Stage 2 of 8 · First Strides

Complete 8 × 1-minute runs, all of them conversational

One-minute runs are short enough that your body never leaves its comfort zone, but they teach the skill every beginner needs first: an easy pace. Every run in this stage should feel almost embarrassingly slow. If you can't speak a full sentence, you're sprinting.

Who this stage is for

"I can walk briskly for half an hour". If that's you, this is your starting stage.

The training week

Three sessions, at least a day apart, roughly half an hour each. Every session starts with a five-minute easy walk and ends the same way.

• Run A · Key session 8 × (1 min run / 2 min walk). Every run at talking pace.
  walk 5 min, run 1 min, walk 2 min, run 1 min, walk 2 min, run 1 min, walk 2 min, run 1 min, walk 2 min, run 1 min, walk 2 min, run 1 min, walk 2 min, run 1 min, walk 2 min, run 1 min, walk 5 min
• Run B · Form focus The same 8 × (1/2), but think tall posture, short quick steps, quiet feet.
  walk 5 min, run 1 min, walk 2 min, run 1 min, walk 2 min, run 1 min, walk 2 min, run 1 min, walk 2 min, run 1 min, walk 2 min, run 1 min, walk 2 min, run 1 min, walk 2 min, run 1 min, walk 5 min
• Run C · Relaxed 6 × (1 min run / 2 min walk), fully easy. Skip guilt-free if legs feel heavy.
  walk 5 min, run 1 min, walk 2 min, run 1 min, walk 2 min, run 1 min, walk 2 min, run 1 min, walk 2 min, run 1 min, walk 2 min, run 1 min, walk 5 min

Repeat weeks: When all eight runs feel easy and your breathing settles by the second walk break, test.

The test

Complete 8 × 1-minute runs, all of them conversational.

Finishing relaxed is the test. If runs seven and eight turn into gasping, that's a 'not yet'.

Coach's notes

The run/walk method has taken millions of people from the couch to a finish line because it solves the beginner's actual problem, which is pacing rather than fitness. One-minute runs make it impossible to accumulate the oxygen debt that makes new runners quit.

"You're officially a person who runs now. Slowly. That's the correct way." — Coach

Safety

Run10K is coaching content, not medical advice. If you have a heart, joint or other medical condition, are pregnant, or have been advised to limit activity, check with a clinician before starting. Sharp or worsening pain, chest pain, or unusual breathlessness: stop today, walk home. There is always another run.