Some people train for a 5K with a structured plan, tracking splits and heart rate zones. I’m not saying I don’t try that. But I’ve taken it a step further—I train with an Australian Shepherd who thinks every run is an Olympic event, a parkour course, and a meet-and-greet all rolled into one. Because I am a glutton for punishment—and both she and I need the exercise—Layla and I have embarked on the Couch to 5K dog training journey. It’s not just about getting myself into shape, though. It’s also about teaching this dog pacing, focus, and maybe, just maybe, not doing a full leaping 360° spin every five steps.
Each run, I’ll log the miles, the mayhem, and whether Layla is getting any closer to being a running partner instead of a leashed Tasmanian devil. Welcome to our version of training—where every run is an adventure, and success isn’t just finishing a workout but doing it without tripping over a leash!
What is Couch to 5K?
I won’t insult you by belaboring the point of the Couch to 5K (C25K) program since you likely already know. The name pretty much says it. Just in case though, C25K is a structured running plan designed to take beginners from a sedentary lifestyle to running a full 5K (3.1 miles) in about nine weeks. It implements a gradual run/walk approach and builds endurance (or confidence) without overwhelming newbies.
There is an official Couch to 5K app, which I use with my 20-month-old Aussie, that offers guided workouts that make it easy to stick to a plan. I used it years and years ago and I found that most importantly, it keeps me on my feet regularly. It was time to do it again. If you’re more the type of person who really likes to sink your teeth into something, Jago Holmes wrote a more in-depth guide called 5K Training for Beginners. It will even provide you with advice on everything from proper footwear to race-day preparation. These days, I just use the app and a playlist. Whatever you choose, C25K is a proven way to make steady progress.
- Get the C25K iPhone app
- Get the C25K Android app
- There are also free resources available if you don’t want to pay to exercise!
Anyway, let’s get on with the progress! I’ll also track our progress on Strava, using the C25K app by Zen Labs concurrently.
Captain’s Log: Week 1, Day 1—A Surprisingly Tame Start [17 Mar 25]
2.15 miles, 13:50/mile average pace
So it begins. Layla and I have officially launched our Couch to 5K journey together. Sound the trumpets.
The Aussie surprised me on this run. The introduction was gentle—short bursts of running, plenty of walking, and, thankfully, not too many distractions. She was thrilled just to be out, but with no other dogs, squirrels, or unsuspecting neighbors to charm (or startle), she actually held herself together with reasonable composure.
Observation: She doesn’t seem nearly as interested in sniffing grass when we’re trotting, which is promising. However, she still zigs and zags like a drunk sailor, and her pacing is, well…abysmal. Girl, pick a pace and stick with it.
Chaos level: Low
Distractions: Few
Running Playlist: a soulful and gritty mix of blues and Americana
Layla’s lesson of the day: Running in a straight line is an option—who knew?
Captain’s Log: Week 1, Day 2—The Battle of Wills [19 Mar 25]
2.28 miles, 13:19/mile average pace
Don’t let the extra distance and improved pace fool you—this run was an exercise in patience, not endurance. Layla was relentless.
She’s always excited to go outside…unless it’s raining. Or the ground is still wet from rain. But today, conditions were perfect, and we started off okay. The five-minute warmup walk was mostly uneventful. Then the chaos kicked in.
First came her signature 360° spins, followed by snapping at the leash when she inevitably got herself tangled. Then, the full-body shake to reset from the overstimulation. Rinse and repeat. She stopped aggressively to sniff grass, sidewalks, and the wind itself—continuing her antics well into the running segments.
If Layla spots a woman, a dog, or—because why make things easy?—a woman with a dog, all bets are off. Today, we ran into the same woman walking her dog three separate times. That meant three battles of wills, each ending with me in a firm stance, commanding her to “SIT!” before she could fully launch into her ambassador role.
She also nearly tripped me three or four times—either by stopping dead in her tracks or cutting across me to form a live-action tripwire with her leash. Oh, and she started lagging on the second half of our run. I was grateful for the peace, but this bitch can’t hang. I guess that’s to be expected on her Couch to 5K dog training journey, yeah?
Chaos level: Moderate-High
Distractions: A woman and her dog (minding their own business) + rogue leaves in the breeze.
Running Playlist: a hard-hitting mix of classic and modern rock, metal, and anthems built for momentum
Layla’s lesson of the day: People want to know me! Gotta get the human to understand that.
Captain’s Log: Week 1, Day 3—The Hangover Hustle [22 Mar 25]
2.17 miles, 13:47/mile average pace
There were fewer people out this afternoon, which worked in our favor. I was operating on minimal sleep after staying out until 2 a.m. with my sister, then turning around to meet my son for lunch in honor of his 21st birthday. Safe to say, I wasn’t exactly firing on all cylinders.
Layla, to her credit, matched the vibe. She wasn’t pulling or leaping quite as much—but only because she was distracted by everything that wasn’t the run. This was a recovery shuffle for me and an extended sniffari for her.
Chaos level: Low
Distractions: Few
Layla’s lesson of the day: I’m allegedly a working dog. I just want to loaf.
