Walk-To-Run Progression Plan + Running Advice From a Running Coach

How To Go From The Couch To 5K in 2 Months

I know, for many of you this email or notification on your phone was surprising coming from me…

I was going through my stuff from the military and I found a few very good written programs on running, specifically for those who can’t and want to relatively quickly so I thought I’d share as a little “bonus post” for those who are interested.

When you think Ox and bodybuilding, probably the last thing you think about is a running plan…

In my defense, I’ve never written about it in detail here and only mention it in passing on social media so many of you have probably forgotten or not even been aware if you’re newer here that I spent pretty much my entire adult life until a year ago (as of writing this) in Army Special Operations in the 75th Ranger Regiment as an Infantryman.

This means running was a pretty big part of my life for over 5 years of it. I never liked it but I was pretty decent at it, which means I am pretty knowledgeable on how to get good at it while doing it as least as I could…

Prior to the military I had very little running experience outside of playing sports since I could walk, but we never ran anything more than a mile at a time really and didn’t do long runs often… like maybe a handful of times ever, it was almost all short distance work (400m or less).

To make matters worse, as much as I wish I could say I prepared well… let’s just say I’m lucky I’m tough because I don’t think I ever ran more than 2-3 miles preparing and had MASSIVE shin splints before I even started Basic Training… in hindsight, this is so absolutely stupid I’m cringing.

If you don’t know, the standards you have to reach to pass your Ranger Physical Fitness Test to make it into Ranger Regiment during RASP (Ranger Assessment and Selection Program) is a 5-mile run in less than 40 minutes… and unless you can run this in significantly less time (<37 minutes), you weren’t going to do well… this isn’t even mentioning the sub-3-hour 12-mile ruck marches or the fact most of the selection is testing your limits by being forced to run all the time (read this as “Running as torture to make people quit”).

So as you can see, I definitely had the cards stacked way against me, so I had to learn QUICK if I was going to even have a snowball’s chance in hell. So, let me share this progression + some advice so you can avoid the failures and unnecessary suffering I put myself through.

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Walk-To-Run Progression

For those who are new to running or previously have and want to get back into it, this has been a progression plan I have used I believe 3 times now (and will again after this bodybuilding competition season) to get back into it.

Now before getting into this, I want to state if you are nearing obese or over (no big deal, we start somewhere, you are here to fix that, no?) then I advise caution and would suggest focusing on walking more and losing the weight to avoid excess stress on your joints. As always, use good judgment, if you feel any concerning pain then stop and consult a medical professional.

How this plan works is very simple. It’s 55 days, there will be some type of walk, run, or walk/run every other day. It starts out very easy then progresses as we go on into more and longer runs.

Here is how it goes (on even days you do nothing out of what you normally do, avoid trying to do more running as you want to recover properly and avoid issues like shin splints—slow is smooth, smooth is fast):

Day 1: Walk 2 miles with no time limit, any pace

Day 3: Walk 2 miles with no time limit, any pace

Day 5: Walk 2 miles in 30 minutes (4mph pace)

Day 7: Walk 2 miles in 30 minutes (4mph pace)

