Information from iTunes can be found here
With Spring officially upon us, running season is in full swing. Some of you may be looking to get back into running, or even lacing up the shoes for the first time. I wanted to share the Couch to 5K program that I used to get back into running after having my daughter (by c-section). I was telling someone that I met at my AFAA Indoor Cycling training about this app after he mentioned he wanted to run a 5k and realized I should do a review on my blog and spread the word!
What’s most appealing about this app, at least to me, was that it tells me exactly what to do and when to do it. It breaks it down into easily manageable segments.
Make sure you’ve enabled coaching, he or she will tell you to begin with a walk. Your audio coach will prompt you when it’s time to walk, time to run, and when you’ve reached the halfway point. The voice will tell you what to do over your music, which is very nice.
On the screen, you’ll be able to see your progress as the app tracks the time left in this current session, what activity is coming up next, how much time has passed, and how much time is left for the total workout. You can also pause or skip ahead if you’re so inclined.
What it doesn't do: provide more information about each run, such as an average pace, calories burned, or distance. If you are just starting out, these are things I wouldn't be too worried about at this point. The goal is truly about the distance and time spent running. But, if you are, you can always have Nike+ or RunKeeper, both free GPS apps running in the background for your pace and cals.
The downside is also that it is now $2.99 to download. When I used it two years ago, the whole app was free. I guess it was their way of getting a following and word of mouth advertising (it worked!). I would definitely say that $2.99 (less than a Starbucks coffee) is a pretty cheap price to get you across the finish line for your first 5k!
It is an 8 week program, so find a local 5k and work yourself back 8 weeks from that date and begin. Or if you can't find a local 5k and want to get started right away, by all means do it! You can always repeat the final weeks of the training program leading up to race day.
If you download it and start using it, please come back and comment on this post letting me know how its going! I would love to follow your success as you cross that finish line!
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| Finish line of my first 5k post baby, using the 5k Runner App! |
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