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The
Beginner's Program It is
great when someone makes the decision to
start running. Whatever the reason or
goal is for the decision, the time has
come to get serious. But what is next?
You have gone to a local running store
and been fitted for the proper shoes, got
the shorts, t-shirt and socks. But have
you searched for a beginner's program?
Everyone is looking for the perfect
program.There are many Learn to Run
programs out on the market. What do they
share in common?
A number of
beginners make the decision to just get
out there and get moving. It seems
simple, just put one foot in front of the
other and start running. But if it were
so simple, then why do so many runners
pack it up after a few weeks? This
article will deal with one key component
of starting to run and that is the
running program itself. Components: Almost
all Learn to Run programs incorporate
some type of a walk component and a run
component. This allows the beginner to
insert regular walking intervals to allow
the body to recover. The body has to
learn how to run and endurance has to be
built up. This requires sequential
planning. Time
or Distance: Most
Learn to Run programs are based on time,
meaning that endurance is built up by
increasing the time period that you can
run. Some Learn to Run programs are
distance based, in that you run longer
distances each time you run. So which do
you choose? Hard
Copy Sources: In Running,
Start to Finish by
John Stanton, his Beginner's Condition
Program starts with a goal of walking
briskly for 30 minutes. Once you can walk
for 30 minutes, you can start
interspersing easy running into the
walking. By doing this over several
weeks, a beginner can progress to
non-stop running. The Run/Walk training
session begins with Week 1 having the
beginner run for one minute and then walk
for two minutes. This is done six times
and ends with a one minute run. The total
actual running time for this session is 7
minutes. All running should be done at a
conversational pace. This should be done
3-4 times a week. The Running Room
program gradually increases the running
time until after 10 weeks, you are
running 20 minutes non-stop. This is a
time based program. John says, "The
real secret to staying committed is to
make your program gentle enough for your
current physical condition and yet
challenging enough that you will see some
progress." In The
Complete Book of Running for Women
by Claire Kowalchik, she recommends a
Learn to Run program by Budd Coates. It
takes you from zero to 30 minutes of
non-stop running in 10 weeks. Everyone
who has followed this program has
completed it successfully. It combines
walking and running for a total of 30
minutes each session and progresses to 30
minutes of running. Week one begins with
running for 2 minutes, walking for 4
minutes and repeating this four times.
This is done four times that week. Marathon,
the Ultimate Training Guide,
by Hal Higdon, recommends that "If
you've never run before, focus your
attention on time rather than distance or
pace." He has a beginner run/walk
for a 15 minute period the first week.
"You should be worrying about time,
not distance or pace. You can record
distance and pace, but if you try to
increase either, you're more likely to ge
injured." Ian
MacNeill and the Sport Medicine Council
of British Columbia in The
Beginning Runner's Handbook
have a 13-Week Walk/Run Program that
begins conservatively with a run for 30
seconds followed with a 4 minute 30
second walk. This is repeated 7 times
each session. Gradually the run time is
increased while the walk time is reduced.
This program has been used successfully
by thousands of people to prepare for one
of the largest running/walking events,
the Vancouver Sun Run. Galloway's
Book on Running, by
Bill Rodgers, Dr Kenneth H. Cooper, Frank
Shorter, Dr Joan L. Ullyot, Bob Anderson
and Dr George Sheehan
mention,"Beginners who don't put
pressure on themselves seem to have an
easier time staying with it. If you
simply walk/jog 30-40 minutes every other
day, you'll find yourself gently swept
along in a pattern of relaxation and good
feeling." Galloway's book recommends
that when you are comfortable walking
briskly, that you insert 3-4 jogs of 100
yards or so into your 30 minute walk.
Gradually you increase the running as
desired up to 40 minutes three times a
week. This was the first source found
that mentioned a distance in the program,
but Galloway's book was first published
in 1945 and the revised edition in August
1984. In How
to Train For and Run Your Best Marathon,
by Gordon Bakoulis Bloch, the beginning
runner is recommended starting out with
walks of 20-30 minutes three or more
times a week. "After
two weeks of walking, you can start
interspersing one-minute jogs into your
walks. Hold yourself to a minute at a
time for at least a week, interspersed
with walking segments of at least two
minutes, for twenty to thirty minutes.
