Comments on: Easy start running plan – Run for 30 minutes in just 10 weeks

By: Brad

Brad — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:06:32 +0000

Rosemary,

Remember that if you can’t make the third week numbers, stay at week 2 for another week until you are ready to go. Good luck and yes, you can do it!

By: Rosemary S

Rosemary S — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:59:27 +0000

Just complete week 2 and I somehow managed(barely) to run a full 3 minutes. Totally freak out about week 3, 5 minutes of running. Oh m y gosh. Will be positive and give it a really good go. I can do it I can it! LOL .

By: Brad

Brad — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:53:24 +0000

I just really wanted to thank you for posting this workout on your website. I have just started working out again and this is going to really help me get into shape for the summer. Keep it going as this is a very helpful website.

By: beginrunning

beginrunning — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:05:42 +0000

@Erin – That’s a busy week! 1 or 2 sessions per week should be effective as you’re doing other classes. It’s a good idea to extend each stage over 2 weeks and be prepared to drop something if you start suffering or stop completely for a while at any sign of injury. This is especially true in the beginning and you can always reintroduce things as you get fitter. The Zumba classes should contribute to your aerobic fitness anyway, although participants I’ve spoken to say the classes tend to be high intensity.

Looks like you’ve got a fun program and I’d be interested to hear how the running plan fits in with your other activities. Good luck.

By: Erin

Erin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:24:50 +0000

I’m just starting your running plan, but I’m finding it tricky to fit in 3 running sessions a week because I’m already doing some regular classes at the gym (weights, zumba). So I can probably only fit in 1-2 running sessions a week.

Do you think this plan will be just as effective if I do 1-2 sessions of running (plus my regular weights and zumba classes) each week – then maybe take 2 weeks to complete each stage instead of 2?

Or does the running plan only work if you run at least 3 times per week?

By: beginrunning

beginrunning — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:15:11 +0000

@Alejandro Z. – Good luck and hope you enjoy your recovering lungs!

@Rosemary S – During the walking part you can walk at normal pace. You don’t need to walk fast as this could tire you too much making it harder to finish the sessions. Good luck with Week 2 and whatever running duration you decide to do

By: Rosemary S

Rosemary S — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 07:07:06 +0000

Hi all, tough fist week I don’t know how I will manage 3 minutes of running in week 2. I will give it my best try, if jit is just to tough for me I will instead run for 2.5 mins, walk 3,5 minutes as giving up is not an option. Just wanted to know if during the walking part of the program does one walk briskly or does have to power walk fast not sure.

Iam greatly inspired by the many comments, as does give one hope that it get better. Particulary one when is so unfit. Your fellow runner from South Africa.

By: Alejandro Z.

Alejandro Z. — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:43:37 +0000

Hi! Quited smoking a year ago now, and wanted to start running “from scratch” and never done any intense excercice before.

Im trying this and will keep you guys updated with the results.

By now I added this excercise plan to my Runkeeper app: http://i42.tinypic.com/rh8w7k.png

Thanks!

By: beginrunning

beginrunning — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:43:41 +0000

@Steve – It’s great to hear about your success and that the plan inspired you to start running. Good luck with that 10k and thanks for your comments.

@Mandy – As you’re on the first week it will be a bit of a struggle. If your completing the sessions then you’re doing OK

If you’re really struggling there are few things to look at although it’s a case of trial and error. Perhaps the yoga warm up is working against you so you could try a 5 min walk instead and then reintroduce yoga when you more used to running. You say the feeling reminds you of running at school. That sensation of breathlessness and weak legs takes a bit of getting used to and it can be a psychological hurdle as well as a physical one. I felt the same at school (and for 25 years after) but am OK with it now I’ve got used to the feeling. It did take a while though! The low carb diet may be an issue too since your muscles need adequate fuel available to do the runs. During running you need glycogen from carbs rather than forcing your body to metabolize fat to produce energy. Maybe the low carb diet is something to try later! Finally you may just need to slow down a little as you should have a bit to spare at the end of the session. You could also repeat the week again until you feel ready to go to the next stage. Congratulations for getting off to a good start and good luck!

By: mandy

mandy — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 10:51:27 +0000

I’ve just completed week one
Thanks for the advice that you gave me, I thought about what you said about the yoga, and agreed that I’d be best to do it on my running days. I thought I’d try and include it into my running regime though to try and save time, so I do the first half of my yoga BEFORE i run, as a warm up, and the second half of it as a cool down.
So far, this seems to be going ok,but I have to be honest, I’m dreading stepping up to run 3 minutes this week as after nearly two mins of running, i’m really willing the timer to call two mins! lol I always used to feel like my legs had no energy for running at school, and it still feels like that now!! Could that be due to my diet or just lack of excersize?
I do normally try to follow a low carb diet, but I’m wondering if I’m gonna have to go against my grain and start increasing the carbs now?

