Beginner runner how fast should i run

Plan to make the third run your long run. You can bump this run up to about 40 minutes or 4 miles and increase the distance each week by another 5—10 minutes as tolerated. If the effort becomes too difficult, back off and maintain this distance until your fitness improves. A common question beginner runners may have is when to sign up for their first race. Running events are a good idea for any runner because they provide motivation to keep pushing yourself.

When exactly you should sign up is different for every person, but a good rule of thumb is to base this off of your current long training run. For instance, if you can already complete 5—6 miles on your long day, stick to a 10K or shorter for your first event. Try to have fun and stay within your limits. For most new runners, the half-marathon distance will be reachable within six months to a year of consistent running with no injuries.

Expect your efforts to be challenging and to experience some discomfort as you increase your mileage. With that being said, there is a difference between discomfort during your runs and feeling pain in your joints or muscles. If this occurs during a run, stop and walk and see if the pain subsides. Stretch, if needed, and return to running when the pain disappears.

But starting to run is not always easy, and advice to 'just go out and run' can be counterproductive. Humans are built to run, but there is a level of fitness required before running is practical. The best approach for many people is to introduce running gradually, using an Interval Training approach of mixed running and walking. This plan is intended to get you to the point where you can run 30 minutes comfortably and effectively.

See Starting to run for overall guidelines on beginning to run. Before you do any running, you should start by walking. If you are unfit, walking can be sufficient training to raise your fitness level.

First, check you can to walk 2 miles 3. If you can't walk 2 miles in 30 minutes, focus on walking and building up to that pace. You should build up to walking at that pace over a few minutes as a Warmup. So, once you've reached the point of walking 2 miles in 30 minutes or verified you can do it , introduce the running gradually. Or run for 1 minute at a faster pace and then slow down for 2 minutes.

Do what feels right for your body. Just remember to make sure to rest long enough to truly recover between your faster intervals. Also, always do a 5- to minute warm-up and 5- to minute cool down for every run. More: 6 Fartlek Workouts for 3 Training Phases. A tempo run is also good for increasing speed. It is more structured than a fartlek and requires you to run a certain distance or time at a faster speed.

You should also run a tempo run at a "comfortably hard" pace. One example of a tempo run would be to run a 5- to minute warm-up, then run 15 to 20 minutes at a harder pace, and then cool down for 5 to 10 minutes. Another example would be to run a 1-mile warm-up, 2 miles at a faster pace, and then a 1-mile cool down. You can vary this according to your ability, and please note that your faster pace during a tempo run will generally be slightly slower than your fartlek pace.

Speed work will help your body handle lactic acid in your muscles more efficiently, and will also increase your body's ability to utilize oxygen. By increasing your body's efficiency in these areas, you will be able to sustain a faster pace during a race.

More: 3 Essential Speed Workouts for Beginners. As you continue with your training, remember not to push your body too hard. Most of your runs should be at an easy pace with a faster run thrown in once a week or so. Do not do faster, harder runs back-to-back, and always stop if you experience any pain.

The idea is to get faster and stronger slowly and steadily. With a little patience, you will reach your goals and stay injury-free. More Running Articles. Look for this banner for recommended activities. Cancel Yes. Join Active or Sign In. All rights reserved.