Here is the program I used during my first 2 months of running. Hope it will help you as it helped me.
Follow this plan to become a runner. By Amby Burfoot From the August 2004 issue of Runner's World
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
| Wk | Mon | Tues | Weds | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| 1 | Run & Walk
Run 1 min
Walk 2 min
Repeat 10X | Walk
Walk easy 30 min | Run & Walk
Run 1 min
Walk 2 min
Repeat 10X | Walk
Walk easy 30 min | Run & Walk
Run 1 min
Walk 2 min
Repeat 10X | Run & Walk
Run 1 min
Walk 2 min
Repeat 10X | Rest |
Training tip:
To fuel up for your workout, have a piece of fruit or an energy bar about 2 hours before 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
Run 2 min
Walk 1 min
Repeat 10X | Walk
Walk easy 30 min | Run & Walk
Run 3 min
Walk 1 min
Repeat 7X
Run 2 min | Walk
Walk easy 30 min | Run & Walk
Run 4 min
Walk 1 min
Repeat 6X | Run & Walk
Run 4 min
Walk 1 min
Repeat 6X | Rest |
Training tip:
Always walk 2 to 3 minutes for a warmup before you begin your workout, and walk another 2 to 3 minutes as a cooldown afterward. Don't stretch before 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
Run 5 min
Walk 1 min
Repeat 5X | Walk
Walk easy 30 min | Run & Walk
Run 5 min
Walk 1 min
Repeat 5X | Walk
Walk easy 30 min | Run & Walk
Run6 min
Walk 1 min
Repeat 4X
Run 2 min | Run & Walk
Run 6 min
Walk 1 min
Repeat 4X
Run 2 min | Rest |
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
Run 8 min
Walk 1 min
Repeat 3X
Run 3 min | Walk
Walk easy 30 min | Run & Walk
Run 9 min
Walk 1 min
Repeat 3X | Walk
Walk easy 30 min | Run & Walk
Run 10 min
Walk 1 min
Repeat 2X
Run 8 min | Run & Walk
Run 11 min
Walk 1 min
Repeat 2X
Run 6 min | Rest |
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
Run 12 min
Walk 1 min
Repeat 2X
Run 4 min | Walk
Walk easy 30 min | Run & Walk
Run 13 min
Walk 1 min
Repeat 2X
Run 2 min | Walk
Walk easy 30 min | Run & Walk
Run 14 min
Walk 1 min
Repeat 2X | Run & Walk
Run 15 min
Walk 1 min
Run 14 min | Rest |
Training tip:
On occasion, skip your running and walking workout and do a cross-training workout instead. Bike for 30 to 40 minutes, try the elliptical trainer in a gym, or join a circuit weight-training class. The break from running will refresh you, and you'll learn new skills while developing new muscles.
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
Run 16 min
Walk 1 min
Run 13 min | Walk
Walk easy 30 min | Run & Walk
Run 17 min
Walk 1 min
Run 12 min | Walk
Walk easy 30 min | Run & Walk
Run 18 min
Walk 1 min
Run 11 min | Run & Walk
Run 19 min
Walk 1 min
Run 10 min | Rest |
Training tip:
Running is a great way to build strong bones, but you also need plenty of calcium--1,000 milligrams a day, or 1,500 milligrams if you're over age 50. Drink a glass or two of 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 20 min
Walk 1 min
Run 9 min | Run & Walk
Run 20 min
Walk 1 min
Run 9 min | Run & Walk
Run 22 min
Walk 1 min
Run 7 min | Walk
Walk easy 30 min | Run & Walk
Run 24 min
Walk 1 min
Run 5 min | Run & Walk
Run 26 min
Walk 1 min
Run 3 min | Rest |
Training tip:
Beginning runners often develop shin splints or sore knees. These pains should pass 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
| Wk | Mon | Tues | Weds | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| 8 | Run & Walk
Run 27 min
Walk 1 min
Run 2 min | Walk
Run 20 min
Walk 1 min
Run 9 min | Run & Walk
Run 28 min
Walk 1 min
Run 1 min | Walk
Walk easy 30 min | Run & Walk
Run 29 min
Walk 1 min | Run & Walk
Run 30 min | Rest |
Training tip:
For clean air and healthy lungs, try not to do your workouts at the side of a busy 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.