Captain’s Log: Week 2, Day 1—Let Me At ‘Em! [24 Mar 25]
2.30 miles, 13:29/mile average pace
This dog is like Scrappy Doo on a Couch to 5K dog training journey: always begging for you to “let her at ’em,” despite the fact that she’d probably get her ass handed to her. If it wouldn’t make me a pariah at the park, I’d let her square off with a more seasoned dog just once—if only to teach her the lesson I clearly can’t.
Still no sense of pacing, and her attention span is worse than ever. Every gust of wind is a summons. Every distant bark, a distraction. I’m starting to wonder if a little CBD before a run would help her settle…or if I’d just end up dragging a philosophical Aussie contemplating cloud shapes.
Chaos level: Moderate-High
Distractions: Too Many
Layla’s lesson of the day: Every run is a battle between enthusiasm and experience—and so far, enthusiasm is getting us both injured.
Captain’s Log: Week 2, Day 2—Same Dog, Different Day [24 Mar 25]
2.42 miles, 12:45/mile average pace
Once again, Layla lost her mind over that same little Shih Tzu we passed last week. The poor thing was just vibing while its human cleaned out the car. Layla, on the other hand, acted like its very presence was a personal affront. I told her to sit—she sat. We walked—she barked, growled, lunged, and generally made a scene.
Part of me thinks she genuinely wants to say hello. But there’s another part, something deeper and more instinctual, that snaps her into predator mode.
Her pacing today? A mess. But I pushed us harder intentionally. I figured if she was going to act like a hellhound, she might as well earn the title.
Chaos level: High
Distractions: A patient little Shih Tzu and that same woman from last week.
Running Playlist: a wistful mix of alt-rock and indie, with heart, hooks, and a touch of ache
Layla’s lesson of the day: Not everything is a threat—or a toy.
Captain’s Log: Week 2, Day 3—The Calm Before the Squirrel [29 Mar 25]
2.5 miles, 12:24/mile average pace
I think Saturday mornings are good running slots for Layla. I don’t have a lot to remark on for today. I think the morning helped her stamina since she hasn’t had all day to tire herself out through playing or boredom. There is still room for improving her leash behavior while walking, but the running was better today.
Chaos level: Low
Distractions: None
Running Playlist: Trippy Progressive Blues/Rock
Layla’s lesson of the day: Turns out I can run like a normal dog—just gotta catch me before noon.
Captain’s Log: Week 3, Day 1—Running the Storm Out [31 Mar 25]
2.21 miles, 13:19/mile average pace
We entered the third week of the Couch to 5K dog training journey at a slower pace, which was attributable to deliberately pacing ourselves because we had longer running intervals. Layla doesn’t understand the purpose of a warm-up walk. She wants to hit the ground running, and she can’t shake her enthusiasm, so she bolts, shakes, or spins to burn off her anticipation. Consequently, she’s tired by the end of our penultimate interval. Listen to me, dog. I know a thing or two about a thing or two.
There were a fair amount of distractions today with families making the most of their after-work time before the storms return (please, wash away the pollen!). Layla also tried darting out after a passing vehicle, jumping in front of another she didn’t see when she was anticipating a street crossing, and she gave chase to an in-flight vulture she had no chance of catching. Fool of a dog! That being said, I think she thoroughly enjoyed herself this evening.
Chaos level: Moderate
Distractions: Buzzards and vinyl yard signs
Running Playlist: Stephen Wilson Jr. søn of dad (he deserves a spot at the Hangover Cafe!)
Layla’s lesson of the day: You don’t have to catch the buzzard to feel like you won.
Captain’s Log: Week 3, Day 2—The Sniffari Strikes Again [2 Apr 25]
2.34 miles, 13:11/mile average pace
I snuck this one in during lunch, freeing up my evening to work late and hoping the midday lull would mean fewer distractions for Layla. Hope’s a dangerous mistress.
She treated every walking interval like a guided scent tour with no intention of skipping any sniff stops. Contractors on break meant enough olfactory intrigue to throw her morality into a tailspin. She was torn between following her appetite and her weak compulsion to obey her human.
Also, a garbage bag on the curb might’ve held dark magic. She bolted away from it like it was a potential IED, wrapping me in the leash in a way that would make a rodeo calf nod in solidarity. She must think she’s made of vapor because she aggressively stops in front of me to investigate…anything like I won’t run over her if she brakes suddenly without signaling.
Chaos level: Moderate
Distractions: contractor lunches and haunted trash
Running Playlist: Primus’s Desaturating Seven
Layla’s lesson of the day: Walking is for sniffing; running is optional.
Captain’s Log: Week 3, Day 3—The Billy Keane Special [4 Apr 25]
2.07 miles, 13:47/mile average pace
Morning run. Crisp air. Low traffic. Perfect-ish conditions. And yet Layla decided that walking in a straight line during our intervals was far too pedestrian. Instead, she channeled Billy from The Family Circus and traced the world’s least efficient route. That’s part of the training, I guess. To teach her when it’s okay to roam and investigate and when it’s time to be more disciplined.
