JOIN COUCH TO 5K

Transform Your Life with our in-person 9-Week Beginner Running Course!

FREE Programme - in partnership with Grounded. Selly Oak

An exciting blend of Running and Psychoeducation to transform your well-being.

📅 When: Mondays, 12:30-1:30pm
📍 Where: Grounded Café, Selly Oak, B29 7BL
🗓️ Starts: 6th January 2025
🎉 Graduation 5km Run: Sunday, 9th March

💰 Cost: Absolutely FREE!

Apply to join this group offering in-person support, motivation, and a friendly group to keep you moving! Perfect for all abilities 👟

What You Get:

🧡 Weekly Group Runs (9 total): Connect in person and run together!

🧡 Personalised Training Plan: Track your progress with a detailed plan, and feel the sense of accomplishment as you tick off each run.

🧡 WhatsApp Group Access: Stay motivated with direct access to your run leader and group for tips, support, and encouragement.

🧡 Psychoeducation Videos: Weekly 10-minute sessions by a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner to boost your mental health.

🧡 Exclusive Merchandise & Discounts: Special deals on our gear and running tours to push your limits further.

🧡 Graduation Celebration: Complete the course with a group 5K run and celebrate with your new running family!

🧡 Special Surprise: A unique prize awaits you at the end of the program!

WHAT WE WANT FROM YOU:

• Commitment to weekly group sessions is essential to build a supportive community and ensure everyone stays on track.

• Limited spots are available to keep groups small and effective, so apply in detail to secure your place!

Application Process:

Submit your application, and our team will review it carefully. Only those that we believe can help succeed will be accepted. This is the reason for our application system.

If selected, you'll receive an email a week before the start date with all the details to prepare you for your first run.

Are You Ready to Make Running a Joyful Part of Your Life?

This course isn’t just about running. It’s about reclaiming your health, boosting your mood, and making new friends along the way.

If you're committed to a healthier, happier you and want to make running a fun, normal part of your daily routine - apply NOW!

WHY COUCH TO 5K WITH US

Do you want to have more energy, feel happier AND improve your physical and mental health?

Do you wish you could learn to run in a supportive fun environment, rather than slogging it out alone? 

Do you want to learn tools and techniques that can help to manage and improve your mood?

Do you wish you had regular access to experienced Run Leaders who would make sure you were always on the path to success?

Do you want to actually enjoy running rather than seeing it as a chore?

If you answered HELL YES to these questions, then this special Couch to 5k course is for you.

Our runners have:

🧡 Gone from self proclaimed couch potatoes to obsessed with running

🧡 Doubled or even tripled their furthest ever running distance

🧡 Lost weight and became happier

🧡 Overcome confidence barriers to group running

🧡 Run faster than they believed possible

🧡 Learnt, socialised AND had fun whilst keeping fit.

🧡 And so much more...

We’re a team of passionate Brummie runners who thrive off seeing running transform the lives of those that don’t describe themselves as “runners”.

With our combined years of experience in the running world, working with runners of ALL abilities, we have a wealth of knowledge that has helped people make running a normal and (shock!!!!) enjoyable part of their day.

Read on for the what where when’s.

This special programme is a mixture of learning to run combined with learning to manage your mind.

Couch to 5K is for beginners to gradually build up their running ability so they can eventually run 5km without stopping.

Before starting, we will contact you to set you up to start your week 1 run.

You will be asked to complete the same questionnaire weekly so that we can monitor the impact of the programme on your mood over the 6 weeks.

Our groups are small and sociable with everyone sharing the life-changing journey together.

Our 9-week course starts with more walking than running. We gradually increase the time and distance until you can confidently run 5km.

After each run you’ll also be sent weekly “homework” videos to help improve your mental health using cognitive behavioural therapy techniques.

Once you’ve completed the course, we’ll celebrate with a timed 5k run.

C25K has been tried and tested by thousands of new runners (see below for a week by week breakdown).

It’s all about getting out there, having fun and taking literal steps to being more active. With us cheering you on all the way.

9 WEEK PROGRAMME

There is a 9 week commitment in order to get real benefits from our runlationship and embed running and mindfullness into your life.

