Success may come quickly to you as a beginning runner, but the race is never won. Run for life.
This is the place to begin your training plan if you’re over 40, more than 20 pounds overweight, or starting to exercise for the first time in a long time. Don’t try to rush into things by attempting the 8-Week Training Plan. You’ll be much happier and more successful with the slow and gradual approach on the following pages. Please review the following points before you get going.
Success may come quickly to you as a beginning runner, but the race is never won. Run for life.
1. Tell your doctor that you intend to begin a very gradual running and walking plan. He or she may want you to have a complete physical before you begin this training program.
2. Don’t expect miracles. It took you years to get out of shape, and it will take time to get back in shape. Using this program, you’ll get there, day by day and week by week.
3. Do expect changes. As you work through the program, you’ll find that it gets easier and easier, even though you’re running farther and farther. That’s the miracle of the body becoming reacquainted with its natural ability to run and walk.
4. Don’t worry when you miss a day . . . or a week. Simply get going again as soon as you can. But don’t try to make up for lost time by pushing yourself to exhaustion.
5. Train for life. When you reach the end of the 24-Week Training Plan, don’t stop. Keep going. You can run more if you want, or simply continue with the same or a very similar workout plan. But don’t surrender your hard-won fitness.
Note: When you see “Run 1:30 min,” this means “Run for 1 minute and 30 seconds.”
“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time that we fall.”
—Confucius
WEEK 1 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 30 sec; Walk 2 min; Repeat 12X | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 30 sec; Walk 2 min; Repeat 12X | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 30 sec; Walk 2 min; Repeat 12X | |
| Saturday | Run 30 sec; Walk 2 min; Repeat 12X | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: Despite the well-known “runner’s high,” runners don’t feel good every day. In fact, they have good days and bad days. You’ll experience the same. Don’t let the bad days get you down. Stick with your program, and it won’t be long before you start enjoying the good days again. |
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“I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.”
—Thomas Jefferson
WEEK 2 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 1 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 10X | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 1 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 10X | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 1 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 10X | |
| Saturday | Run 1 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 10X | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: If you need a stimulant jolt to get psyched up for your workout, try a modest-sized cup of coffee. Many studies have shown that coffee increases attention and boosts endurance performance. Coffee has very few if any health risks and isn’t the major diuretic it was once thought to be. |
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“Bid me run, and I will strive with things impossible.”
—Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
WEEK 3 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 1:30 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 8X; Run 2 min | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 1:30 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 8X; Run 2 min | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 1:30 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 8X; Run 2 min | |
| Saturday | Run 1:30 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 8X; Run 2 min | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: For sore muscles, get a massage, or try self-massage with your own hands or with any number of simple wooden and plastic devices that make it easier to massage yourself. Massage feels good, keeps your muscles loose and supple, and doesn’t require any medications. |
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“The credit belongs to those who are actually in the arena, who strive valiantly; who know the great enthusiasms and spend themselves in a worthy cause.
—Theodore Roosevelt
WEEK 4 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 2 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 7X; Run 2 min | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 2 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 7X; Run 2 min | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 2 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 7X; Run 2 min | |
| Saturday | Run 2 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 7X; Run 2 min | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: Many beginning runners like to listen to music on their headphones. That’s fine. But always make safety your first concern. Don’t listen to music if you’re running on roads with lots of traffic or in areas where you feel vulnerable. The best place to run and listen to music simultaneously is on a treadmill. |
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“If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds’ worth of distance run—yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it.”
—Rudyard Kipling
WEEK 5 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 3 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 6X | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 3 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 6X | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 3 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 6X | |
| Saturday | Run 3 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 6X | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: Try a sports drink after your workout as well as during the workout. A post-run drink will help to restore the energy you’ve spent, and also to replenish your salt and potassium levels. This will prevent cramps and help you recover fully for your next training session. |
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“Talk to me not of time and place; I owe I’m happy in the chase.”
—Shakespeare, Epistle to David Garrick, Esq.
WEEK 6 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 4 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 5X | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 4 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 5X | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 4 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 5X | |
| Saturday | Run 4 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 5X | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: To help you succeed in this training program, wear a good pair of running shoes. You could use old basketball shoes, cross-trainers, or other sneakers, but they’re much more likely to produce an injury. Besides, running is just plain easier in a real pair of running shoes. |
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“Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is usually more important than the outcome.”
—Arthur Ashe
WEEK 7 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 5 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 4X; Run 2 min | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 5 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 4X; Run 2 min | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 5 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 4X; Run 2 min | |
| Saturday | Run 5 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 4X; Run 2 min | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: The most efficient runners are those with the least wasted motion, and that should be your goal. Don’t take an overly long stride, and don’t leap into the air each time you push off with your rear foot. Run with an erect posture, your ears over your shoulders over your hips over your heels. |
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“In this age, which believes that there is a shortcut to everything, the greatest lesson to be learned is that the most difficult way is, in the long run, the easiest.”
