I vividly remember my first run ever. It was the first day of practice for my seventh-grade cross-country team. There was a church just a little beyond the school property line, and I told myself I just had to make it to that building. I did. Then, I stopped for a walk. The next time I ran, I had a new target: to go a little further before I walked.
Walk-run intervals are perfect for a first run. There’s no need to summon every shred of willpower you have to run as far as possible without stopping. An interval workout is a great alternative because it lets you challenge yourself without spending every second of the workout in absolute misery. Yet, don’t worry. You will work hard in this workout!
I’m Kaleigh, a certified running coach, exercise physiologist, and biomechanist. Essentially, if you can study it to become better at running, I have. Now, I’m happy to take you through your first running workout!
Take the Video Class
5-minute warm-up
Make sure your treadmill is ready to go. Double-check that your shoes are tied and no pets or children are around the treadmill. When you are ready, press start to get going at an easy pace. If the starting pace feels too slow, go ahead and increase the speed. For reference, I would walk at 3 miles per hour.
Over the next four minutes, increase the speed every 30 seconds until you are at a moderate jog. End at a pace that you could sustain for at least 3 minutes if you had to. Take it back down to your starting walking speed for the last minute.
Interval Set One: 3 x 30 seconds hard, 1 minute easy
Once your treadmill timer hits 5:00, bring the speed up to a run. Use the quick-adjust buttons if you have them to return to the fastest speed you hit during the warm-up. If that feels a little too slow, increase the speed for the next two intervals.
Rest for one minute between each of the three 30-second intervals. Go as slow as you need to. (Recommended speed: 2 miles per hour)
2 minutes moderate
Use this extended break from your intervals to recover further. Try to hit the walking speed you started at during the warm-up (3 miles per hour, for me). If you need to slow it down to your recovery speed (2 miles per hour, for me), you are welcome to do so, especially if you are brand new to running.
If you are looking for more of a challenge, try going for a brisker walk or even a light jog. This time allows you to check in with your body and prepare for the next interval set. Do what you need to do to make this workout appropriate for your fitness level and a great success!
Interval Set Two: 3 x 30 seconds hard, 1 minute easy
Repeat the pattern of 30 seconds at your “hard” pace (a jog or run). Drop to your recovery pace for 1 minute after every hard interval.
Challenge: 1 minute hard
For the final push, try to hold your running pace for a full minute! If you can crank up the speed, go for it! Now is the time to give it everything you’ve got. You are so close to the finish.
3-minute cooldown
Recover! Walk as slowly as you need to. Progressively bring your pace down over the next three minutes. The goal is just to keep your legs moving. There are no target paces to hit here. You’ve reached the end of your workout, so you should feel proud of yourself! I am!
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