If you have or are on the verge of completing the Couch to 5k running course, then you must have been wondering what to do next? For almost 9-weeks you were on a fixed schedule and had a purpose to focus on. But as it comes to an end you may experience feelings of anxiousness thinking about your future plans.

The Couch to 5K podcast is no less than a personal trainer who is watching your every move. It literally tells you when you can run, walk, eat, rest, etc. You get so habituated to listening to it that life without it feels empty.

I can say all this with confidence because I was in the same situation sometime back when I too enrolled in this course. I have come across many people who stop running altogether once the course is over. They feel like they have achieved whatever target they had set and completed a thing from their checklist.

But this only implies that what you have achieved and developed over the course goes to waste. Hence, to keep your motivation and sense of direction intact, I bring you to certain things/ activities that you can do on the completion of the course.

 

Signing Up for Virtual Events

Now that you have acquired the art of running, why not participate in some events? In that way, you can showcase your talent to the world and keep improving yourself. Many virtual events keep taking place online. Register yourself in the run of your preference, then complete your run, and upload your Strava stats to the organiser’s website. Moreover, a few medals in your hand does not sound like a bad idea.

Push Yourself to 10K

Your body has become well-equipped with completing 5K by now and hence, I would highly recommend pushing yourself to 10K.  Start with a steady pace by increasing your run time by 5 minutes per week or every day for the next week. Then gradually you will see yourself being able to run for an extra hour and with consistent training, reaching 10K wouldn’t be far.

Get Yourself Some Running Gear

It may feel like a waste of money to a few, but if running has become a part of your lifestyle after the Couch to 5K programme, then investing a tad bit of money in your running gears does not harm. It in fact makes your running experience much more comfortable. A few t-shirts made of moisture-wicking fabric, a pair of shorts with quick-drying property, and a nice pair of running shoes do you better than harm.

Enjoying It

Running for 30 minutes straight was something you were not able to do before you joined the course a few weeks back, so make most of this achievement and enjoy your runs to the fullest. Since you know that this is easily achievable for you, why not take the pressure off and make it enjoyable while you do it.

Challenge Yourself

Challenging yourself always keeps the zeal burning within you. Reduce the time taken for covering 5K? Why not? Increase the distance you can cover in the same duration you cover 5K? All such challenges will keep you motivated and help you have a purpose.

Parkruns

Parkrun events keep happening in over 1000 towns and cities over the weekends in the entire UK and beyond. They are mostly free to join with just a simple registration process to register yourself and you are in!

These events have a great participation rate with over 2.3 million having completed at least one parkrun. This makes it a perfect thing to do after finishing your Couch to 5K.