Couch to 5K...anyone Tried It?

I have a friend that did this and did great. She had never run before she started it and now (a little over a year later) she is running an average of 3 - 5 miles a day. She has done several marathons and half marathons. I started it but then quit last summer. It was too hot and I need to start slower due to my weight.

My biggest advice would be not to over train. Remember that your body needs rest days as well as the exercise days. The play through the pain myth, is indeed a myth. It should not hurt. If your body is hurting it is your body's way of telling you to slow down. Remember to increase your distance slowly. I learned this the hard way. I pushed too hard when I began running and over trained which resulted in a runner's knee injury which still flares up from time to time. I over trained b/c I wanted to do more and more which resulted in me having to take over a month off to heal. Slow and steady wins the race. Also, go to a running store and be fitted for a GOOD pair of running shoes if you haven't already. I went from crappy Wal Mart shoes to a good pair of running shoes and it made all the difference!!! Good luck and congrats on beginning running!!!!!

wait, what is this?? I need to do this!

I did the couch-5K two years ago!!! LOVED it!! I followed the schedule exactly. Before the couch-5K, I was NOT a runner...now I run all the time (it's addicting!) including several half-marathons and one full marathon!!! My advice is to sign up for a 5K race/run in your area for around the time you will be finishing your 9 week training plan. Don't worry about your time, but if you have a goal (the race) in mind you will be less likely to give up. I think week 5 was the hardest for me. Push through it! It gets easier, it really does!! Facebook has a "couch-5K" page which is really inspiring and encouraging. :)

I'm doing this for the second time. My first time through was in 2008 and I started indoors on a treadmill and never made it past week 5. I stuck AT week 5 for a long time and did participate in a 5K that year but walked some of it. I took some time off for pregnancy and have done a couple of 5Ks since, but still can't run a whole one. I am trying it again because I am doing a triathlon in September and would really like to be able to jog the 5K part. I think that by starting outdoors in the heat, I'm better conditioned from the get-go. Starting week 2 tonight! I downloaded the free program to my blackberry and use that when I'm on the road to tell me when to walk and when to jog, which is easier for me than looking at a stopwatch.

I did it after my second child, then got pregnant again! I'm going to start it back up once we get moved. It worked well for me though I adjusted the schedule a bit & it took a little longer than the posted schedule says. Get to it! You will feel great once you get the hang of it.

My husband and I did this. My advice, don't do it with your husband! Haha... My husband was a runner before and picked it right back up, so it was discouraging for me because I needed run slower than he did - my explanation is that he's got longer legs, making more natural for him to run faster, bigger strides, right!? :) It made me think it was harder than it was. I started over by myself and once I did it alone it was so completely doable! I made it! Anyway, my biggest piece of advice is to not go off the schedule. My daughter got sick while I was in the middle of this program and I skipped running for about a week. It made a huge difference and I almost felt like I was starting over. Stick to the schedule, find a way to make it work.

Yep to what EveJ said! The running stores will also video tape you running for about 20-30 seconds to look at the way you run. Getting in the right shoe based on the way you run will make a *huge* difference. My hubby is a big guy and a runner. He finally got orthotic inserts for his running shoes to correct his over-pronation and it is making a big difference but he has already done some damage from not starting out the right way and getting it checked and corrected early enough.

I am currently on week 11 of working out. Those first few weeks were the hardest but now I'm hooked. You just have to have time set aside and do it! I know I have to get up and do it before my day gets going or it's very tough to try to fit it in later in the day or evening.

I have been using the Nike + GPS app on my phone when I run. It's got some great features that help keep me going while I'm out there huffing and puffing lol