The following running schedule was created by Budd Coates, Health Promotions Manager at Rodale Press, who instructs a corporate beginning running program. Coates has taken nonrunners and, in 10 weeks helped them reach their goal of running the 3.5-mile Chemical Bank Corporate Challenge.
Before you start with this schedule, get your legs ready with eight days of walking: walk 20 minutes a day for the first four days, then increase to 30 minutes a day for four more days. Now you're ready to begin with week 1.
Each week of the program, do your run/walk workouts on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and take Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday off.
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Week 1 |
Week 6 Run 9 minutes, walk 2 minutes. Repeat twice, then run 8 minutes. |
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Week 2 Run 3 minutes, walk 3 minutes. Repeat five times. |
Week 7 Run 9 minutes, walk 1 minute. Repeat three times. |
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Week 3 Run 5 minutes, walk 2 1/2 minutes. Repeat four times. |
Week 8 Run 13 minutes, walk 2 minutes. Repeat twice. |
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Week 4 Run 7 minutes, walk 2 minutes. Repeat three times. |
Week 9 Run 14 minutes, walk 1 minute. Repeat twice. |
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Week 5 Run 8 minutes, walk 2 minutes. Repeat three times. |
Week 10 Run 30 minutes. |
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Note: After completing week 9, if you feel tired repeat this week of training before moving on to week 10. |
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From RUNNER'S WORLD, March 1985