Non-Competitive Running: Stage 0

I spend 4 years of my life thinking about how to run faster and push my body to the very edge. I ran roughly 3000 miles before I graduated, and now Imy knees are 60 years old and I am just trying to have fun.

I spend 2 years as team captain and helped mentor new runners for 3 seasons after, so here my simple strategy for getting into running COMFORTABLY. This is for someone with no endurance background, and are not looking to compete in the 4 weeks. This is for someone who wants to enjoy running.

I will break down these into “stages”, and you should not advance to the next “stage” until you completed the requirements for this stage. (Unless you were me in 2015-2019 trying to get back in shape with one single 12.5-mile run, then un-read everything)

Stage 0:
The goal is to run for a duration of time and do it without stopping. This usually takes the first week or two, your body has to build some muscles everywhere to support running, and your mind has to get stronger.

The reason why you should only look at the time, and not the distance when you first start to run is because it will help you pace better. I have seen (and recorded) the top runners in highschool races going out too fast for their 1st mile and slowing down for rest, and while these guys go from a 4:45 mile to 5:05, the new kids will go from their 7:00 mile to 9:00, and it really hurts too. Think of it this way, they would’ve spent much less time in pain if they did 9:00, 9:00 then finished with 7:00 than if they ran fast at first. Now, we are not racing and not trying to put ourselves in pain at all!

By aiming to complete a run by time, you will know that running faster does not help you achieve your goal, and learn to pace yourself. After all, you call comfortably run a 9-minute mile or 1.5 miles at a 6-minute pace.

For your first run, your goal is to run 20 minutes without stopping. And aim for 30 minutes when you feel like 20 minutes is too easy, this is usually week 2 or week 3. You should be running 3-4 times a week, and no more than 6 times (always have a rest day!)

Remember, you can run slower than walking, but don’t walk! This is when you learn to get mentally stronger.

Also, do a proper warm-up.