This Training Plan Transformed Her View on Running. It Could Change Your Mindset, Too.
“Couch to 5K!”
That’s the excited text message I received this past weekend from one of my best friends, along with a picture of her and one of our mutual close friends at a race finish line. The two had just completed a 5K together in our home town, and one of them had followed Runner’s World’s Couch to 5K training plan to make it to the starting line.
But I don’t think my one friend ever imagined herself running a race. That’s because just last summer, I had a long conversation with her and the rest of our friend group about running—and why they’ve never loved to run.
I’ve known my closest friends for nearly two decades. So when I say they’ve never been huge fans of running, it’s not a diss—it’s a well-documented fact. Only a year ago, we all sat around a kitchen table and debated what sucks the fun out of running. We not-so-lovingly reminisced about running time trials in the rain in PE class, completing the FitnessGram pacer test in middle school, and running a mile against the clock every year of grade school. Now, I’ve always enjoyed running, but for my friends (and I’m sure plenty of other people), having to run a mile to get a good grade in a class felt like torture.
So when my friend told me in February that she wanted to give a running journey a shot with a Runner’s World’s beginner training plan, I couldn’t wait to hear how her experience went. And turns out, the training block opened her eyes to what’s possible when you commit to running on your own terms—and she may even train for a 10K next. “It was a great sense of accomplishment to actually run the race when it wasn’t something I ever thought I could do,” she told me.
Maybe you also feel scarred from those PE class miles, but want to give the sport another shot. Or perhaps you just haven’t ran in awhile, and want to get back into a routine. No matter your objective, you can go from running no miles at all to completing a 5K, all thanks to our Runner’s World training plans.
Newcomers can tackle their running ambitions head-on with our most popular beginner plan: Couch to 5K. The 10-week program helps you progress your training, develop a running regimen, and build your strength so you can arrive at the start line on race day feeling confident.
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Couch to 5K
Worried you’ll have to make a big commitment to conquer your running goal? Rest assured. You won’t run every single day or go crazy on the training volume with our plan. With a holistic approach that includes days of running, cross-training, strength training, and rest, you’ll create a balanced routine that helps you find success—without overdoing it.
You can even pair your training schedule with our expert-led How to Master the 5K guide, which provides you the tools you’ll need to navigate your plan and prepare for race day. With tips on everything from fueling your miles to choosing your gear, the program will help you build your endurance and confidence to run your first or fastest 5K yet.
So if you’ve never ran a race—or never even liked running that much before—our training plan can help shift your mindset and open your eyes to what’s possible for you when you put one foot in front of the other. Explore our full collection of training plans and programs available to Runner’s World+ members to help support your running goals, whether you want to nail a 5K, master the marathon, or simply kickstart your run routine.
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Ashley is Editor of Content Hype at Hearst’s Enthusiast & Wellness Group. She is a former collegiate runner at UNC Asheville where she studied mass communication. Ashley loves all things running; she has raced two marathons, plus has covered some of the sport’s top events in her career, including the Paris Olympics, U.S. Olympic Trials and multiple World Marathon Majors.
