Ep #376: Your 30-Day Running Plan

 Welcome to the not your average runner podcast. If you’ve never felt athletic, but you still dream about becoming a runner, you are in the right place. I’m Jill Angie, and I help fat women over 40 to start running, feel confident and change their lives. I have worked with thousands of women to help them achieve their running goals, and now I want to help you.

Hey there runner. I’m your coach and running BFF Jill Angie, and I’m here to get you running. safely and confidently, no matter your size. And today we’re diving into something that’s going to help you get set up for running success. And that is a 30 day running plan designed specifically for beginners.

Now, if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, trying out, trying to figure out how to start running, um, maybe you’ve tried couch to 5k and it didn’t work for you. This is your episode because by the end, you’re going to have a clear roadmap to kick off your running journey one step at a time. So today we’re building on last week’s podcast, which was about building a running base.

And, um, I know starting anything new can feel kind of daunting if you don’t know where to begin. So this week we’re going to talk about that first 30 day plan. of building your running base and we’re going to break it all into manageable steps. And the reason this works is because it’s focused, right? 30 days is long enough to see progress, but short enough to stay committed.

It builds consistency because you’re going to create that habit of showing up for yourself regularly. And in about 30 days, it’s going to feel pretty normal. It also prevents overwhelm because when you have a plan, you don’t have to think about what to do next, right? The plan tells you what to do. So you’re going to think about it like you’re running training wheels.

By the end of 30 days, you will have built the foundation for a sustainable running routine. So, let’s kind of give an overview of what the plan looks like, and then I’m going to break it down week by week. So, the goal here is to ease you into running in a way that feels doable, manageable, enjoyable, no matter where you’re starting.

So the core of this plan is run walk intervals. And this just means you’re going to alternate short amounts of running or jogging with walking. So, you’re going to alternate short amounts of running or jogging with walking. For example, and this is what I recommend to all of my beginner clients, is to start with 20 seconds of running, followed by a minute of walking.

And then as your endurance improves, you can choose in the future to increase the, the amount of running time, um, for each interval and You know, that’s a choice that you can make, you don’t have to, but that’s in the future after your endurance improves. For the 30 days, you’re going to start out with that 20 seconds of running with a minute of walking as your interval.

You’re going to do that three days a week because this gives your body time to adapt and recover in between runs. And honestly, if three days a week feels like a lot to you, if it feels overwhelming, you can choose to do two days. Because that still builds consistency. And then after you’re done with your 30 days, then you can work up to three days a week if you want to.

Consistency is what we’re going for. We’re not worried too much about, um, anything else at this point. We’re just trying to build that repetitive habit. Now, we’re not going to focus on how far you’re going. You’re going to focus on how long, right? So your workouts are going to be during this 30 days, anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.

Keep it simple. Eliminate the pressure to hit a specific mileage because that can be overwhelming, right? And we want to take away the overwhelm and make it doable. And again, I mentioned that you’re, you know, three days, maybe two days a week. I want to make sure that you are taking rest days. All right.

They are just as important as running days. And on those days, you can focus on gentler activities like walking or stretching or yoga or, You are swimming, um, you could take it easy and do nothing. That is also totally okay, um, but it is very important to make sure that you get some rest days. And then finally, everything in this plan is designed to feel manageable, and that’s why you’re going to run at a pace where you can talk without gasping for air.

And that’s why I use the word jogging a lot because I want you to think about those run intervals as more like jog intervals. easy, relaxed pace. If you are pushing too hard, you could get injured. You could get overwhelmed and frustrated, like slow it down. Let your body acclimate to running. There is plenty of time to do hard workouts in the future.

Right now, we are just getting your body used to running. Okay. Now let’s break down what those 30 days are going to look like. In week one, You’re just getting comfortable with the run walk intervals. You’re going to focus on just showing the fuck up for each workout. Okay. 20 second run, 60 second walk.

