[jat850]

Couch-to-5k did it for me too. I was a little skeptical when I started, both of the program and my own abilities. I was rather out of shape and couldn't imagine running 5k based on my physical condition. Not overweight, just painfully unhealthy and unfit.

But I was very excited the first time I was able to complete the 5k run without walking breaks, and then I started to work on my time. I am not a fast runner but eventually got to a pace of 30 minutes. Certainly not anything like pinnacle athlete form but it brought a lot of personal satisfaction.

I paired my running with swimming. I would do a 5k run and then a 1k swim. It did wonders for my energy level and endurance and I felt much better.