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 15:46:47 +0000

Well I thought I would leave a comment once I had completed the plan. I actually started 6 weeks ago unable to run more than a couple of minutes. After a couple of weeks I was enjoying the feeling of exercising so much I started cross training in the gym on my rest days. As a result I couldn’t help jumping ahead and ran my first 5k without stopping this week. So I guess I cheated on the plan at the end but it certainly got me inspired to start running and has definitely done the trick. Next stop 10k. Thanks for posting the plan & if like me you’re unsure about starting I can only recommend the feeling once you get into your stride!

By: beginrunning

beginrunning — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:10:05 +0000

@Tyler – Running might help you lose a small amount of weight even if you don’t start a diet right away as you’ll be burning more calories than normal. However if you want to lose a significant amount of weight you need to cut calories too as 30 min runs alone are unlikely to be enough. You will start build cardio straight away. When you do lose wight it will reduce all over although some areas will hang onto it longer than others! – Everyone is different. Muscle building or ‘toning’ won’t reduce the fat in specific areas but once you’ve lost weight you’ll see the benefits of that hard work.

It sounds like your half way there with diet as you know what you want to change and even cutting back on the calorie dense food and drink will help. When you get around to it a good diet will provide the nutrients your body needs to adapt to all the cardio and muscle building training you’ll be doing. Good luck.

@Wendi – For this plan it’s not quite every other day as you run three times in 7 days eg Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

By: Wendi

Wendi — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:15:13 +0000

How often should a person run for 30 minutes? Every other day? Thanks.

By: Tyler

Tyler — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:36:52 +0000

I am 21 at 5’8″ and 240 pounds. I’m having trouble with routine building and dieting. I was raised with poor eating habits and have a pretty stereotypical college pizza and beer diet. Don’t have much cooking skills and honestly dont know where to begin on diet building as I have a horrible gag reflex to certain foods. I have a feeling I can get into it eventually. But i have a question. Ive pretty easily taken to running on elliptical machines. Even on my first day doing it I ran about 2.5 miles in half an hour. Even if I don’t get a solid diet right away, will running everyday still help me lose weight and build cardio? I was really in shape in high school a couple years ago but my body type changed and I’m pretty barrel chested now. I’d like to add arms and abs toning and building to a good cardio routine as well. I understand about not overdoing it and I’m good with my limits so I’m not to worried about injury. Or will just running shed weight off my stomach and chest and I can worry about toning later?

By: beginrunning

beginrunning — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 20:49:33 +0000

@hans – The best speed varies between people and is due to a number of factors but 9kph sounds fast enough. The program is aimed at building aerobic fitness so the goal is to keep the heart rate in a low range. If you can hold a conversation while running then thats the correct speed. Looks like your making good progress!

By: hans

hans — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 19:18:03 +0000

Hi there. I`m on week 7 now and everything is going smooth. I installed Endomondo sportstracker and jog at an average pace of 9km/ph. Just wanted to hear if thats decent or whether I should kick it up a gear

By: beginrunning

beginrunning — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:46:21 +0000

@Mandy – As far as alternating Yoga and running you’ll probably have to see how it goes and try some variations. Since you’ve been doing yoga for a year you’ve already adapted to it but when you first start running it may be struggle to do both. If this is the case then for the first couple of weeks you could drop 1 or 2 yoga sessions, then reintroduce them as you get used to running or feel able. I’d probably aim to do yoga on the same day, but after running and with a break in between! If your not pushing to get to the next yoga level but repeating familiar postures then you might find doing yoga the following day easier although you’ll ache a bit from running until you get used to it.

That year of yoga practice will be helpful as it will have improved your strength and balance. I’d be interested to hear which option works best for you. Good luck!

By: Mandy

Mandy — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 12:45:56 +0000

Just a quick question if I may please, as mentioned above, I do Yoga, usually every other day if i’m able. Am I best alternating the Yoga days with my running days, or should I aim to do both in the same day if I can find the time, therefore giving me a total rest day in between? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thankyou

By: Mandy

Mandy — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 11:14:19 +0000

Hi, i’ve just signed up to run a 10k race for charity, and the thought of it scares me silly! lol I hated running at school (I left in 1991), the thought of doing anything over 200m used to make me feel sick, so this race is going to be both a mental and physical challange for me. I have been scanning the internet to see how best to prepare, (the race is in 19 weeks), and have just found this thread
I have been doing Yoga for about a year now, but I realise that I havnt done ANY kind of cardio training for a very long time, so I’ve been anticipating the fact that my heart isnt going to like the change in my routine!!
The programme that you have outlined above sounds JUST what I have been looking for to get me going without scaring my body half to death. The kids go to their dads for a couple of hours every other day, so i’m thinking that this plan is easily achievable to fit into my hektic life.
Many thanks for posting this x

By: beginrunning

beginrunning — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:18:34 +0000

@anson – Shin splints can have a number of causes and are often the result of too much running too quickly. The first step would be to see a physiotherapist and identify any biomechanical issues then get fitted for the correct shoe type (you can always progress to a minimal shoe later). Try to avoid very hard sufaces, make sure you stretch after every run, take things slowly and stop running at the first sign of any pain. When you where in the army it’s likely you increased mileage too fast and ran carrying a backpack with the wrong footwear on difficult terrain. But you probably didn’t have much choice and had someone shouting at you