If you are brand new to the sport of running or looking to get back in shape after an off-season or injury, this plan would be a great way to start building your pace. This 4-week program focuses on preparing you for the basic demands of running 3-4 days a week.

[Pre-requisites] Before beginning this program you should be able to:
-- Run or run/walk for 15 min continuously
-- Be injury-free
-- Be able to commit 2-5 hours a week to training

[Recommended Pre-requisites] Consider the following also:
-- Treat yourself to a new pair of running shoes
-- A local running store can help you find the right fit for your feet
-- Running in old, worn-out shoes is an easy way to get injured
-- Keep yourself strong and healthy with mobility and/or light strength training

Some key information regarding the plan:
1. WU = warmup; CD = cooldown
2. Runs can be done indoors or out, but outdoors is recommended to prepare for the elements
3. The runs can always be substituted with walking for individuals who are not cleared/ready to run
4. The terminology for many of the workouts revolves around "Zone Training" [if you know your max heart rate (HR)] and/or "Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)" [perceived effort on a scale of 1-10] ... which is described more thoroughly here:
- Zone 1 (Z1): Recovery, Very Easy, RPE 1-4, 40-60% effort
- Zone 2 (Z2): Steady, Aerobic, Comfortable, RPE 4-7, 60-70% effort
- Zone 3 (Z3): Tempo, Comfortably Hard, RPE 7-8, 70-80% effort
- Zone 4 (Z4): Race Pace, Hard, Pushing, Threshold, RPE 8-9, 80-90% effort
- Zone 5 (Z5): Faster than Race Pace, Redline, Very Hard, RPE 9-10, 90-100% effort

If you have any questions at all about this plan or have interest in more personalized coaching, please email dee@zealendurancecoaching.com