Run, don't walk

I've recently entered a bit of a slump in terms of exercise. During the first part of the summer, I had the dual incentives of quitting smoking and vacationing in Hawaii to keep me going, so I found it quite easy to commit myself to daily, hour-long workouts at the gym or in the pool. I ended up losing close to 20 pounds in record time, and somehow, I've managed to keep it off. But lately ... meh. I find myself finding excuses to skip the gym and go for longish (3-plus miles) walks instead. Yes, the weather is finally more conducive to this outdoor activity, and yes, I find this form of exercise infinitely more pleasurable than running on a treadmill. But I can tell my muscles are starting to atrophy, and I'm beginning to feel a bit like an enormous, amorphous 30-year-old blob.

So, after searching for a new reason to get my ass in gear, I've decided I will train for the Turkey Trot, an 8-mile race on Thanksgiving Day. I've only run 5K's before, so this seems like sort of a daunting challenge. However, I'm resolving to embrace it (and totally kick my travel companion's ass in it, if he survives his current hell week in business school; if he doesn't, I shall run in his memory).

Do we have any distance runners in the house? Anyone willing to offer training tips to a woman who generally tops out at 7 mph and is red-faced and uncomfortable after about 3.5 miles?