You’re going to do that 10 times. You can do it if you want to do it less. That’s fine. Like honestly week one is just about showing up and getting your body used to the concept of running. All right. Cause the hardest part is starting. So aim for 10 or maybe eight intervals, whatever feels good to you.

Week two is going to be where your body is going to start adjusting a little bit. It’s going to, it’s, you might feel less winded. You’ll definitely feel more confident. You’re going to keep with that 20 second run, 60 second walk, but you can add two or three intervals. to each run if you want to. So maybe if you did 10 in week one, you could do 12 in week two.

Now week three, you’re going to start to notice some changes. You’re going to feel stronger. Running is going to feel a little easier and more natural. You can add two to three more intervals if you want to. You don’t have to. And then in week four, again, you can add a couple more intervals. And remember last week, I said that building a base is not sexy.

It’s not exciting. And that is what this plan is. It is not exciting. We don’t want it to be exciting. We want it to be doable. So you’re going to add a couple more intervals in week four. Maybe you will be doing a 30 minute workout by this point. And this is where you’re going to start to have created that solid beginner’s base.

All right. Once week four is over, you can increase the length of your running intervals. If you want to, you can add more, um, you know, That’s where you can start taking on more challenges, but for right now, we’re just working on that base. All right. So that’s what the plan looks like. It’s super simple.

And I want to talk a little bit, um, about your mindset because a running plan isn’t just about how many intervals that you do, right? It’s about how you’re thinking. So during this time, I want you focusing on progress, not perfection, right? Every step you take is a step closer to being the runner that you want to be.

So we don’t, we let it be messy. Do not worry about being perfect. Just keep showing up. Some workouts are going to be great. Some workouts are going to suck. That’s normal. Just keep showing up. Celebrate those small wins. If you finished a workout, if you added a couple extra intervals, if you just showed up when you didn’t want to, Celebrate it.

That all adds up and be patient with it. Okay, building a new habit takes time. So some days are going to feel easier and some days are going to feel harder. That’s okay. I mentioned that already. Stick with it. Trust the process. And then remember your why. Okay, why did you want to do this in the first place?

Keep that front and center. All right. Did you want to feel stronger prove to yourself? You can do it Just keep that reason in mind whenever you feel like giving up now If you follow these guidelines in 30 days You’re gonna feel stronger and more confident as a runner and you’re gonna be calling yourself a runner and an athlete Here’s the thing.

I know that starting on your own can feel kind of overwhelming. So that’s why I created this Um, I run your best life membership, which includes everything you need to succeed, not just with your 30 day running plan, but beyond. And when you join that, you get immediate access to my beginner program, which is called up and running.

And this has a 30 day, a detailed 30 day plan that’s designed for brand new runners has weekly check ins to keep you motivated. It has tips on overcoming common challenges, like what to do if you miss a workout or you feel stuck. Um, you get group coaching every week from, uh, from me. And there’s an amazing community associated with it.

It is just 49 a month. And, again, you get access to this beginner course and so much more to help you progress as a runner beyond that. So if you are ready to start your running journey with a 30 day plan that is safe and supportive and fun, Join, run Your Best Life today. All right. Head over to run your best life.com to sign up.

You’ll get immediate access to the up and running class and the community. All right. You do not have to do this alone, my friend. Let me help you take that first step and every step after you’ve got this. All right, so go to runyourbestlife. com to check it out or the link is in the show notes and runners.

That’s it for today. All right. So remember starting your running journey is all about showing up taking it one step at a time and being kind to yourself along the way. I cannot wait to see what you accomplish in the next 30 days. All right. If this episode helped you get in the right mindset for today’s workout, please don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review and I will talk to you next week.

Mwah. Real quick, before you go, if you enjoyed listening to this episode, you have to check out my seven day jumpstart plan. It is a free downloadable guide that will teach you exactly how to start running safely and confidently in the body you have right now. Head on over to notyouraveragerunner. com slash jumpstart to grab it.

That’s notyouraveragerunner. com slash jumpstart. I’d love to be a part of your journey.