Virtual 5k

For some reason, the past year or so I have wanted to "be a runner".  This is coming from a person who has on multiple occasions said "Unless you have a gun to my head, I don't run".  I have no idea what has changed in my brain...a wire lose perhaps?  Either way I have decided that I will become a runner...I think I owe it to myself, I need to prove to myself that I can do this thing that I have NEVER been able to do in my life.  To that end, I let a couple of friends convince me to sign up for the Baltimore Shamrock 5k.  To help get myself ready I decided to sign up for the monthly virtual 5k event that a fitness page I follow on Facebook has organized.  I found it just a couple of days ago and decided what the heck, I may as well sign up.  Well today was the first Virtual 5k of the 12 in Coach Sara's series.  I did it...it was more walking than running, but I did it.

Here is where I ask for advice from those of you who are runners...I seem to always get shin cramps when I try to run.  I think I probably need to stretch or warm up better...but I don't know what stretches or warm ups to do to prevent this.  Any suggestions would be great!!

I shared the event with the two friends who convinced me to sign up to RUN the Shamrock 5k, and who have been trying to talk me into a 1/2 marathon.  Remember I can't even run a full 5k at this point...and they want me to sign up for a 1/2.  That said, I've been seriously considering it.  Now the Shamrock won't be the first 5k I've ever done...but (hopefully) it will be the first one I've ever run.  I've walked plenty of events, the Baltimore 10 miler, and the 9/11 Baltimore Run to Remember last year, the Komen 3 day in 2010, and plenty of others mixed in there, but I've never in my life been capable of running 3.1 miles all at once.  I can only remember one time in my life that I've ever even been able to run 1 mile.  So...couch to 5k will become my best friend (or worst enemy) over the next few weeks.  I've tried this before but I never seem to stick to it (recurring theme I'd say) so I truly hope this time is different.  I want to be able to post on March 10th, just 5 days before my 31st birthday, that I finally achieved this goal.

If you too have an interest in running, please head on over to Coach Sara's event...you can join us for the next 11 events.  Her pages are great!