Starting running is a great adventure. It often symbolizes getting fit and returning to sports. Starting jogging is indeed simple for the beginner. Running offers freedom in scheduling, and the places where you can do it are almost limitless. A good pair of running shoes is the starting point for this beautiful adventure that is running! A few tips are still necessary so that starting running is associated with pleasure and not with difficulty, injury, and then giving up.
We are all capable of running!
Yes, we are all capable of running; it is even part of human nature. Humans are not the fastest mammals, but they are certainly the most enduring! However, when our lifestyle becomes sedentary… we need to retrain our bodies for this effort. Because even though running is natural, the impacts of each stride can be very traumatic.
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Fortunately, in the end, it doesn’t take much to respect certain fundamental principles. I will try to summarize here what is essential for me to know if we want to start running… on the right foot! This page is ideal for beginners looking for how to start running well because it includes a special training plan for beginners… while thoroughly explaining the basics of proper training.
>> READ: The benefits of regular jogging proven by science
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Starting running should be done gently
Shoes
The number one rule for starting running is vitality progression. There is no need to rush the body as it is a fragile machine: Adidas Adios 5 (see test) that can be quickly disrupted. Muscles, tendons, joints, heart, lungs… In fact, the entire body of a beginner needs time to adapt to the stresses of running. Starting running is possible for everyone, but the body’s adaptation is not automatic. Adaptation will happen gradually as you practice.
Accompanying your body in this transition ensures good days as a runner! For some, starting to run can therefore rhyme with starting to walk and going little by little! Because walking, if done at a brisk pace, is just as beneficial as running. And nothing prevents you from starting with walking to begin running a bit later when you feel ready!
😉 Adapt your beginnings to your profile!
It’s difficult to set a standard for beginner runners… Indeed, every profile is different. Have you ever run or practiced a sport regularly, but life’s demands temporarily prevented you from doing so? Resuming running while thinking you can do the same volume as before the break would be a utopia. Even if you are not officially a beginner because there is a responsibility, you must adhere to the principles mentioned here.
Having been athletic is always an advantage because the body has memory and will adapt more quickly to the effort. You don’t need to have been a high-level athlete; even being very active daily (lots of walking, for example, to get to work, shopping, or just to move!) helps because walking is a light endurance sport, even if you don’t realize it. Are you recovering from sports after 10 years of a sedentary lifestyle? That’s not a dealbreaker; perhaps in this case, it would be necessary to start with a mix of walking and running.
Above all, don’t be ashamed to walk if necessary!
The desire to run at all costs can hinder your progress if you are not fit enough! Alternating walking and running will allow you to gradually find your rhythm and gently acclimate your body to running. Start by alternating 30″, 1′, or 2′ of running (depending on your fitness level, you will feel if your breathing accelerates very quickly or not) with walking to lower your heart rate. Gradually, walking will become less and less necessary, and you can simply run!
>> READ: Starting without breaking the bank: The Beginner’s Equipment Guide
A training plan for beginners: impossible?
Jacket
From my perspective, wanting to produce “the beginner running training plan” that can be used by everyone is almost impossible. There is no standard beginner but several profiles. You should be able to analyze all your past experiences in detail before providing a training plan. For it to be truly effective, it must be tailored and individualized. However, it can be said that running 2-3 times a week: Salomon Bonati Pro (see test) when starting seems to me to be a maximum not to exceed. Running for 30′ without difficulty should be one of the first goals to set for yourself. And we must move forward to achieve it very gradually!
If your current fitness level only allows you to run for 1′ because after that it becomes too difficult… Then run for 1′ and use walking as your main ally alternating with running. I repeat, but at the beginning your goal is to never be too short. Stay at a pace where you are comfortable, or where you would be able to hold a brief conversation. You will increase the running distance later when it improves. Think of the famous fable by La Fontaine: “There’s no need to rush; you must go at your own pace.” The time for continuous running will come soon enough, don’t worry. For now, the hardest part is starting running; everything else will follow quite well, you’ll see!
The beginner training plan to run for 30′!