Day 9: 5 minute walk, 1 minute run. Repeat 5 times for 30 minutes total

Day 11: 5 minute walk, 1 minute run. Repeat 5 times for 30 minutes total

Day 13: 4 minute walk, 2 minute run. Repeat 5 times for 30 minutes total

Day 15: 4 minute walk, 2 minute run. Repeat 5 times for 30 minutes total

Day 17: 3 minute walk, 3 minute run. Repeat 5 times for 30 minutes total

Day 19: 3 minute walk, 3 minute run. Repeat 5 times for 30 minutes total

Day 21: 2 minute walk, 4 minute run. Repeat 5 times for 30 minutes total

Day 23: 2 minute walk, 4 minute run. Repeat 5 times for 30 minutes total

Day 25: 1 minute walk, 5 minute run. Repeat 5 times for 30 minutes total

Day 27: 1 minute walk, 5 minute run. Repeat 5 times for 30 minutes total

Day 29: 10 minute run

Day 31: 10 minute run

Day 33: 15 minute run

Day 35: 15 minute run

Day 37: 2 mile ruck/weighted walk

Day 39: 20 minute run

Day 41: 20 minute run

Day 43: 4 mile ruck/weighted walk

Day 45: 25 minute run

Day 47: 25 minute run

Day 49: 6 mile ruck/weighted walk

Day 51: 30 minute run

Day 53: 30 minute run

Day 55: 8 mile ruck/weighted walk

That’s it, it is as easy can be to follow.

Now, a major key here is to trust the process even if you feel like you can do more, this is going to allow your body to acclimate properly and as it gets going it WILL become more challenging.

Once you finish, you will actually be amazed at just how much better you got at running in just under 2 months, for some this will be the start of an entirely new hobby and lifestyle. A fun thing to do might be to find a 5k right after you finish and do it just to say you did it and get the t-shirt.

Now you won’t be Eliud Kipchoge, but you will have a base of cardio that you can build on and actually have the freedom of movement that being able to run gives you.

If you are lifting while doing this, honestly I would make zero changes as it’s not going to be taxing enough to really hurt your lifts. Once you finish, then go on to find a more specialized plan and adjust that around your lifting. The only slight issues might be the 6 and 8-mile ruck around leg days, likely won’t hurt but maybe move your workout schedule around so it isn’t right next to a leg day.

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Other Tidbits of Advice

BowTiedRunner is going to cover more than I possibly could in the next section, but a few things, then I’ll let him do the bulk of the work.

I have already covered how to incorporate running with lifting here:

Balancing Running and Lifting

My parting notes are to really make sure you’re getting proper footwear and make sure you’re allowing ample recovery.

As for incorporating this into your day, as always my advice is to design and add it to your daily lifestyle where it makes the most sense and keeps a good flow to your day. Make it easy on yourself to be able to be consistent.

Other than that, I’ll let BowTiedRunner take it away.

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Part 2: BowTiedRunner om Beginner Running

So you were athletic back in the day. Maybe you played a few varsity sports in high school, a club sport in College (NCAA if elite), and now you find yourself going between your couch, gym, and cubicle.  It’s time to get back to your roots.

You need to add Cardio, and running is the best activity a human can do. Applying cardio in your youth (relative 20s-40s) pays dividends back to overall health in your later years. Stabilizing blood pressure, balancing glucose, lowering triglycerides, raising HDL, improving circulation (check your feet for a pulse), and much more.

But there’s a need to take it slow at first…slower than you probably want to run.  Finding this “slow” pace takes a bit of math and checking some numbers on your smartwatch if you wear one. 

1. If you can’t do the math, I’ve linked an online calculator that will spit similar numbers out to find your running zone 2.

2. If you don’t wear a smartwatch and can’t do the math, I’ve explained another way below how to find your pace.

Heart Rate

Your running heart rate is a lot different than any other cardiovascular output, and averages ~10BPM higher per zone.

To find your running intensity zones, we can look to an unfortunately complex formula, but helps us keep it basic in the end and future use.

(We’re being complex upfront, to make our running more basic/slow).

Max HR Formula:

Two Formulas to remember:

1. Finding your Maximum Heart Rate

Max Heart Rate = 207 - (Age * .7) 

2. Finding your desired intensity zone (% out of 100)

Target Heart Rate # = ((Max HR − Resting HR) × Intensity %) + Resting HR

Example: 30 Years Old, 60 Resting Heart Rate:

Let’s find the 60% effort zone for this individual! (The lower end of zone 2)

Max HR: 

207 - (30 * .7) =  186 Max HR

Finding Zone 2:

((186 − 60) × .6) + 60 = 136 BPM as Lower End of Zone 2

Easy Online Calculator Version (LINK)

Random numbers used in example:

• The hard part about this equation is the max hr portion, which is not perfect.  (Your max HR is not necessarily 220-age).

