{"id":721,"date":"2015-02-04T09:00:33","date_gmt":"2015-02-04T14:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etbodywork.com\/?p=721"},"modified":"2015-01-09T15:41:47","modified_gmt":"2015-01-09T20:41:47","slug":"couch-to-5k","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etbodywork.com\/?p=721","title":{"rendered":"Couch to 5k"},"content":{"rendered":"

5K Training Plan<\/p>\n

Picking a 5K — 3.1 miles — as a route back to fitness is smart. Many exercise experts agree, and you’re not alone in thinking that training for your first 5K may propel her on the road to lifetime fitness.<\/p>\n

It’s among the most popular of road racing event distances, says Jean Knaack, executive director of the Road Runners Club of America, a national association of running clubs and events. “The boom is in the 5K and the half marathon,” .<\/p>\n

”I think the 5K is a great distance for beginning runners,” Knaack says. Or even walkers, as many 5K events are now billed as run\/walks.<\/p>\n

Why? The 5K is doable, Knaack says, even if you’ve spent many more hours in front of the TV than on a treadmill, if you train appropriately.<\/p>\n

Here, experts talk about how you can go from the couch to the 5K course, paying attention not only to your physical training but also your mental attitude. In three months or less, you could go from couch spud to fitness star. (It’s always recommended, especially for adults over 50, that sedentary people check in with their doctor before starting to train.)<\/p>\n

Psych Yourself Up — and Off the Couch<\/p>\n

While most people focus on the physical training — at least feeling comfortable jogging or walking 3 miles or so before the big event — mentally preparing is just as important, says Fabio Comana, an exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise in San Diego. Step one, he says, is not thinking about the 3 miles, which can be intimidating, but the steps it takes to get there. ”Think about the process,”‘ Comana tells WebMD. That breaks down what might seem intimidating — run 3+ miles when you have yet to run 1 — into manageable chunks.<\/p>\n

For instance, you may tell yourself: “Long term, I am getting ready for a 5K. But for the next two weeks, my process goal is to be able to get off the couch and jog or walk at a reasonable pace. I will try 1K.”<\/p>\n

When you have worked up to a 1K, Comana suggests, “Do a self-evaluation.” Ask yourself what words come to mind when you finish. If you are thinking pain and fatigue, he says, you’re probably doing too much. “If you feel energized,” he says, “it’s a good indication you will continue.”<\/p>\n

Each time you meet a ”process” goal, reward yourself, he suggests. “Go see a movie, buy yourself some training gear.”<\/p>\n

You can also focus in on the intrinsic rewards of exercise, such as your newfound joy of movement, your gratification at meeting a goal, your sense of accomplishment.Write down the reasons you want to do the 5K, Comana suggests. It might be to improve your health, lose weight, look better in your clothes. Then list the obstacles, such as: you have to get up earlier to squeeze in the training, you need to buy a good pair of running shoes. The pros probably outweigh the cons, which is motivating.<\/p>\n

Don’t try to play catch-up if you miss a workout<\/strong> If you miss one of your walks, you don’t suddenly go from 2 miles to 4 miles.<\/p>\n

Play ‘Mind Games’<\/strong> No matter how jazzed you may be at the beginning, when motivation wanes, you need help fast.<\/p>\n

If getting out of bed in the morning early enough to train is the problems, lay out everything you need to wear the night before. Put your gear by the coffee pot.<\/p>\n

As you lull yourself to sleep, repeat a mantra such as “Feet, alarm, coffee.” You are formatting your brain for action. The plan: feet hit the floor, turn off the alarm, head for the coffee pot. As you are brewing your coffee, you are getting dressed, then walking out the door.<\/p>\n

The principle here is, the body in bed wants to stay in bed. The body in motion wants to stay in motion.<\/p>\n

Refer back to your pro-con list, Comana suggests, when motivation lags.<\/p>\n

\"Couch-to-5K-Training-Program-a\"<\/a><\/p>\n

#couchto5k<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

5K Training Plan Picking a 5K — 3.1 miles — as a route back to fitness is smart. Many exercise experts agree, and you’re not alone in thinking that training for your first 5K may propel her on the road to lifetime fitness. It’s among the most popular of road racing event distances, says Jean […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[94,95],"class_list":["post-721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-couchto5k","tag-running"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/etbodywork.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/etbodywork.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/etbodywork.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etbodywork.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etbodywork.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=721"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/etbodywork.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/721\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":725,"href":"https:\/\/etbodywork.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/721\/revisions\/725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/etbodywork.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etbodywork.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etbodywork.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}