Tag Archives: Couch-to-5K

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The One Hour Runner training plan

May 5, 2012 7:59 am by Paul Jenkins in Resources, Running, Sports

Back when I first started running in 2008, I followed 2 plans that really helped my out-of-shape body get into the rhythm of running.  The first one was called “Couch to 5K” and it’s easily found on the web with a simple Google search.  But the plan that followed C25K so naturally isn’t.  Originally I found it on the web at Cool Running, but the plan no longer exists on their website, so I thought I’d throw the plan on The Blog Channel so that I don’t lose it in case I want to use it again and so others can use it to get started as a runner.

Basically, when you wrap up the C25K plan you’ll be ready to run a 5k or for 30 minutes without stopping.  The One Hour Runner training plan takes you from running 30 minutes at a time to, you guessed it, one hour at a time. There’s no need to worry about pacing, just run what is comfortable for you.  The “talk test” is a great way to judge whether or not you’re running too fast.  If you have to talk in one word phrases – or can’t talk at all – you’re running too fast.  You should be able to have a conversation while you’re running during this plan (if you run alone, prepare for some weird looks).

You’ll want to sandwich your training run between a brisk 5 minute warm up walk and a nice 5 minute cool down walk.  It’s also a good idea to listen to your body.  Some days (and weeks) are better than others, and there’s no rush to get through the plan.  Customize, just keep moving forward! The 10 week plan is below.

DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 TOTAL
Week 1 30:00 30:00 30:00 1:30:00
Week 2 30:00 30:00 30:00 1:30:00
Week 3 30:00 30:00 30:00 1:30:00
Week 4 30:00 29:00 35:00 1:34:00
Week 5 30:00 32:00 38:00 1:40:00
Week 6 30:00 33:00 41:00 1:44:00
Week 7 30:00 34:00 45:00 1:49:00
Week 8 30:00 36:00 49:00 1:55:00
Week 9 30:00 38:00 54:00 2:02:00
Week 10 30:00 40:00 60:00 2:10:00

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Today, Wendy kicks the C25K’s butt

Jan 9, 2009 1:46 pm by Paul Jenkins in Family, Fitness, Running

In a few hours, Wendy and I will head outside for her final 30 minute run of the Couch to 5k program. She never thought she’d do it, but I always knew she would. I’m looking forward to watching her smile grow the closer we get to the end of the run, which should cover about 2.25 miles. Of course, I’m also looking forward to our date afterward as we celebrate her achievement!


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UPDATE: Couch-to-5k (end of week 9)

Jun 7, 2008 2:33 pm by Paul Jenkins in Personal, Running, Sports

9 weeks ago, I started a training program that has been used by thousands of people to get them started in running. The name is “Couch to 5K” and it can be found over at the Cool Running website. It claims to take you from never running to running a 5k in 9 weeks. I was skeptical for one main reason:

I HATE RUNNING!!!!

But, there’s other things I hate more than running, like not being around for my children’s graduations, weddings, and children. I also hate the idea of becoming a fat preacher because, well, honestly, there’s already an over-abundance of those. So, as much as I hate running, I figured it beat the alternative of being dead even while I’m alive, and so I gave the program a shot. Here are the results:

Week 1, Day 1:
I ran/walked 1.2 miles in 20 minutes. Yes, that is a blistering 16:40/mile pace. I weighed 207 pounds. I’d like to think that most of that was muscle, but people know me and so it makes it hard to live with that delusion. I do have a fairly large frame, so I can carry that much weight without looking overweight. But the point is that I don’t need to carry 207 around.

Week 9, Day 3:
Today, I finished my last run of the program. I ran without walking 3.1 miles in 30:26. I won’t know how much I weigh until tomorrow morning when I step on the scales, but last Sunday I was down to 201. I’m hoping to be somewhere at or under 200 (UPDATE: I weighed in at 200 pounds, so I lost a little under a pound a week on the program).

I feel great. I didn’t die. I can play more with my kids now without breathing heavy while trying to convince them that I’m fine when they know I’m not. That alone makes it worth the trouble. I’m not sure if I can say that I still hate running. I think we’re going to date a bit and see if this relationship works out. We’ll see.


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UPDATE: Couch-to-5k (end of week 4)

May 3, 2008 6:54 pm by Paul Jenkins in Personal, Sports

Well, today marked the end of my fourth week of a nine week program called the “Couch-to-5K Running Plan.” Let me just say that I finally started feeling it, and it’s not comfortable. I’ve been pretty pleased with my progress, because I’ve steadily increased my distance while keeping pretty close to my 10 minute/mile pace. That’s definitely not an earth-shattering pace, but it is what I’ll need to do in order to finish my first 5K in under 30 minutes. Today was my longest run/walk to date at 2.3 miles, and I’m pumped to see the distance increase.

What I’m not happy about is that my right calf/shin area is KILLING me. This is the first pain I’ve felt in the month I’ve been following the plan, and I’m hoping a couple days off will take care of it. I don’t want a set-back now, because it’s already tempting enough for me to quit just because, as I’ve said before, I HATE RUNNING!!!!

(But I love the idea of actually completing a 5K, so I guess I’ll stick with the plan.)


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UPDATE: Couch-to-5k

Apr 19, 2008 9:31 pm by Paul Jenkins in Personal, Sports

Finished the second week of training this morning and I learned some more important things:

1. When you go to speak at a lock-in and you don’t get home until 1:30 am, it’s really hard to run ANY distance at 7:30 the next day.
2. This stuff really works, and I’m now up to running/walking 2 miles each time, usually in about 20 minutes.
3. Next week will be tough, as I’ll be out of my element and running in new territory (as in, Missouri, the land of who knows what?).


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