Couch To 5k

Is finishing a first-ever 5K on your personal bucket list? Believe it or not, even if you’ve never walked or run avidly before, training schedules billed as “Couch to 5K” (C25K) programs can get you ready to compete in a 5K in as little as eight or nine weeks.

A free, online printable version of the Couch to 5K program, which details week-by-week, 20-30 minute workouts that gradually build up to a 5K, is available at www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/index.shtml.

Or opt for a smartphone app to help you stay on top of your workouts on the go.

For iPhones, a free C25K app is available from iTunes; the Couch-to-5K app is available for $1.99 in iTunes, while the 5K Runner app costs $2.99 in iTunes.  

For Android phones, the Couch-to-5K app is available in GooglePlay for $1.99, as are several free apps meant to help get you off the couch and ready for your first 5K. A quick, recent search of available free Android 5K apps in GooglePlay included: C25K Couch to 5K; C25K Free; Run a 5K!

To read the Kentucky Living July 2014 feature that goes with this Web exclusive, go to Fun Runs.