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- It might sound like a stupid question,
but if you're new to any sport,
kind of difficult to know where to start
and just because most of us have the ability to run,
becoming a runner is a very different matter.
So, whether you're coming from a competitive level
in another sport, you're returning from injury,
or you're just purely trying to use running to get fit,
we're gonna guide you from wherever your starting point is
all the way through to being able to complete a 5K run.
When walking, most of us will land
with a heel strike out in front of the body
and your weight rolls over your foot,
leaving off your toes while simultaneously repeating that
on the other leg.
With running, however,
your whole body will leave the ground between every stride.
So therefore, your foot's gonna land more underneath you,
changing the biomechanics of your foot strike.
Now, don't worry about the science on this.
My point is the fact that running
is very different to walking, and therefore,
you are gonna need to build into it gradually.
There are a few key points to think about whilst running.
Use your arms.
They're there to help with propulsion or with balancing
out the movement of running.
And if you're used to power walking,
then you'd already be familiar with this type of movement.
The next point is your body position.
As you move from running into jogging,
you'll naturally find that you'll tilt forwards
but I want you to try and imagine
that you've got a straight line from your ankles
to your head and that's just certainly on a forwards tilt,
but keeping your hips nice and in line with that.
And then finally, this one is easier said than done,
but try and relax.
So, drop your shoulders, let your arms swing naturally,
and most importantly, remember to breathe.
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I'm going to presume for this video
that you've already got a good base level of fitness
and that you can manage 30 minutes
of brisk walking comfortably.
The aim is to be able to run a 5K continuously
in eight weeks' time,
but in order to reach that, we are going to need
to mix in some running and walking intervals
into our session plan.
So let's have a look at the first four weeks
and the sessions suggested.
You're going to be doing three to four sessions per week,
so make sure you spread them out
and fit them around your plans.
In this first week, you have three runs
and to keep it simple, they're all going to be the same.
So sticking to the three sessions,
it's just increasing in length a little this week.
So don't worry about the pace that you're running.
Try to enjoy it and think about paying with good form,
relaxing your shoulders, and breathing well.
It is still only three runs this week,
but you have an extra walk that's added in.
So this will give you more time on your feet
and help to build that endurance.
Spread your two 30 minute sessions apart
as they are the biggest of the two sessions
and try to space out all of your runs throughout the week
so that you leg muscles have time to recover and adapt,
and therefore get stronger.
This week signifies the halfway marker.
You've passed the hardest part,
starting a new programme and sticking to it.
Now, you just need to continue with this momentum
and remember your end goal.
This week does include your longest run to date
so break it down in your mind.
It is still only two minutes of running at one time.
The shorter runs are also a step up in duration
of constant jog time,
so remember to find your rhythm
and run at the pace that you are comfortable with.
I touched on it very briefly earlier.
You are gonna be using your muscles in different ways
to what you're used to,
so you might be recruiting and engaging
some muscles that maybe have even been dormant
for a little while.
So as a result of this,
it's not unusual to feel your legs aching a little bit
and maybe even being slightly sore, but this is okay.
It means that you muscles are working
and as a result, they're gonna be getting stronger.
So just to make sure you maintain your flexibility
and that you prevent any injury,
it's a good idea to incorporate some basic structures.
So for more ideas on this,
we've actually made a video on eight key stretches
which you'll be able to find in the link
at the end of this video.
Doing some basic-level strength work
or core activation exercises
will help with your progression
to being able to run 5K
as well as making you a more efficient runner.
So incorporating something like the plank exercise,
trying to hold that for 30 seconds
will just help engage your core
and that helps with your posture when it comes to running.
And then as for strength work,
anything that involves your legs
and all of their muscles,
so doing some squats in the gym
or body weight squats at home will even help.
And then if you can progress that to single-leg exercises,
such as a single-leg squat or single-leg calf raises,
that will make it even more relevant
to progressing your running.
