Couch 2 5K

Most people who know me know that I'm not really an athletic person, at least not anymore, and I avoid exercise at any cost. I enjoy a nice walk in the park, but you won't find me running with the jogging stroller. I was once able to get away with all of that; but after having my son, my body turned against me and no longer was willing to allow the laissez faire attitude toward my physical fitness.

I have decided I am no longer content to just be; I want to be fit again and I want to be healthier. To that end I have started the couch 2 5K running program. The C25K program is designed to gently ease the body from the couch to the running a full 5 kilometers over the course of 9 weeks by alternating jogging and walking. Each week gets progressively more difficult, but each week the body is stronger and more capable than the week before.

I am on my second week and can honestly say I love it: the feel of accomplishment after finishing the day's workout and the anticipation of how much harder I can push myself. A few friends of mine are also making their way through the program, and a close friend started at the same time. Knowing that we are all doing it together is a big motivator, if she can do it so can I.

There are a lot of great resources if you're interested in starting your own couch 2 5K program. The first place to check is the Cool Runnings website, these are the guys who started it all. There's a detailed schedule on what workout to do on what day for all nine weeks.

I doubt I could keep track of when to run and when to walk and for how long so I found a podcast that was designed by Robert Ullrey. He put together some great music that keeps me moving, plus he tells me when to run and when to walk. The podcast is available for mp3 and mp4 formats.

A site with a lot of great links and a community forum is Couch 2 5K. There is more information there than one person could possibly need. I suggest wandering over there if you're even a little interested in the program.

I do plan to run a 5K in nine (or so) weeks. I have a goal, and I know that I can accomplish it. After all, if I don't complete the program, I'll have to explain to the blogging world why I failed.