After W9R3

[BigLebowski]

I found this free app called Couch to 5K & 10K by App Symphony on the Google Play store, whose C25K component mirrors that of the NHS. The voice guidance is very robotic and concise merely instructing when to run and when to walk rather than offering encouragement and platitudes. It does, however, allow you to use other apps on your device such as VLC Media Player or Spotify to listen to your own music and podcasts, which it will interrupt briefly with instructions to walk or run before letting you continue your listening and activity.

I do plan on using this Couch To 5K & 10K app when I start contemplating the 10K level, but it will be a few weeks before I complete C25K a second time in as many years. Then I want to do a month of consolidation runs to become totally comfortable with 30-minute runs before progressing to longer times & distances. I like this app's incremental approach towards 10K, starting with four 10-minute running segments separated by 1-minute walking intervals, exactly the approach of C25K that got us off the couch in the first place. This eases us into 40 minutes of total running from the 30 minutes where C25K ended. Whilst I haven't explored other post-5 K plans, this one resonates with me.

Presently, I'm training to individually downloaded episodes of the NHS's C25K podcasts which I play back using my device's media player. The NHS's free app which may have a 10K feature isn't available outside of the UK. My workaround installing a 3rd-party APK proved problematic as it was full of static & interruptions that are disruptive to a session of running.

I am testing the 5K component of this Couch To 5K & 10K app & finding it to work quite well if not a tad clinical compared to the friendly mollycoddling by the coaches of the NHS podcasts. Each session's interface has an icon which when pressed pops up a written description of that session. I get the impression that some sort of text-to-speech tool in conjunction with a countdown timer or stopwatch is merely reading out this note when you hit the 'play' button. It shouldn't be a bother, however, as you're entertained for the duration of your session by your own music, podcast or audiobook through whatever app you use normally whilst the Couch To 5K & 10K app runs simultaneously in the background. I do recommend downloading your private entertainment to play off-line as interruptions to streamed content due to poor connectivity can be terribly annoying when you have to stop & fumble with reading glasses, devices & a tangle of headset chords with sweaty fingers.

[MaCherie112 Graduate]

Thanks for the heads up!!! Will definitely consider if I get through C25k can’t believe you’re doing it a second time! Well done you!

[BigLebowski Graduate in reply to MaCherie112]

And well done to you for starting. Where are you in the plan? I'm at W6R2 today. My second twirl with C25K is through a lapse in motivation followed by weight gain through poor dietary discipline followed by quarantine requirements here in my corner of Canada.

[MaCherie112 Graduate in reply to BigLebowski]

Thank you!!! Oh wow I can relate to all of that!!! I’ve just completed W7R3 and feel great! Im surprised that I’m actually looking forward to W8 and seeing how far I can push myself! I almost never look forward to a run and almost always delay and put it off due to lack of motivation so thus is new to me, let’s hope it lasts till my next run! Congrats on your second time around you’ll feel ace once you smash it again I’m sure! 💥🍀

[BigLebowski Graduate in reply to MaCherie112]

By now you're done with C25K, not so?

[MaCherie112 Graduate in reply to BigLebowski]

Yes!!! I’m a graduate finally!!! Imagine that!!! At certain points I didn’t think id make it!!!

[BigLebowski Graduate in reply to MaCherie112]

Well done.

[Jell6 Graduate]

You can get the friendly mollycoddling, and use your own music apps on the NHS version 😊

Also via playstore

[BigLebowski Graduate in reply to Jell6]

Yes, of course except it isn't available outside of the United Kingdom.

[CBDB Graduate]

Nice app review! 👍🏽👍🏽

[BigLebowski Graduate]

I'm at the W3R1 stage of the Bridge To 10k (B210k) programme that is described in the Couch To 5k & 10k app. So far, I haven't used the app itself during the runs electing instead to incorporate its strategy in the Runkeeper app. Runkeeper facilitates customised runs. Both apps will interrupt whatever app you're using to listen to music, podcasts or audiobooks with instructions to walk run, sprint, etc. Runkeeper's advantage is that it uses the GPS of your device to map your runs, record your distances & compute statistics such as pace, cadence, etc.