So you want to run....where to begin

I know I have mentioned Couch to 5K in a few of my posts, but I haven't explained what it is. Couch to 5K (aka C25K), is a beginner's training plan. It is plan designed to get you from being a couch potato to running a 5K in a little over two months. You can find all the details here.

You start at a pace that is comfortable for you and then build upon that pace or distance. My advice is to not look to far ahead. I scared myself out of doing this plan several times because Week 9 seemed impossible. Now, if you are like me, you clicked the hyperlink above and looked at Week 9. I told you not to do it. But now that you have, forget about it and focus on week one. And from this point forward, only focus on the week that you are running. And yes, call it running. I don't care how slow or how little distance you cover...you are a runner from this point forward. Oh, and if you feel you need to repeat a week or two, go ahead and do so. There are no C25K police that are going to hunt you down and force you to move to the next week. Remember, do this at your pace.

Along with C25K on paper, you can get an audible version of it. Robert Ullrey, is a gracious man that put the program to songs and he has audible prompts to tell you when to warm up, run, walk and cool down. You can find his podcast at his website or you can search them at Itunes, if you have an IPod. They are free...I know, I know. he is really gracious. If you don't have an Ipod but do have an MP3 player, no worries. You still can download them and use them. I love them because I don't have to keep looking down at my watch. Which, when you are running for the first time, can feel like watching a pot and waiting for it to start boiling. It just seems longer than it really is. So I love his podcasts. Pin It