You want to run.
Maybe to lose weight, maybe to have better health, maybe to fulfill a
half-buried dream. For whatever reason, you've decided to run, and you are
excited to get started. Here is a plan to get you going.
This plan is a
suggested approach that will help you become a runner. This plan observes both the 10%
rule and the heavy/light rule, and it includes a monthly recovery week of
reduced running/walking that is
followed by a week of the distance you ran before the recovery week. Because of the relatively small increases in
distance, this plan takes longer than some of you might want to spend. Feel free
to adjust the plan to fit your interests and body condition. As you follow
the plan, focus on completing the distance and don't worry about speed. Just
run or walk at a comfortable pace. In fact, this caution about focusing on distance not
speed should be your guide later on as you advance to longer distances.
Overview
This plan will
help persons who want to run to progress from no running to running 30 minutes
three times a week. There are four phases to this plan. Each phase has a
measurable goal.
- You will first walk but not run three times a week,
making small increases in the time you spend each week, until you are walking
for 20 minutes. You will be walking approximately a mile, but you are walking by
time not distance. This will help your body adjust to the increased stress
of walking without having a high risk of injury, since walking is much easier on your body than
running. Take as many weeks for this phase as you need.
- Next, you will add small amounts of running while
continuing to walk the same amount of time that you did in the first phase. When you are
finished with this phase, you will be running for 10 minutes and walking
for 20 minutes. Some runners may want to split the walking into two parts and
put all of their running as one block between the walking. Other runners may
want to mix the walking and the running in small segments. For example, walking
for a minute and then running for a few seconds. The length of the running
is
increased until it is equal to 10 minutes. The length of the walking is not
changed. Take as many weeks for this phase as you need.
- Third, you will continue to add small amounts of running until you are
running for 20 minutes. You are still walking for 20 minutes. Take as many weeks for this phase
as you need.
- Finally, you will slowly increase the amount of running and decrease the
amount of walking until you are doing just running and are doing it for 30
minutes. You are welcome to include short walking
breaks with your running if you would like. If you do take walking breaks, it is
your choice whether or not you include the time spent walking as part of the 30
minutes. I take 30-second walking breaks
every half-mile when I run. I enjoy the few moments of walking, and I feel
invigorated when I resume running. And, I have more energy for the final part of
my run. Take as many weeks for this phase as you need.
All of the
increases in time that you make should be small, typically about 10% of your
weekly time. Based on how you feel, you may make smaller increases in some
weeks and larger increases in other weeks. At the end of this plan, you will be ready
to graduate to an intermediate plan for running. That plan will take you from
your 30 minutes of running three times a week (approximately 9
miles or 14.5 km a week) to 24 miles (38.6 km) a week.
It is important
that you modify this plan to fit both your interests and the capabilities of
your body. For example, you may decide to do more running and less walking. Or,
you may decide to run/walk more than three times a week by adding additional
days in which you run/walk about half the distance you do in the main three days
of your training. These additional days could be days of cross training, such as
swimming or cycling.
Remember that
this plan is just a guide to help you manage your training. It is not something
rigid that you must slavishly follow. As you modify this plan to be your
plan, keep in mind the two rules of running that should govern all of us as we
run: the 10% rule in which we make small increases in our distance or
speed, and the heavy/light rule in which we follow days of heavier stress
with days of lighter stress to give our bodies the 48 hours (or more) that it
needs to recover from the days of heavier stress.
Fall-back Weeks
It is critical
that you give your body sufficient rest after your heavy days such that your
body can repair the damage to its cells and in so doing become stronger. In many
cases, running and walking heavy/light will not give your body sufficient rest.
It is thus advisable to include fall-back weeks in your schedule such that once
a month or so you reduce your weekly time by 20 - 30%. At the end of each
fall-back week, take one or two weeks to return to the time you were doing
before the fall-back week. Then continue with your training.
Deciding How Much Distance to Add
Some of you will
be concerned that this plan doesn't tell you exactly how much to walk or run
each day. Instead, the plan tells you to follow the 10% rule and the heavy/light
rule and to make wise decisions about how much time to spend each day. For some
of you, having this amount of freedom will be a new experience, and it may take
you a few weeks to adjust to this freedom. Hang in there and do the best you can
to slowly increase your distance while listening to your body, and you will soon
get the hang of it. When you have reached your goal of 30 minutes of running you will
be thrilled with your ability to manage yourself, not having to be told exactly what to
do. After all, by listening to your body, you are listening to the greatest
coach you will ever have.
Remember,
you don't have to run or walk for exactly the number of minutes given in the
plan. On days that you feel fine, you may want to run more and walk less. On
days that you are tired, you may want to walk more and run less. Listen to your
body and react accordingly.
Be a Runner not a Slave
Don't feel like
you must follow this plan, or any plan, exactly as it is written. You are
different from all other people on this planet. This plan should serve as a
guide but not a blueprint. Modify this plan to be your plan -- your plan
becomes your blueprint. Learn to listen to your body and to make decisions about
your walking and running based on how your body feels.
