July 16, 2018 pedalgoa

Running Tips: Couch to 5K for beginners + How to start the couch to 5K training plan :: workout. fitness.

For how to start running as a beginner and how to train for a 5K when it’s your first race, these are some things you want to keep in mind!

You may have decided to starting running as your workout of choice to help you to lose weight.

Or maybe weight loss isn’t your main goal, but you chose running as your means to get in shape and to start you on your journey to lead an active lifestyle.

As you’re working towards your goals through running, there are some things to know when you’re starting out so you can have a good experience with your workouts!

In starting any sort of 5K training plan, your ultimate goal is to arrive to your first 5K healthy so you can finish the race healthy!

So as you go from couch to 5K with the ultimate goal of leading a healthier lifestyle, these are some things that can help you work towards that healthy lifestyle and stay injury-free!

  • Buy running specific shoes
  • Follow a training plan and record your progress
    • Free 5K training programs for beginners
      • Couch to 5K plan / couch25k app
      • Hal Higdon 5K
      • Jeff Galloway run-walk method 5K
  • Cool down after your run
  • Improve your flexibility
    • Running drills
    • Yoga poses
  • Improve your strength
  • Eat well, run well!
  • It’s okay to not stick with your 5K training schedule

But first…

TOP 4 things you NEED for the best running experience ever

Okay, maybe not NEED, but want 😉

  1. THIS so you don’t get stinky feet
  2. THIS so you won’t end up with a scratched phone when running
  3. THIS for those days you just need a little extra motivation to get out of the door
  4. THIS for more accountability and maybe make a little bit of extra cash while getting healthy 😉

RUNNING 101

Okay, now for the important things to know when getting started with running!

Buy running specific shoes

It doesn’t take much to get started with running. But a pair of good shoes is one thing you do need!

If you are a beginner runner buying running-specific shoes for the first time, it is best to going into a local running specialty store to buy your new shoes.

Quality running shoes will be expensive, in the $100 range, but buying the right pair of running shoes for your feet type can help to avoid common running injuries.

Shoe experts at running stores can help you with that!

Local running stores are usually staffed with knowledgeable runners who can help to get the right pair of shoes for your feet.

This is especially important when you’re running or walking longer distances than you are used to.

When it comes time to replace your running shoes, that’s when you can look to save some money by buying the same shoes online at a discounted price!



Side note!
See about the best shoes for hiking in Hawaii and what to wear snorkeling in Hawaii! And for Hawaii vacation ideas, see the best things to do in Waikiki that will give you Hawaii vibes!


Find a 5k training plan and record your progress

Going from couch to 5K, you’re probably thinking that your goal is to finish a 5K.

Well, of course it is! 😉

But one of your stated goals should also be to make it to the start line healthy! And that’s what a training plan can help you do.

Just remember, that while there are free online training plans for a 5K run that many people have great success with, they aren’t personalized specifically for you.

That said, free 5K training plans can be successful to help you get to the start line healthy!

But it’s also up to you to do some other things to help get you to the start line healthy to help prevent those common running injuries.

And those other things would be things like working on your flexibility, strength, and running plan!

What are some popular training plans for going from couch to 5K?

  1. Couch to 5K plan, found here
  2. Hal Higdon 5K plan, found here
  3. Jeff Galloway run-walk method, found here.

In your search for training plans for beginners, you may also come across c25k or couch25k. Those are short for couch to 5K!

Once you find a training plan, it’s also important to record your progress.

That way, you will be able to look back at your past runs for analysis.

Why would you want to analyze your past runs?

Recording metrics and details can allow you to better track your progress.

Seeing the progress you’re making can help you stay motivated, see your fitness gains, and keep you on track with that couch to 5k plan!

Keeping track of your daily and weekly mileage can also help you to make sure that you aren’t running too much too soon.

How to record your couch to 5K workouts?

Going old school with pen and paper can in some ways make it easier to go back and look at your notes.

Plus, many years from now, your notes written down can do a better job at invoking nostalgia to remember how far you’ve come. 😉

So what are some pen and paper ways to keep track of your couch to 5K running workouts?

– Training journal for runners.

This can be the most ideal way if you’re someone who likes to take a lot of notes.

That particular training journal also comes with lots of weekly tips for beginner runners.

– Wall calendar that has you in a constant beach state-of-mind.

Nothing better to motivate you if you’re running to lose weight than thinking of summer. 😉

On the calendar you can write your planned workouts for the month, and then have a system for marking if you’ve completed your goal workout… like tropical stickers! 😉 Seriously!