There are no overnight successes in this world, no matter what you might see on social media! No quick fix exercise programmes and unsustainable crash diets over here that’s for sure. This programme is designed to set you up to take control of your life and embed running into it.

Group Running Sessions last 1 hour. Mindfullness homework should take 30 mins each week. Please see below for exactly what you’ll be doing week-by-week.

WHO’S IT FOR?

Anyone completely new to running or that hasn't run for a while and wants to get back into it. This course is the perfect way to embark upon your running journey within a supportive group environment.

PRICE

Completely free thanks to our partner organisation.

PACE

Your own. We stay together. No one gets left behind.

Groups are limited to 12 each so put your best foot forward in your application.

Exactly what we’ll do in our group sessions, week by week:

BEFORE STARTING

A member of Living Well will call you to complete a questionnaire and triage, setting you up to start your week 1 run. You will be asked to complete the same questionnaire weekly so that we can monitor the impact of the programme on your mood over the 6 weeks.

After each run you’ll also be sent weekly “homework” videos to help improve your mental health using cognitive behavioural therapy techniques.

BODY

Week 1

Welcome to the start of your new, fitter life! We’ll introduce you to your Run Leader and the rest of your crew.

On all of our sessions we’ll do a light warm-up together, and cool down stretch at the end.

On this 1st session together, you will begin with a brisk 5-minute walk.

After this, we will alternate 1 minute of running and 1-and-a-half minutes of walking, for a total of 20 minutes. We’ll take care of time keeping and do this as a group with no one being left behind.

Then before week 2, you’ll complete the same session twice in your own time.

Week 2

A brisk 5-minute walk. After this, you will alternate 1-and-a-half minutes of running with 2 minutes of walking, for a total of 20 minutes.

You’ll complete the same session twice in your own time.

Week 3

A brisk 5-minute walk, then 2 repetitions of 1-and-a-half minutes of running, 1-and-a-half minutes of walking, 3 minutes of running and 3 minutes of walking.

You’ll complete the same session twice in your own time.

Week 4

A brisk 5-minute walk, then 3 minutes of running, 1-and-a-half minutes of walking, 5 minutes of running, 2-and-a-half minutes of walking, 3 minutes of running, 1-and-a-half minutes of walking and 5 minutes of running.

You’ll complete the same session twice in your own time.

Week 5

There are 3 different runs this week:

Run 1 which we’ll do together: a brisk 5-minute walk, then 5 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking, 5 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking and 5 minutes of running.

Run 2 which you can do in your own time: a brisk 5-minute walk, then 8 minutes of running, 5 minutes of walking and 8 minutes of running.

Run 3 which you’ll do in your own time: a brisk 5-minute walk, then 20 minutes of running, with no walking.

Week 6

There are 3 different runs this week:

Run 1 which we’ll do together: a brisk 5-minute walk, then 5 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking, 8 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking and 5 minutes of running.

Run 2 which you can do in your own time: a brisk 5-minute walk, then 10 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking and 10 minutes of running.

Run 3 which you’ll do in your own time: a brisk 5-minute walk, then 25 minutes of running with no walking.

Week 7

Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then 25 minutes of running.

You’ll complete the same session twice in your own time.

Week 8

A brisk 5-minute walk, then 28 minutes of running.

You’ll complete the same session twice in your own time.

Week 9

Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then 30 minutes of running.

You’ll complete the same session again in your own time, before the grand finale….

Graduation Celebration! Time to celebrate with parkrun which is a timed 5km run (then all the cake).

MIND

Week 1

Introduction to Cognitive behavioural Therapy and a mindfulness activity.

Week 2

Common cycles of depression and anxiety and how building awareness of our own cycles can improve our mood.

Week 3

The Fight, fight, or freeze response and relaxation techniques.

Week 4

Positive steps to wellbeing with a focus on the body and self-care.

Week 5

Balancing our activities – how different types of activities promote positive mental wellbeing.

Week 6

Spotting thoughts – looking at the ways that our thinking can impact on how we feel.

Week 7

Challenging thoughts – how to put our thoughts into perspective.

Week 8

Worry – looking at the different types of worry we may experience and how we can begin to cope better with our worries.

Week 9

Body Image – What is it and how can we improve it?

POST - PROGRAMME

Maintaining progress – How to plan for the future and maintain the progress that we have made throughout the course.