How to start running

Why it usually falls apart

New runners go out too fast, too far, too often. It hurts, it feels like proof they are not a runner, and they stop by week two. Running fitness builds over weeks, and your joints and tendons adapt more slowly than your lungs. Starting with walking breaks and a slow pace feels almost too easy, which is exactly why it lasts.

How to start running

1. Use run-walk intervals

   Start with one minute running, one or two minutes walking, repeated for twenty minutes. Programmes like the NHS Couch to 5K build this up over nine weeks, and they work because the early weeks are gentle.

2. Run at a talking pace

   You should be able to speak in short sentences. If you cannot, slow down. Most beginners run far too fast, and slow running builds the base that makes faster running possible.

3. Fix three days a week

   Pick three days with a rest day between them and put the times in your calendar. Rest days are when your body adapts.

4. Lay out your kit the night before

   Shoes by the door, clothes on the chair. Getting out of the door is the hardest part of the run, and preparation removes the excuses.

5. Get decent shoes

   You do not need expensive gear, but shoes that fit well and feel comfortable help prevent niggles. A running shop can help.

6. Track the sessions

   Tick each run you do, regardless of distance or speed. In the first two months, turning up three times a week is the whole goal.

What to track

Track the smallest version you would still count on your worst day. A row you can clear when tired is a row you keep:

• Run-walk session done
• Kit laid out the night before
• Rest day taken

Print a tracker with these 3 habits or open them in a spreadsheet.

Your first week

1. Day 1. Pick your three running days and put them in the calendar.
2. Day 2. Lay out your kit tonight.
3. Day 3. First session: 1 minute running, 2 minutes walking, for 20 minutes.
4. Day 4. Rest day. Go for a walk if you like.
5. Day 5. Second session, same intervals, at a talking pace.
6. Day 6. Rest day.
7. Day 7. Third session. Tick the week.