Let me start this confession by saying that I have never really enjoyed running. From the variety of sports I played as a youth, I always figured out how to be good while not having to run too much. I was the finest defensive sweeper in my AYSO soccer league. Relying on short sprints and a strong leg to blast the ball down the field, I was never out of breath during a game. I was not the one who was going to continuously run, that was for my teammates. There was also a lot standing around in baseball and volleyball too, which was totally fine by me. I played basketball, but a 2-3 zone defense meant all I had to do was the occasional shuffle when the ball got to my area.

When it was time for high school, I was all about football. What I didn’t realize was that high school football was going to feature a whole lot of running. Used primarily as a character builder through the perseverance of sheer torture, running at the end of practice was the bane of my existence. Even worse, if you showed up late, there was more running to be had after the previous wind sprints. Always the weapon of choice for anything punitive, my football coaches did not hold back. It’s easy to connect the dots why I am not fond of running. I do not miss those days.

I always gravitated towards lifting the heavy iron in basement dungeon gyms that only the hardcore called home. It was lifting weights that steered me towards a degree in kinesiology (specifically exercise physiology). However, during my studies It was not lost upon me that cardiovascular exercise was important. Actually incredibly important, life changing and life saving important. But that didn’t change the fact that I derived zero pleasure from it. From all my football PTSD, I hated it. So what options did I have left? Ignore all the benefits of regular cardio exercise and accept an early demise?

Enter Couch to 5K.

This program utilizes the KISS principle (keep it simple, stupid) better than any running program that I have ever come across. It’s simultaneously simple, pragmatic, and novel. The general basis is to start slow to find early success, and continue to slowly build from there. The same way that someone is not going to bench 500 lbs. the first time they ever go to the gym, Couch to 5K is not starting with a marathon. To me, the real beauty of Couch to 5K is that it is repeatable, especially for when I have fallen off the running wagon, which tends to happen every cold winter here in Illinois.

Besides the app which can be downloaded on the phone, there is a particular useful blog resource, which has tons of articles and training tips for those beginning and maintaining their running journey. Maybe some of you have already stumbled across the website Runner’s Blueprint, and if you have, I’m sure you have already utilized a lot of the free content and advice they offer. Their guide to Couch to 5K is especially helpful. So it’s another summer, and the days are warm and beautiful. I have no excuse not to start running again. I just started day one, week one, of the program, and today is day two. If you have been looking for a simple protocol to follow to get back into cardio, Couch to 5K is it.

Hopefully, in nine weeks, I will see you at a 5K somewhere in Chicago. Happy running!