RUN LESS FOR MORE RESULTS

You can become stronger and fitter by running just three days a week. Here's how

Try This First

To benefit fully from the program, it's important to do all five workouts each week. But the most crucial factor is to do them at the speed that's right for you. Run them too fast and you'll fall apart at the end; run them too slow and you won't reap the fitness gains.

Most runners tell us the workouts are faster (i.e., harder) than they are used to. Indeed, running seven miles is one thing, but running seven miles just 30 seconds slower than 10-K pace is quite another. But this intensity is precisely why the program works. Many runners do tempo runs or speedwork, but fail to do them at the pace that'll push them to their potential.

If you struggle with the workout speeds, adjust them so that you can complete the workout with little variation in pace. Finishing the session at close-to-constant speed is preferable to running a few of the early repeats or miles at a faster pace than what you can maintain for the second half of the workout. (Runners who have never done intensity training should begin with one of the key running workouts. Start at a faster-than-usual pace and gradually build up to your target pace, and add the other key workouts over a three-month period.)

Whereas your running intensity is determined by pace, use perceived exertion to determine cross-training intensity. Exercising at a moderate to hard effort (a 3 on a 1-to-5 scale) will boost fitness. And choose nonimpact sports, which allow for better muscle recovery from the stress of high-intensity running.

FIRST includes 12- to 16-week training programs for the 5-K on up to the marathon (see below and on the next page for the training programs). The variety of the workouts makes the programs safe to do all year. String together three or four multiweek plans, switching between 5-K and 10-K programs or mixing in a half-marathon plan for an added challenge, or simply do the quality runs at distances commensurate with your fitness level and goals. Regardless of whether you ever pin on a bib number, you'll get fit and fast.

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