It might sound cheesy, but it can make you feel like you’ve accomplished a lot when you see a month full of stickers. 😉

– Mega-size wall calendar! That one is a dry-erase (no good for keeping a hard copy unless you take a picture of it and then print it), but you can DIY it by picking up some poster board from your office store and draw out a calendar.

Make it FUN to write out your running goals and accomplish them. 😉

Other ideas…

You can also record your training runs online through a running app like Runkeeper, or you can start a running blog!

Recording your running journey online for the whole world to see through a blog can serve as motivation and an added level of accountability.

And, you might be able to make some money while you do it! See Running Blogs for ideas on how you can make money with a running blog!

So, what kind of things should you record?

Record your running workouts and non-running workouts

What you want to record in your training journal and how detailed you want to be will vary from runner to runner.

You should use your training journal as a place that reflects your running goals and your progress towards your active lifestyle.

To start with, since it is a running journal, at the very least, you’ll want to record your run. 😉

But what about your run should you record?

This can include the date, the distance of your run, the time of your run, and you can possibly calculate the pace of your run.

It’s also a good place to note how you felt about the run.

Did it feel easy?

Did your legs feel heavy?

Were there hills?

How was the weather?

What type of run was it?

If it was a run-walk, you may want to record that as well.

Record your heart rate

If you wear a fitness tracker or watch with a heart rate monitor, you can make note of your average heart rate while running, along with your effort level.

In the coming weeks, it can not only be useful to look back at these numbers, but it can be fun to see the progress you’re making too!

Another fun stat to monitor is your resting heart rate in the morning.

A few times a week measure your heart rate before you get out of bed in the morning.

You can do this manually by counting your pulse on your neck or wrist for 30-60 seconds.

If you are starting from a completely sedentary lifestyle, you should see this number decrease over the weeks as you progress in your training plan and go from couch to 5K!

Record when you bought a new pair of running shoes

Keeping track of when you bought your running shoes can help you to figure out better how many miles your running shoes have on them.

It’s important to know when to replace running shoes to reduce your chances of getting one of those common running injuries!

Record your weight

If you’re running to lose weight, your training journal is a good place to also record your weight.

Just try not to become obsessed over your number on a daily basis.

Your weight can fluctuate on a day-to-day basis and may not completely tell the whole story.

A body weight scale that doubles as a body fat analyzer can serve as good motivation too.

Just keep in mind that the body composition measurement may not be completely accurate.

But it can still be useful in determining the week-over-week difference, giving you that extra motivation to keep up with your training plan to continue to see that number decrease!

You want to note the change more than the number itself.

If you find yourself becoming obsessed with how many pounds you weigh, you may want to pick a certain day of the week to record your weight each week.

Even if you’re not running to lose weight, it could be good to record your weight so you can make note of any significant weight loss or weight gains.

Cool down after your run

Warming up is important too.

But if you are truly going from being a complete couch potato to 5K, a cool down is almost more important.

If your body is not used to moving much for the past several years, even what may seem like a small distance on paper for your training runs, you can feel start to feel stiff after your run.

This is especially true if right after running, you go and sit down for a long time without much movement.

For example, if you do your 5K training run in the morning, and then go sit at your desk job all day.

Or if you do your training run in the evening, and then go sit on the couch for a few hours to catch up on your TV shows from the past few days. 😉

Cooling your body down can help avoid some of the stiffness.

If you have been quite sedentary in your lead-up to starting the couch to 5K plan, you probably won’t be able to avoid total stiffness.

After all, that is also a part of working out and getting stronger! Even the most experienced runners can become stiff after a tough workout or race.

But adding a little bit of a cool down can help alleviate it a little bit!

Besides the cool-down, another way to combat this stiffness is to stand up and move around every so often throughout the day, even every 30 minutes.

This might sound excessive to you, but how much does it really take to stand up and twist your waist and hips, and sit back down?

Not much, right!

And it can make a difference, because these types of little things, even 30 seconds to a minute at a time, can start to add up.

Add flexibility to your couch to 5k plan

One way to cool down is by doing some flexibility exercises after your run.

Why is flexibility important?

Being flexible doesn’t have to mean that you need to strive to become a super yogi who can move in every which direction.

Being flexible for better health means that you increase your range of motion.

Increasing your range of motion can make it easier to move around, and it can also reduce your risk of running injuries, as well as other types of injuries common to the general population like neck pain and back pain.

And it is super easy to add on some flexibility exercises.

Even adding a few minutes to the end of your running workout can be helpful, and it can serve as a useful cool-down!