After a week or two, you should start
lengthening the jogging segments and
shortening the walks." Web
sites: If you are
partial to the internet, there are these
sources: 1. Jeff Galloway on his website
recommends walking breaks for all types
of runners. "If
you use the main running muscles in the
same way, step after step, they will
fatigue quicker. As the distance gets
longer, the fatigue and damage to the
muscles increases dramatically. If,
however, you shift your usage of the
forward motion muscles, you'll extend the
capacity of each use of the muscle. *
Beginners take jogging breaks in their
walks (one-minute jogs, every five
minutes of running). *
As beginners get in better shape, they
may increase the jogging gradually.
*
Fitness runners will take a two-minute
walk break after two to three minutes of
jogging. *
Average runners take walk breaks every
three to eight minutes in long runs. *
Advanced runners take walk breaks or
"cruise" breaks: a fast shuffle
every mile. " Jeff
Galloway also recommends a time based 5K
program. * Don't wait to
take walk breaks. By alternating walking
and running from the beginning, you speed
recovery without losing any of the
endurance effect of the long one. Start
with jogging one to two minutes and
walking two to three minutes. As your
training level increases you can adjust
your run/walk ratio to running 5
minutes/walking one minute on your long
runs. from:
www.jeffgalloway.com-walk.htm "Advice from
Windmilers coach Wen
Seear Anyone
can run. Anyone who tries can improve. Repeat
the above cycle (Weeks 1 - 8) with a
mixture of jogging and walking until you
can run three times a week for 20 minutes
without walking. Then increase each run
as in Weeks 1-8 by 5 minutes. " from:
www.windmilers.org.uk/gettingstarted.htm 3.
Hal Higdon's
Website has a 30/30 plan for beginners: Walk
out the door and go 15 minutes in
one direction, turn around, and
return 15 minutes to where you
started: 30 minutes total. For
the first 10 minutes of your
workout, it is obligatory that
you walk: No running! For
the last 5 minutes of your
workout, it is obligatory that
you walk: Again, no running! During
the middle 15 minutes of the
workout, you are free to jog or
run--as long as you do so easily
and do not push yourself. Here's
how to run during those middle 15
minutes: Jog for 30 seconds, walk
until you are recovered, jog 30
seconds again. Jog, walk. Jog,
walk. Jog, walk. Once
comfortable jogging and walking,
adapt a 30/30 pattern: jogging 30
seconds, walking 30 seconds, etc.
Follow
this 30/30 pattern for 30 days.
If you train continuously (every
day), you can complete this stage
in a month. If you train only
every other day, it will take you
two months. Do what your body
tells you. Everyone is different
in their ability to adapt to
exercise. When you're beginning,
it is better to do too little
than too much. If
you continue this 30/30 routine
for 30 days, you will finish the
month able to cover between one
and two miles walking and
jogging. You are now ready to
progress to the next stage of
your training as a beginning
runner. Your
next goal is to develop an
ability to run continuously for a
mile, then two miles, then more
if you want. The way to do that
is to gradually increase the
length of time in the middle of
your workout spent jogging and
decrease the number of walking
breaks. Do 45/30 (45 seconds
jogging, 30 seconds walking),
then 60/30, then 75/30, or 60/15.
from
Hal
Higdon's website 4.
The Cool Running website features
two beginner's programs, one a
distance based and the other time
based: GOAL
FOR THE WEEK: To be able to jog
one mile without stopping. Warm
up adequately before each run.
Jog at a pace that would allow
you to comfortably converse with
a running partner. When you begin
to feel excessively tired, walk.
Continue walking until you're
ready to run again. After each
run, spend a few minutes doing
some "warm down"
excercises. Your body will
recover more quickly if you do.
With each subsequent outing, try
to run nonstop a little farther
than you did the previous time.
Don't panic if you miss a workout
because of bad weather or an
honest lack of time. Do your best
to follow each week's training
schedule, using the built-in rest
days to squeeze in a regularly
scheduled run you may have
missed. Remember your goal for
the week - a one-mile run
nonstop. Go the distance! b.
A
Running Program: Making Strides
for Sanity and Vanity by Kathrine
Switzer Week 2:
Walk 3 minutes, Run 3 minutes --
repeat four more times. Week 3:
Walk 2 1/2 minutes, Run 5
minutes-repeat three more times Week 4:
Walk 3 minutes, Run 7 minutes --
repeat two more times Week 5:
Walk 2 minutes, Run 8 minutes --
repeat two more times Week 6:
Walk 2 minutes, Run 9 minutes-
repeat once then run for 8
minutes Week 7:
Walk 1 minute, Run 9 minutes,
repeat two more times Week 8:
Walk 2 minutes, Run 13 minutes,
repeat once Week 9:
Walk 1 minute, run 14 minutes --
repeat once from
website of Kathrine Switzer -
Program Director - Avon
Running 5.