Her pacing still suffers a little because she wants to bolt out of the gates during our 5-minute warm-up walks. Her running is better. It’s the walking that continues to suffer. Every square yard she comes across is a crime scene.
Chaos level: Low
Distractions: grass with a past
Running Playlist: a riff-fueld instrumental playlist for zoning in or zoning out
Layla’s lesson of the day: Efficiency is for the dullards; let’s explore the margins.
Captain’s Log: Week 4, Day 1—A Real Class Act in the Rain [7 Apr 25]
2.52 miles, 12:12/mile average pace
Today is the kind of day that makes me question why I thought a Couch to 5K dog training journey would be a good idea. The rain came down steady, but not steady enough to wash away the endless scents—or the bottomless frustration. I thought the drizzle would keep Layla focused. No such luck. She refused to handle her business before the run, which of course meant she stopped mid-run to take a dump during our second interval, then halted again to pee during the third.
The pièce de résistance? The bag tore open mid-stride. I got hit with friendly fire—dog shit on my calves like some kind of deranged badge of honor. And despite the weather, the pacing and the zigging and zagging were as chaotic as ever. Rain or shine, this dog’s menace is on a mission.
Chaos level: Moderate
Distractions: minimal unless we count perfumed earthworms and rainy-day instincts
Running Playlist: a hard-hitting mix of classic and modern rock, metal, and anthems built for momentum
Layla’s lesson of the day: Rain is ambiance, not behavior modification.
Captain’s Log: Week 4, Day 2—The Lawn Won’t Mow You Back [9 Apr 25]
2.84 miles, 12:42/mile average pace
Today’s run was less exercise and more test of will. Layla fixated on some landscapers like they were long-lost pack members. Bouncing, lunging, twisting—she had zero interest in the sidewalk ahead and every interest in the man behind the mower.
Her focus was nonexistent. I actually had to put hands on her and physically make her lie down to break the cycle of overstimulation. She fought it at first, then flopped like a drama queen who just remembered she’s “technically” a working breed. Can I give her CBD gummies 10-ish minutes before a run?
Chaos level: High
Distractions: Landscapers, lawnmowers, and unprocessed trauma (?)
Running Playlist: Hangover Cafe—moody tunes for a dog with no chill and a man questioning everything
Layla’s lesson of the day: Must. Herd. Everything.
Captain’s Log: Week 4, Day 3—The Boobytrap Whisperer [12 Apr 25]
2.54 miles, 12:19/mile average pace
Late-morning run with little activity in the neighborhood. That should’ve made for smooth sailing. But Layla continues to prove that running with a dog is its particular brand of penance.
She hates her fenced-in backyard unless you go with her. Otherwise, she won’t explore. Won’t play. She just stares through the glass like she’s waiting for the plot twist. But on a run? Every square inch of sidewalk might be hiding secrets. She sniffs like she’s disarming boobytraps, nose-first and dead center in my way. Oblivious. She even ran into a mailbox today.
At least I chose a playlist with no lyrics. I didn’t want words. I needed noise that moved without meaning—background sound for the quiet ware of willpower and leash etiquette.
Chaos level: Low-Moderate
Distractions: Pavement with something to hide and one stealthy mailbox.
Running Playlist: Tongue-Tied—wordless wonders for when thinking is too much
Layla’s lesson of the day: When he learns of some buried landmine one street over, he’ll thank me.
Captain’s Log: Week 5, Day 1—A Reprieve From Chaos [14 Apr 25]
2.52 miles, 12:12/mile average pace
Not much to report. Layla was mostly well-behaved today, a welcome surprise after Saturday’s mailbox-induced fiasco. She had one minor distraction but otherwise stayed on task.
She couldn’t really hang, though. These longer running intervals are pushing her. She lagged behind more than usual, and I spent a good portion of the run dragging her instead of being pulled. Role reversal.
I wasn’t looking forward to this one, but it turned out fine. No incidents. Just movement.
Chaos level: Low
Distractions: One minor, mercifully brief
Running Playlist: Rust & Reverie—weathered blues and Americana
Layla’s lesson of the day: Even the wild ones take days off.
Captain’s Log: Week 5, Day 2—The Midpoint March [16 Apr 25]
2.43 miles, 12:13/mile average pace
We’ve officially hit the halfway mark of this nine-week journey. It feels a lot like Basic Training—just with more leash entanglements and less fun. I said what I said.
Layla wasn’t terrible today. Not as tuned-in as last time, but I’ve seen worse. She still sometimes refuses to do her business before a run, despite spending an hour in the backyard. So naturally, she dropped a deuce mid-interval like it was part of the program.
Her pacing was okay-ish. Still inconsistent. Still jerky. But she didn’t run into any mailboxes or try to herd landscapers. Close enough to a win, all things considered.
Chaos level: Low-Moderate
Distractions: The sudden, undeniable urge to poop.
Running Playlist: Rust & Reverie—again
Layla’s lesson of the day: When you gotta go, you gotta go.