Now that you have read everything you need to know to properly use a training plan to start running, I can give you the one I created for you. Simple, effective, you can start from scratch and reach the goal of running for 30′ continuously in just 8 weeks! Of course, it’s to be adapted to your feelings as I mentioned above!
>> And if you want a version with tips throughout your beginnings, I recommend using Campus by clicking here. The beginner program is free and gives you plenty of advice to progress without stress, at your own pace!
Otherwise, you will find here a pdf of the program created before the existence of Campus (so without the tips). One thing to know anyway: if you are very unfit, you can spend more time on the first weeks to avoid taking risks. If on the contrary, you are fit and the start is very easy (and you manage to stay in fundamental endurance during the running sessions, that’s the most important!)… Then skip one or several weeks of the plan!
Start running, yes, but at what pace?
It’s not just in the training volume that you can try to rush things when you are a beginner in running. Misjudging the pace at which you run is one of the traps it’s easy to fall into. Beginner running training must be done at 100% on a fundamental endurance pace. The priority is first that the body adapts to the basic stresses imposed by running. This concept is crucial for all runners, from beginners to professional athletes; everyone must apply it, as it is the foundation of progression. I invite you to read the article on fundamental endurance. It will help you better understand what this key pace is in training for beginners and how to practice it well.
>> The key: Run slowly to run fast
Strengthen for better running
The body must be strengthened in order to consider moving faster. This also involves general physical preparation. Core, back, calf raises, squats… A whole bunch of exercises that will help your muscles better absorb the shocks associated with running. This may not be the number one priority in the first week because your body will be fully adapting to running, but you need to get there fairly quickly.
There are many methods of physical preparation that are often effective; I opt for a complete and proven method: high-intensity physical preparation. These are ideal because they strengthen all muscles; don’t hesitate to use them.
>> SEE: Video presenting 5 fun strength training methods
Starting running is hard
One piece of advice: if you expect a party of pleasure from the very first steps, forget it. Every experienced runner will tell you that even after just a few weeks of stopping running, recovery is tough. So the beginnings… You will necessarily have to go through this phase where even on foot, you are not comfortable. I told you above, there’s no shame in using walking at the start! By being serious about your beginnings, either by running regularly, at the right pace and without rushing the steps… You will quickly move on to the next stage…
In fact, in a few weeks, the first physical and physiological adaptations will start to be felt… And then you can start to enjoy it. The course of the first weeks is very important. It is in this phase that many beginner runners become discouraged. You must persevere; the pleasure comes quite quickly at the end, and we become addicted! In any case, I know many runners or joggers who thought they hated running… who forced themselves… and who never stopped realizing that they loved it afterward! So persevere and use the article below to motivate yourself!
>> Techniques to motivate yourself when you start😉
Some tips for starting running
When we start running, we might try to think that it’s just about running. And yet, running is a whole that is not just about running itself. As we saw above, general physical preparation is important. Recovery is too. Implementing recovery techniques means maximizing your chances of advancing in running, avoiding injuries… And there’s nothing complicated about it. Sleep well, drink well, eat well… basics! But we must always adhere to them.
>> 10 tips for good recovery and improvement
What steps after my start in running?
Are you hooked? Starting running was good, but you want more? Be sure not to rush the steps and validate the basic concepts mentioned above before wanting to go further. If you think you are ready, a whole bunch of options are now available to you! First, I recommend reading the article on “Understanding Training” which will show you how to train in general to progress. Then, check out the one on runner goals. Because thinking about your goals allows you to define a training plan suited to their success and gives you extra motivation when you go out for a run.
Could the next step be to participate in your first competition? To follow a training plan to progress? Discover interval training and do your first VMA test? I also explain how to create your own training plan here. Otherwise, you can simply continue to enjoy running as you wish! That’s the joy of running; we are free to choose our practice, and there’s something for everyone.
Start running, persevere… Then enjoy!
Once again, starting running is simple; it’s good to have fun running as fast as possible and to have a body in better shape. I really see no reason not to start running! Convinced? Feel free to comment on the article if you have a question or a comment about this article; I will be happy to respond!
And now? Do you want to progress? An article summarizing my best tips for improving in running is waiting for you!
Tag: running training plan