Get Running beginner training plan: Week Five

You’ve passed the half way point so stick with it

Welcome to Week Five everyone - You are half way there. I hope you are feeling much more positive now about getting to 30 minutes than you were four weeks ago. I know you think 30 might still be a bit far away, but you have to trust me, your body will adapt more over the next four weeks. If you stick with the plan you will indeed get to your 30 minute run.

If you managed 10 minutes last week, you have got to believe me that your body will be well able for 15. You know what you need to do, think of your pace, your technique and try to relax when running.

In the videos this week I give you some tips on the following:

Tracking Time and Distance: There are lots of options out there for tracking the minutes of your run and the distance you have travelled. As your runs get longer, you are running over 1km in certain blocks, and later this week, you cover over 1 mile in some of the running sections. From watches to phone apps, there is something for everyone to keep track of all these great achievements.

READ MORE

Run Tall and Relaxed: Following on from last week’s running posture tips, we now look at running tall and relaxed. You want to feel tall through your centre, but the rest of you should feel like a rag doll. The more relaxed you are when running, the less likely you are to get injured.

Week Five Training Plan

Homework 1
  1. Warmup: Take a five-minute brisk walk
  2. Run/walk session: 30 minutes made up of a eleven-minute slow run followed by four-minute walk. Repeat two times. (Run 11 minutes, walk 4 minutes, 2 times)
  3. Cooldown and stretch: Five minute walk and three stretches
Homework 2 (a day or two after Homework 1)
  1. Warmup: A five-minute brisk walk
  2. Run/walk session: 30 minutes made up of a five-minute slow run followed by a one-minute walk. Repeat this five times. (Run 5 minutes, Walk 1 minutes, 5 times)
  3. Cooldown and stretch: Five-minute walk and three stretches
Homework 3 (a day or two after Homework 2)
  1. Warmup: A five-minute brisk walk
  2. Run/walk session: 25 minutes, made up of a five-minute slow run followed by a five-minute walk followed by 15 minute slow run. (Run 5 minutes, Walk 5 minutes, run 15 minutes)
  3. Cooldown and stretch: A five-minute walk and three stretches

Best of luck.

Mary Jennings

Mary Jennings

Mary Jennings, a running coach and founder of ForgetTheGym, is a contributor to The Irish Times