5 Weeks to a 5K

I talk to people everyday who want to get in shape and live a healthier lifestyle, but they don't know where to start. Exercise can seem overwhelming and intimidating for many. I'm here to tell you today that exercise is easy, fun and YOU can do it.

Benefits of Exercise

The benefits of exercise are far reaching. Some of them include:

• Reduce the risk of premature death
• Reduce the risk of developing and/or dying from heart disease
• Reduce high blood pressure or the risk of developing high blood pressure
• Reduce high cholesterol or the risk of developing high cholesterol
• Reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and breast cancer
• Reduce the risk of developing diabetes
• Reduce or maintain body weight or body fat
• Build and maintain healthy muscles, bones, and joints
• Reduce depression and anxiety
• Improve psychological well-being
• Enhanced work, recreation, and sport performance

Exercise has saved my life in so many ways. I love it, it makes me feel amazing inside and out. I love to do hard things and find out more about myself as I push myself to new levels. It's a great way to get outside of my everyday life and do something just for me.

Running/walking is a simple way to receive all of the benefits of cardiovascular or aerobic exercise. I can hear groans through the internet lines whenever the word running comes up. Don't be intimidated by running and runners. It is not an elite club of super athletes that doesn't accept new members. Running is for everyone (except those who have physical limitations specific to running). The reason running is a good place to start is because it it requires so little. All you need is a good pair of shoes and socks, comfortable clothes and a road or trail. That's it, so easy. I am well known for being super clumsy, and I can run. I must admit that I have supermaned it several times, but I'm getting better. You don't need any special skills, all you really need is a good attitude and some serious belief that you too can run.

Attitude is Essential

Attitude is the key to success in any aspect of life, but especially in running. I have helped people who could barely run a mile on our first day out, run half marathons. They were successful because they believed they could be. When they had hard days, like everyone else, they continued to push through them and believed that it would get better. It always got better. They learned that their bodies would adapt to the overload placed on them and they came to count on it. They didn't win first place in their races, but they accomplished something beyond what they thought they could do. My favorite mantra is "I can, I will." Those four little words have changed my life. If you believe you can, you will. I promise.

It can be difficult to stay motivated to run without a goal. A 5K or a 3.1 mile race is a perfect goal for a new runner. It's relatively short, yet challenging. 5K races are easily accessible in most places because of their increasing popularity. You may be overwhelmed by the prospect of signing up for a 5K if you have never run before, that's okay. If it's out of your comfort zone then you're doing something right. Sign up for that race and lock yourself into that commitment, you won't regret it.

5 Weeks to a 5K

Below is a training program for beginners from the experts at Runner's World:



This program is geared toward beginners, if you an intermediate runner click here. I personally do not run on Sunday so I adjust my long run to Saturday and my rest day to Sunday. XT stands for cross training which means anything but running. It could be cycling, walking, strength training, etc. If you want to follow along with us, start with the first Tuesday and run 10 minutes today.

Over the next five weeks I will cover the basics of running and hopefully take you all the way to a 5K. So get out and get running.

Happy Trails!