This is me at the 5K that wrapped up last year’s Couch to 5K program.

One of my favorite running club activities the past couple of years has been the Couch to 5K program.

I think a member of the running club just decided to get a program going, and he built it - progressively building throughout the spring for 8 weeks, culminating in a 5K some time in June.

There are a couple of runs scheduled during the week that people do on their own, and then each Sunday we meet and run as a group with longer runs and less walking time each week.

This morning we’re at Week 5. (9 minutes of running followed by 2 minutes of walking 4 times.)

It has gotten a very nice turnout the past couple of years - both with new runners and mentors.

I like it because, first of all, with early Sunday mornings being the commitment, it’s one of the few running club activities for which I don’t have conflicts. (Last year I missed a couple due to going to New York for Mets games. This year I only had to miss last week for the Mother’s Day Mets game.)

It helps me at least do some kind of running in between training sessions too. Even if I’m not getting out during the week, I know I can do the Sunday run/walks at any pace and get something in for the week…though this year with the Boston 5K and the 10K coming in June I’ve been doing a pretty good job of running consistently during the week in addition to the Sunday runs. (As I’ve been building up, the plan this morning is to tack an extra 3 miles on to the 3 miles we’ll run together - I’m going get dropped off and then run home from the park where we do the group run.)

On the weekends I do have longer runs on Saturday, or like twice this year so far where I’ve run hard in a 5K on Saturday, the Sunday runs serve as nice recovery runs.

But I also like the opportunity to share some of what I know about running with someone who wants to hear it.

Advice about stretching, breathing, pacing - nothing major, but right in my wheelhouse of running knowledge.

It’s been a great way to meet some of the people in the running club and others who may be part of it some day.

This year’s 5K is nicely timed, too, with the 10K a week later.

Some of the club activities it takes a lot of social energy for me to build up to getting there and participating and then going back and doing it again.

This is one I look forward to doing week after week, and I will look forward to doing it again year after year.