This eight-week plan isn't exactly a couch to 5k kind of plan but pretty close. If you do some walking or some elliptical work at the gym, you'll be fine to jump right in.

That said, we build slowly with some run/walk sessions in the first few weeks.

Each week, you'll do strength training either in the gym or following a bodyweight workout video at home. Plus you'll do at least one yoga recovery session and one yoga strength session per week.

The strength training and yoga add to your workouts in ways just running could never do. You need to build the joint strength, stability, and mobility in order to run faster, build endurance, and avoid injury.

As with all training plans, carefully monitor your progress, fitness, and recovery. Your morning heart rate is one of the best ways to monitor training stress. If you start to see your morning HR increase, then it's time for a day off.

If you're not used to training every day, there is an element of training stress that you'll have to monitor.

Let me know if you have questions, comments, or concerns at paulw@SimpleEnduranceCoaching.com