—Henry Miller
WEEK 8 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 6 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 3X; Run 6 min | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 6 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 3X; Run 6 min | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 6 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 3X; Run 6 min | |
| Saturday | Run 6 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 3X; Run 6 min | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: Give treadmills a try. In the last decade, they have improved from clunky old collections of nuts and bolts into sleek, smooth-running machines. Many runners and walkers now do some of their training on treadmills, particularly in the summer heat and winter’s cold and darkness. |
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“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
—2 Timothy 4:7
WEEK 9 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 7 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 3X; Run 3 min | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 7 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 3X; Run 3 min | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 7 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 3X; Run 3 min | |
| Saturday | Run 7 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 3X; Run 3 min | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: For a great, leg-refreshing cooldown after your workout, walk or run backward for 60 seconds. Backward running forces you up onto your toes and stretches the muscles and tendons at the back of the legs that are tightened by forward running. Strange glances from others? Don’t worry about them. |
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“The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare.”
—Juma Ilangaa, New York City Marathon winner
WEEK 10 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 8 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 3X | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 8 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 3X | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 8 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 3X | |
| Saturday | Run 8 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 3X | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: Some beginning runners believe that they’re supposed to keep their mouth closed and breathe only through the nose. This is a myth. Runners breathe relaxed—and sometimes very deep—through both the nose and the mouth. Just do what comes naturally, and you’ll be fine. |
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“Pain is temporary. Pride is forever.”
—Anonymous
WEEK 11 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 10 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 2X; Run 6 min | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 10 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 2X; Run 6 min | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 10 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 2X; Run 6 min | |
| Saturday | Run 10 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 2X; Run 6 min | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: To control your urge for sugary foods, be sure to eat a small meal every 3 to 4 hours. People who skip meals are much more likely to crave sweets when their blood-sugar level plummets, and then to binge on the wrong kinds of foods. Far better to eat many small meals, each of which includes a little protein. |
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“It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.”
—Seneca, Roman playwright
WEEK 12 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 12 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 2X; Run 2 min | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 12 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 2X; Run 2 min | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 12 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 2X; Run 2 min | |
| Saturday | Run 12 min; Walk 2 min; Repeat 2X; Run 2 min | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: If you have allergies, you’ll probably feel better working out early in the morning when pollen levels are lowest. If you develop itchy eyes, runny nose, or other symptoms, ask your doctor about eyedrops or other medications. They’ve gotten much better in recent years. |
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“There be some sports are painful, and their labour delight in them sets off.”
—Shakespeare, The Tempest
WEEK 13 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 6 min; Walk 1 min; Repeat 4X; Run 2 min | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 6 min; Walk 1 min; Repeat 4X; Run 2 min | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 6 min; Walk 1 min; Repeat 4X; Run 2 min | |
| Saturday | Run 6 min; Walk 1 min; Repeat 4X; Run 2 min | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: Wear your running shoes for running, and not for other activities. Take good care of them, and they will last for 400 to 500 miles. After 6 months, replace your shoes even if you can’t see excessive wear, as the midsoles (the most important part of the shoe) gradually break down. |
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“True sport is always a duel: a duel with nature, with one’s own fear, with one’s own fatigue, a duel in which body and mind are strengthened.”
—Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Russian poet
WEEK 14 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 8 min; Walk 1 min; Repeat 3X; Run 3 min | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 8 min; Walk 1 min; Repeat 3X; Run 3 min | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 8 min; Walk 1 min; Repeat 3X; Run 3 min | |
| Saturday | Run 8 min; Walk 1 min; Repeat 3X; Run 3 min | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: You don’t need to exercise every day or every week or every month. Over the many years of your life, the important thing is that you make a place for regular running and walking. When you are a beginning runner just getting into the habit of it, consistency is crucial to your success. |
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“it eluded us then, but that’s no matter. Tomorrow we will run faster . . . Stretch out our arms farther.”
—F. Scott Fitzgerald
WEEK 15 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 10 min; Walk 1 min; Repeat 2X; Run 8 min | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 10 min; Walk 1 min; Repeat 2X; Run 8 min | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 10 min; Walk 1 min; Repeat 2X; Run 8 min | |
| Saturday | Run 10 min; Walk 1 min; Repeat 2X; Run 8 min | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: Running makes you smarter. One study showed that subjects scored higher on a difficult test after completing a 12-week training program. Their scores dropped when they stopped working out regularly. The subjects needed at least two 30-minute training sessions a week to maintain their scores. |
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“Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.”
—Japanese proverb
WEEK 16 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 12 min; Walk 1 min; Repeat 2X; Run 4 min | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 12 min; Walk 1 min; Repeat 2X; Run 4 min | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 12 min; Walk 1 min; Repeat 2X; Run 4 min | |
| Saturday | Run 12 min; Walk 1 min; Repeat 2X; Run 4 min | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: To shed those unwanted extra pounds, try these three simple strategies: Eat a solid, nutritious breakfast to fill your tank; drink water throughout the day instead of soft drinks or high-calorie juices; and skip desserts. If you must have something sweet occasionally, rely on fruit and fruit-flavored yogurt. |
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“Never give in. Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never.”
