My Experience of Couch to 5K

I like to think I’m a reflective person and am certainly not too proud to change my mind on a topic.  This was one of the things I enjoyed about teaching RS; being challenged by my students, having my position on ethical issues scrutinised and rising to the challenge of educating an ever changing demographic.

A celebratory drink!

The last year has been one of enormous change for me; in terms of career, work-life balance and daily routine, my life is unrecognisable.  I have reflected on this a number of times and continue to do so regularly. However, more recently reflections have been on another source of change.  When I did my training as a heart-led celebrant, I committed to becoming the best celebrant I could be in every aspect - my interaction with a couple or family from the first meeting, my administration, how I present myself and, of course, the writing and conducting of bespoke personalised ceremonies. Part of becoming the best I could be necessitated taking a look at my lack of fitness - I have always struggled with my weight and life in school was alarmingly sedentary. 

At the start of my life as a full time celebrant, I set out to get fitter and to lose some weight.  Daily walks became part of my new routine and over the year I walked faster and further.  Several friends and family members suggested I take up running but I kept rejecting the idea outright; years of negative thinking around exercise (being rubbish, it being a punishment and more) wouldn’t allow me to entertain the idea.  I don’t know what changed but I secretly started to look at Couch to 5K apps and read the story behind the programme.  It was devised by a young man to help his mum (in her 50s like me) to become more active.  It promised to help anyone be able to run; surely I was the ultimate test!

At the grand old age of 57  I knew myself well enough to know that I would only do it

Bujo set up - no going back now!

with some key elements in place - public accountability, financial investment and social reward.  I managed this by posting my intention to start on Facebook, making a bullet journal page to record my progress (now I had to do it or my journal would be spoilt!), buying some proper running shoes and best part of all, arranging for my first 5k to be a Park Run (PR) with some of my wonderful nieces who promised me a great brunch afterwards.

On 28 June 2025 I embarked on the 9 week programme using the NHS Couch to 5K App.  Looking back, starting in a heatwave was perhaps not ideal but hey ho, perhaps that will help me enjoy autumnal running even more?  The programme is fantastic and really does work - I went from finding eight, one minute runs hard work to running for a full 30 minutes in 10 weeks, admittedly this was still hard work but wow, what progress.

One warning if you’re considering doing it, the Couch to 5K programme, whilst fantastic, is something of a misnomer; it builds you up so you can run for 30 mins solid (quite a difference from 60 seconds!) but it does not promise that you’ll be able to run 5k in that time.  For me the closest to that I’ve come so far is 34.44 - thanks to being cajoled, encouraged and pushed by my son acting as pacer!

One happy aunt!

I gave myself some wriggle room in terms of the Park Run date but on 3 October I had the privilege of completing my first ever Park Run with three of my nieces and an honorary nephew. I set up a Just Giving page and ran for The Good Grief Trust raising £420 for their Sit with Hope campaign. I am proud of this, of completing PR and it’s impossible to express how lucky I feel to have shared this with the younger generation of my family; so much better than being the aunt left holding the jumpers.

How has this experience made me reflect? For a long time when people asked if I was enjoying it my negative response was immediate and forceful. I have since had to accept that actually I must be enjoying it at least a bit, or I wouldn’t keep doing it. It’s great to have achieved something new in the more... mature years of my life and staying fit will hopefully keep me healthy for longer - plenty of time to complete my next goal of 64 PRs before I’m 64. 

If you’re thinking of giving Couch to 5 K a go here are my top tips:

• If I can do it, you can too.

• Invest in good running shoes - I went to Runners Need and was greeted with encouragement and utmost support.

• Set yourself a treat goal; not everyone needs the public commitment that I knew I did but I do recommend having something great to look forward to on completion. 

• Don’t be too hard on yourself - long term success is more important than sticking to immediate goals - if you need to repeat a week do.

• If you have a slightly addictive personality as I do, watch out!  The Park Run 5K app sets goals - complete a PR for every letter of the alphabet, collect a flag for every country you do PR in and plenty more.

Good Luck!

By Catrina Young, Leicestershire Heart-led celebrant, Marking Life’s Moments.

© Hardingstone Ceremonies, November, 2025