It has taken me longer than I expected, but I’m finally getting back into a rhythm of running again. I stopped running just before 30 weeks pregnant with Rush, so this has been a long break for me. I’ve been eager to run again, but after jumping back into high impact activities too quickly in my postpartum period with Sylvie, I wanted to wait until my body was fully ready to do so this time around. I know just how poorly a postpartum body can respond to activity it’s not ready for!

Over a month ago I started jogging here and there with my workouts, but things just still didn’t feel great so I didn’t want to push it. Then we had some really bad sleep stretches when everyone was sick in our house, so I was kind of too tired / kind of too lazy to push myself.

Now that I feel spring in the air and my body is feeling fully back, I’m ready to conquer some major miles. I’m feeling motivated! But, slow and steady to start. I want to build up a base of 2-3 miles and see where it takes me. I still haven’t commit to a race yet this year (going to kick ass in 2018), but I’m thinking May would be good timing. I’m  logging about 2 miles at a time at about a 9-10 minute per mile pace this week + setting goals to improve.

After sharing my goal over on IG Stories, I’ve had a lot of questions about where to start with running. While I’m not an expert in the field, I do have years and miles of experience that I can share. I also used to teach group fitness classes and love putting together workouts for others! Today, I wrote a 20 minute treadmill workout for beginners and if I get enough interest, I’ll write some more as we all progress.

The 20 Minute Treadmill Workout

This workout is designed for the light jogger / fast walker who wants to get into running or step up their workouts just a notch. It can be adjusted to fit any level of fitness though … Feel free to adjust the speeds to fit you best: The lowest speed should be a good, brisk walking pace, middle speed should be a jog (use the talk test. can you carry on a conversation while you’re jogging? that is your pace!) and highest speed should be 0.5-2.0 above your jogging pace.

A few tips for beginners:

• Don’t focus on the miles at first, just the number of minutes.
• Gradually increase the amount of time you are running + number of days only after you feel comfortable with the current level of training. Going too far or too fast right away will likely lead to injury.
• Don’t be afraid to take walking breaks. Just make it a goal to take less and less.
• Soreness is to be expected. Stretch after workouts and be sure to also incorporate strength training into your weekly fitness routines. Your soreness will resolve, especially after you build up your strength + endurance.
• Always consult your physician or seek professional fitness expertise if you have pain, questions or concerns.

I’m just about a week into a new, consistent running rhythm now and I actually feel really good. My legs feel the good kind of sore — I missed that! Let me know if you try the workout and how you do with it. Let’s progress together!

XO

P.S. Will you pin this workout to save it?