Couch to 5K smashing the 2.5K challenge at Dunboyne AC Track, Saturday 28th January 2016

by Ana Quigley , January 28, 2017

While many New Year’s resolutions are long forgotten at the end of January our Couch to 5k and Beyond group are sticking to the plan and are already at the halfway point to achieving their goal to jog or walk 5km in the next few weeks.

After four weeks of determined effort from the group they stepped up to the halfway 2.5km challenge also known as “six and a quarter laps of the track on a freezing cold Saturday morning in January”.

As the group gathered at the clubhouse and started limbering up there were tactical discussions to be heard ranging from “I need to take it easy at the start” to “ignore that one that keeps speeding past us, he won’t be able to keep it up”. These were the same people who only 4 weeks ago on registration night were saying “I must be mad, I’ll be lucky if I can walk a lap of the track” and our volunteers were telling them “you won’t believe this now but in only 4 weeks you will easily be able to do 2.5k”

To give everyone an idea of what they have achieved we set up the clock on the track (we only do that for very special occasions!) and your times are noted below. However, Couch to 5k and Beyond is not about finish times, it is about improving your health and wellbeing in an enjoyable way and most importantly fulfilling a personal goal. The clock should never faze you or spoil your enjoyment of a great achievement. Well done to everyone who completed the 2.5k challenge – remember no matter what you are still faster than everyone at home sitting on the couch!

We would like to say a huge thanks the super group of volunteers who give up their time on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday to organise and support the Couch to 5k sessions. They are all Fit4Life members in the club and most of them took their first running steps just like you – from the couch to 5k!

Some photographs here https://flic.kr/s/aHskN58szz