• The best way to test max HR is to find a hill and sprint up it.  By the end of the 4th set you should be around max HR.  Use this # if it is higher than 220-age or 207 - (Age * .7) 

Zone 2 would be 60-70%

Finding Your Zone 2 Without Data/Math:

This is what we call “conversational pace” in the running business; where the rule is IF you can hold a conversation while running, you are in Zone 2 (below blood lactate threshold).

Why this matters is that it proves you are not in an oxygen debt, so long as you are not panting, or only getting a few words out.  You should have the true ability to hold a conversation, and not have it affect pace or breathing.

Run with a friend, call a loved one, or say a few sentences to yourself every few minutes.

Keeping An Eye on Heart Rate:

When running in the early stages, most runners will either:

1. Run much too fast, as they think cardiovascular exertion = a good workout.  The opposite is true in this case

2. Not check their Heart Rate mid-run and end up in the Z3 “gray zone”

It’s best practice to make a habit of checking your working HR every few minutes (or more frequently) in order to understand what every heart rate level feels like.  It’s very easy to “get in the zone”, and forget about the task of staying slow and within heart rate ranges.

Remember walking is fine as well.  If you find yourself slipping out of your desired heart rate zone, walk for a bit to calm your HR down and reset.  

Gains are still to be had with the walk/jog interval method!

Progression:

This is the hardest part for new runners to grasp, you will want to run as many miles as possible, and as frequently as possible.

Unfortunately, this is not the way, and you need to think about your running load/progression in either terms of:

1. Weekly mileage

2. Weekly hours of time on feet or “in cardio”

(Note: The “Running Week” is usually counted as Monday-Sunday)

It’s very easy to forget that you ran Mon-Thursday, hitting your weekly mileage ceiling, then Sunday comes around and you want to run again.  This is where the trouble starts, and overuse injuries are induced.

Get used to spreading your runs out, and plan your mileage on a weekly schedule.  For newer runners, I prefer having them plan weekly running around an hourly ceiling versus mileage.  Meaning you set X amount of hours per week aside for running.  This helps detach you from the mileage you see on your smartwatch or strava.  Many people need shiny round numbers to feel accomplished–but don’t worry, these will come.

A solid progression to use is as follows (for someone who has never ran before):

For new runners, the #1 importance is to condition the soft tissue in your legs. We do this, without injury, by using proper progression.

1. Be able to walk 7,500 consecutive steps every day (multiple walks throughout a day) for 3 weeks.

1. If you don’t already hit consecutive steps daily (every mile is ~2,000 steps), you will be surprised at 1) how unconditioned your legs are and 2) how much this helps you.

2. Once you can do the above with ease, add 2 days of running per week for 2-3 miles each.  (Or 30-40 minutes each, for those tracking time)

3. Hold Weekly mileage at 5-6 miles, for 2-3 weeks. (Or 1-1.5 hours of solely running).

4. Increase weekly mileage by 3-5 miles and add in one more day of running per week (3 total).  (Now averaging ~45min per run, 3x a week).

   1. After 3 weeks of increasing, pull back with a rest week where you run 1 time, and walk on off days.

5. By your rest week, you should have been running somewhere between 10-15 miles per week.

6. Continue adding 3-5 miles per week based on need, or simply “hang out” in this mileage range to act as your weekly cardio.

7. If you choose to increase weekly mileage, add in more frequency before you increase the length of your runs.

   1. Ie: run 4-5x a week, but continue running ~3-4 miles every run.  Not 3x a week and 5-6 miles per run.

Proper Shoe Wear:

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of running shoes on the market, all seemingly claiming different benefits.

Having worked with many new-intermediate runners, I know the general route to guide people on when it comes to shoe selection, and how most will react.

