How to do the Couch to 5k running plan by tamaribu

"I'm astonished that such a small commitment of time can make such a big difference in how I feel in my body. "

How I did it: I think the seed was planted with a long walk I took with friends some of whom are runners about a year ago. They could not stop talking about how happy they were when running. For me the idea of running, period, seemed strange and a little unreasonable. But over time, I began to get intrigued by the idea of spending time outside moving my legs around and getting some moderate exercise into my life. Especially because couch is a pretty natural state for me.

After that I occasionally surfed around looking at running sites and found C25K I think through a forum group on dailyburn and here on 43things. Thanks to 43thingers who've completed this, I made my way to coolrunning and C25K became, officially, a goal!

At this point, I found a 5K, 11 weeks out, nearby and near the ocean, and committed to participating. I figured, even if I just walk it, it'd be fun to do. 

Absolutely crucial was finding the get running app! Pleasant, encouraging, not too obtrusive, the nice British voice helped coach me through each run/walk and the app kept track of my running days. The app allows listening to anything from the ipod, music, podcasts, etc... and I caught up on a bunch of listening over the weeks.

I used mapmyrun to figure out how far I was going, and more or less how fast. But it isn't really about distance or speed, just about getting out, every other day, and running around. 

Also I've looked forward to logging runs regularly on 43T, another great motivator and source of accountability. I appreciated being able to go back and look at the experiences of the inspiring sierrak, oneupmushroom, upthewolves and others on a week to week basis and see how they were doing at different points along the C25K way.

About week five or so I started to wonder about form a bit, so checked out some chi running videos. They were mostly interesting in terms of giving an image to use to visualize how my body was lining up as I ran. And every reminder to breathe deeply and keep my gaze up and ahead was completely necessary and useful.

I've been running in some new balance cross trainers that I got cause they fit and I liked the color and were on sale a while ago. They're good shoes, but now that I've been using them, I think I could probably go up a half size and be a little more thoughtful and better informed when I choose my next pair. If I'm running too long feet swell a bit and shoes feel tight and tingly. 

The 5K race is next weekend. I know that I'll be able to run the whole way, barring something weird happening. 

And as a lifelong non-athlete I really am still taking in the amazing lesson that what seemed physically and mentally nearly impossible only 9 weeks ago, seemed natural and even kind of fun just this morning.

Lessons & tips:

  • Commit to a 5K on a particular date
  • Check out other's experiences, and journal your own
  • Check out C25K podcasts or running apps and find one to your taste
  • Savor the neighborhood
  • Find shoes that you can run in (I know barefoot running's all the rage, regardless, just find shoes you can comfortably be moving around in for 45 plus minutes) 
  • Without getting too crazy, find a little advice on form. 
  • Breathe and relax
  • Stay happy and hydrated
  • Some days are good, some not so good. Keep going out and running around and enjoy the fun when it comes.

Resources:

  1. coolrunning is where it's at for C25K plan and resources!
  2. get running app was fantastic for me
  3. I've been tracking various kinds of physical activity on dailyburn 
  4. mapmyrun just gets better and better for figuring out distance (and elevation!) 
  5. just recently got Runmeter app for mapping, logging, timing, and it seems awesome maybe even too awesome for me at this stage
  6. so many running form videos on youtube, if you're like me and get into seeing a wide range (and not easily overwhelmed by contradictions).  chi running videos are just the tip of the iceberg.


 

Jul 23, 2010, 01:52PM PDT | 0 comments | 10 cheers


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