What's next after Couch to 5k?

October 4, 2023 9:45 AM

Seven years after my first failed attempt to complete the Couch to 5K program, I am in the 7th week of the program now and set to finish it next week. Yay for me! But what comes next? I know there's a 10k version, but I'm not looking for more distance, I'm looking for habit-forming.

Of course the obvious answer is the 10k version. But I truly do not care about running ever-longer distances or training for anything. I want to develop a habit of running for exercise, maybe even enjoying it one day. (!)

I like the C25K program because I like the prompts coming into my ears so I don't have to keep track of what I'm doing. If left to my own self-discipline, I would probably give up, but somehow the nice robot lady telling me what to do gets me to continue even when I don't want to. I would like another program or app or something that will direct me to run approximately 25-30 minutes, 3 times a week, and not give up when it gets cold or hard to do. I guess I could keep repeating the last week of C25K indefinitely, but that seems like not the best use of that subscription money.

I have an iphone. I do not have an apple watch or fitbit or garmin or anything else. I don't mind paying for an app once, although renewing subscriptions is kind of annoying.

posted by Liesl to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (13 answers total)

Maybe Zombies, Run!
posted by latkes at 9:48 AM on October 4, 2023 [2 favorites]

It’s old-fashioned, I know, but one of the things that keeps me running regularly is a training plan stuck on my fridge. I like ticking off each session, and having a visible reminder every time I’m in my kitchen. You don’t have to be training for a race, just have your 3 days a week mapped out on a monthly calendar and cross them off.

I also use runs as my main time for listening to podcasts. So I know that if I don’t get out on a run, I’m not going to be able to catch up with the latest episode of something I’ve been enjoying.
posted by greycap at 10:17 AM on October 4, 2023 [1 favorite]

Could you not just continue repeating the last few weeks of the program over and over?
posted by greta simone at 11:06 AM on October 4, 2023

I started C25K this spring and had to stop due to an injury and have not made time to pick it back up. I'd planned, once I got to the end, to start over with it, but do the first couple of weeks as fartleks, in which I would jog the periods that I'd walked before, and run or sprint the periods I'd jogged before. I was not planning to take this all the way up to sprinting a whole 30 minutes, but I thought it could add a few weeks to the challenge.

I should pick this back up.
posted by gauche at 11:16 AM on October 4, 2023

Zombies, run! is AMAZING. From their couch to 5K app I moved on to the "regular" episodes and they keep me entertained no matter the distance. Can recommend.
posted by alchemist at 11:43 AM on October 4, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: There are lots of free running apps that will give you instructions through your headphones, so you can stop paying for whichever C25K app you used. 5K runner is one I like—it's modeled on C25K but you can just skip to the last week and do those workouts over and over if you'd like. Nike Run Club is another free app that will give you running prompts.
posted by telegraph at 11:57 AM on October 4, 2023

Hello, me from a few years ago! Also finished C25K and had no interest in doing longer runs, just keeping up the consistency.

For me, the trick was signing up for races - this kept me going when I wanted to stop. I highly recommend The Conqueror Challenges - these are virtual races that you do on your own time, over as long a period as you want. They are famous for their really cool medals (here's the Paris medal as an example) and they send you virtual postcards with local info along the way and google views of their 'routes'. You can sync with your fitness tracker or just log them manually (that's what I did). I signed up for several, and did one for hiking, one for jogging, and one for the occasional bike ride. I don't run long distances, but just doing 3 miles a few times a week does add up!

For me, my main objective was to just keep up with my running, not to necessarily go longer or faster, and these did the trick.(Until I took a break and fell off the wagon, but I'll get back on it!)