Running drills

Running drills are commonly associated with doing to become a stronger and faster runner.

As a former couch potato turned beginner runner, getting faster isn’t something you really need to focus on when you’re training for your first 5K.

Your main goal is to cross that finish line! Sure, you can have a time that you’d like to finish the 5K in, but speed usually isn’t the main focus in a couch to 5K plan.

But adding running drills to your routine can help you with more than just getting faster.

They can also be seen as a form of flexibility exercises.

Running drills are active, or dynamic, flexibility exercises.

Instead of improving your flexibility through static stretches where you hold a certain pose for a number of seconds, you are moving to increase your flexibility.

The running drills listed below are beginner friendly.

If you think you’d like to make them a bit more advanced, have a look at more running drills.

Right after you’re done with your run for the day, keep on walking.

As you’re walking, do…

1. Kick-outs and count to 10. (5 counts on each side).

Lift one knee up, kick your leg out, bring that leg back down. That’s one.

Repeat on the other side. That’s two.

2. Walking butt-kicks and count to 10. (5 counts on each side.)

With each step you take you kick back one leg towards your butt.

The traditional butt-kicks go faster with a sort of hop with each step, but walking butt-kicks are beginner friendly.

3. Walking Frankenstein and count to 10. (5 counts on each side.)

Raise your arms out in front of you.

Keeping your leg straight, bring one leg up to try to touch your toes to your hand.

If you can’t touch, no problem at all.

Just do what’s comfortable, and don’t strain to do it.

4. The grapevine.

For this running drill, you move laterally to the side.

Let’s say you’re starting out going right.

Step to the right, then cross the one leg over the other in the front, then cross it in the back.

Go in one direction and count to 10.

Then go in the other direction and count to 10.

Call it one count with a full cycle when you crossover on both legs.

You may find the grapevine challenging at first.

But once you get the hang of it, you can think back to the beginning days and how you struggled and how far you’ve come!

And if you’re looking to challenge yourself more, speed it up!

The grapevine is also good because you are moving in a direction different from running which helps to move other muscles.

5. Walk backwards and count to 20. (10 counts on each leg.)

Similar to walking sideways, this gets you engaging different muscles.

Doing all this will take 5 minutes, if that.

(Go ahead, try it now!)

You can make it into a longer and even more meaningful session by doing the exercises for longer counts and/or doing sets, along with adding more running drills, but this would be a great start to tack on to the end of your run!

Here’s an infographic of more running drills on Pinterest.

Yoga poses

Yoga is another thing that is super easy to tack on to the end of your run.

If you live in a house or apartment complex that has a yard, do these poses before you even head inside! Of course, you could also go inside and do them. 😉

Do the downward dog yoga pose and hold for 15 seconds. This basically has your feet planted, and your hands planted, with your butt sticking up in the air.

Do the triangle pose and hold for 15 seconds.

Repeat both of these poses.

And just like that, you just added in some stretches in less than 2 minutes!

Now, it would be quite excellent if you were to do more yoga poses that are good for running for an extended session. Here’s an infographic of yoga poses for runners on Pinterest.

But at this point, as a beginner to running, the goal here is to introduce you to a number of different things that can be valuable to your running experience. So, we’ll start small. 😉

Add in flexibility exercises throughout the day

Working to improve your flexibility doesn’t mean that you have to find an extra hour to schedule into your day.

Add in a yoga pose or two, or a running drill or two, here and there throughout your day!

Are you waiting for the water to boil for your pasta?

Are you watching commercials during the evening news?

Are you waiting for the air fryer to finish up those healthy stuffed green peppers? 😉

Or the toaster oven to finish up that healthy homemade Hawaiian pizza? 😉

These all sound like the perfect time to get down for a downward dog pose or to kick out those legs!

Add strength training to your couch to 5k plan

When you’re getting off the couch to lead a healthier lifestyle than your past sedentary lifestyle, your goal is to improve your overall health.

Since you are already working your lower body with running, you want to be more thoughtful about strength exercises that work your lower body.

While strength training can help you become a stronger runner, if you work your legs too much with the combined strength training and running, it can have a negative effect, which can mean running injuries!

For reading on strength training to support your running, this book will lay out the foundation.

Not only will it help you better understand the function of your muscles and joints to help to prevent injury, it also comes with a number of strength training exercises for a well-rounded strength workout for your upper body, lower body, and core.

The book is written by doctor who’s also a runner, so he speaks as a true expert as well as from experience!

Now here are a few more easy exercises to add in a couple times a week, without overdoing it as a beginner.

