Osteopath Glynis shares her experience of the ‘Couch to 5K’ programme (an app that aims to take you from not running to being able to run 5km, or just over 3 miles).
I have tried Couch to 5K (C25K) three times.
Try…
The first occasion I tried it I was at a good point in my personal fitness achieving my goals of three times a week of aerobic and strength training plus two yoga classes for flexibility. I found that I had a block about running outside, so trying C25K gave me a chance to experiment with it. I could run on a treadmill for 5K with ease at this time but outside my confidence slipped, there were too many variables for me to feel comfortable. What would happen if I fell or was too exhausted to get home? What if someone I know saw me all red and sweaty?
What I found interesting was that I was so bored by the suggested schedule of runs that I skipped weeks. I found week one so easy that I that I went straight to week four, but the challenge of the longer run was too much for me, I was frustrated at being somewhere between what was offered. It took a while to get back into the headspace again.
Try…
The second time I tried, several years later, my fitness was at a personal low, my reason for using the app was to increase the regularity of my aerobic exercise. I was managing the strength training side of things, but cycling wasn’t proving the pleasure it had been so I turned to running. Surely running was just an extension of the walk that I already enjoyed daily? Aiming for three times a week, I felt very motivated by the reminders to run which the C25K app gave; I didn’t always manage the three times, but I was doing at least two. I discovered times that suited me and changed my routine to allow me to keep these times free. I am much more of an early morning person when it comes to exercise, so three times a week the morning dog walk became the morning run. I started packing my trainers when I was travelling, I was on a roll. I looked forward to the runs and each time I ran motivated me more.
Everything was going well and, as I progressed, I was finding each week harder but my motivation was high, I was regaining my fitness and loving it. Week five, which has intervals of running and fast walking, was a particular high point. But I discovered that I had a block about the length of time that, in my mind, I could imagine running. 20-25 minutes in a block is sooo long, whereas running repeatedly for a minute and a half seemed easy. I also enjoyed being able to run at pace, so the short, fast bursts suited me.
I packed my trainers for a work trip and ran the final week eight run on a treadmill in the hotel of the event I was attending. OK, not outside, but I was delighted at my progress. Then I dislocated a toe – you don’t want the details – but walking was difficult for several weeks and I wore my trainers only because I couldn’t get any other shoe on that foot. After several weeks and lots of personal delays in terms of motivation, why did this happen to me, why wasn’t I finding my focus?
…And Try Again
I finally put these concerns to one side and decided that it was time to try again. Week eight had not been easy so I went back to week five to see if I could recapture my enthusiasm. Once again week five was a success but week six onwards felt like hard work. I kept going, I regained my routine of three runs a week and finished the programme which felt like a success. Since then, I have tried to run with friends to have an accountability buddy. I am very reliable so don’t back out of an arrangement. I have run on several mornings that, had I not had the plan with a friend, I would have changed my mind and not gone out. Using this to my advantage I started making arrangements to do Parkrun. I was motivated by the idea that, even if my running was terrible, I would probably get personal bests on each run. This was before I realised that the Edinburgh Parkrun was around Arthurs Seat, about as tough a 5K as you can get!
Lessons Learnt
Be honest with yourself about what motivates you, this will help you to plan and avoid the traps that you can set for yourself that prevent you from exercising. Always assuming that you want to exercise and not just talk about it… but that’s another blog!