Saeed is a Runner’s World+ member. Join him and thousands of others chasing their goals with day-by-day training plans, expert advice from editors and coaches, and unlimited digital access. We regularly feature members online and in print.

Until I took up running, I had never exercised a day in my life. So when, in my mid 40s, I ballooned to 198 lb on a 5’8” frame, I knew I needed to do something about it. Then I came across a ‘Couch to 5k’ app and figured I can, at the very least, run for one