Last year I blogged about barefoot running and had high hopes to start running again. I did run for a while but perhaps I tried biting off more than I could chew and tired quickly. Summer faded into Autumn which blew away with the frosty winds of Winter. Now the days are stretching longer and longer and Spring is literally right around the corner. Time to get off the couch again!

One of my coworkers just told me about a cool little workout guide for those of us who’d like to start running but are not quite sure where to begin. Couch-to-5K is a running plan from Cool Running for the out-of-shape beginner (like me) to gradually improve running distances and in the end to run a 5K race (approximately 3.1 miles). You can get the gist of the workout for free at the link above or you can pay $20 for all the bells and whistles. OR, for a limited time only, you can get the iphone app for $0.99.

So I bought the app. I have a choice of 3 coaches:

• Constance: “She got off the couch and finished a 5K, so this Couch-to-5K alumna can help you do it too.”
• Billie: “She’s no-nonsense: she won’t be your cheerleader, be she’ll get you off the couch and across the finish line.”
• Sergeant Block: “He’s as ‘hard Corps’ as they come. Follow the training plan, or he’ll make you drop and give him 50.”

I’m going with Billie and I’m going “barefoot” with my Vibrams. The app also helps me locate and register for local 5K races. I’m going to aim to run sometime in April or May. Wish me luck! Better yet, join me!