From couch to 5K and beyond: my runner's journey

   Running is one of the simplest way to get your daily cardio without spending a dime. Nice weather, a suitable route and a decent pair of shoes are just about what you need for a short run. But if you've never ran before, running aimlessly feels like this unachievable feat where you heart feels like it can explode at any second. Prior 2023, my only form of outdoor exercise was slow walks around my neighborhood. After starting my home workout journey and seeing running recommended as cardio, I decided to give it a try and jog around my house. Due to poor form and years of sedentarism I barely lasted four minutes jogging. I returned home utterly defeated, with severe shin pain and determined to improve no matter what.

Photo by Rinke Dohmen from Unsplash

    With a few Google searches I found out about Couch to 5K (C25K), the running program that serves as inspiration for the title of this blog. This wonderful program uses run/walk intervals to build up endurance and guide beginners to progressively reach the goal of a non-stop 30 minute run. The beginner Couch to 5K program consists of nine weeks of training, with three running sessions scheduled per week; shorter six week versions are aimed to runners returning from hiatus. 

Couch to 5K beginner plan by the BBC

    The suggested one minute runs and the longer break segments during Week 1 seemed doable enough, so I tried it without much hesitation. Running is definitely harder than it looks, having proper running technique is vital to prevent injury and making running sustainable. Important tips to keep in mind during running are:

• Keep a straight posture with a slight lean to the front.
• Relax your neck and look over to the horizon.
• Your shoulders should be square but not overtly tense.
• Arms should swing to your sides with the elbows facing back, try to keep the arms at a 90 degree angle without locking the elbows or hitting the chest
• Align your core with the rest of your body, hips should face forward.
• Knees should be relaxed. Try to land on the ground with your feet directly under the hips as much as possible.

    The first three weeks weren't that difficult, I managed to complete every run as planned without much hassle with the help of audio guides and good music. Week 4 amps up the intensity by almost doubling the running intervals from three to five minutes, which feels like an eternity when you're a beginner runner. But the actual steep difficulty spike is in Week 5 Day 3, where walking intervals are left behind and you're just supposed to run continuously for twenty minutes. And like most runners doing this program for the first time, I failed this run and had to stop at around the fifteen minute mark. I asked myself, what went wrong?

    Something I liked about this program is its simplicity; if you can't do a run then just try again until you make it. And if you can't make it, you're probably going too fast. Slowing down not only helped me endure more, it also made me feel anxious about reaching the time goal. It took me three tries to finally manage finishing Week 5 successfully, after breaking this plateau running for 30 minutes now looked more possible than ever. The next two weeks were a nice challenge to improve my gait, and while my actual mileage wasn't that near to five kilometers, I felt less winded after finishing a run.

   When the final week came I felt uneasy. While I managed to run for 28 minutes three times the week prior, I knew the toll any additional second would take on my legs. Pushing myself to the limit, I managed to run for thirty minutes without stopping, and what once felt impossible was now done and dusted. I reassured this triumph with more thirty minute races, just to prove myself capable of replicating the feat. As for my actual mileage, I did manage to run 5K in under 30 minutes, with my personal best 5K being around 25 minutes.

   As for the tools I used, The Zen Labs Couch to 5K smartwatch app and the Nike Run Club app were the ones I used during the program. I found the audio guide from Nike Run Club helpful to keep my mind clear and feel less anxious during my runs, their 5K program is slightly different from C25K but you can choose the easy run guides that match your training time. I also paired my runs with strength training sessions in order to maintain muscular mass, although doing intense strength training before my runs definitely impaired my performance. If you're a beginner, I recommend avoiding intense training on your running days to prevent injury or burnout. For mobility and stretches, Fitness Kaykay and Julia Reppel have some of the best routines for runners. Following mobility routines helps to work on range of motion, prevent injury and stretch any tight muscles, plus it helps with muscle soreness.

 

Mobility routines are the best way to prepare and recover from constant running

   After finishing the program, I took a long hiatus from running due to a personal safety incident during a run. Though I wasn't running anymore, my cardio endurance certainly improved and I maintained it with at home cardio. And in January of 2025 I decided to start running again with 10K being my new goal. I used the Just Run app 5K to 10K program, and in just about six weeks I managed to run for one hour without stopping. Compared to C25K, the 10K program felt much easier, just like its predecessor slowing down and focusing on your technique is the best way to endure without stopping. My route of choice was short, thus forcing me to run many laps to reach the goal time. Even if finally hitting 10K was a nice achievement, this boring route deterred me from aiming for longer distances.

   In July of the same year, I signed up at last minute for my first official 5K race. With only one week before the race, I ditched my usual circuit and decided to hit the nearby streets for practice. In order to convince myself I could actually do it, I chose to run every day sans the day before the race. Barely sleeping on the night before the race, my nerves were getting the best of me and my mind kept imagining the worst scenarios. And at dawn on race day, one of my worries somehow became reality.

   A thunderstorm with heavy rain was pouring outside, the run was scheduled to take place inside a park with only dirt trails thus mud would definitely cover the route. After confirming that the race wasn't canceled, I headed to the park wearing my windcutter and hoping for the best, for me quitting at this point was out of the question. Though the weather conditions were dire, the race was organized for charity purposes so many running club members were also determined to run no matter what. We waited for about an hour for the rain to stop; I positioned myself at the end of the starting formation and waited for the start signal.

    Just beginning, chaos immediately ensued due to the muddy trail. The slippery terrain felt like walking on quicksand and some competitors were already giving up due to the extreme conditions. Almost slipping at the very beginning, I decided to keep things as slow as possible and keep my eyes on the trail. As we got deeper inside the park, avoiding deep puddles filled with muddy water became the next challenge; soft rain started to pour making the humidity practically unbearable. I somehow powered through by slow jogging on grass patches and carefully walking around the water. Reaching the halfway checkpoint, I stopped for water and to regain my breath. The final stretch was the biggest mental challenge, the temperature rose quickly causing me to stop quite a few times to recover.

  

   Seeing the finish lane motivated me to slow jog as much as I could, the trail was even more slippery in this segment and I even saw another runner fall to the mud. Against all odds, I reached the goal covered in mud and got my medal at the verge of tears. With a decent time in spite of the terrible conditions, I completed my first official 5K ever.

   As for future runs, I plan to sign up for a 5K run next month with (hopefully) better weather. I never thought I could do it, but Couch to 5K made it possible. And every time I run, I'm reminded of those times where I couldn't run for three minutes, and I thank this program for giving the tools to achieve what at first seemed impossible.