Also take a look at the Jeff Galloway plans. I think that is what helped me finish the princess challenge and I never would have thought I could do a 5k let alone a 10k and a half
I second this! My wife and I did our first half (as part of a 10k/13.1 challenge) using Galloway. It's terrific for beginners, and has made everything since that first race for us possible. A year after our first half, we both finished Dopey. (And DW was a true couch-to-13.1)
The most important lessons I've learned since then are this:
1- When it comes to running, nothing is out of reach. All it takes is some consistency in training, and you can finish pretty much anything. Don't worry about missing a day here and there, but a good PLAN won't let you down.
2-
Go slow! This is in more ways than one. First off, even if you run intervals with the Galloway run/walk/run method, you still don't want to be huffing and puffing. Jog. (And don't be afraid of the word 'jog'.) But also, go slow in expectations. If you start out slower than that 16 minute/mile pace, don't sweat it. It gets easier. It just takes some time, so be patient and enjoy being outside! (Going slow also helps prevent injuries. Same goes for trying to run quiet. The less noise you make, the softer you're hitting the ground, and the better for your joints.)
3-
Be aggressive with your injuries! That means, more often than not, call an ortho (NOT your family practitioner). While ice and stretches aren't bad, you really need to be doing eccentric heel drops. (Go online and look up "achilles treatment runners", and you'll find a wealth of information. Trusted sources, like runnersworld, runnersconnect, competitor, etc, will often prescribe the exact same thing.) Listen to your body. Don't run through an injury, but when you have a good rehab plan from a doc, follow it. Also, don't settle for ice and ibuprofen (actually, avoid ibuprofen unless you're in serious pain). You always want to be looking for rehabilitation exercises to help you recover.
But all in all, this is totally within reach for you! And there's tons of information online from all levels of runners, so some research is also a good idea. I do recommend using Galloway's run/walk/run. You got this!