C25K is a program that’s been designed to get just about anyone from the couch to running 5 kilometers in just 9 weeks.
With the help of the Couch to 5k training plan, in seven months, anyone can running 45 to 50 kilometers a week. Ten months after, if you follow the program and finish C25K you could complete your first marathon.
Join this world wide movement and wake up from your couch.
A week-by-week description of the nine-week set of Couch to 5K.
Monday: 5-minute brisk walk, followed by 1-minute jogging/running and 1:30 minutes of walking.
Tuesday: Rest day, or yoga
Wednesday: 5-minute brisk walk, followed by 1-minute jogging/running and 1:30 minutes of walking.
Thursday: Cross training like weightlifting or cardio class like Zumba
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: 5-minute brisk walk, followed by 1-minute running and 1:30 minutes of walking.
Sunday: Rest day
Monday: 5-minute brisk walk, followed by 1-and-a-half minute running and 2 minutes of walking.
Tuesday: Rest day, or yoga
Wednesday: 5-minute brisk walk, followed by 1-and-a-half minute running and 2 minutes of walking.
Thursday: Cross training like weightlifting or cardio class like Zumba
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: 5-minute brisk walk, followed by 1-and-a-half minute running and 2 minutes of walking.
Sunday: Rest day
Monday: 5-minute brisk walk, then 2 repetitions of 1-and-a-half minutes of running, 1-and-a-half minutes of walking, 3 minutes of running and 3 minutes of walking.
Tuesday: Rest day, or yoga
Wednesday: 5-minute brisk walk, then 2 repetitions of 1-and-a-half minutes of running, 1-and-a-half minutes of walking, 3 minutes of running and 3 minutes of walking.
Thursday: Cross training like weightlifting or cardio class like Zumba
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: 5-minute brisk walk, then 2 repetitions of 1-and-a-half minutes of running, 1-and-a-half minutes of walking, 3 minutes of running and 3 minutes of walking.
Sunday: Rest day
Monday: 5-minute brisk walk, then 3 minutes of running, 1-and-a-half minutes of walking, 5 minutes of running, 2-and-a-half minutes of walking, 3 minutes of running, 1-and-a-half minutes of walking and 5 minutes of running.
Tuesday: Rest day, or yoga
Wednesday: 5-minute brisk walk, then 3 minutes of running, 1-and-a-half minutes of walking, 5 minutes of running, 2-and-a-half minutes of walking, 3 minutes of running, 1-and-a-half minutes of walking and 5 minutes of running.
Thursday: Cross training like weightlifting or cardio class like Zumba
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: 5-minute brisk walk, then 3 minutes of running, 1-and-a-half minutes of walking, 5 minutes of running, 2-and-a-half minutes of walking, 3 minutes of running, 1-and-a-half minutes of walking and 5 minutes of running.
Sunday: Rest day
There are 3 different runs this week
Monday: 5-minute brisk walk, then 5 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking, 5 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking and 5 minutes of running.
Tuesday: Rest day, or yoga
Wednesday: 5-minute brisk walk, then 8 minutes of running, 5 minutes of walking and 8 minutes of running.
Thursday: Cross training like weightlifting or cardio class like Zumba
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: 5-minute brisk walk, then 20 minutes of running, with no walking.
Sunday: Rest day
There are 3 different runs this week
Monday: 5-minute brisk walk, then 5 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking, 8 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking and 5 minutes of running.
Tuesday: Rest day, or yoga
Wednesday: 5-minute brisk walk, then 10 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking and 10 minutes of running.
Thursday: Cross training like weightlifting or cardio class like Zumba
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: 5-minute brisk walk, then 25 minutes of running with no walking.
Sunday: Rest day
Monday: 5-minute brisk walk, then 25 minutes of running.
Tuesday: Rest day, or yoga
Wednesday: 5-minute brisk walk, then 25 minutes of running.
Thursday: Cross training like weightlifting or cardio class like Zumba
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: 5-minute brisk walk, then 25 minutes of running.
Sunday: Rest day
Monday: 5-minute brisk walk, then 28 minutes of running.
Tuesday: Rest day, or yoga
Wednesday: 5-minute brisk walk, then 28 minutes of running.
Thursday: Cross training like weightlifting or cardio class like Zumba
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: 5-minute brisk walk, then 28 minutes of running.
Sunday: Rest day
Monday: 5-minute brisk walk, then 30 minutes of running.
Tuesday: Rest day, or yoga
Wednesday: 5-minute brisk walk, then 30 minutes of running.
Thursday: Cross training like weightlifting or cardio class like Zumba
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: 5-minute brisk walk, then 30 minutes of running.
Sunday: Rest day
Rest days are critical. Having one between each week’s runs will reduce your chance of injury and also make you a stronger, better runner.
Resting allows your joints to recover from what is a high-impact exercise, and your running muscles to repair and strengthen.
Week 1 of Couch to 5K: Intervals of 1-minute of walking and 90-seconds of walking
One minute of running with only a 90-second rest is simply too much for many (not all) beginner runners. Struggling through Week 1 from both a physical and psychological aspect often makes people want to quit before gaining any momentum.
Not run for distance. When you’re just getting started as a runner, your body does not know how far you ran. It only knows that you were on your feet for a certain amount of minutes.
The Couch to 5K plan states that you can run for time or run for distance. When running for distance, beginner runners often feel pressure to cover a certain distance in a certain time. This creates bad running habits that can lead to burnout, injury and less enjoyment.
Beginner runners need time for their bodies and minds to adapt to running. Newbies often develop injuries like shin splints, Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis.
Repeating weeks is more conservative, decreases the chance of getting injured and perhaps most importantly, will be more enjoyable.
E-Mail: victor@fromcouch.com
Let us get in-touch!