# Has anybody done the couch to 5k program? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 10, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybody-done-the-couch-to-5k-program/759597 "2016-07-10T19:33:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Memnon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Memnon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Memnon)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybody-done-the-couch-to-5k-program/759597/1 "2016-07-10T19:33:57Z")
I’ve been laid up for a while with a leg injury and I want to get back into running. Trouble is, I’ve lost nearly all my stamina so I can’t just get back to the ten mile runs I used to do. I was just wondering if anyone had done the couch to 5k program and, if so, whether or not you’d recommend it. Cheers. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybody-done-the-couch-to-5k-program/759597/2 "2016-07-10T20:22:43Z")
It’s awesome if a bit on the aggressive side. I used it a couple of years ago along the way to running my first half .marathon and I’m going to start it up again in a month or so to get me back into shape. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybody-done-the-couch-to-5k-program/759597/3 "2016-07-10T20:31:52Z")
Yep. Works great if you can make it through the first four weeks or so. You have to push through the “gahh! This SUCKS!” For me, its about four weeks every time I need to start over. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybody-done-the-couch-to-5k-program/759597/4 "2016-07-10T20:54:07Z")
Does anyone have a particular one they recommend? I used to be in reasonable shape living in Tokyo because I was in sales and would walk around town all day, taking the stairs on subways instead of the escalators. I’d get a good 45 minutes of work out a day. Now I live where we take private transport and I lost that form of exercise. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybody-done-the-couch-to-5k-program/759597/5 "2016-07-10T21:06:38Z")
I’ve used this app: [http://www.c25kfree.com/](http://www.c25kfree.com/) The first time I did it was pre-smartphone. I downloaded podcasts with someone else’s music… There is this if you want storyline. I found it too dark. [https://zombiesrungame.com/](https://zombiesrungame.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_Hey_Paula)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybody-done-the-couch-to-5k-program/759597/6 "2016-07-10T21:33:37Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > I’ve used this app: [http://www.c25kfree.com/](http://www.c25kfree.com/) > > The first time I did it was pre-smartphone. I downloaded podcasts with someone else’s music… > > There is this if you want storyline. I found it too dark. [https://zombiesrungame.com/](https://zombiesrungame.com/) I was just about to recommended Zombies Run! I love it, though I walk rather than run. They have a couch to 5K app too, I downloaded it but haven’t started it yet, something always seemed to get in the way and now I’m healing from a torn meniscus. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybody-done-the-couch-to-5k-program/759597/7 "2016-07-10T22:37:53Z")
If you’ve run 10 miles in the past, I think you’ll find the Couch to 5K pretty slow and aggravating. It starts quite slowly, so you could either bypass the first few weeks or look for a slightly more aggressive plan than C25K. What’s your goal? If you just want to run regularly and build up to longer runs then you might just want to alternate run/walk until you build up to a few miles. That’s what I did coming back off of knee surgery, 2 walk/runs a week combined with one elliptical workout. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2016, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybody-done-the-couch-to-5k-program/759597/8 "2016-07-11T03:20:20Z")
> [@Tithonus](#): > > I’ve been laid up for a while with a leg injury and I want to get back into running. Trouble is, I’ve lost nearly all my stamina so I can’t just get back to the ten mile runs I used to do. I was just wondering if anyone had done the couch to 5k program and, if so, whether or not you’d recommend it. Cheers. Yes. I’ve coached a group of noobs thru it; I’d recommend it. Just remember that there are two parallel versions of it time-based & distance-based. They are essentially the same workout but one might work better for you based upon where you run (track vs. road/trail/path) or what equipment you use (GPS vs. stopwatch) > [@Telemark](#): > > If you’ve run 10 miles in the past, I think you’ll find the Couch to 5K pretty slow and aggravating. It starts quite slowly, so you could either bypass the first few weeks or look for a slightly more aggressive plan than C25K. The problem is increasing your mileage too fast can lead to injury. If **Tithonus** is really at zero after the injury then he should start slow, which is just what C25k does. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2016, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybody-done-the-couch-to-5k-program/759597/9 "2016-07-11T12:11:41Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > The problem is increasing your mileage too fast can lead to injury. If **Tithonus** is really at zero after the injury then he should start slow, which is just what C25k does. There’s slow, and there’s C25K slow. Someone who has been a runner in the past, even recovering from an injury, is likely to be able to go faster than a C25K plan. That’s my experience coming back from knee surgery. I used C25K to get started running a long time ago, but I can’t imagine using it again. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2016, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybody-done-the-couch-to-5k-program/759597/10 "2016-07-11T12:44:23Z")
I started it and thought it progressed a bit too slowly for me, but I was also in reasonable shape. Ms. Cups, on the other hand, used it to start basically from scratch. We now regularly run 5ks, 10ks and the like. Highly recommended ---
**Author:** ![pidgeon92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/50afbb/32.png) [@pidgeon92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pidgeon92)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2016, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybody-done-the-couch-to-5k-program/759597/11 "2016-07-11T13:12:11Z")
I did a couch-to-5K program spring of last year. While I was getting exercise most days for the previous four years, I still couldn’t run any distance without getting winded. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the program really did work. It built up stamina over several weeks, and I was able to complete the program as it was scheduled, I never had to repeat any weeks. I still don’t enjoy running, but I manage to do a couple of miles a few days a week now.