Learn to Love Running Program Week 1: Let’s Get Started

The week of workouts below is for SELF’s Learn to Love Running Program, our brand-new, beginner-friendly plan that will get you running 30 minutes nonstop! Here’s what you need to know to get started.

Welcome to SELF’s Learn to Love Running Program! Whether you’ve tried running before and it didn’t stick or this is your first attempt, we’re excited to have you here.

Take it from me: You don’t have to have a running (or even a fitness) background to fall for the sport. Before I started, in my early 20s, the most athletic thing I’d ever done was marching band. But I took up running to ease stress and improve my health while I was in graduate school for journalism, and I’ve never looked back.

Back then, I fumbled around and figured things out on my own. Now, as an RRCA-certified running coach, I’m pleased to share with you the plan I wish I’d had when I started!

Here’s what you’re getting each week in this program:

• 3 cardio workouts (beginning with walks, then adding running intervals starting in Week 2)
• 1 strength workout
• 1 (optional!) active recovery routine
• 2 complete rest days to allow your body to adapt, recover, and get stronger

While you don’t have to do the workouts on the exact days they’re slotted, aim to take at least one (but no more than two) days in between your cardio sessions. We recommend sitting down with your calendar at the beginning of the week and planning out when and where you’ll do each workout.

It’s also a great idea to keep track of what you’ve accomplished after you’ve done it. Personally, I love going old-school, printing a whole plan out and checking off the days as I go. (If you’re like me, check out our calendar to do likewise.) Or you can use:

• A paper or digital calendar
• A spreadsheet
• An app like Strava, Apple Fitness, or ASICS Runkeeper

The most important thing is to note when you completed each session; bonus points if you also mention how you felt, during and afterward. Remember, the goal is consistency and building a sustainable, enjoyable habit.

Week 1 at a Glance:

“Walk before you run” is a common adage for a reason. In my personal and professional opinion, the reason lots of folks hate running is because they try to jump in too fast and wind up hurt, burned out, or just plain exhausted.

Walking helps build a cardiovascular base that makes running feel easier—think of this as your engine. And by spending time on your feet, you’ll start to prepare your muscles, bones, and tendons—your chassis, the structure that carries your engine around—for the impact of running.

Before you hit the treadmill, road, or path, choose one of the two warm-ups that are a part of this program (your pick!). Then when you’re done, select one of your cooldowns. They’re each only about five minutes, so no excuse to skip!

Reminder: Keep the pace brisk for your walks, about 2–3 on a scale of 1–10.

Monday: Walk

• 5-minute warm-up
• 20 minutes brisk walking
• 5- to 10-minute cooldown routine
• Total time: 30–35 minutes