Just started, How fast should I go

I am having a tough time figuring out how fast I should be jogging, I just started a few weeks ago, I finally made it down to a decent weight where its not so hard on my knees to jog a little bit. My goal is to run a 5k by summer, right now i can make it about 2 miles, but then i am out of gas. should i slow it down or just keep at the pace i am at until i can finally make it 3 miles? any advice is appreciated.
also thanks admin for my avatar, its perfect for me.

You did not say what pace you running but at this point it should not matter. If you can run 2 you can finish a 5k. Dont worry about time. I would use the run walk strategy. Start with a warm up walk then run a little then walk then run so on and so forth I promise before summer you"ll be able to RUN not jog a 5k. Most important is to not give up or push to hard just enjoy what your doing right now.
GOOD LUCK!! Keep us posted on your progress.

i like running now, before it was discouraging and felt like it was something i had to do... now its something that i want to do, its amazing how many peopel actually run.... i like being part of that group of people yet i know i am running for myself. thats a good feeling

I have just started to run for weight lose and I really am learning to enjoy it.I need to find a place to get good running shoes,because my legs are starting to hurt.

you wont believe what a difference a good pair of shoes makes, i honestly thought something was wrong with me (my legs and shins) when i started running then i bought an actual pair of running an shoes and the pain was gone, pretty much instantly.
i dont know where you live, but if you can find a smaller store that specializes in running, that is going to be your best bet. if you can find one that has a treadmill, and they watch how you run on it, thats even better.

its not always the most expensive shoes that are the best. i tried on 10 different brands of shoes and on most i could instantly tell if they fit my foot correctly. if i could feel too high of an arch in them, or the just shape around my foot right, i tried the next pair on.
i ended up with some nike vomeros for my distance and everyday running
the vomeros are really nice for everyday but what fits me might not fit you. you will know when try a pair on if they are the ones, it will almost feel like you are walking around barefoot.
you will know when you find them, but a running shoe store, hopefully locally owned by runners, is where you are going to get the best help.

I like the Nike Pegasus but you are right - good shoes is key. I just started running last June (thanks to my sister FORCING me to go a mile) and now I LOVE it. My advice is to just keep at it, go as far as feels good because if you are enjoying it you will be more likely to keep with it. And as the other posts said - if you can run 2 miles, you can finish a 5K - there is something about the excitement and adrenaline of a race. Good luck - you can do it!

Besides shoes - the best thing I did when I started running was to get running clothes - sweat wicking or whatever they are called. It makes all the difference not to have a sweaty tshirt weighing you down. Maybe everyone already wears these but when I was new to running I didn't and it is SO much better. Just keep going - speed will increase with time. Just keep on putting in the miles.

i did get some dry fit long sleeve shirts and wear a sweatshirt over that to stay warm,
cant wait to lose the sweatshirt, but the dry fit is nice, no more rashed or rubbing. thats good.

I bought better shoes, and my shins feel better. things are going good, cant wait until spring

What works for me is to use a Heart Rate Monitor and just stay in an your aerobic zone. You'll need to know your resting heart rate in order to calculate your aerobic zone. Check out this URL for info on training zones and how to calculate it.

So for me, when I do long runs, I focus on keeping my HR around 145 bpm. Initially, I had to run pretty slow to stay in that zone (about 12 minute miles) but if you are patient with yourself and stick to this, your conditioning will improve and as a result you'll be able to run faster while still keeping your HR in your aerobic zone.

If you don't have a HRM, then you can use the "talk test" meaning you should be able to hold a conversation with someone while running. If you find that you are having a hard time doing this, you are running to fast.

Hope this helps.

start out slow, and work your way up to a faster pace. run on a empty stomach, that helps me out alot!!