The Ultimate Beginner Running Plan
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Success isn’t how far you got, but the distance you traveled from where you started.
-Steve Prefontaine
The Ultimate Beginner Running Plan
There have been many articles published by us here at Growstronger.com about nutrition and running. Many of these are geared towards a more knowledgeable reader, already well versed with the basics of their training. We feel this is not a complete approach though, because some the most important articles should be for the beginners. After all, its the one stage everyone has to go through.
This is a training plan for anyone. It is meant for those of us who haven’t run in years or maybe never at all. It will take you from sitting on your couch to being able to run for 30 minutes in just a few weeks. This plan also works well as a generalized 5k training plan. So lets get started!!
The basics. There are a few basic rules when it comes to running that will help to prevent injuries and take some of the general stigmas away from the idea of running for many people. We will briefly list these, as a more detailed discussion of each is not necessary at this stage.
The 10% Rule. This is a big one, especially for beginners. During your training, you never want to increase your weekly mileage by more than 10%. No ifs ands or buts about it! The 10% increase keeps you from doing too much too soon and allows time for your body to adjust to the added stress. Every 3-4 weeks you want to have a week that was 50% of your previous week. The decrease is a rest week and allows your body to really absorb the benefits of the training.
Run Through Fatigue, Not Pain. So many people associate running with pain. This is a misnomer. If you are suffering from acute sharp pain, STOP. Don’t run anymore. Take a few days off and try again. If it persists, go to your doctor. If you are suffering from a more long-term chronic pain, STOP. Take a rest break and follow the same advice above. When runners talk about running through pain, they are talking more about the physical and mental fatigue and stress incurred. This is something very different and something that a beginner will not encounter. If, however, you have to think about whether it hurts or not, you are probably simply over-thinking and should continue to run.
Running is Enjoyable, Not Boring. Running can be boring but only if you let it. There is no reason to not listen to any music while you run, just watch out in traffic. Many people take up trail running because of the constant state of attention needed. Many people find running itself to be a form of meditation. Thinking of it this way can take the boredom out of it and give yourself some perhaps well-needed quiet time. It is important to not let running ever get too stale or boring. Burnout, especially as a beginner, is a real possibility, and needs to be taken care of proactively.
And now, the plan. The 30 minute build-up utilized in this plan is a great base to reach for any runner. For runners who want to train for their first 5k, this plan is also a great tool, as that 30 minute mark will give anyone enough endurance to reach their goal of running 5 Kilometers! Click the following link to download an excel version-GrowStronger5KmPlan.
All running times are totals only, you can break up the time into as many increments as you wish, as long as the total running time is the same, it doesn’t matter if you run a solid 5 minutes, or run 10 , 30 second increments!
Week 1
Monday- Walk 30 minutes
Tuesday- Walk 25, Run 5
Wednesday- off
Thursday- Walk 23, Run 7
Friday- Walk 15
Saturday- Walk 23, Run 7
Sunday- off
Week 2
Monday- Walk 25, Run 5
Tuesday- Walk 24, Run 6
Wednesday- off
Thursday- Walk 22, Run 8
Friday- off
Saturday- Walk 27, Run 3
Sunday- off
Week 3
Monday- Walk 23, Run 7
Tuesday- off
Wednesday- Walk 23, Run 7
Thursday- off
Friday- Walk 21, Run 9
Saturday- Walk 28:30, Run 1:30
Sunday- off
Week 4
Monday- Walk 30
Tuesday- off
Wednesday- Walk 26, Run 4
Thursday- off
Friday- Walk 25, Run 5
Saturday- Walk 28, Run 2
Sunday- off
Week 5
Monday- Walk 23, run 7
Tuesday- off
Wednesday- Walk 25, Run 5
Thursday- off
Friday- Walk 21, Run 9
Saturday- Walk 24, Run 6
Sunday- off
Week 6
Monday- Walk 23, Run 7
Tuesday- off
Wednesday- Run 10, No walk
Thursday- off
Friday- Walk 22, Run 8
Saturday- Walk 25, Run 5
Sunday- off
Week 7
Monday- Run 5, No Walk
Tuesday- off
Wednesday- Walk 25, Run 5
Thursday- off
Friday- Run 4, No walk
Saturday- off
Sunday- off
Week 8
Monday- Run 10, No Walk
Tuesday- off
Wednesday- Walk 20, Run 10
Thursday- off
Friday- Run 10
Saturday- Walk 15
Sunday- off
Week 9
Monday- Run 10
Tuesday- off
Wednesday- Walk 20, Run 10
Thursday- Walk 15
Friday- Run 13
Saturday- off
Sunday- off
Week 10
Monday- Walk 19, Run 11
Tuesday- off
Wednesday- Run 10
Thursday- off
Friday- Run 15
Saturday- off
Sunday- off
Week 11
Monday- Run 5
Tuesday- off
Wednesday- Run 5
Thursday- off
Friday- Run 6
Saturday- off
Sunday- off
Week 12
Monday- Run 12
Tuesday- off
Wednesday- Run 8
Thursday- off
Friday- Run 5
Saturday- Run 12
Sunday- off
Week 13
Monday- Run 15
Tuesday- off
Wednesday- Run 6
Thursday- Run 7
Friday- off
Saturday- Run 18
Sunday-off
Week 14
Monday- Run 8
Tuesday- off
Wednesday- Run 7
Thursday- Run 5
Friday- off
Saturday- Run 25
Sunday- off
Week 15
Monday- Run 5
Tuesday- off
Wednesday- Run 10
Thursday- off
Friday- Run 7
Saturday- off
Sunday- off
Week 16- Final Week
Monday- Run 6
Tuesday- off
Wednesday- Run 5
Thursday- Run 9
Friday- off
Saturday- Run 30
Sunday- off
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