Training Page 1 of 5

Training: Beginning Running

The Runner's World 8-Week Beginning Runner's

Training Program
Follow this plan to become a runner.

By Amby Burfoot

The training plan that follows is designed to get you to the point where you can run 30 minutes
(about 2 miles) at a slow, relaxed pace. It's a simple, progressive program that begins with
more walking than running, and gradually evolves into more running than walking. Each week's
plan also includes a motivational quote and a training tip.

Once you are able to run 2 miles nonstop, you can decide on your next goal. You might simply
want to continue running 2 miles at a time, three or four days per week. Research has shown
that this is enough to help you lose or maintain weight, and improve many other important
health markers, ie, your cholesterol, blood pressure, and insulin response.

Or you might decide that you want to do more, in which case you can consult the many training
programs offered by the Runner's World SmartCoach. Don't be intimidated by these programs.
The first 2 miles is the hardest 2 miles you will ever run. Once you have reached this level of
fitness, it's relatively easy to do more. You simply have to budget the time, and be patient and
disciplined in your training. Here are 4 key points to consider before you begin the 8-
Week Program.

1. If you are over 40, not accustomed to any exercise, or more than 20 pounds overweight,
consult with your physician. Unless you have a known health risk, your doctor will probably
encourage you to begin a run-walk program, but it's always wise to check.

2. Schedule your workouts. You won't find time for them unless you make time for them. Put
them in your PDA, computer, daily appointment planner, on the front of your refrigerator, or
wherever else you keep your schedule.

3. Expect bad days. Everyone has them, but they pass quickly, and the next workout is often
better than the previous one. So stick with the program.

4. Don't rush. In the fitness world, rushing leads to injuries and discouragement. Be patient,
and go slow. The goal is to reach 30 minutes of continuous running, not to set any records
getting there.

Week 1

"Sit as little as possible. Give no credence to any thought that

was not born outdoors while moving about freely."
--Friedrich Nietzsche

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Training Page 2 of 5

Wk Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat Sun

1 Run & Walk Walk Run & Walk Walk Run & Walk Run & Walk Rest
Run 1 min Walk easy 30 min Run 1 min Walk easy 30 min Run 1 min Run 1 min
Walk 2 min Walk 2 min Walk 2 min Walk 2 min
Repeat 10X Repeat 10X Repeat 10X Repeat 10X

Training tip:
To fuel up for your workout, have a piece of fruit or an energy bar about 2 hoursbefore you lace
up your shoes. An hour later, drink 8 ounces of a sports drink.The drink will ensure that you are
fully hydrated, and also that you have sufficient
sodium and potassium for a healthy workout.

Week 2

"Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors.

Try to be better than yourself."
--William Faulkner

Wk Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat Sun

2 Run & Walk Walk Run & Walk Walk Run & Walk Run & Walk Rest
Run 2 min Walk easy 30 min Run 3 min Walk easy 30 min Run 4 min Run 4 min
Walk 1 min Walk 1 min Walk 1 min Walk 1 min
Repeat 10X Repeat 7X Repeat 6X Repeat 6X
Run 2 min

Training tip:
Always walk 2 to 3 minutes for a warmup before you begin your workout, and walkanother 2 to
3 minutes as a cooldown afterward. Don't stretch prior to running.Save it for after your workout
or in the evening while you're watching TV.

Week 3

"Obstacles are those frightening things that become visible when

we take our eyes off our goals."
--Henry Ford

Wk Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat Sun

3 Run & Walk Walk Run & Walk Walk Run & Walk Run & Walk Rest
Run 5 min Walk easy 30 min Run 5 min Walk easy 30 min Run6 min Run 6 min
Walk 1 min Walk 1 min Walk 1 min Walk 1 min

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Training Page 3 of 5

Repeat 5X Repeat 5X Repeat 4X Repeat 4X

Run 2 min Run 2 min

Training tip:
Hold your arms comfortably at your sides while running, aiming for maximum relaxation.Bend
them 90 degrees at the elbows, and move them forward and back at your waist.Bend your
fingers into a relaxed grasp, and don't let your hands sway back and
forth across the middle of your torso.

