This is the program I stuck to like glue to get me off the couch and out of my illness spiral. I loved it first because it set the bar so low that even from the couch I was like,"well, those first three weeks are a no-brainer", and second because it tracks time and not distance. Even now I struggle to put a positive spin on those mile-markers going by in races; somehow I always manage to think "what do you mean that's only 9 miles?!" as opposed to "mile 9, yay, only 4 to go!". I don't know why I'm that way. Maybe you are too. If so, you'll like this like I do. When I know all I have to do is stay out here, doing what I'm doing, for x more minutes, I can adjust my pace and music and thoughts and just ride it out rather than feeling like I'm in some Escher drawing where the next streetlight is forever receding.
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The following running schedule was created by Budd Coates, Health Promotions Manager at Rodale Inc., who instructs a corporate beginning running program. Coates has taken nonrunners and, in 10 weeks, helped them reach their goal of running the 3.5-mile Chase Corporate Challenge.
Before you start with this schedule, get your legs ready with eight days of walking: walk for 20 minutes a day for the first four days, then increase to 30 minutes a day for four more days. Now you're ready to begin with week 1.
Each week of the program, do your run/walk workouts on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and take Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday off.
10-WEEK TRAINING SCHEDULE
Week 1: Run 2 minutes,walk 4 minutes.Repeat 5 times.
Week 2: Run 3 minutes,walk 3 minutes.Repeat five times.
Week 3: Run 5 minutes,walk 2.5 minutes.Repeat four times.
Week 4: Run 7 minutes,walk 3 minutes.Repeat three times.
Week 5: Run 8 minutes,walk 2 minutes.Repeat three times.
Week 6: Run 9 minutes,walk 2 minutes.Repeat twice, thenrun 8 minutes.
Week 7: Run 9 minutes,walk 1 minute.Repeat three times
Week 8: Run 13 minutes,walk 2 minutes.Repeat twice.
Week 9: Run 14 minutes,walk 1 minute.Repeat twice.
Week 10: Run 30 minutes.Note: After completing week 9, if you feel tired, repeat this week of training before moving on to week 10.
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-380-381--678-2-1X2X4X5X6-6,00.html ("first steps")
