What Couch to 5K app?

[Charliemom]

I have been using the podcasts and I have seen posts about there being an app. I have an iPhone and went to the app store and there are several apps but none - that I can see - that affiliated with NHS. So where do I get this mystery app and can I start in the middle since I am already at week 5. What I am really interested in is using my own playlists on the upcoming long runs, but still want the verbal cues. Is that possible?

[MarkyD Graduate]

All the details are linked in the pinned FAQ post:

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

The App - for both iOS and Android - are linked from here:

nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/c...

And yes indeed, you can run the app and play your own music. The C25K app will give you the voice cues at the right time, and you can select from a selection of voices for your coach. But why would anyone want to be coached by anyone other than Laura??? And if you stop listening to the podcast, you are not going to hear all about Julie

[Millsie-J Graduate in reply to MarkyD]

Yeap! Julie is a must for sure! 🤣🤣

[Charliemom Graduate in reply to Millsie-J]

Well sadly, I have had great replies but none have solved the problem. The only clue I have is from "UnfitNoMore" when he gave me this link; itunes.apple.com/gb/app.one... which didn't work but gave the message that the app wasn't available in the US....but then I am in France. So could it only me available in England, or Great Britain, as, perhaps, the gb implies.

[MarkyD Graduate in reply to Charliemom]

I kind of assumed that you were in the UK, sorry.

[MarkyD Graduate in reply to Charliemom]

What version of iOS are you running on your phone?

Can you search for "One You Couch to 5k" in the App Store on your iPhone?

Does it let you download the app?

I checked the app on the App Store and did not find any regional restrictions.

[Lothian70 Graduate in reply to MarkyD]

That Julie song is a flaming earworm! Lol

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

This one itunes.apple.com/gb/app/one...

Start music and then the app... worked great for me on iPhone... music fades for announcements nicely. Enjoy.

[Charliemom Graduate in reply to UnfitNoMore]

Ok, I tried that and it tells me is isn't available in the US, which really doesn't matter since I'm in France. When I type it into the app store on my iPhone it doesn't show up at all. Any chance it is only available in England, I'm grasping here. Also, when I go through the FAQ which also has a link, it fails. Guess it isn't meant to be.

[UnfitNoMore Graduate in reply to Charliemom]

The other flavours are subtlety different... you can run any C25K here of course

[Millsie-J Graduate]

Try this link, scroll down past the podcast link for the app link

nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/g...

[Millsie-J Graduate]

Otherwise you may be stuck with the podcast and should look forward to meeting Julie 👍🏼

[lexi6 Graduate]

Hi Charliemom I live in NZ and found I couldn’t get the app here either, but I listened to the podcast with Laura and honestly Julie is a real treat. 😄

[deadandalive Graduate]

There's a workaround if you absolutely WANT the app, and not just the podcast — it's not very difficult, just a little out of the way.

Here's a link to a step by step if you're interested: ios.gadgethacks.com/how-to/...

Basically it involves creating a new Apple ID choosing the country of choice (in this case, the UK) — this is easier on iTunes for desktop, by the way; Windows or Mac, doesn't matter. You'll have to use an address in that country — I suggest you use a public place, like a tourist attraction or something — nothing will be delivered there anyway. (Also this only works for free apps — so you need provide no payment info, which you'd need for a paid app, and even if it was possible to make one up there, that would be actual fraud.)

You then sign in on your iPhone with the new ID, open the App Store where the app will now be visible, and download the thing. Then sign out, and sign in again with your normal Apple ID.

Like I said, it's an out of the way route. It's not as difficult as it looks: it'll take you maybe all of 15 minutes, and you won't need to do it more than once. If you do choose this route, you should probably keep the new ID somewhere you can remember it (since you will likely forget it otherwise — or you can use the same password as you already have).

Also note that you can only update the app using the new ID, since the app won't even show in your normal App Store.

Let me know what you decide, and if you go ahead with it, how you get on.