Step-By-Step Plan To Run A 5K In 15 Weeks Or Less

Okay, where do I begin? 

With months of warm weather and sunny days ahead, there is no better time to develop a running habit. If you have never run a step, or have been away from your trainers for a few too many seasons, have no fear. Getting to know, and love, running is a simple matter of making a plan, suiting up, and putting one foot in front of the other. To make it even easier, I’ve included a sample plan for a ten week progression. Follow this to go from 0-30 (minutes!). Think of it as your formal invitation… join the club, and finally start feeling the joy!

1.  First things first, WALK! Getting up to a vigorous walking pace before running will help with transition, and make the whole thing more enjoyable. Use my walking workouts as a guide. Once you are briskly walking for thirty minutes or more, you can start building to a jog. (Don’t know where to start? Try my 4 NEW SlimWalk Audios. These audio workouts will guide you to the best results, because they combine the FAT-BURNING TRIO alternating between interval training walks, steady-state walks AND strength training.)

2.  Give yourself 15-35 minutes for the workout, depending on what week you’re on. Starting week 7, workouts are 30 minutes, plus time for at least a 5 minute walking warm up and cool down.

3.  Plan to do your run/walk 2-3 times a week. On the other days, try to mix in other forms of cardio with less impact. For example, take a look at my Shed the Pounds compilation DVD for a fun collection of low-impact cardio routines.

4.  Here’s a day-by-day training calendar created by the Run Walk Run guru, Jeff Galloway for how to run a 5K. Your Run Walk Run ratio should correspond to the pace used (Runners).

  • 8 min/mi—run 4 min/walk 30 seconds
  • 9 min/mi— 2 min run/walk 30 seconds
  • 10 min/mi—-1:30/30 11 min/mi—1:00/30
  • 12 min/mi—-1:00/30 or 40/20
  • 13 min/mi—-30/30
  • 14 min/mi—30/30 or 30/20
  • 15 min/mi—15/30
  • 16 min/mi—10/30 
5.  Start runs easy, and end strong. A good guide to keep in mind is the conversation rule – always have enough breath to hold a conversation. You should be able to speak a sentence or two without too much huffing. And being a bit winded after that is fine, your partner can chime in.

6.  Remember to always listen to your body. If any point is especially bothersome, or the progression seems a bit fast, just take it back to a walk for a few minutes.

7.  That’s it! Running isn’t a big mystery, just a fun, healthy way to get out and get moving. Start now, and you could be enjoying the best days of summer from a whole new vantage point.


WALK Isn’t A 4-Letter Word!
Go From Walking To Running With My Interval-Training Walking Audios!

In these 4 NEW audio workouts, I’ll coach you through short bursts of super charged walking that will light up your metabolism.

These audio workouts will guide you to the best results, because they combine the FAT-BURNING TRIO alternating between interval training walks, steady-state walks AND strength training.

This balance of high-intensity and steady-state walks will help keep you motivated, keep your ENERGY up, and keep you on track on your running goals!

CLICK HERE for the 4 Slim Walk Audio Kit!