Anyway, now it's time to look
at the next and final four weeks of your running programme.
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You've only got three weeks left of training,
so it's important to stick to the plan at this stage.
You've built that solid foundation
and now, we're taking it up a level
in order to get you ready for this upcoming 5K.
If you follow the training up to here,
you'll find the increase in these three runs
should just stretch you a little,
but will be perfectly achievable.
So you might be fearing this week.
Two of your runs include a continuous 20-minute jog.
If you find it easier, run on your own,
and entirely at your pace.
The action of jogging is the important part here,
not the speed.
Even if you feel you would walk faster, continue to run,
as this will train your legs and promote muscle memory
for running.
The last bit of training.
You're so, almost there.
And the fact that you've got this far is just great.
You're only three sessions away
from running that targeted 5K.
It'll come as no surprise by now
that the overall length and ratio of run to walk
have been upped again.
Get through this week and you'll be giving yourself
the perfect preparation for your 5K.
Remember to give yourself rest between these longer runs,
so try to spread out the 55-minute ones apart
with the 40-minute somewhere in the middle of the week.
It's week eight, you've done the hard work,
and now, it is time attempt
to jog continuously for 40 minutes.
And if you have entered a 5K event,
you should now be prepared to run that continuously.
If you are new to running,
then there are some other things to consider
and footwear and clothing are quite important.
Footwear is vital to make sure
you've got the correct support for your foot,
but also that it's going to encourage
the correct running gate.
So if you've got a running shop near you,
it is worth going on and speaking to them
and where they can hope to analyse your gate
and give you the correct shoe.
And it might seem like an expensive investment at the time
but trust me, it is worth it in the long run.
Clothing is less important than your footwear,
but still, the key is to be comfortable
and have something that actually
makes you want to go running.
So if you are buying a new piece of kit,
look for something that's sweat-wicking
and check out the fit, but also maybe
look at forums online because you wanna make sure
just because something feels good in the shop,
it's not actually gonna chafe or rub
when it comes to running.
The great thing about running,
you can pretty much do it anywhere.
Running on pavements and sidewalks is the most obvious.
Just watch out for the road users
and of course, road crossings.
If you have specific running paths or routes,
then that's obviously far better.
And if you can run off-road or on grass
then that will really help to activate
all those smaller muscles around your lower leg
and your foot, which will in turn
help your running in the long run.
So try to mix this in whenever you can.
And if you do find yourself doing a lot of running
on a canvas or on a pavement or road
that's got a slight angle to it,
make sure you run in both directions
'cause you don't want you use your muscles
only in one direction.
Wanna keep everything nice and even
to prevent any injuries.
Once you're comfortable completing a 5K
of continuous running, you might wanna consider
progressing this further.
Whether that's increasing your distance or your speed
or a combination of both.
But when it comes to distance, again,
continue to up this gradually
and it's find to still implement that run-walk strategy
that you've been using until now.
And as for speed, you want to actually include
some intervals in your training.
So you can start off by still doing your steady jog
and then maybe picking a land marker ahead of you
like a lamp post, running as hard as you can to that
and then going back to your steady jog
and repeating this throughout your run.
You do need to be patient when building up your running,
irrelevant of what level you're starting from.
Think of it as putting in some foundation blocks.
Consistency is key.
Once you've got that strong base,
you can then build on it and you can progress
with your running speed and distance much quicker.
And most importantly, remember running is fun.
So why not find some friends
that can join you on that mission
to reach your 5K goal.
Hopefully, you enjoyed this.
Hit the thumb-up Like button if you have.
And make sure you get all of our videos here at GTN.
Just hit the globe to subscribe
and if you like a look at this kit,
then you can get this on the GTN shop
by just clicking on the link on the screen.
And as I mentioned earlier,
those eight key stretches are in a video just down here
and if you are about to buy a new pair of running shoes
and you want a little bit of guidance,
then we've made a video for that just here.