Push-ups.

If normal push-ups are a challenge, start off with modified push-ups, on your knees.

Start off by trying 4 sets of 5 push-ups. If you find this too easy, increase the repetitions and/or sets.

Lunges.

Start off with doing a single set without any weights for a count of 10, 5 on each leg.

As the weeks go along, you can add in the variations to challenge yourself more. (Ideas for variations at the link there.)

Plank.

Start off with 3 sets of 20 second-holds of a normal plank. If you find this too easy for you, you can increase the duration and/or add variations. (Ideas at link.)

More thoughts…

Once again, there is much more you can do in a strength training session, but the goal is to get in the habit of adding flexibility and strength to your schedule.

So adding these 3 exercises can be much better than none at all! But if you want to add in more to your strength training program, there’s that book, and here are more ideas for strength training exercises for runners.

Eat and drink to support your active schedule

When you make a goal of going from couch to 5K, you’re moving a lot more than sitting all day, and you’re sweating a lot more than sitting all day too.

This means that your diet and food choices need to reflect that!

If you don’t eat well or drink well, that’s a quick way to feel miserable during your run.

You want to fuel up properly before your run so you will have the energy you need during your running workout.

You also want to refuel properly after your run so you can recover well to feel good the rest of the day and be strong for the next run.

Have a look at using protein powder as a part of post-workout recovery for runners.

This cookbook here can help you make easy meals that can fuel you and refuel you to keep you running strong with energy levels high throughout the day.

Planning your meals for the week is one way you can make it easier to eat well before and after your run. Pinterest is a great place to find nutritious and healthy recipe ideas!

For more tips to make meal planning easy, you can get a printable recipe binder kit and a starter guide to meal planning with this set of resources here.

Have a water bottle at your side throughout the day so you can sip water to stay well hydrated.

You may also consider having an extra travel mug filled with water in your car so you can drink up after work in the case that you didn’t get much to drink during the day!

Once you start getting into longer runs, here are more ideas to keep you well-hydrated for your run.

It’s okay to not stick with your couch to 5K training schedule

Starting from the couch means that leading an active lifestyle is new to you.

It means that an active lifestyle is new to your body. And different bodies react in different ways to the changes brought on to your body by running.

It’s normal for any runner, new or experienced, to have “off” days.

They may not always be so significant to keep you from running completely, but there may be times where the best option is to just skip the run.

Of course, you don’t want to make a habit of skipping runs just because you lack the motivation.

But it is also important to know your limit, and this means knowing when to skip a run if the conditions aren’t right.

It could be because your body truly needs a break.

It could be because your mind needs a break.

And it could also be because weather conditions make it unsafe to run!

As a new runner, it may be harder to determine in what situations the best decision is to skip a run.

And that will be something that you will learn the more experienced you become with running.

But just know that sometimes, the right decision to make may be to skip a run.

And if you’re someone who likes to have a schedule and stick to that schedule, that can be a hard decision to make.

It can be especially hard when you look at your training calendar or running app and see a completely blank space that should be occupied with your workout stats!

Just remember, that sometimes it is okay to not stick to your schedule.

Lots of people start running because they want to change their previously unhealthy lifestyle into a healthy lifestyle.

Maybe you are one of those people.

Healthy living is not meant to be miserable.

One of the most important things is to have FUN with your active lifestyle, and that means to have FUN running!

If you started running to de-stress from life, also have a look for tips to make life simpler and more organized with this batch of resources here.

If you are forcing yourself to get out there run after run making you miserable, that is just NOT GOOD! 😉

So if you need a break, whether it’s a physical break or a mental break, just know that it is completely okay to do so!

Your training schedule will still be there the next day. 😉

So whichever training plan you choose for your 5K training plan, whether it’s a Couch to 5K plan, Hal Higdon 5K training plan, Jeff Galloway run-walk method, or some other plan… HAVE FUN! 😉

HAPPY COUCH TO 5K RUNNING!

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🐠 Here are things you must consider packing!


I also don't go snorkeling without a personal swim float buoy. Not only does it help to keep me visible, but it makes for a perfect way to rest out in deeper water! Oh, and it also serves as a dry bag so I can take stuff into the water with me.

Another way I have taken valuables into the water with me is to wear a travel money belt that I don't mind getting wet with salt water (it's not waterproof but I have several so I just use one of them) and then I put things in a ziplock freezer bag, and put that freezer bag in the money belt.

There are also designated waterproof waist pouches that you can store your valuables and take into the water with you.


see more:
- What to wear hiking
- What to wear snorkeling