If you're looking to get into running, restart after injury, or build a real base for long-term endurance and health: this is for you.
Most people rush. They lace up, open Strava, Garmin, NRC, Runna, or MapMyRun, and start hammering workouts with zero foundation.
Then they break. Or plateau. Or burn out.
This article gives you a different path. One that works.
A slow, deliberate, and effective progression: from walking to walk-jogging, then jogging, and eventually running. Grounded in principles, proven by real experience, and adaptable to anyone willing to do the work. Whether you're just starting out or coming back after injury, burnout, or years of inconsistent training, this path is built for you.
It’s the same method I followed after stepping away from elite sport. I had to start from scratch. Not because I wanted to, but because I had to.
It worked. It still does. This is not hype. No shortcuts. No "hacks."
You don’t get faster by training harder. You get healthier, and faster, by showing up and training consistently. Day after day. Year after year.
Phase 1 – Walking: Reset Build the habit. Strengthen your joints. This is where it starts: no pressure, just movement and consistency.
Phase 2 – Walk-Jogging: Rhythm Introduce impact gradually. Begin conditioning your aerobic engine and mechanical system. You’re teaching your body how to handle higher impact without breaking down.
Phase 3 – Jogging: Build Capacity Learning to move faster while staying in Zone 1. Learn to feel effort without chasing numbers. Run truly easy. Build consistency. This is where you grow strong and sustainable.
Phase 4 – Running: Earned Expression You’ve done the work, now you can express it. Run longer, hold form, and start exploring intensities. You’ll learn how to train across all 5 zones, but still keep 80–90% aerobic. Most of that? Still Zone 1. Now, though, you’re ready to touch tempo, threshold, and VO₂ from time to time.
Phase 5 – Rebuild, Repeat, Refine Running isn’t linear: it’s cyclical. You build, reset, deload, and return to the base. The real measure of progress isn’t pace or distance, it’s how long you can stay healthy and consistent across seasons and years.
Each phase has a purpose.
You don’t skip steps.
You earn the next one.
This isn’t just theory or science pulled from an articles, training plans or textbooks. It’s the result of 2 decades coaching real people: athletes, parents, high-performers through real life. It’s pragmatic. It’s tested. It works.
It’s on you to test, adjust, refine, and go again.
Phase 1 – Walking: Reset
Forget ego. Forget pace. Just move.
Walk daily and rebuild your system.
Prescription
Duration: 30–90 minutes/day
Frequency: 5–7x/week
Terrain: Flat only (pavement, track, grass)
Timeframe: 4–16 weeks depending on your starting point
Purpose
Reset gait and foot mechanics
Reintroduce low-impact aerobic movement
Build mental discipline through repetition
Train Zone 0–1 endurance
Reconnect mind-body awareness through movement
Weekly Focus (4-Week Cycle)
Week 1: Focus on breathing, tall posture, slow pace but quick steps
Week 2: Increase time by 10–15%, walk solo, stay quiet
Week 3: Notice cadence even more, relax the shoulders and arms, no rushing
Minimum Standard Before Progressing To Walk-Jog (Phase 2)
You have walked minimum 4-8 weeks
You can walk 60–90 mins daily with clean, pain-free form
HR stays in Zone 1, never touching Zn 2
You’re energized after the walks, not tiered
You’ve included mobility and light strength 2-4x/week (see below)
Strength + Mobility Routine (10 mins before walking)
It prepares your tendons, fascia, and joints for what’s coming in the next phases. And don’t drop it, mobility and strength stay in the plan from Phase 1 through Phase 5. I won’t keep repeating it, so don’t forget.
Walk… and don’t even think about skipping mobility and strength, now or later.
Phase 2 – Walk-Jogging: Rhythm
This is the most misunderstood phase in running. It’s not “just starting to run.” It’s the transition zone, where we build tolerance and rhythm, not speed.
And most people try to skip it. Phases 1 and 2? They brush past them like they’re optional. Don’t. I don’t care how fit, fast, or experienced you think you are, skipping them is a mistake.
Every elite I’ve coached has done them. Not because they’re soft, but because they know what matters.
UTMB podium athletes, Dakar Rally drivers, elite cyclists, SFO… They all start here: walking, walk-jogging, building the base. No ego, no shortcuts.
The best don’t skip steps. Neither should you.
This isn’t just about mitochondria, tendons, or ligaments, though it absolutely helps all of that. It’s about rewiring your mindset, learning how to show up, learning patience, and learning what real, sustainable progress actually looks like.
Skip the foundation, and you’ll pay for it later. Every time.
Prescription
Frequency: 3–5x/week. First 8 Weeks, never walk-jog back to back days.
Duration: 20–40 minutes per session
Terrain: Flat, non-technical
Timeframe: 4–16 weeks
Progression Structure (Jog:Walk ratio)
Week 1–4: 1 min jog / 2 min walk × 8–10 rounds
Week 4–8: 4 min jog / 1 min walk × 6–8 rounds
Week 8–12: 8 min jog / 2 min walk × 4–5 rounds
Week 12–16+: 9 min jog / 1 min walk × 3–6 rounds
Rules
After week 14, you can keep mixing trough the week different ratios t
Never jog 2 days in a row at first, at least in first 4-8 weeks
Stay conversational in jog efforts
Walk with intent, not as recovery
Always include 10 minutes of mobility and strength before each session. Last time I’m saying it, I mean it 😅
Minimum Standard Before Progressing To Jogging (Phase 3)
Minimum 6 weeks, no matter fitness level or track record: walk-jog!
Minimum 4 rounds of 9:1 jog-walk done with clean form
No residual pain or compensation the day after walk-jogging
HR stays mostly in Zone 1 80% of the time, and maximum 20% in Zone 2
Controlled breathing and tall posture all the jog-walk
This is where most people rush. Don’t.
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