C25K: Couch To 5K App Plans Your Runs For You

In my third week of 5K training, I was struck with dreaded shin splints. Usually this would be cause for celebration, as it would mean I didn't have to exercise anymore. But with a mandatory race on my sister's wedding day just a month away, I attempted to power through, and in so doing got a good idea of how the app C25K (that's Couch to 5K, abbreviated for the cool kids) motivates its users.

C25K is one of the more popular apps that have popped up around the copyrightedCouch to 5K Running Plan, a prescribed training schedule from CoolRunning.com that gradually increases distance and time running over a 3-workout-per-week 9-week period. Several apps that program this schedule into your iPhone have sprung up, and C25K is one of them. It appears near the top of the search results, it was recently updated and it has a nice icon, so I'm reviewing it.

Look, I make the rules here, and if C25K's groovy logo appeals most to my lazy bones, then C25K is the app that deserves to be profiled in the Fitness Apps For Lazy People series.

BEST REASON TO GET OFF THE COUCH: Your Workout Is Planned For You

This is a general benefit of the Couch to 5K program by CoolRunning, and not one specific to this app, but man, is it great to not have to decide beforehand how far I'll run, or how quickly, or any of that nonsense. C25K comes pre-loaded with the prescribed times and efforts (run, jog, walk) that you should be doing on any given day of your workout. Imagine my relief when on the first day of my third week, after having laced up my shoes and slathered my armpits in deodorant, I was greeted with a screen on the app telling me exactly what I was going to be doing and for how long that evening:

And then you press Go and you're off! Warm-up included! What more could a lazy man trying to get in shape ask for?

Well....

BEST REASON TO STAY ON THE COUCH: Once You Start Running, You're All Alone Out There

I've written often in this series that an app's ability to distract me from the fact that I'm exercising is key if it is going to be designated a Lazy People's Fitness App. And though C25K does have the requisite robot-trainer that informs you how much time you have left in any given segment--well, that's just about all that robot-trainer says. No pace, no overall time left, no encouragement: When you're running with C25K, it's just you, your music, and your somewhat taciturn trainer.

Someone needs to tell the C25K robot that it's okay to get in my face and yell at me -- that's what I want. That's what I need! Talk to me, C25K robot-trainer! Get in my face, curse at me, tell me I'm worthless! I'm dying out here!

IS C25K A GOOD FITNESS APP FOR LAZY PEOPLE?

I suppose this depends on what kind of lazy person you are. If what prevents you from exercising is the simple lack of structure, then C25K will work great for you. It's got a pretty user interface, a nice in-app music control, and it works flawlessly at delivering the Couch to 5K program to your iPhone. And yes, it does look really, really good:

If you need to be distracted from the fact that you are exercising, then you have better options. This is a fairly basic app without bells-and-whistles: the plain-text version of the Couch to 5K training plan. Next week, I'm going to look for the Hollywood summer blockbuster version, with lots of explosions, car chases, cowboys, aliens and anything else to fill up the time during my runs. I love the Couch to 5K program, and I'm not ready to move on quite yet, so if you've got a Couch to 5K app for either Android or iOS with lots of different features, let me know what it's called at [e-mail].

I'm a month away from my race, and I'm afraid that I am still more "couch" than "5K." Help me out, readers. Get me away from this comfy, comfy leather.

C25K ESSENTIALS (Listed In Bullet Form, For The Lazy)

Price: $2.99 (add $0.99 for GPS support)

Website: www.c25kapp.com

Platforms: iOS

Clout: 5,000 "likes" on Facebook. Featured on ABC News.

Things It Can Do: Integration with the CoolRunning Couch to 5K training plan
GPS and map tracking with $1 in-app purchase
In-app music controls
Works with Nike+
Spoken audio alerts for switches from run to walk, time countdown
Share workouts to Twitter and Facebook after completion

This is part of a series of articles profiling fitness apps for lazy people. I am training for an August 27th 5K, despite my better instincts. For the introduction and mission statement, click here. You can follow my progress on Twitter @gilbertjasono, or by "liking" my reporter page here. Stay tuned for next week's Fitness Apps For Lazy People series installment when I review a TBA Couch to 5K app.

Comments

[KarateKid]

07:18 PM on 07/31/2011

You call that a workout?

[frank day]

11:10 AM on 08/01/2011

From couch to 20 minutes of exercise, including nearly 5 minutes of jogging, in less

than 3 weeks? It's a good start.

I think most people ( me) overestimate how much they can/should do after

a long layoff.

Getting going and sticking with it long term are the keys to success. imho

[suds mcduff]

01:12 PM on 07/31/2011

I hate running, I find it incredibly dull, even when I'm in decent shape. Only my ipod shuffle keeps me in there.Is there any hope for me?

[KarateKid]

07:19 PM on 07/31/2011

Try a bicycle. Less stress on your legs, great cardio work, and a lot more fun.

[frank day]

11:12 AM on 08/01/2011

Try mixing in other activities.

Tai Chi, Yoga, kickboxing, swimming, etc......

You might think about joining an exercise group.

