Learn to Love Running Program Week 12: Time to Cruise!

This progression of the plyometric hop helps train power, explosiveness, agility, and balance.

(back to top)

It’s time for your final run/walk intervals of the program! Unlike most weeks, there’s a slight shift from Monday’s run. You’ll increase your running intervals to 8 minutes while cutting back your walk break to 1 minute. Again, keep your effort level easy throughout and move smoothly from walking to running and back again.

As you tackle today’s session, return to the mantras you’ve tried throughout this program. Move through a few to see which keeps you the most focused and motivated in the long run. That way, you’ll know you have some go-to phrases to pull you through on Saturday.

Thursday: Run/Walk Intervals

• 5-minute warm-up
• Walk 2 minutes
• Run 8 minutes, walk 1 minute (repeat 2 times)
• 5-to-10-minute cooldown
• Total time: 30–35 minutes

(back to top)

Welcome to your last rest day before your 30-minute run! Use your downtime today to finalize all the deets for your big effort tomorrow. Decide exactly what you’ll wear, when you’ll start, and the route you’ll travel.

Some runners like to lay out all their race gear the night before (check #flatrunner on Instagram for examples) to make sure they don’t forget anything and to record a snapshot of their journey. Even if you don’t share it, you might want the pic as a memento!

Go back through all the super-motivating songs you’ve saved to your library to build your ultimate pump-up playlist. Make sure your phone and headphones—and your watch, if you use one—are charged and ready. And, most importantly, plan how you’ll celebrate afterward, whether it’s a favorite meal, a night hanging out with friends, or even by crafting a medal for yourself (totally fine if it’s, ah, less than professional).

(back to top)

Finally, the day you’ve been building toward is here! You’ve put in months of hard work and planned out all the logistics. Your mind and body are ready. Now, all that’s left is to lace up, warm up, and run.

Fire up your playlist to keep yourself going and turn to your mantras to keep you focused and motivated when things get tough. And know that all of us here at SELF (and the thousands of TeamSELF people who are following along too) are rooting for you, every single step!

Saturday: 🎉30-Minute Run!🎉

• 5-minute warm-up
• 30-minute run! (continuous)
• 5-to-10-minute cooldown
• Total time: 40–45 minutes

(back to top)

Today is a day off—and the last day of the program! Let us be among the first to congratulate you on your 12 weeks of hard work and your 30-minute run yesterday. We’re so proud of you and everything you put into this!

No matter where your running journey takes you from here—and we hope it takes you far, whether that’s by joining a running group, signing up for a race, or continuing to log miles each week for your own enjoyment—you’ve more than earned the title of runner. Welcome to the club, and I hope we’ll cross paths again someday—when we do, we’ll have a lot to talk about!

(back to top)

Photography: Katie Thompson. Wardrobe styling: Kathleen Thomas. Hair: Walton Nunez. Makeup: Miranda Richards.

Athletes in order of appearance: Laura Girard, a NASM-certified personal trainer and founder of The Energy Academy, wears: Alo jacket, sports bra, shorts, and sneakers, and Comme si socks; Morit Summers, a Brooklyn-based trainer and the owner of body-positive gym, Form Fitness Brooklyn, wears: Lululemon top and leggings, Aerie sports bra, and Nike sneakers; Amanda Katz, a certified personal trainer and running coach in New York City, wears: Adanola top and shorts, Nike sneakers, and socks.