The Couch to 5k program is 9 weeks long. The makers urge people to take it at a pace that works best for you. So I'll place an asterisk next to the program like so.* To my delight, someone has already gone through the trouble of modifying it to fit for a treadmill. So my hard work is done as I apply that to an elliptical! It only requires you run three days out of the week. For me, I'll be going more often then that so I'll just do my normal routine in between! Below is the training chart taken from the C25k Treadmill page. Ladies and Gentlemen I present to you the 9 week* Frank to 5k Challenge!
Frank to 5k Program
Workout 1 00:00-5:00: Warmup walk 5:00-6:00: Run 6:00-7:30: Walk 7:30-8:30: Run 8:30-10:00: Walk 10:00-11:00: Run 11:00-12:30: Walk 12:30-13:30: Run 13:30-15:00: Walk 15:00-16:00: Run 16:00-17:30: Walk 17:30-18:30: Run 18:30-20:00: Walk 20:00-21:00: Run 21:00-22:30: Walk 22:30-23:30: Run 23:30-25:00: Walk 25:00-30:00: Cooldown Walk 00:00-5:00: Warmup walk 5:00-6:30: Run 6:30-8:30: Walk 8:30-10:00: Run 10:00-12:00: Walk 12:00-13:30: Run 13:30-15:30: Walk 15:30-17:00: Run 17:00-19:00: Walk 19:00-20:30: Run 20:30-22:30: Walk 22:30-24:00: Run 24:00-26:00: Walk 26:00-30:00: Cooldown Walk 00:00-5:00: Warmup walk 5:00-6:30: Run 6:30-8:00: Walk 8:00-11:00: Run 11:00-14:00: Walk 14:00-15:30: Run 15:30-17:00: Walk 17:00-20:00: Run 20:00-23:00: Walk 23:00-28:00: Cooldown Walk 00:00-5:00: Warmup walk 5:00-8:00: Run 8:00-9:30: Walk 9:30-14:30: Run 14:30-17:00: Walk 17:00-20:00: Run 20:00-21:30: Walk 21:30-26:30: Run 26:30-30:00: Cooldown Walk 00:00-5:00: Warmup walk 5:00-10:00: Run 10:00-13:00: Walk 13:00-18:00: Run 18:00-21:00: Walk 21:00-26:00: Run 26:00-30:00: Cooldown Walk 00:00-5:00: Warmup walk 5:00-10:00: Run 10:00-13:00: Walk 13:00-18:00: Run 18:00-21:00: Walk 21:00-26:00: Run 26:00-30:00: Cooldown Walk 00:00-5:00: Warmup walk 5:00-30:00: Run 30:00-35:00: Cooldown Walk 00:00-5:00: Warmup walk 5:00-33:00: Run 33:00-38:00: Cooldown Walk 00:00-5:00: Warmup walk 5:00-35:00: Run 35:00-40:00: Cooldown Walk | | Workout 3 00:00-5:00: Warmup walk 5:00-6:00: Run 6:00-7:30: Walk 7:30-8:30: Run 8:30-10:00: Walk 10:00-11:00: Run 11:00-12:30: Walk 12:30-13:30: Run 13:30-15:00: Walk 15:00-16:00: Run 16:00-17:30: Walk 17:30-18:30: Run 18:30-20:00: Walk 20:00-21:00: Run 21:00-22:30: Walk 22:30-23:30: Run 23:30-25:00: Walk 25:00-30:00: Cooldown Walk 00:00-5:00: Warmup walk 5:00-6:30: Run 6:30-8:30: Walk 8:30-10:00: Run 10:00-12:00: Walk 12:00-13:30: Run 13:30-15:30: Walk 15:30-17:00: Run 17:00-19:00: Walk 19:00-20:30: Run 20:30-22:30: Walk 22:30-24:00: Run 24:00-26:00: Walk 26:00-30:00: Cooldown Walk 00:00-5:00: Warmup walk 5:00-6:30: Run 6:30-8:00: Walk 8:00-11:00: Run 11:00-14:00: Walk 14:00-15:30: Run 15:30-17:00: Walk 17:00-20:00: Run 20:00-23:00: Walk 23:00-28:00: Cooldown Walk 00:00-5:00: Warmup walk 5:00-8:00: Run 8:00-9:30: Walk 9:30-14:30: Run 14:30-17:00: Walk 17:00-20:00: Run 20:00-21:30: Walk 21:30-26:30: Run 26:30-30:00: Cooldown Walk 5:00-25:00: Run 25:00-30:00: Cooldown Walk 00:00-5:00: Warmup walk 5:00-25:00: Run 25:00-30:00: Cooldown Walk 00:00-5:00: Warmup walk 5:00-30:00: Run 30:00-35:00: Cooldown Walk 00:00-5:00: Warmup walk 5:00-33:00: Run 33:00-38:00: Cooldown Walk 00:00-5:00: Warmup walk 5:00-35:00: Run 35:00-40:00: Cooldown Walk |
As you can see, weeks five and six are the times of biggest change. I believe I can do this in 9 weeks, but everything on paper seems easier than it is in real life. Just like with all of the other activities I'm adding and modifying, I'll take this one week by week. From this I hope to build some better endurance to get the maximum amount of effort from my workout sessions. Day one of week one will commence on Monday morning so keep your eyes open for the Frank to 5K Challenge updates! :-D
PS. The Frank to 5k Challenge has been added to the Frankbox Achievement page as well.