Women in
Motion Learn to
Run Program: Keep
in mind that this is a sample
program. If you are looking at
getting in shape by running, this
may work for you. Try
running for one minute and then
walking for a minute. After one
week, move to running for two
minutes and walking for a minute.
Increase
the running component by one min
each week after that, until you
are up to twenty minutes of
running Beginner's
Running Program Week
- - - - - - - - - - -Run-Walk
Ratio (Approximately 20 Minute
Total) -
- - - 1 - - - - - - - - - - - -
-Run 2 minutes, walk 1 minute -do
this for 21 minutes total. -
- - - 2 - - - - - - - - - - - -
-Run 3 minutes, walk 1 minute -do
this for 20 minutes total. -
- - - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - -
-Run 4 minutes, walk 1 minute -do
this for 20 minutes total. -
- - - 4 - - - - - - - - - - - -
-Run 5 minutes, walk 1 minute -do
this for 24 minutes total. -
- - - 5 - - - - - - - - - - - -
-Run 6 minutes, walk 1 minute -do
this for 21 minutes total. <-
- - - 6 - - - - - - - - - - - -
-Run 7 minutes, walk 1 minute -do
this for 24 minutes total. -
- - - 7 - - - - - - - - - - - -
-Run 8 minutes, walk 1 minute -do
this for 27 minutes total -
- - - 8 - - - - - - - - - - - -
-Run 9 minutes, walk 1 minute -do
this for 20 minutes total -
- - - 9 - - - - - - - - - - - -
-Run 10 minutes, walk 1 minute
-do this for 22 minutes total -
- - -10 - - - - - - - - - - - -
-Run 11 minutes, walk 1 minute
-do this for 24 minutes total. -
- - -11 - - - - - - - - - - - -
-Run 12 minutes, walk 1 minute
-do this for 26 minutes total. -
- - -12 - - - - - - - - - - - -
-Run 13 minutes, walk 1 minute
-do this for 28 minutes total. -
- - -13 - - - - - - - - - - - -
-Run 14 minutes, walk 1 minute
-do this for 30 minutes total. -
- - -14 - - - - - - - - - - - -
-Run 15 minutes, walk 1 minute
-do this for 16 minutes total. -
- - -15 - - - - - - - - - - - -
-Run 16 minutes. -
- - -16 - - - - - - - - - - - -
-Run 17 minutes. -
- - -17 - - - - - - - - - - - -
-Run 18 minutes. -
- - -18 - - - - - - - - - - - -
-Run 19 minutes. -
- - -19 - - - - - - - - - - - -
-Run 20 minutes. Work
at this until you can run 20
minutes non-stop.
from
the Women in
Motion website. The
vast majority of programs for the
beginner that were researched are time
based. Women in Motion checked several
running clinics in the city. All clinics
were consistant in that they all use a
time based program because it offers an
almost 100% guarantee of success. It was
felt that distance based programs cannot
offer the same success rate. So as a
beginner, which program would you select? Don't
go nuts with mileage. Stay within your
fitness level. If someone is doing more
mileage than you don't worry. You have to
know what works for you. More experienced
runners can do more mileage because their
bodies have been adapted for it.
Bio-mechanics, genetic factors, and
quality training all contribute to a
runner. Remember there is more to running
than just running. Set your own goals.
It's more important to try to keep
running for as long as you can. If you
have to stop running for whatever reasons
stay fit. Brisk walking, swimming, just
stay in shape. It will pay off in the
long run. Listen
to your body, you have to know when to
push it, and when to back off. Don't try
to force yourself to run in pain. Some
people think that if they don't train
hard every day they are not giving it
their all, that's not true. Rest is very
important. Follow the hard-easy
principle. After hard days, take an easy
rest day (easy run,off day, or aerobic
alternative). Runners
stay runners longer if they have someone
to motivate them. Try to find a partner
or group to run with. Being around
friends can really pick your spirit up on
those days when you don't feel like
running. Set
goals and rewards. You have to have a
reason to run. You know what it is, it
keeps you coming back for more day after
day. When you have achieved a goal reward
yourself. Buy something you always
wanted, go out to dinner, or a movie,
find something to reward yourself. Be
creative, find a new route. Do something
unexpected in your run. Most
important: HAVE FUN ! Good
Luck and Great Runs Gord
- Women in Motion -Updated April 15.2006 |
