When I first started trying to lose weight, the main exercise I went for was running. I did my own version of “Couch to 5k” program. It took me about two months, but eventually I was able to run an entire mile without stopping. But 1 mile led to 2 miles, which led to 3 miles, which lead to a 5k, and so on. The above pic is from my last race, the Make My Day 12k (which I’ve never taken a race picture that didn’t look like I was in sheer agony).
But no matter what your level, the good news is a new report shows that no matter if you’re an ultra-marathoner or just run a couple of miles around the block, running can reduce your risk of death by heart disease by about 50%.
If you’re not running and would like to start, below is the program I used to start. All you need is a stopwatch and a descent pair of running shoes. I strongly suggest you buy a pair of good running shoes – if you try to run in old basketball sneakers or something you will hurt yourself.
Week 1
Monday – Run 1 minute, walk 2 minutes – repeat 10 times.
Wednesday – Run 1 minute, walk 3 minutes – repeat 8 times
Friday – Run 1 minute, walk 2 minutes – repeat 10 times.
Week 2
Monday – Run 1.5 minutes, walk 2 minutes – repeat 10 times.
Wednesday – Run 1 minute, walk 2 minutes – repeat 8 times
Friday – Run 1.5 minute, walk 2 minutes – repeat 10 times.
Week 3
Monday – Run 2 minutes, walk 1 minutes – repeat 10 times.
Wednesday – Run 2 minute, walk 2 minutes – repeat 8 times
Friday – Run 2 minute, walk 1 minutes – repeat 10 times.
Week 4
Monday – Run 3 minutes, walk 1 minutes – repeat 8 times.
Wednesday – Run 2 minute, walk 1 minutes – repeat 10 times
Friday – Run 3 minute, walk 1 minutes – repeat 8 times.
Week 5
Monday – Run 4 minutes, walk 1 minutes – repeat 6 times.
Wednesday – Run 3 minute, walk 1 minutes – repeat 8 times
Friday – Run 4 minute, walk 1 minutes – repeat 6 times.
Week 6
Monday – Run 6 minutes, walk 30 seconds – repeat 5 times.
Wednesday – Run 4 minute, walk 1 minutes – repeat 6 times
Friday – Run 6 minute, walk 30 seconds – repeat 5 times.
Week 7
Monday – Run 8 minutes, walk 30 seconds – repeat 4 times.
Wednesday – Run 6 minute, walk 1 minutes – repeat 4 times
Friday – Run 8 minute, walk 30 seconds – repeat 4 times.
Week 8
Monday – Run 10 minutes, walk 30 seconds – repeat 3 times.
Wednesday – Run 8 minute, walk 30 seconds – repeat 4 times
Friday – Run 10 minute, walk 30 seconds – repeat 3 times.
By Week 9, you should be able to run 30 minutes straight without a walk break!
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