back of the neck to put the cord through. I went Bluetooth this year. Wireless FTW!

Congrats!!

Be open minded. Try new things. Lay out vegetables on a cooking trap. Dust/toss/spray with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in oven then turn on broiler to brown them up a a bit and give that a shot. I've seen a lot of people say they hate vegetables and 6 weeks later have found the trick to preparing them so they are tasty. If you want to be lean, fit and healthy, it's worth the try!!!

Thanks but I'm far from fast. My best race time is 26:08. I really need to get it down to closer to 24 minutes before I can start placing in top 3 in my age group at some races. The pace you saw in that pic is actually a bit low for me. I usually run a 10 minute mile on my long runs. That's my comfortable pace. it used to be a lot slower but over time (and with some speed work) it has naturally improved. My first race was over 34 minutes. During runs there is no pain at all. It's an aching with occasional sharp quick stinging pain when I turn or move my knee in just that magic position. It's a rather minor injury. Just been with me too long. NEVER give up the fight!! I still ride an indoor bike, strength train (right now upper body only) and maintain my diet (Even tighter when i can't run).

Yah, it gets worse on nights after I run. This has been with me since August. It may take a few weeks to really heal up. That's why I cleared my race calendar. Nothing scheduled until Feb 27th right noiw