Couch to 5K...W1D1
5 of my girlfriends and I (all fellow mothers) have decided to do our first 5K on October 1st. I have always wanted to be a "real" runner and do marathons and this is my first real step towards that goal. Yay! I used to run before I got pregnant both times, but only ran a mile a day. So this will be a challenge for me 
I am so thrilled about it.
I have been back to jogging about a mile 4 days a week so I thought week 1 wouldn't be *too* hard for me. I was wrong...It was tough. Plus, even at 8 AM here in AL it is 90 degrees. Sheesh. But I feel good now
Question: Anyone done Couch to 5K or currently doing it? Any words of advice? TIA!
Also, I made the mistake of not pulling my ankle socks up past the tops of my tennis shoes and got a massive blister on my achille's. OUCH! What can I do to make sure it doesn't keep me from running for the next little while?
Re: Couch to 5K...W1D1
My best advice is to read about running and talk about running. Runner's World magazine and website, and mapmyrun.com are my favorite resources and motivators. They have lots of good info for beginners and marathoners alike. I also tell people about my goals and what I'm doing to reach them. Having people know what I'm trying to do makes me work harder to accomplish it.
Keep in mind, too, that the beginning is the hardest. Going from running one mile to running two miles is doubling the distance, but going from four miles to five miles is a lot easier.
As for the blister, here's what I found on RunnersWorld.com: "If you get a blister, try leaving it alone for 24 hours. It may heal itself. If the fluid isn't absorbed in that time, puncture the blister using a sterilized needle and drain the fluid. Always be careful to preserve the outer skin, which will protect the blister. Then apply Vaseline or Preparation H and cover with a gauze pad or bandage, or try a specialized new Band-Aid product called Blister Block. (All these coverings can be used preventively as well.)" Make sure you're wearing good socks, too; I learned the hard way that cotton socks aren't great for running.
Hey, Body Twin!
We *are* the same person. I started running again, too, and I have *sore* knees right now. I don't know if it's the extra 30 pounds or what. It feels like the tendon that connects my quads to my kneecap, so I know I need to do LOTS of quad stretches.
I run on a treadmill because I'm a wimp about hot weather. CoolMax socks are a must (even though I don't always use them--I'm more of a do as I say, not as I do) sort of person. I'm going to start icing my knees after runs--just with bags of frozen veggies, probably :-) And Icy Hot is my friend.
I know that I have overdeveloped quads (compared to my hamstrings), so this is something I need to work on to avoid knee injuries.
Mac and cheese lover!
I second PP on the runnersworld.com recommendation. Also, get yourself some good tunes. I understand that somewhere out there (maybe iTunes) has playlists specially matched to C25K. My favorite socks are Injinjis. They are runner's toe socks. Sounds weird, I know, but made my life *so* much better blister-wise.
Make sure you have fun, enjoy the ride, and keep a positive attitude. When I started running I could only do 30 seconds at a time, and had to walk for 5 minutes between each interval, but when I got KU, I was running 11 mile runs, so it gets better!
Congrats on starting towards your goal!
BFP#1 "Watermelon" born 3/2011
BFP#2 "Pumpkin" 7/14/12 ~ EDD 3/23/13 ~ Natural M/C 8/3/12 @ 7 weeks
BFP#3 "Pineapple" born 4/2013
BFP#4 "Grapefruit" EDD 3/29/16