[suds mcduff]

11:49 AM on 08/01/2011

I'm 54....I do some yoga stretches, tai chi sounds interesting, I'd like to try aikido as well, too expensive...I remember @ 35, I lost 30 lbs or so in 4 months when I started going to Judo twice a week...

[theo47]

05:50 PM on 07/30/2011

The Android version behaves very strangely in regards to music; sometimes it recognizes mp3s on your phone, sometimes it doesn't. The C25K program itself advances too fast and can be too jarring to your body if you're not already in good shape; Adidas' miCoach increases your progress much more reasonably. The C25K app does have one very simple, smart feature: it tells you when you're halfway done, so if you're jogging out on the streets, you can turn around and head for home. Considering miCoach also has GPS functionality, I'd go with it over C25K. Plus it's free.

[O K Ali]

01:59 AM on 07/31/2011

Thanks for the heads up. DROID! LOL

[Firehorsegirl]

05:42 PM on 07/30/2011

How odd is this? I just ran my first c25k workout today and here's this huffpo article! I loved it because it sets the program but not your speed. The podcasts sound promising, too!

[playsindirt]

05:37 PM on 07/30/2011

I started C25K in February because I couldn't sleep. Walking just wasn't enough to exhaust me and a woman in my yoga class recommended it. I loved it. I immediately started sleeping better on the days I ran and the program was much easier than I ever imagined. So I became a runner at 53! I now run about 3 miles most days. Hey, if it's baby steps people need to get moving than baby steps is fine. I also think it's a brilliant plan if you're over 40. If you're 25 you can just go bust a move but at my age I needed baby steps.

[Sam Persons Parkes]

02:01 PM on 07/30/2011

Forget the app and get the podcasts at www.c25k.com that tell you when to run and when to walk. Robert Ullrey's podcasts DO give you encouragement and some virtual "good-gaming." However. my favorites are the Podrunner Intervals C25K podcasts that indicate speed with chimes and some fantastic electronica and house music: http://www.djsteveboy.com/intervals.html. These two sources have made my C25K experience very positive with just a simple, non-Apple MP3 player.

[frank day]

11:54 AM on 08/01/2011

thanks for the link, I'll check it out

[dephtones]

12:30 PM on 07/30/2011

great app. I downloaded it based on a recommendation from a friend. I was out of shape, couldn't do a mile straight on a treadmill (even at 5.0mph) and just felt like crap. I did it for 6 weeks (on the app) I took 1 or 2 days off. I wasn't eating sensibly so I didn't lose too much weight. I fell off the wagon for a couple of months and I recently started the app again. I just finished week 3 and I'm eating sensibly and I already lost 13 pounds and can run a mile straight with sweat pants/shirt and a sauna suit (on my "days off" from c25k)

I recommend this app. I'm still losing weight and it's great having it on my android phone because I listen to music at the same time the app is running. I know it's hard to get on the treadmill or track and try your hardest but I know you can. If I can do it, anyone can. don't let the negative posts thwart you away from doing this. If you need help or motivation you can message me and I will help you out.

[aristippe]

01:40 PM on 07/30/2011

rock on

[ctrejo86]

12:13 PM on 07/30/2011

I love the C25K program. The way I see it, it doesn't try to make you a runner, it just conditions your body to be able to run. Last year I tried the program, along with a calorie counting diet, and I ended up losing 40 lbs. It was a healthy way of getting in shape and I felt great.

[OrwellianOne]

11:08 AM on 07/30/2011

I have never understood the draw to long distance running. It's not what the human body is designed for. We're designed for short bursts of running.

You ever see the physique of a long distance runner? Skinny, frail, looking near death.

Ever see the physique of a sprinter? Tight, muscular, healthy.

I can't wait til this stupid long distance fad eventually dies out and it becomes general knowledge that HIIT is what will get you fit.

[alahnar]

11:54 AM on 07/30/2011

"The human body wasn't designed to..."

No. False. I'm sick of this argument. The human body is an amazing machine that can do wonderful things. It's designed to adapt to the pressure you put on it. The only thing it's not designed to do is live forever....that's why we die. We can go on extended periods of bed rest and come out of it semi-ok, work up to a level of fitness. Amazing. We can run marathons and ultramarathons and not get sick or die. Amazing. We can also sprint and lift tons of weight and swim, even! The human body is designed to do just about anything we can do with it.

[OrwellianOne]

12:08 PM on 07/30/2011

Umm, not false?

And people do die during marathons and ultra marathons.

And again, if people want to get in good shape, they should be doing HIIT and not wasting their time with endurance nonsense.

[Arthur L]

01:18 PM on 07/30/2011

"looking near death," and "healthy" are insipid opinions not backed up by anything other than your incorrect dogma.

there are myriad studies and books (e.g. born to run) that show strong evidence that humans evolved and are made for distance running.

[OrwellianOne]

01:24 PM on 07/30/2011

Muscle is healthy. Lack of muscle is not healthy.

Sure we did. That's why we invented tools and rode animals to hunt, because we evolved for distance running. lol.

