6 weeks to a 5k

I saved this running plan a few years back before I started running. I don't know if you've ever considered doing a 5k, but it's certainly a good plan.

Running | Beginner Training Plan: 6 Weeks to a 5K

Even if you’ve never run a step, this program will get you running for 30 minutes straight in just six weeks, says Zika Palmer, an elite marathoner, exercise physiologist, and cofounder of ZAP Fitness in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. If you can run for 30 uninterrupted minutes, you should be ready to tackle a 5K (3.1-mile) race. On your training runs, aim for a rate of perceived exertion (RPE) that feels like a 5 or 6 on a scale of 1 to 10 so you don’t burn out too soon.

Week	M	T	W	Th	Fri	Sa	Su	Total
1	Walk briskly for 1 mile. Run 2 min. every half mile until you reach 3.5 total miles. Walk 0.5 mile.	Walk 3-5 miles.	Off	Walk 1 Mile. Run 3 min. every half mile until you reach 3.5 miles. Walk 0.5 mile.	Off	Walk 3-5 miles, including 10 run/walk intervals (run 30 sec., walk 1 min.) in the last mile.	Off	16-20 Miles
2	Walk 1.5 miles. Run 5 min., walk 5 min.; do 3 times. Walk 1-2 miles.	Walk 3-5 miles	Off	Walk 1 mile. Run 3 min. every half mile until you reach 3.5 miles. Walk 0.5 mile.	Off	Walk 1.5 miles. Run 5 min., walk 5 min.; do 3 times. Walk 1-2 miles.	Off	18-20 miles
3	Walk 1.5 miles. Run 10 min., walk 5-7 min., run 10 min., walk 5-7 min.	Walk 3-5 miles.	Off	Walk 3-5 miles.	Off	Walk 1.5 miles. Run 10 min., walk 5 min., run 5 min., walk 5 min., run 10 min., walk 5-10 min.	Off	16-20 miles
4	Walk 1 mile. Run 3 min., walk 2 min.; do that 5-min. sequence a total of 10 times. Walk 5 min.	Walk 1 mile. Run 15 min., walk 5 min., run 15 min., walk 5 min.	Off	Walk 1 mile. Run 5 min., walk 2 min.; do that 7-min. sequence 5 times. Walk 5 minutes.	Off	Walk 1 mile. Run 10 min., walk 5 min.; do that 15-min. sequence 3 times.	Off	17.5 miles
5	Walk 1 mile. Run 3 min., walk 2 min.; do that 5-min. sequence a total of 10 times. Walk 5 min.	Walk 1 mile. Run 20 min., walk 5 min., run 20 min., walk 5 min.	Off	Walk 1 mile. Run 5 min., walk 2 min.; do that 7-min. sequence 5 times. Walk 5 minutes.	Off	Walk 1 mile. Run 15 min., walk 5 min.; do that 20-min. sequence 3 times.	Off	20 miles
6	Walk 1 mile. Run 3 min., walk 2 min.; do that 5-min. sequence a total of 10 times. Walk 5 min.	Walk 1 mile. Run 25 min., walk 5 min., run 25 min., walk 5 min.	Off	Walk 1 mile. Run 5 min., walk 2 min.; do that 7-min. sequence 5 times. Walk 5 minutes.	Off	Walk 1 mile. Run 20 min., walk 5 min.; do that 25-min. sequence 3 times.	Off	22 miles

You’ll run for a total of 60 minutes (with two 5-minute breaks) during the week 6 Saturday workout, and you should be able to run for 30 uninterrupted minutes without difficulty by the time you’ve completed this program. -- Originally published in FITNESS magazine, October 2006.