Once the festivities of December end and you have more free time, many people like to line up a new fitness challenge, such as completing your first 5K or half marathon. But often—and I've certainly been guilty of this—it's easy to run before you can walk, resulting in injury or burnout due to overtraining. That's where walk-run intervals, the cornerstone of all good couch to 5K plans, can come in handy.
"A walk-run is a series of running intervals with planned walking breaks," explains marathon runner, Olympian and Runna coach Steph Davis. If you're new to running your body might be especially susceptible to injury due to the increased impact and strain on the joints from pounding the pavement or hitting the treadmill, she says.
Deliberate walking intervals help reduce the amount of impact and stress that the musculoskeletal system has to take in its stride, which in turn reduces the risk of injury.
"By including walking intervals in your training, you can gradually build your running volume over time at a safer rate," says Davis. As your body becomes accustomed to this increased workload and more resilient to absorb impact, you can then reduce the time spent walking in favor of running until you're able to go from start to finish without letting up.
You needn't focus on speed or pace when embarking on a new running plan. "It is all about banking the session at a relaxed and conversational effort and ignoring the metrics," says Davis. Completing the run and enjoying the process should be your goal.
Walk-runs can be a useful tool for anyone, whether accustomed to running or getting acquainted with it for the first time. When starting a new training plan or getting back in the swing of running after an extended break, I always like to use a couple of these interval workouts to re-familiarize my body with the rigors of running.
Runna New to Running Plan: Week 1
Here's an example from the New To Running plan from Runna, designed to help those with limited running experience to achieve their first 5K. It's an eight-week plan, but it changes according to how many runs you want to do each week. This is how the first week breaks down when you select three running workouts a week, with each workout orientated around walk-run intervals.
1. Your first run
Distance: 2.4km
Time: 25min
The workout:
- 5min walking warm-up
- 1min running at conversational pace then 1min 30sec walking—repeat six times
- 5min walking cool-down
Davis says: "The first session is simple—a run for one minute followed by a 90-second walk. Keep the pace of the running segments as comfortable as you can. Running is never easy but when starting out the aim is to keep things as relaxed and conversational as possible."
2. Gradual build
Distance: 2.9km
Time: 27min 30sec
The workout:
- 5min walking warm-up
- 2min running at conversational pace then 1min 30sec walking—repeat five times
- 5min walking cool-down
Davis says: "Rest for at least a day or two after your first run to allow your body to recover. Then, in your second session, focus on keeping your breathing steady and pace consistent. Avoid the urge to go off too fast or cut your walking intervals short. Stay patient."
3. Easy effort
Distance: 2.9km
Time: 28min
The workout:
- 5min walking warm-up
- 1min 30sec running at conversational pace then 1min 30sec walking—repeat six times
- 5min walking cool-down
Davis says: "Hopefully you're starting to feel less nervous and more excited. In this workout we're continuing to focus on gradually increasing volume while keeping intensity levels low. This means keeping your pace on the easy side. Slow and steady wins the race."
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