From Couch to 5K, Anyone?

I did it and loved it - highly recommend it. I did it, stuck with it faithfully ran, a 5K, and after that kept running and maxed out at 4 miles a day due to time contraints. I did back down a bit and kept running 2 miles 3 times a week and worked out the other 3 days (I always take sundays off). I kept it up for 3 years until I got preggo, I continued running until I got sick at six weeks. By the time I felt better, I was too out of shape to pick up running, so I walked until the end. I'm now starting over and using the couch to 5 k. Good Luck!!

A 5K or a marathon? Two very different goals! 5K is a great place to start and would be quite an achievement. You might even decide you love it and decide to extend to a 10K or even 1/2 marathon after that. Good luck and good for you!! Just be sure to invest a little money into the right shoes so you don't suffer any injuries that would make you have to stop running. Speak to someone knowledgeable at a running store to get properly measured and get the right shoes for the type of training you are going to do.

I did the couch-5k!!! I loved it. I recommend it to all of my friends.
At the beginning, I was not a runner - at all. It was very hard (but totally doable.) I was so thankful that my running friend went with me the first time I had to run 5 minutes straight. She kept encouraging me and wouldn't let me quit.
Once I started running 5k on a regular basis, she started asking me to go for longer runs. At first I said "no" and that "I couldn't" but after a while I was running 6 miles at a crack. I was SHOCKED that my body could do that. A year and a half later, I ran a full marathon! (seriously!)

My biggest piece of advice is that you MUST believe in yourself. If you think you can do it, then you can do it. Just don't quit until that 30 seconds or 1 minute is DONE. Each time you go out you'll be stronger and able to do more. Good luck!!!! :)

My daughter did it but she is 21 and has no children. As I remember even then it was hard for her and she has played soccer and other sports her whole life so I don't think she would count as couch.

Like any type of training you hit plateaus that you have to break though but after a couple weeks you have energy to do so.

I did it to the halfway point until logistical problems made it harder for me to continue. I probably could've plowed on through but I wasn't committed enough. I'm planning on restarting it soon though. It's a really good program and definitely does work.

My daughter's friend did this, lost 30 pounds and has not put it back on. My daughter is considering trying it...The friend seems to have more energy and is definitely healthier looking. I'd give it a shot...it's not like a diet that can rebound on you!

God bless,
M.

I started running on the treadmill. At first I would only do 3/4 of a mile and then I would walk the rest. I worked my way up to 5 miles on the treadmill and was already to run a 5k. Then I found out I needed a hysterectomy. Well that put the 5k on hold. I finally got ready again to run a 5k and started having unexplained bleeding so my doctor recommended that I cut back on the exercise. So from June to August I did not run. Then the doctor told me it was ok to start running again. Well my daughter called me from college and asked if I wanted to do a 5k with her. So I finally ran my first 5k with my daughter!!!!! It was great. We did walk a small portion of it but we found out later they had measured the route wrong and it was actually longer!!! I have been off and on lately but I am hoping to be ready to run some with my daughter in the summer. Have fun and don't worry if you cannot run the whole thing. A lot of people walk during 5ks I have noticed.

In July a friend talked me into signing up for a Half Marathon. I hadn't run in years, but it was on my 'bucket list'. Signing up has been a great motivator to stay commited. Find a local 5k, register and then start. It's hard, but if you have the desire to run then registering is your accountabilty partner!