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Hot Potato

51 runs over 17 weeks (3 runs per week)
Low intensity; 11 weeks until the first 5 minute run

This is an even more gentle introduction to running than None2Run, and much less soul-destroying than NHS Couch to 5K for people who are not coming from any kind of existing exercise background. This is essentially the plan that I found myself doing after failing halfway through Couch to 5K (I hit the Week 5 Wall) and then struggling a bit with None2Run. I found myself really needing an extra 30-odd seconds rest around Week 8 to what was programmed. When I looked at the change in the length of the continuous run sections in None2Run and Couch to 5K I could see that I was hitting problems at about the same phase in each: it was about when the shorter run/walk segments join up to make a suddenly very-much-longer run segment. That might work for some people but I found it tough to go that extra distance!

So I felt that each week brought a jump in the run segments that was too long for my hulking frame to adapt. So I tweaked None2Run for smaller increases in each new week's running segments and made the segue from mostly-walking to mostly-running a little easier. The decrease in rest-walking times is also less harsh. The overall effect is that it adds another 5 weeks to the None2Run plan but I think this will have an overall positive result to my compliance to the schedule!

I am also doing all the None2Run exercises in the 'off days' as I found these really helped:

Weeks 1 to 4: Simple Strength Routine, 2 sets
Weeks 5 to 9: IT Band Routine
Weeks 10 to 17: 7 minute strength workout for beginners

Details on the exercises are availble here:

Strength & Mobility Exercises

Running schedule

Run three times a week with at least 1 day of rest in between runs.

Each run begins with a 5 minute brisk walk to warm-up before the running phase.

After the final run segment there is a 5 minute cool-down walk.


Week 01 - 8 runs of 30 seconds each with a 2 min walk in between.
Week 02 - 7 runs of 1 min each with a 2 min walk in between.
Week 03 - 9 runs of 1 min each with a 2 min walk in between.
Week 04 - 8 runs of 1.5 min each with a 2 min walk in between.
Week 05 - 9 runs of 1.5 min each with a 1.5 min walk in between.
Week 06 - 10 runs of 1.5 min each with a 1 min walk in between.
Week 07 - 1 run of 2 min, a 1 min walk then 5 runs of 1.5 min each and 30 s walk in between.
Week 08 - 3 blocks where each block is 3 runs of 2 min and 30 s walking. Between each block, walk for 1 min. End with a 2 min run.
Week 09 - 5 runs of 3 min each then 2 runs of 2.5 min each, all with a 1 min walk in between
Week 10 - 5 runs of 4 min each with a 1.5 min walk in between
Week 11 - 5 runs of 5 min each with a 1.5 min walk in between.
Week 12 - 4 runs of 6 min each with a 1 min walk in between.
Week 13 - 3 runs of 8 min each with a 1 min walk in between.
Week 14 - 2 runs of 10 min each with a 1 min walk in between.
Week 15 - Run for 20 min.
Week 16 - Run for 22.5 min.
Week 17 - Run for 25 min.

Each character below represents a block of 30 seconds of that activity.

  .  Warm-up walk at brisk pace (5 minutes total)
  #  Running or jogging
  -  Walking in between runs at brisk pace
  ~  Cool-down, 3 mins brisk at first then slow to normal pace (5 minutes total)

RunID Week Day Warm-Up   Running Phase                       Cool-Down
 01    01   A  ..........#----#----#----#----#----#----#----#~~~~~~
 02    01   B  ..........#----#----#----#----#----#----#----#~~~~~~
 03    01   C  ..........#----#----#----#----#----#----#----#~~~~~~

 04    02   A  ..........##----##----##----##----##----##----##~~~~~~
 05    02   B  ..........##----##----##----##----##----##----##~~~~~~
 06    02   C  ..........##----##----##----##----##----##----##~~~~~~

 07    03   A  ..........##----##----##----##----##----##----##----##----##~~~~~~
 08    03   B  ..........##----##----##----##----##----##----##----##----##~~~~~~
 09    03   C  ..........##----##----##----##----##----##----##----##----##~~~~~~

 10    04   A  ..........###----###----###----###----###----###----###----###~~~~~~
 11    04   B  ..........###----###----###----###----###----###----###----###~~~~~~
 12    04   C  ..........###----###----###----###----###----###----###----###~~~~~~

 13    05   A  ..........###---###---###---###---###---###---###---###---###~~~~~~
 14    05   B  ..........###---###---###---###---###---###---###---###---###~~~~~~
 15    05   C  ..........###---###---###---###---###---###---###---###---###~~~~~~

