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Creating A Running Habit Cheat Sheet by

This cheat sheet provides you details on how you can get started running by creating a daily habit over a period of two weeks.

Introd­uction

 
Getting started with running is a lot to do more with running consis­tently than running fast. This cheat sheet has been made to help you create a running habit which will teach you about consis­tency, get you running regularly and hopefully improve your running and health as a result.

Running Every Day

 
Running every day is not really a long term habit and if you commit to continuing with your running, you will most likely try to schedule rest days into your training schedule.

Running Effort Scale 1 - 10

 
10 - Maximum effort
9 - Very hard intensity
8 - Hard intensity
7 - Requires constant effort
6 - Challe­nging but can sustain for 30 to 60 minutes
5 - Still requires effort
4 - Slight effort to maintain pace
3 - Able to maintain a conver­sation
2 - Gentle and easy to maintain
1 - Very easy pace

Effort Required For Run

 
For all our runs over the next two weeks, you should be mainta­ining an effort between 2 and 3. This means they are easy runs and you are limiting the chance of injuring yourself and still enjoying the process. Remember, the next two weeks are there to allow you to form a regular habit of running that you will hopefully take with you for years to come
 

Get Your Run Habit Ready

 
You will need to get ready for the next two weeks of your new running habit. The aim is to run for 20 minutes for every day for two weeks.

What You Will Need To Do To Prepare

 
1. Find your reason why and remind yourself over the coming weeks.
2. Choose a time of day to run that won't interfere with anything else.
3. Add your run into your schedule, put it in your planner, even into your work schedule so people cannot plan or schedule over it.
4. Tell everyone, your partner, family and friends and why you are doing it.
5. Get a training budy as this could also help you get running on days you are not feeling 100%.

Make Sure You Have A Plan B

 
You've done well to make sure you have everything sceduled and ready but make sure you have a backup plan to make sure you get your run in daily. For example, if the weather has turned bad and you can't run outside, maybe you can go to a local gym and run on the treadmill. If you know you have an appion­tment later in the day, maybe change your run to your lunch break at work or earlier in the day.

DISCLAIMER

 
Please make sure you are being safe in all aspects of your training and running. Please use approp­riate safety equipment when needed and ensure you consult a Doctor if you are unfit or have not recently taken on a physical fitness program recently.
 

The Gear You Need To Get Running

 
To get running, make sure you have running shoes that fit well, are not too old and do not rub or cause blisters. Some loose fitting clothing. Make sure you have a few layers in colder weather, so you can strip down a layer or two if it gets too hot. If it is warmer, maybe run in a singlet and shorts. Make sure you are sun smart and wear sunscreen and a hat during the middle of the day. Maybe make sure you have some spare cash to buy a drink if you need one, or need to get the bus home.

Running Habit Checklist

 
We have two weeks of running planned and the following is a checklist for you to cross off each day as it happens. When you finish the two weeks of running, feel free to continue with this daily habit or scale back to running 4 to 5 days a week.

Week 1

 
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Six
Day Seven

Week 2

 
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Six
Day Seven

Summing Up

 
Hopefully by the end of the two weeks, this has been a positive experience for you and you should be almost comfor­table running regularly. Feel free to scale back you running to four or five days a week or look out for more run training plan Cheat Sheets we will have posted here soon.
           
 

Comments

Nice cheat sheet! It would be good if the layout for the PDF worked better (@davechild)

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