—Sir Winston Churchill
WEEK 17 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 14 min; Walk 1 min; Repeat 2X | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 14 min; Walk 1 min; Repeat 2X | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 14 min; Walk 1 min; Repeat 2X | |
| Saturday | Run 14 min; Walk 1 min; Repeat 2X | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: Sprinters run on their toes, but distance runners land first on their heels and then roll smoothly to a toe-off from the forefoot. Don’t try to run on your toes. That will prove awkward and ultimately fatiguing. Let your heel come down naturally onto the ground under your center of gravity. |
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“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”
—Will Rogers
WEEK 18 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 16 min; Walk 1 min; Run 13 min | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 16 min; Walk 1 min; Run 13 min | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 16 min; Walk 1 min; Run 13 min | |
| Saturday | Run 16 min; Walk 1 min; Run 13 min | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: A regular training program demands good sleep habits and about 8 hours a night of shut-eye. That can be hard to achieve for many busy adults, but it pays off. Try to go to sleep and wake up at about the same time every day. Consistency is as good in your approach to sleep as in your approach to training. |
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“Sport is not about being wrapped up in cotton wool . . . Sport, like all life, is about taking risks.”
—Sir Roger Bannister
WEEK 19 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 18 min; Walk 1 min; Run 11 min | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 18 min; Walk 1 min; Run 11 min | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 18 min; Walk 1 min; Run 11 min | |
| Saturday | Run 18 min; Walk 1 min; Run 11 min | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: A runner’s watch will help you complete all your workouts with absolute precision. The watch might appear complicated at first, but you only need to master one or two functions to time all your running and walking intervals. Some watches will even beep when it’s time for you to start and stop running. |
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“Running is the greatest metaphor for life because you get out of it what you put into it.”
—Oprah Winfrey
WEEK 20 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 20 min; Walk 1 min; Run 9 min | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 20 min; Walk 1 min; Run 9 min | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 20 min; Walk 1 min; Run 9 min | |
| Saturday | Run 20 min; Walk 1 min; Run 9 min | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: Stinky shoes? There are several things you can do. Some runners sprinkle a little baking soda in their shoes once or twice a week. Others stuff a newspaper in the shoes when they get sweaty-damp, and the newspaper soaks up the dampness. You can also air-dry your shoes in front of a small electric fan. |
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“He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat.”
—Napoleon Bonaparte
WEEK 21 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 23 min; Walk 1 min; Run 6 min | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 23 min; Walk 1 min; Run 6 min | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 23 min; Walk 1 min; Run 6 min | |
| Saturday | Run 23 min; Walk 1 min; Run 6 min | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: Running and walking get your heart and lungs in great cardiovascular shape. However, they don’t do much for your muscle strength. That’s why runners should strength train with light dumbbells several times a week. This becomes even more important as you age and begin to lose muscle tone. |
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“I have not failed 10,000 times. I have successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.”
—Thomas Edison
WEEK 22 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 26 min; Walk 1 min; Run 3 min | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 26 min; Walk 1 min; Run 3 min | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 26 min; Walk 1 min; Run 3 min | |
| Saturday | Run 26 min; Walk 1 min; Run 3 min | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: For a food that is high in protein and healthful omega-3 fatty acids, choose tuna. It now comes in pouches you don’t have to drain (as you do tuna from cans). The tuna from pouches tastes fresher, too. Try it on pita bread with lettuce and tomato, or in salads. |
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“Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small steps.”
—Henry Ford
WEEK 23 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 28 min; Walk 1 min; Run 1 min | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 28 min; Walk 1 min; Run 1 min | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 28 min; Walk 1 min; Run 1 min | |
| Saturday | Run 28 min; Walk 1 min; Run 1 min | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: If you start to develop any aches and pains in the ankles or knees, try the supplement glucosamine or glucosamine chondroitin. Studies have shown that glucosamine can improve joint health and relieve pain. Best of all, it’s relatively inexpensive and has no side effects. |
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“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
—Theodore Roosevelt
WEEK 24 |
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| Day | Workout | Comments |
| Monday | Run 30 min Congratulations! | |
| Tuesday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Wednesday | Run 30 min | |
| Thursday | Walk easy 30 min | |
| Friday | Run 30 min | |
| Saturday | Run 30 min | |
| Sunday | Rest | |
TRAINING TIP: Studies show that you run most efficiently at a stride rate of about 160 steps per minute. Every time one of your feet hits the ground, that’s a step. (A “stride” includes two steps.) If you’re taking fewer than 160 steps per minute, you’re probably overstriding. If so, simply relax and lift your knees less. |
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