Ever picked up one of those free papers on the train and thought,
Whoever buys papers these days when you can just get them now for free?
The thing is plenty of people do still buy newspapers though, whether through habit, brand loyalty or a belief that their chosen publication says something about them, or simply provides the specific information they need that the free papers don’t.
It’s a bit like paying to get your nails done, over trying to do them yourself?
Well thats what I think anyhow.
All around us we are faced with these value based choices…do we really need luxury toilet paper or could we nab some from the local pub, does buying a no brand tin of beans say something about me, am I a better person if I pay for private healthcare?
There really is no right or wrong answer, it comes down to personal choice and circumstances.
If you see the value in something you will pay for it, even if there are cheaper or even FREE options.
Which is why I get so annoyed when women email me saying
I really want to do your 5 week to 5K programme, but £25 is a bit steep when I can download a 5K app for FREE
They can…and I always encourage them to do that and see how they get on if they are not willing to invest in themselves.
Thousands of people have indeed had success with couch to 5K apps, but thousands of women download them and never get passed week 4 or even open them once on their phone because they need heaps more accountability, or a way of improving which isn’t just about distance or speed. Or perhaps they just don’t want to do it alone, or maybe get pissed off with the annoying/patronising voices apps often have, or having to charge their phones.
Different strokes for different folks.
A few years ago I wrote a blog post called My Shocking C25K Revelation…which basically outlined why I wasn’t really a fan of couch to 5k programmes. In a nut shell because,
- They are too structured
- Don’t deal at all with mindset
- Don’t encourage you to listen to your own body
Well you should have seen the backlash, I got email after email telling me I was wrong and that couch to 5K was the best thing since sliced bread.
The thing is I don’t really care if women get into running via an app, a local running group or via my 5 weeks to 5K programme like more than 2000 women have…I just want them to start running and enjoy that process as much as they can so they keep up the sport.
However for those doubters out there questioning why someone would pay to be part of an online programme, rather than a FREE app check this out
My 5 things a running app just can’t do for you,
- Won’t be there with a coach on hand for you to ask questions
- Won’t hook you up with a bunch of women just like you so you can discuss what its like to start running
- Won’t hold you accountable and encourage you to get out the door when you don’t fancy it
- Won’t help you face the demons/negative voices in your head
- Won’t give a shit if you stop all of a sudden
You see technology has its uses…and running apps can motivate you once you are already a regular runner, but in the early days and especially for women, I think having a support network is vital.
My 5 weeks to 5K online programme has helped thousands of women to work there way up to the 5K distance. First seen on ITV’s This Morning it helped 3 absolute beginners live on national TV, and since then I have been running cohorts of between 50 and 200 women every few months, always culminating in #OneBigFatRun our FREE virtual 5K….it works, it gets women facing their fears, changing their habits and getting out the door.
My programme is particularly popular with women who don’t feel comfortable running in person with others, so running clubs and parkrun are just not an option yet. They also work well for shift workers as you get to choose when you run. And the programme can be completed on a treadmill if you like.
For the next 24 hours our January cohort is reduced by £5, why not check it out yourself.
Here is the link to sign up for just £20
We start on the 15th Jan
Not an online kinda person?
How about downloading the book from Amazon?
Who knows maybe 5 weeks to 5K will be turned into a running app one day and I will have to eat my words, but until then I am going to stand by the fact that running apps can’t make you feel the way an online programme with a group of women you get to know does.