Why “Couch to 5K” doesn’t work for everyone

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The “Couch to 5K” program has gotten tons of people started running. It starts light, has an easy-to-follow structure, and you graduate with the opportunity to complete a common race distance. But this plan also has its drawbacks, and it's not the only way to get started. Here's what you need to know before you try it, especially if you've already started and feel like it's not working for you.

What is Couch to 5K?

Originally published on the now defunct coolrunning.com website, the best place to find out more about Couch to 5K is now this NHS website. You can download an app or a set of audio tracks that will guide you through each workout.

Basically, it's nine weeks of walking and running workouts. The running segments get longer each week and the walking breaks are shorter. For example, here is the first workout of week 1:

... you will start with a brisk 5-minute walk. Then, you will alternate 1 minute of running and 1 and a half minutes of walking, for a total of 20 minutes.

By week 4, some of your running relays are five minutes long. By week 6, you do 25 minutes of running without any breaks for walking.

The final week is a 30-minute run, which is enough for a fit beginner to complete about three miles or five kilometers. If you're slower at first, the 5K will take you a few minutes longer, but by the time you can run 30 minutes, chances are you'll be able to do the 5K just fine.

The good things about Couch to 5K

Running programs like Couch to 5K have many benefits. Many long-time runners (including myself!) got into this hobby through this or a similar program. So, before we talk about the downsides, here are the reasons why it works for people who achieve it.

It's available

The best thing about Couch to 5K is that it's easy to get started. If you've ever tried to run and pooped within a minute or two, no...