There is no way to get around it. Running should be a part of every fitness plan. If you spend anytime looking for and reading exercise articles on the internet you see a lot of propaganda out there decrying traditional cardio as boring and ineffective. It is just another way to attract clients/readers. It's the same premise as all the diets which promise people they can eat 'whatever they want' and still lose weight. If I tell you I can get you in shape without subjecting you to hours on the treadmill, stationary bike etc. you are more likely to buy into my program because it seems easier.
But we need to run. With all the rage about functional fitness training there is nothing more functional and basic then going for a run. Running has long been the worst part of every police/military/fire physical fitness tests and for good reason, it's the exercise we use the most. As a police officer, I can tell you exactly how many times I have been in a bench press competition with a suspect or how many times I lost in the sit and reach to the perp. But all of us at one time have been in a foot pursuit (and every cop falls down at least once, don't lie we all do....). I'm not trying to downplay the importance of strength and flexibility. I understand that wellness is about being well rounded in all aspects of physical fitness but I have seen a general decline in running. We need to get off the treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes, stair steppers and start getting outside to run.
This four week running plan is simple and effective. You will run three times a week. You could try a Mon/Wed/Fri training split or a Tue/Thu/Sat. This will give you four days off from running a week.
Run Fast
Go to a local track or other open area and warm up with about 5 minutes of jogging and then some dynamic stretching. After getting warmed up do a 200m sprint, that's one half of a lap around the track. Walk for 3-5 minutes or if you are on a track just walk the other half of the lap. Complete the total number of reps for the week.
Week 1: 5 Reps
Week 2: 6 Reps
Week 3: 7 Reps
Week 4: 6 Reps
Run Hard
Same warm-up as before but this time you will be running half mile intervals, that's two laps around a track or 800m. Try to maintain a consistent pace throughout the full rep, not bouncing between sprinting, jogging, and walking to finish. Try to walk for 5 minutes between reps.
Week 1: 3 Reps
Week 2: 4 Reps
Week 3: 5 Reps
Week 4: 4 Reps
Run Long
When it comes to long runs we don't care about maintaining any speed or tempo. The goal is to get the mileage in. You should be able to talk comfortably and take walk breaks as you need them. For your first week see how far you can go and then add a quarter or half mile to the number each subsequent week. Again, start off where you are comfortable and then add mileage.
Use this as an example
Week 1: 2 miles
Week 2: 2.25 miles
Week 3: 2.5 miles
Week 4: 2.75 miles
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