Drop:

The heel-to-toe drop on shoes generally does not matter until we get to the extremes.

For example, I would rarely recommend a new runner to start running in a zero-drop shoe immediately, as this type of shoe requires a midfoot-forefoot strike.  When in reality, most new runners are moving slow and heel striking (which is fine for now).

This is not to say that zero drop can’t be progressively worked towards.  The science behind the reasoning is sound for why it’s good to incorporate a zero drop (or switch fully), but that doesn’t mean it is best for everyone.

The general rule for most of the population follows this:

Lower drop <=5mm: Best for midfoot strikers, take the impact off of hips & knees. Put impact on the achilles/calf/foot.

Higher drop >=8mm: Best for heel strikers, takes impact off of lower leg (see above), shifts weight to hips and knees. (Modern cushion and rockers helps this though, and not a huge problem unless very weak/past injuries in knees/hips)

Rocker:

Rocker design is great for beginner runners, slow recovery days, or general heel strikers.

A “rocker” is easily seen on shoes when you sit them normally on the floor, the heel AND toe are both raised off the ground.

This helps force a midfoot strike on runners, along with dispersing the impact of a heel strike quickly.  It’s similar to jumping off a ledge a few feet high and rolling your body to break the impact.

Tracking Mileage:

Whether using your shoes for walking or running, mileage needs to be tracked as modern-day foam deprecates very fast.

Running on “old foam” is just asking for shin splints at worst, and an uncomfortably bad time at best.

Most shoes have a mileage life of around 300-400 miles, with some exceptions.  Quality control is abysmal these days, so start eyeing your shoes and paying closer attention around the ~300-mile mark.

Building a shoe rotation:

This is the fun part for all of the gear-junkies out there.

A shoe rotation is not needed, but it is a “nice to have” feature of your running regimen.  It can be as large as you want, but you really only need 2 pairs.

Ideally, one pair is a lower drop and another is a higher drop.  This helps us “cross train” the leg, shifting weight between runs from your foot/achilles/calf to your hips/knees (low→high).

From there, you choose different shoe “feels” for different days.  If you need a slow shoe for easy days or recovery, you can look to a max cushion shoe that doesn’t return a lot of energy but absorbs the footstrike impact.

For a faster shoe, you will want something with a firmer midsole, that feels like it is “propelling” you off of the pavement with some solid bounce. Generally, these shoes are also lighter in weight.

What building a shoe rotation also does is keep the foam on your shoes fresh, which in turn keeps your legs fresh.  Foam needs time to “recover” after a run, so by switching out shoes every run, you are lengthening the lifespan of your shoes while staying injury-free on fresh foam.  (LINK)

Some GREAT, Tried and True Daily Trainers For All Runners:

• Asics Gel Kayano

• Asics Novablast

• Nike Pegasus

• Saucony Kinvara

• Saucony Rides

• Saucony Triumph

• Hoka Clifton

• New Balance 1080

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Ox Again

Please take the time to check out BowTiedRunner here on X/Twitter: @BowTiedRunning

As well as check out his Substack:

Really want to thank him for taking the time to write out all this great and super detailed information, he went so far above and beyond my favor of adding some notes and advice here so I’m very grateful and this is a testament to the passion and knowledge he has in this subject.

Going forward, I will be doing some more posts into this space, especially in the realm of rucking, tactical athletics, and other forms of cardio/fitness geared more towards endurance and outside-of-the-gym-type stuff.

We still have a lot more general fitness, muscle growth, and fat loss, content, but we are going to start posting more about other aspects of fitness so this publication becomes a total one-stop-shop in terms of helping you navigate all of your fitness goals and endeavors… but I won’t talk Crossfit!

With love from Tokyo,

- Ox

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DISCLAIMER

This is not Legal, Medical, or Financial advice. Please consult a medical professional before starting any workout program, diet plan, or supplement protocol. These are opinions from a Cartoon Ox.