Hey there people! Your prodigal blogger is back! I have been for lack of a better excuse, lazy! But now I'm back with a quite a few posts up my sleeve.
I promised in an earlier post that I would post the plan I followed to be able to get to the point of running 30 minutes straight. There are tons of beginner plans out there and some of them use increments of mileage to help new runners train but I found this plan years ago(I think it came from the Cool Runnings website, but I could be wrong), copied it into the jacket of a journal and have carried it with me everywhere I've moved to because I always planned to conquer the 30 minute hurdle, and now I have.
I prefer this plan to all other plans I've seen because while it's quite challenging, it's eases you in into increasing your time. At times, it may be tempting to jump ahead - I started the plan at week 2 - but my recommendation is that to avoid injuries and getting burned out before week 10, stick as closely to the plan as possible. Also, attempt to structure your training so you get a day of rest in between each workout.
Finally, common sense stuff: as with all exercise programs, make sure you SHOULD be running, get checked out by a doctor first. If something feels wonky, assess it and make sure it's not something that could lead to permanent damage, get some rest, etc. Get proper running shoes, go to a specialty running store so they can measure your gait and recommend the appropriate shoes. For instance, I need shoes that stabilize my ankles and are wide enough for me. Okay, fine, I'll admit it, I wear men's running shoes. Don't laugh! :-)
Alright, enough talking, here's the plan:
WEEK1: Run 2mins/Walk 4mins, repeat 5x
WEEK2: Run 3mins/Walk 3mins, repeat 5x
WEEK3: Run 5mins/Walk 2.5mins, repeat 4x
WEEK4: Run 7mins/Walk 3mins, repeat 3x
WEEK5: Run 8mins/Walk 2mins, repeat 3x
WEEK6: Run 9mins/Walk 2mins, repeat 2x, Run 8mins
WEEK7: Run 9mins/Walk 1mins, repeat 3x
WEEK8: Run 13mins/Walk 2mins, repeat 2x
WEEK9: Run 14mins/Walk 1min, repeat 2x
WEEK10:Run 30mins straight!
Let me know how it goes!
Happy Running!
Lara
Alright... I got the plan now let's see how long I hold onto it :-) Will let you know. Since I dropped real $$ on these shoes this week I am wearing them around the house in my pjs :-)
ReplyDeleteWell Lara, I am making some new changes as well. I joined LA Fitness back in January but am not feeling it. I need more... I need a challenge! I stumpbled across this bootcamp site yesterday and it turns out that the guy is opening a new gym this weekend. The difference is that this gym is not about "go get on a machine and figure out a program for yourself". They gym is similar to a bootcamp and there are trainers with you all the way at the gym! THIS is what I need! THIS is what is going to get me back to a perfect size 12 (not looking to be smaller than a 10) in a year or less! Check it out at www.fitnessbattalion.com/fbcrossfit/
ReplyDeleteP.s. They have CrossFit gyms in Plano (www.crossfitplano.com) and Dallas too. Also, there are a number of Crossfit videos on YouTube. Here's one you may enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjdQZxTIj1U
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to start next week!!! I saw where one girl went from a size 12 to a size 4 after 6 months with Crossfit. That's the kind of incentive I'm talking about!