Beginner's First Run-Walk

Workout - Beginner's First Run-Walk

• 5min @ 10'00''/km
• 5 lots of:
  • 2min @ 6'00''/km
  • 2min rest
• 5min @ 10'00''/km

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Intro: Based on Ben Parkes’ HOW TO START RUNNING - Tips For Beginner Runners. Here’s what you need to begin. The full video has more context; the essentials are below so you can start today.

Key points

• Footwear and clothing. Running shoes (usually a half size larger than your regular shoe) and moisture-wicking fabric keep you comfortable and reduce chafing.
• Run-walk intervals. Cycle between short bursts of running (1–2 minutes) and walking recovery of equal length. This builds fitness safely with lower injury risk.
• Structured approach. Ben Parkes has a free 10-week plan on benparkes.com with daily guidance, including pacing (aim for conversational pace) and recovery walk breaks.
• Meaningful milestones. A local 5K parkrun or a measured-distance time test gives you something concrete to work toward.
• Keep a log. Record distance, duration, and effort in an app, watch, or notebook so you can see progress.
• Three core principles
  1. Run easy. You should be able to hold a conversation without gasping.
  2. Eat and drink smartly. A carb snack (bagel with peanut butter and jam) 90–120 minutes before running, plus a pint of water beforehand (electrolytes in warm weather).
  3. Mental resilience. Let go of self-consciousness and focus on the post-run feeling.

Workout example

Warm-up: 5-minute easy walk or jog

Main set (repeat 4–6 times):
  - 2 minutes running at conversational pace
  - 2 minutes walking (recovery)

Cool-down: 5-minute walk

Total: 20–30 minutes

Scale the run and walk intervals to your condition. Try 1-minute blocks if 2 feels too much, and adjust the number of rounds. Use the Pacing app to set conversational pace from past workouts.

Closing note: Try this plan, customize intervals and mileage in the Pacing app, and enjoy the run.

References

• HOW TO START RUNNING - Tips For Beginner Runners - YouTube (YouTube Video)