Goal: To establish a cardio base and get more serious about running and lifting with the added convenience of working out at home with minimal equipment. Ultimately you’ll run a 10k that you can feel gosh darn good about.

Equipment: Running shoes and a set of dumbbells.

Workouts per week: 5 total. 3x runs (an interval day, a long run, and an easy run) + 2x living room strength sessions.

Gym Membership Required? No. You can do this entire program in your living room and outside.

Length: 12 weeks

The intention of this program is to establish an inspired and consistent lifting and running routine. You’ll be running 3 days per week and doing strength training 2 days per week. Weekly mileage begins at 8 and never increases by more than 1 mile per week.

For your run training, you’ll have an interval day (Monday), an easy run (Wednesday), and a long run (Saturday.)

Easy runs should feel comfortable. Somedays you’re going to run a bit faster. Somedays you’re going to run a bit slower. That’s normal. Most runners need to be reminded to slow down on their easy runs. The intention here is more about accumulating miles and less about running fast.

The hard pace on your interval day should be challenging but consistent. In other words, the final interval shouldn’t be slower than the first interval. These will be the fastest you run all week. If you’re new to interval training, I’d rather see you start a bit slower and finish strong than vice-versa.

For your long runs, if you don’t know what your Half-Marathon Race Pace is feel free to guesstimate it. You can think of it as somewhere near a 7 on your rate of perceived exertion and/or a pace that is “comfortably challenging.” Your half-marathon race pace will be slower than your 10k race pace, but the intention here is to get you confident with steady challenging runs.

As always, around if you need me.

And remember….when your legs get tired run with your heart.

– Rob

Here’s our weekly training calendar:

Phase 1

Feel free to move your training days around if necessary, but try to follow the same cadence of non-consecutive runs and lift.

As for our strength sessions on Tuesday and Friday…