 16    06   A  ..........###--###--###--###--###--###--###--###--###--###~~~~~~
 17    06   B  ..........###--###--###--###--###--###--###--###--###--###~~~~~~
 18    06   C  ..........###--###--###--###--###--###--###--###--###--###~~~~~~

 19    07   A  ..........####--###-####--###-####--###-####--###-####--###~~~~~~
 20    07   B  ..........####--###-####--###-####--###-####--###-####--###~~~~~~
 21    07   C  ..........####--###-####--###-####--###-####--###-####--###~~~~~~

 22    08   A  ..........####-####-####--####-####-####--####-####-####--####~~~~~~
 23    08   B  ..........####-####-####--####-####-####--####-####-####--####~~~~~~
 24    08   C  ..........####-####-####--####-####-####--####-####-####--####~~~~~~

 25    09   A  ..........######--######--######--######--######--#####--#####~~~~~~
 26    09   B  ..........######--######--######--######--######--#####--#####~~~~~~
 27    09   C  ..........######--######--######--######--######--#####--#####~~~~~~

 28    10   A  ..........########---########---########---########---########~~~~~~
 29    10   B  ..........########---########---########---########---########~~~~~~
 30    10   C  ..........########---########---########---########---########~~~~~~

 31    11   A  ..........##########---##########---##########---##########~~~~~~
 32    11   B  ..........##########---##########---##########---##########~~~~~~
 33    11   C  ..........##########---##########---##########---##########~~~~~~

 34    12   A  ..........############--############--############--############~~~~~~
 35    12   B  ..........############--############--############--############~~~~~~
 36    12   C  ..........############--############--############--############~~~~~~

 37    13   A  ..........################--################--################~~~~~~
 38    13   B  ..........################--################--################~~~~~~
 39    13   C  ..........################--################--################~~~~~~

 40    14   A  ..........####################--####################~~~~~~
 41    14   B  ..........####################--####################~~~~~~
 42    14   C  ..........####################--####################~~~~~~

 43    15   A  ..........########################################~~~~~~
 44    15   B  ..........########################################~~~~~~
 45    15   C  ..........########################################~~~~~~

 46    16   A  ..........#############################################~~~~~~
 47    16   B  ..........#############################################~~~~~~
 48    16   C  ..........#############################################~~~~~~

 49    17   A  ..........##################################################~~~~~~
 50    17   B  ..........##################################################~~~~~~
 51    17   C  ..........##################################################~~~~~~

Total time running or walking

The total amount of time spent running increases at a more gentle rate than None2Run and much more gentle than Couch 2 5K.

                                       Total Time Spent Running or Walking
														 
Week |__1__.__2__.__3__.__4__.__5__.__6__.__7__.__8__.__9__.__10_.__11_.__12_.__13_.__14_.__15_.__16_.__17_.
     |     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .
Total|     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .
time |     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .
(min)|     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .
  25-|     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     ,#-#-#.
    -|     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     ,#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#,     .     |     .
    -|     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     |     .     .     |     .     |     .
    -|     .  @ = Walking    .     .     .     .     .     .     .     |     .     .     |     ,#-#-#'     .
    -|     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     |     .     .     |     |     .     .
  20-|     .  # = Running    .     .     .     ,#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#'     .     .     '#-#-#'     .     .
    -|     .     .     .     .     .     .     |     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .
    -|     .     .     .     .     .     .     |     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .
    -|     .     .     .     .     .     ,#-#-#'     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .
    -|     .     ,@-@-@,     .     .     |     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .
  15-|     .     |     |     .     ,#-#-#'     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .
    -|@-@-@,     |     '@-@-@,#-#-#'     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .
    -|     |     |     .     X     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .
    -|     '@-@-@'     ,#-#-#'@-@-@,     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .
    -|     .     .     |     .     |     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .
  10-|     .     .     |     .     |     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .
    -|     .     ,#-#-#'     .     '@-@-@,     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .
    -|     .     |     .     .     .     |     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .
    -|     ,#-#-#'     .     .     .     '@-@-@,     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .
    -|     |     .     .     .     .     .     '@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@,     .     .     .     .     .     .     .
   5-|     |     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     |     .     .     .     .     .     .     .
    -|#-#-#'     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     '@-@-@,     .     .     .     .     .     .
    -|     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     '@-@-@,     .     .     .     .     .
    -|     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     '@-@-@,     .     .     .     .
    -|     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     '@-@-@,     .     .     .
   0-|- - - - | - - - - | - - - - | - - - - | - - - - | - - - - | - - - - | - - - - | - -'@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@
     0        5         10        15        20        25        30        35        40        45        50 
                                                   Run Day

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View other run plans:

None2Run (Mark Kennedy)

Couch to 5K (NHS)

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