Step 1: Get a plan

Where to start?  If you look up “Marathon Training for Beginners” online, there are a wealth of training regimes that show up.  But as you dig a little deeper, you find they all seem to share one common disclaimer: “Before you begin marathon training, you should be able to run for at least 2-3 miles or 30 minutes without stopping.”  That’s just not me.


 “Couch Potato to 5k” is more my speed.  So, my first benchmark towards accomplishing “the big goal” is to run a 5k (roughly three miles).  I figure that will satisfy the ubiquitous “2-3mile/30min” disclaimer for all the other training I'm going to eventually do.

9 weeks…5k…got a plan and I’m out the door for my first walk/jog!

C25K Plan

Week	Workout 1	Workout 2	Workout 3
1	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
2	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
3	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then do two repetitions of the following: Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then do two repetitions of the following: Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then do two repetitions of the following: Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)
4	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then: Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then: Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then: Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
5	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then: Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then: Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes) Walk 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking.
6	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then: Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then: Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then jog 2-1/4 miles (or 25 minutes) with no walking.
7	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).
8	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).
9	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).	The final workout! Congratulations! Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).