I Tried Couch to 5K to Prove It’s Overrated…and Now I’m Running a Half Marathon
Like most 20-somethings, my week is spent desk-bound. I also work from home meaning I’m inside and could easily take under 200 steps throughout the whole day…and trust me when I tell you I often did.
Last year I decided I needed to set myself a challenge to get outside and move more. A few friends recommended I start running and look into Couch to 5k. I said no. I hate running. I have always hated running. I grew up asthmatic in rainy England where the only time I ever ran was during the occasional cross-country PE lesson spent finding shortcuts through a forest.
Regardless, my runner friends would not let up. All they wanted to do was talk about running. They didn’t seem to understand that I didn’t have the fitness level or athletic capacity that they did. Suddenly, it seemed every influencer, friend, and celebrity was on the Couch to 5k trend. I simply could not get away from it.
I’m a Taurus, which means I’m stubborn and love being right. I did not want to run, I didn’t want to do Couch to 5k, but I did want my runner friends to stop talking to me about running. So I finally gave in: I committed to completing the Couch to 5k program to prove that running is not all it’s cracked up to be.
Now, nine months later, I’m training for a half-marathon. Here’s how it happened…
What is the Couch to 5k?
Couch to 5k is a running training plan that claims to be able to take a person at any level of fitness and help them to complete a 5k run in less than three months. The template was first created by runner and coach Josh Clark in 1996 but was re-popularised in 2020 as more and more people looked for ways to get outside and get through lockdown.
The running program consists of three runs a week that get someone working out for 20–30 minutes at a time. The program uses interval training starting with 60 seconds of running at a time and moving slowly up to 30 minutes of uninterrupted movement.
What makes Couch to 5k special is that it’s designed specifically for absolute beginners. Unlike most other running programs, it doesn’t require a base level of fitness or a paid subscription to get started.
How I did it:
I used the NHS Couch to 5k app to stay on track with the program but there are several other apps or approaches that work. I liked the app because it is free and comes with options to choose a coach, repeat runs, and set weekly goals.
During each session, the coach will tell you exactly how long you will run for and gives encouragement along the way to keep you going. The best thing about the NHS app was that the coach’s voice didn’t stop my music or podcast, it automatically lowered the volume so I could hear the coach and then returned it to normal.
Using an app was important for me not just to know exactly what I was doing as I was doing it, but also to help keep me accountable. It sent me run reminders and kept a log of all my runs so I could visually see my progress over time.
What Happened?
I’m not going to lie, the first run was rough. Even though it was only for 60 seconds of running at a time, the change of pace was a shock to my system. I was embarrassed and started to seriously question whether completing the program would even be possible for someone like me.
Running made me out of breath, red-faced, and impatient to reach the end. Halfway through each session my app would play the sound of a bell. I couldn’t imagine running for 15 minutes, hearing the bell, and continuing to run for another 15 minutes. There was no way.
I didn’t want to give up, but I certainly didn’t believe I would make it to 5k.
A few weeks in, I had started to create little routines for myself to help get me through each run. I saved my favourite podcasts to listen to during my sessions, experimented with different warm-up exercises, and rewarded myself with a treat with every run completion.
Then something strange began to happen. I found myself looking forward to my next run. I liked being outside, I liked taking a break from work, and I liked exploring the neighbourhood I’d ignored for almost 18 months.
I couldn’t lie, it felt good to be able to run for longer and longer. It felt better than good, it felt great. On days where nothing was going right or weeks where I was making mistake after mistake, these runs gave me a guaranteed ‘win’. Sticking to the plan meant crossing off one session after the next, inching slowly closer to the end goal.
Halfway through it hit me. I might actually be able to do this.
Here’s What I Didn’t Expect…
It goes without saying that running three times a week was positively impacting my physical and mental health. Annoyingly, the advice the experts give to get up and move around outside really does work. This didn’t surprise me but also wasn’t my goal, if anything, it was a nice side effect to my journey.
What I had absolutely no idea to expect, was the way Couch to 5k would effect (and improve) my work. Within the 3 month program, my self-discipline skills began to skyrocket. I was also focusing better and for longer at work in the same way I was able to run better and for longer. I didn’t give up on difficult tasks or give myself as many breaks as I had before starting.
Through Couch to 5k, I was developing new techniques to push through discomfort and reach my destination. This determination was seeping into my life outside of running and I was now approaching difficult tasks the same way I would a difficult run: When I was bored or tired and wanted to take a break, I talked myself through it and stayed focused.
I was learning to push through the uncomfortable.
Over the 12-week plan, I didn’t miss a single work deadline, in fact, I was actually excited to face challenging tasks to see how I would be able to handle them. The lack of concentration that had always left me exhausted and frustrated was becoming almost a non-issue.
The Science
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, ‘Runner’s High’ is real and there’s science to prove it. Regular cardiovascular exercise promotes the creation of new brain cells and reduces the likelihood of cognitive decline.
There are proven long-term benefits including “Improved working memory and focus”, “better task-switching ability” and Elevated mood”. In other words, running literally makes your brain work better. It turns out all our runner friends weren’t just yapping after all.
I know this because I, unfortunately, have become that running friend. I’ve experienced first-hand why the best thing about running has nothing to do with the running.
What Happens After Couch to 5k?
I ran my first ever uninterrupted 5k on New Year’s Eve 2023. My goal was to complete it before the end of the year and I achieved it…just. I was in cold and rainy London, running along the grey Thames, and I couldn’t stop smiling.
It’s so rare to stick to something for 3 months, slowly watching yourself improve, all to hit that one final target. And I’d done it. What might be easy and require no training at all was, to me, one of my proudest adult achievements. I never thought I could run that far or for that long, and I’d proven myself wrong.
After I completed the program, I had planned to stop running. In a surprise to no one, I didn’t. I began to crave a run the way I had previously craved my brain rot time on the couch. I moved onto a 10k training plan, running my first 10k the week before my 27th Birthday.
Now, I’m training for a half-marathon in September. I’ve officially become THAT running friend who tells anyone who will listen exactly how running has changed my life. I’m a cliché and not afraid to own it.
If you’re curious about running or looking for a free and accessible way to start working out, I really encourage you to try out the Couch to 5k. If I can do it, so can you.
Thanks for reading! If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve read, remember to follow the publication (and clap/comment too!). Want to write for Run With Intention? Please check out our submission guidelines and ask to be added as a writer in the comments of that post. And don’t forget to check out the Run With Intention Facebook group.
