Paul Cowcher - Your 12 Week Guide to Running: From Your Armchair to a 5 Km Race in 12 Weeks

FROM YOUR ARMCHAIR TO A 5 KM RACE IN 12 WEEKS

by Daniel Ford

Training programme by Paul Cowcher

You have already taken the first important step towards completing this challenge, from your armchair to a 5 km race in 12 weeks, because you have seen this book online or in a bookshop and thought to yourself, This is what I need; this is for me. The best way to use this book is to view the next 12 weeks as a series of small steps. Add them all up and you will complete the end goal. And because you are reading this you have already completed the first, and probably the most important step of all. Hey, arent these steps easy?

Think of it this way: you dont host a successful dinner party by worrying about the final result and deciding that there is no way you can get all the food and drink together and still welcome your guests with a smile on your face. You simply picture the end result plates piled high with your delicious food and happy faces supping away and set about all the small tasks needed to get to that end result. You know it wont happen with a simple click of the fingers (getting from your armchair to a 5 km race wont either) so you just concentrate on the small tasks such as marinating the meat, chopping the vegetables, setting the table and so on, because you know all the small tasks will eventually add up to the end result you have pictured in your mind.

one

There is only one thing you should be concentrating on right now and that is to start exercising. Dont attempt to give up smoking and drinking and start eating salads just yet. You are more likely to give up if you try to change too much at once.

Different people will have different reasons for doing this challenge. Maybe you want to lose a bit of weight? Get into a dress thats got a bit too tight? Encourage yourself to eat healthier? Feel more energized during the day? Or maybe it was a bet with a friend in the pub who teased you that your sporting days were behind you? All of these are perfectly fine, and are common motivators, but remember the goal is to get out of your armchair and finish a 5 km race. Do not obsess with the other things like weight loss, your diet or losing your bet; these are by-products of what you are doing and will look after themselves.

Its unlikely, but not impossible, that you cross the line in 12 weeks weighing the same as you do right now, or that you somehow complete the race fuelled on your current diet of pizza and chicken wings. Things take time, every person is different and there are many other factors involved. If you stress that the weight is not falling off after a couple of jogs around the park or that the pizza delivery man still knows you by your first name during these 12 weeks then the only result will be a loss of motivation and youll be back where you started in your armchair.

So the next step is to take a few seconds right now to visualize the end result. Close your eyes if it helps.

hear

Listen to your body. You know when you are feeling good and you know when you are not because your body tells you. Follow the programme and listen to advice but always remember the best guide you will have is your own body.

see

Make sure you visualize your success before you have even taken a physical step towards it. Your mind and body work together as a team and your head is the leader so take time to picture your success right away.

It doesnt matter if you are on a train, at home, wherever, or if you think this visualization stuff is all a load of old nonsense (most of us think the same) just take a few moments to see the end result. This is all about seeing yourself in 12 weeks time bounding across the finish line feeling good with a smile on your face. Picture a few of the details like the sun on your face and the applause from your partner or friends as you finish the challenge. Oh, go on then, you can imagine yourself slimmer and sexier as well

Oi, you two at the back who have skipped this bit! Come on, picture your success Thats better.

Right, now youve pictured the end result in your mind its time to start taking the steps needed to get there. You wont need to be a rocket scientist to realize that this book is broken down into 12 large steps. Each will include a brief overview of what the focus of that particular week is all about. Read this at the end of the previous week so youve got time to digest it. As with above, visualize the success of the week (come on, youre an old hand at this). Dont skip these few seconds of visualization as they are important in firming up the week ahead in your mind. You will also find snippets of information on things such as food and drink, mental fitness, sleep, and so on, that you can use during your 12 weeks.

The most important page in each section is Your Training Programme and Diary. Again, look over this page at the end of the previous week so the information has plenty of time to sink in. Also ensure you make space in your diary for each days activity and dont relegate them to, Ill fit that in somewhere, or youll get to the end of the day and realize there is no time left. Treat each session as you would an important meeting at work or an appointment with your childs school.

At the bottom of these pages you will also see some traffic lights offering a Do This, Consider This and a Dont Do This. These are small tips that you can take on board during the week if you wish. You will also see a Reward on this page, a little something to look forward to when the week is completed. Thoughtful eh? Ah, its nothing. Use the small notes column to the right of each day to record how youre feeling. Its a great way to end a session and fun to look back on later. You will be amazed at how quickly you progress.

Finally, at the end of each chapter there is a summary of what you have achieved that week. Again, use the notes column to jot down your thoughts and feelings as this will help draw a line under the week and help prepare you for the next one. Then its time for you to give yourself a pat on the back and refer back to your reward.

when

When thinking of taking up an exercise programme for the first time or after an extended break its important that you check with your doctor that you are fit and healthy enough. Explain your plan and get the thumbs up before starting.