Welcome back to Igglefitness! We’re super excited to be here. To kick off our monthly/semi-monthly challenges once again, we are going to start with the Couch to 5K (C25k) program! For anyone not familiar with the program, the idea is to get you from couch potato to able to run a 5k in just 9 short weeks by following a specific program 3x per week. It can be modified slightly for just about any fitness level, so don’t be afraid to make tweaks that are appropriate for you and your body!

For this particular challenge, we will be using the schedule outlined in the Runmore app, and have Runkeeper (iOS, Android) set up so that we can communicate and cheer each other on throughout this journey.

c25k

We’ll also be posting updates and cheering people on via our Twitter account, so if you aren’t following us there, go ahead and meander over!

Don’t like Twitter or don’t have access to the C25K app? No worries, we’ve got you over on the forums, too! The post will go live on September 1st, and you can join us over there.

3 days per week, you follow the program for that week. It can be any 3 days you want!

Each run, begin with a 5 minute walk to warm up. This is important! Don’t skip it! Warming up helps reduce the risk of injury. It’s also a good idea to walk for 5 minutes (or more) after your run to help your body cool down.

You can repeat weeks if you feel you’re not quite ready to move on to the next level of the program. Listen to your body!

Let’s get running with C25K!

Without further ado, the basic program is as follows:

Week 1

Alternate 60 seconds (1 min) of running and 90 seconds (1.5 min) of walking for 20 minutes.

Week 2

Alternate 90 seconds (1.5 min) of running with 120 seconds (2 min) of walking for 20 minutes.

Week 3

90 second run, 90 second walk, 3 minute run, 3 minute walk x 2

Week 4

3 minute run, 90 second walk, 5 minute run, 2.5 minute walk, 3 minute run, 90 second walk, 5 minute run

Week 5

Day 1: 5 minute run, 3 minute walk, 5 minute run, 3 minute walk, 5 minute run

Day 2: 8 minute run, 5 minute walk, 8 minute run

Day 3: 20 minute run

Week 6

Day 1: 5 minute run, 3 minute walk, 8 minute run, 3 minute walk, 5 minute run

Day 2: 10 minute run, 3 minute walk, 10 minute run

Day 3: 25 minute run

Week 7

25 minute run

Week 8

28 minute run

Week 9

30 minute run

Other running options

If you feel like the Couch to 5k is a little too intense for you, you can also try the None to Run program.

Strength training is an awesome addition to a running routine, and can make a huge difference in your progress. One to try: 7-minute Strength Workout for Runners

For a little extra fun, you can also check out the Zombies, Run! app, which lets you fight/evade zombies during your run, giving you a little bit of extra motivation and excitement.

Looking forward to seeing your progress!