Week 4

"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."
--Theodore Roosevelt

Wk Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat Sun

4 Run & Walk Walk Run & Walk Walk Run & Walk Run & Walk Rest
Run 8 min Walk easy 30 min Run 9 min Walk easy 30 min Run 10 min Run 11 min
Walk 1 min Walk 1 min Walk 1 min Walk 1 min
Repeat 3X Repeat 3X Repeat 2X Repeat 2X
Run 3 min Run 8 min Run 6 min

Training tip:
In hot, sunny weather, wear sunscreen, sunglasses (to relax your facial muscles), and a visor or
cap to keep the sun off your face. Expect to run slower in particularly
hot, humid weather, and take more walking breaks as necessary. Run in the early
morning or late evening if you can.

Week 5

"Sweat cleanses from the inside. It comes from places a shower

will never reach."
--Dr. George Sheehan

Wk Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat Sun

5 Run & Walk Walk Run & Walk Walk Run & Walk Run & Walk Rest
Run 12 min Walk easy 30 min Run 13 min Walk easy 30 min Run 14 min Run 15 min
Walk 1 min Walk 1 min Walk 1 min Walk 1 min
Repeat 2X Repeat 2X Repeat 2X Run 14 min
Run 4 min Run 2 min

Training tip:
On occasion, skip your running and walking workout and do a cross-training workoutinstead.
Bike for 30 to 40 minutes, try the elliptical trainer in a gym, or joina circuit weight-training class.
The break from running will refresh you, and
you'll learn new skills while developing new muscles.

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Week 6

"You can have anything you want, if you want it badly enough.
You can be anything you want to be, if you hold that desire with singleness
of purpose."
--Abraham Lincoln

Wk Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat Sun

6 Run & Walk Walk Run & Walk Walk Run & Walk Run & Walk Rest
Run 16 min Walk easy 30 min Run 17 min Walk easy 30 min Run 18 min Run 19 min
Walk 1 min Walk 1 min Walk 1 min Walk 1 min
Run 13 min Run 12 min Run 11 min Run 10 min

Training tip:
Running is a great way to build strong bones, but you also need plenty of calcium--
1,000milligrams a day, and 1,500 milligrams if you're over 50. Drink a glass or twoof low-fat
milk per day, or enjoy a cup or two of low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese.
Dark green, leafy vegetables are another great calcium source.

Week 7

"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far
they can go."
--T.S. Eliot

Wk Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat Sun

7 Run & Walk Run & Walk Run & Walk Walk Run & Walk Run & Walk Rest
Run 20 min Run 20 min Run 22 min Walk easy 30 min Run 24 min Run 26 min
Walk 1 min Walk 1 min Walk 1 min Walk 1 min Walk 1 min
Run 9 min Run 9 min Run 7 min Run 5 min Run 3 min

Training tip:
Beginning runners often develop shin splints or sore knees. These pains shouldpass quickly if
you treat them immediately with ice packs after your workouts.
Put a bag of frozen peas on your shins or knees for 15 minutes. If the pain persists,
take several days off before beginning your training program again.

Week 8

"One cannot consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar."

--Helen Keller

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Training Page 5 of 5

Wk Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat Sun

8 Run & Walk Walk Run & Walk Walk Run & Walk Run & Walk Rest
Run 27 min Run 20 min Run 28 min Walk easy 30 min Run 29 min Run 30 min
Walk 1 min Walk 1 min Walk 1 min Walk 1 min
Run 2 min Run 9 min Run 1 min

Training tip:
For clean air and healthy lungs, try not to do your workouts at the side of abusy street or during
rush-hour traffic. Find low-traffic streets where any exhaust
will be dispersed quickly. Even better, as often as possible, try to run in greenbelts--in
parks, on bike trails, around reservoirs, and the like.Success may come quickly
to you as a beginning runner, but the race is never won. Run for life.

Copyright © 2008 Rodale Inc. All rights reserved.

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