I recently got an email from a Her Times reader who followed the Her Times 5K training program last year (and did the race) who has kept up with her new active lifestyle and is, in fact, having a healthy influence on those around her. She's inspired more than a few family members and friends to take up running or walking.

In her email, J expressed her frustration on not being able to sustain a constant run. Here's what she had to say:

" ... I on the other hand walk and then I run, but my will power STILL isn't strong enough to say 'OK, look I know you want to quit and you can't breathe but keep going!' I just quit and walk
until I can breathe again and start all over.

"I have been doing this for over a year, now! It's SO frustrating because ... I can picture myself running the whole distance I think I'll do it tomorrow but it never happens! Is it a mind-over-matter thing or how do you get yourself to that point where you just make yourself run and keep
running?

In the hopes that my response to her might help any other new runners out there, here's what I said:

"Honestly, J, most of us walk during our normal daily runs. Unless I'm on a real training schedule in which I'm shooting for specific times and such, I walk several times during my run. Typically I will walk up the hills or, sometimes I'll charge the hills and then walk a few yards to recover.

"So....walking during a run is not a bad thing, it's actually pretty common for most runners -- and doesn't make you any less of a runner."

There's a part II to my answer, too. I'll post that tomorrow.

Veteran runners -- want to chime in on this topic? Do you talk walk breaks? How do you feel about them? Help the new runners out and post your comments below. Better yet, just email them to me at heather.cass@timesnews.com & I'll post them (I know posting a comment here is like cracking the Di Vinci code).