[Erin DeCaprio]

10:24 AM on 07/30/2011

What is with the group running events? My extended family does that, and I just don't get it. How's about we bond without sweating in matching t-shirts? Why not a big family Scrabble game? Can't we just sit down and talk to each other?

That said, best of luck with the 5K Wedding March.

[AmericaninIndia]

10:32 AM on 07/30/2011

Group running has very strong roots in our evolutionary past, going back to our nomadic days of traversing the savannas in bands of fewer than 30, and further back to our earliest hominid origins. Running in a group, synchronizing breathing and pace, facing a shared challenge (the hunt in the old days...perhaps meeting the distance today) helps to bond people.

Ever since we started walking upright as bipeds, we became better equipped for long distance running than our quadruped cousins. I suppose we're built to run!

[garystartswithg]

11:46 AM on 07/30/2011

doing things in groups always helps motivate for good and bad. very few of us are the independent spirits we like to think we are.

[OrwellianOne]

11:52 AM on 07/30/2011

We're equipped for short distance running, not long distances.

[Jason Gilbert]

08:02 PM on 07/30/2011

Totally calling it the 5K Wedding "March" from now on. Thank you.

[TWeissMA]

10:21 AM on 07/30/2011

What an able-bodied perspective.

[alahnar]

11:52 AM on 07/30/2011

Umm yes, an article about running is going to have an able-bodied perspective. If you want a different perspective, go elsewhere. Duh.

[blindjester]

01:25 PM on 07/30/2011

True. Which suggests a niche app for differently-abled people.

Somebody will make money on that.

[edmond dantes]

10:15 AM on 07/30/2011

If you can't "work out" for 14 minutes (including 90 seconds of walking and 5 minutes of cooling down) without having an app get in your face and yell at you, then just give up and get back on the couch, you lazy whiner.

[AmericaninIndia]

10:34 AM on 07/30/2011

Hey, I know it's a pittance, but I always respect anybody in the gym or out there running, no matter how they look. At least they're trying! Especially if it's after March, when most of the New Years newbies quit.

More power to them!

[alahnar]

11:56 AM on 07/30/2011

Oh yes, if you don't come to exercising with a good level of fitness already, just go away! Wait, what? Wow, not everyone comes to running with a good fitness background. I sure didn't, I'm just glad I stuck with it and never read a snarky comment like yours until now, years later, when I have the ability to tell you you're being a huge douchemachine.

[Ramon Moreno]

01:10 PM on 07/30/2011

How about just a good level of adult sense? Is there an app for that?

[edmond dantes]

09:59 PM on 08/01/2011

Congrats on getting in shape, alahnar. Did you manage to get into shape because a smartphone app yelled at you, or did you find your own motivation? How did we manage to get so spoiled in our society? If you are complaining about your app not being sufficiently motivational a couple weeks into working out, then the app is the least of your problems. And if a "snarky comment" by someone you don't know were enough to derail your workout plans, then you need to take a look in the mirror. If that makes me a snarky douchemachine, then so be it.

[garystartswithg]

10:08 AM on 07/30/2011

If the author goes through with the 5k then enjoy it, don't stress it. don't forget that is also part social event, a great chance to meet people face to face.
My biggest concern is it might be pushing too hard -- 3 mins of jogging is a lot for the first day for a lot of people, and could be discouraging for someone that views it as something they have to do.

[Erin DeCaprio]

10:20 AM on 07/30/2011

I agree that 3 minutes is a long time for the dedicated couch jockey. This workout is for week 3, day 2.

[garystartswithg]

11:36 AM on 07/30/2011

oops, my bad! thanks for the correction!

[karen lyons kalmenson]

09:43 AM on 07/30/2011

i exercise my option
to sit on my can
and do as little
activity as i can
well muscled fingers
from pounding the keys
my cellulite lingers
post modern disease

[Styxtap]

10:15 AM on 07/30/2011

This is your left
Thats your left
This is your right
Your gonna die

[karen lyons kalmenson]

10:23 AM on 07/30/2011

doesn't everyone

[Fido0311]

10:38 PM on 07/30/2011

isnt that from athf

[alahnar]

09:34 AM on 07/30/2011

I have an Android, but I'm sure this app exists in Apple's market. It's called miCoach, adidas makes it. It's free and it's honestly the best app ever. You can also "schedule a race" so if you wanted to do a 5k, you tell it how many days a week you want to exercise and it comes up with the exercises for you, the same way C25k does. BUT what it has that C25k doesn't is that adidas miCoach will tell you how fast you're going (after you do the assessment work out. PLEASE do the assessment work out - it's 12 minutes and it helps the app cater to your specific level of fitness). So like, say you're out for a 2 mile jog and you're supposed to be in the "green zone." If you've sped up to "the yellow zone," a woman's pleasant voice will say, "Slow down to green zone!" It's actually awesome. I know I sound like a paid spokesperson and I swear I'm not, I just LOVE this app and try to get everyone to use it because it's so fricken cool.

[Jason Gilbert]

08:04 PM on 07/30/2011

This sounds terrific--let's go ahead and make it next week's app.