Good luck - you can do it!
posted by widdershins at 12:24 PM on October 4, 2023 [2 favorites]

Yes, highly recommend the Nike Run Club app telegraph mentioned. Instead of robots, the audio is recorded by various professional running coaches and athletes, and most of them are great and really engaging. I especially like the "speed" runs, which come in all different lengths and difficulty levels and are really fun (they're my go-to when I don't have time to drive somewhere and have to run in circles around my very boring neighborhood). I'm pretty sure the app also has some full training plans, but I've never tried those. Also, it's free!
posted by catoclock at 2:07 PM on October 4, 2023 [4 favorites]

Hello!

Apps are *great* and all -- but if you're looking for motivation, maintenance, and perhaps just a little bit of accountability, may I suggest: a running club?

Depending on where you live, you might try googling around for ones, or head to your local running store and seeing if there's a cork board with posters affixed to it. (I am Gen X so this does not seem absurd to me.)

Don't be intimidated! There are lots of folks in clubs at your pace (whatever that pace is. Seriously. I don't care how slow you think you are, there are slower runners and they're also running together. In clubs.)

Benefits: Once you find people you can run regularly with, and one (or even two or three) days/times/routes that works, then you have some people who you will look forward to seeing, you'll have some accountability, and you'll have some reason to do a little "training" (running) on some of the off days as well, if you want it.

And don't worry if you feel awkward, or don't want to make small talk during runs. Running is a loner sport, and most (not all) other runners will be totally fine if you're just there for the miles.
posted by heyitsgogi at 2:48 PM on October 4, 2023 [3 favorites]

I have started C25k and not finished it literally dozens of times. I am, alas, injury prone! But I've also finished the complete program 3 different times and each time I was well and truly proud of myself, and I hope you are too.

This is an interesting question for me because as I moved into the 10k program, I realized how much time I was needing to commit. C25k is, at most. What? 40 minutes? All of a sudden that stretched to 50, then 70, then I was needing to carve out 90 minutes with a cool down after. That was a challenge with my family and job responsibilities. But on the other hand. I had a strong desire to be BETTER at running. I wanted to be faster, smoother, higher heeled. I wanted to FEEL fast. Unfortunately for the quality of this response, I never got more than a partial solution because I totally screwed my knee up chasing a thief that broke into my car, and I've only recently been able to run well (using...you got it...C25k! I'm on week 5).

But! What was working for me was trail running, specifically very hilly trail running. I didn't use an app during this* but there's no reason you couldn't redo C25k or do some other program on hills and/or trails.

Will continue to follow this thread with interest. Good luck.

* About 4 C25ks ago I stopped listening to headphones (no music, no podcasts, no apps) and followed the program with a watch only. I mention it because I sort of invented my own program for the hills/trails stuff based on incremental increased distance on this trail I ran. You said you liked the voice in your ear, which sort of limits your ability to build your own program, as it were.
posted by AbelMelveny at 6:58 PM on October 4, 2023 [1 favorite]

I really like the (free) Nike Run Club. I did couch to 5k with the BBC plan and then just ran 5ks a few times a week for a while and it got pretty boring. NRC has a 5k race training plan that’s fun because it gets you doing some speed runs, fartleks, tempo runs and such, and it shakes up distance and time. I would never have considered a 10 minute run before doing the plan, but there’s one in there so I did it, and learned something from it. That plan offers you 5 runs a week but I’ll stretch it out, do 3-5 a week depending on my schedule. That just means the 8 week plan takes me 10-11 weeks, but that’s fine. I’m not actually interested in running a race. After the 5k there’s a 10k race plan if you are interested. Anyway, I’ve been running regularly for more than 3 years now (after starting in my 50s) so I’m sold.
posted by Cuke at 7:35 PM on October 4, 2023 [2 favorites]

Is there a park run near you? 5km once a week, free run. Great community and people of all ages and levels of fitness.
Edit: sorry if you were specifically looking for an app
posted by piyushnz at 10:54 PM on October 4, 2023 [1 favorite]

Nthing the Nike Run Club app! I hate podcasts because I hate having chatty human voices in my ears, but the NRC coaches aren't annoying at all. It's super fun.
posted by unknowncommand at 6:01 AM on October 5, 2023