How to Start Running When You Get Tired Quickly
Out of breath after two minutes? That is normal, and it is almost always a pacing problem. Here is how to start running when you get tired fast.
4 min read
Category
Starting Running
Guides for week one of running: how to start from zero, what to do when you get tired after two minutes, and why the first month feels harder than anyone admits.
Almost everything that goes wrong in a first month of running comes down to one thing: running too fast. You go out at the pace you remember from school, last four minutes, conclude you are unfit, and stop.
These guides are about the other way of doing it. Short run intervals with planned walk breaks, at a pace slow enough to hold a conversation, three days a week. It looks unambitious on paper and it is the approach that actually gets people to 30 minutes of continuous running.
If you are starting today, begin with the plan below and read the rest as questions come up.
Start here
Beginner Running Plan: How to Start Running From Zero
A free 8-week beginner running plan that starts with walking. Includes a week-by-week schedule, an example session, and the mistakes that make most people quit in week two.
All starting running articles
The Run/Walk Method for Beginners: How It Works
The run/walk method alternates short runs with planned walk breaks. Here is why it works for beginners, how to pick your intervals, and example sessions to copy.
4 min read
Why Running Feels So Hard When You First Start
Heavy legs, burning lungs, and the feeling that everyone else finds this easy. Here is what is actually going on in the first few weeks of running, and when it changes.
4 min read