Learning to run, explained properly
Short, honest answers to the questions beginners actually ask. No jargon, no myths, and something you can do tomorrow at the end of every page.
A first week, concretely
If you take one thing from this page, take this.
- Three runs, spread across the week — not two back to back if you’re starting from nothing.
- Twenty-five minutes each time: three minutes running, two minutes walking, on repeat.
- Slowly enough to say a full sentence without gasping.
The questions everyone asks
Should you run slowly when you’re starting out?
Yes — and running easily is what builds almost everything else, so it isn’t a compromise.
ReadHow many times a week should you run?
There is no magic number, but three is a good place to start — and how you space them matters as much as how many.
ReadIs it alright to walk during a run?
Yes — walking breaks are a method, not a failure, and nearly every beginner programme is built around them.
ReadYou missed a week. Now what?
Far less is lost than you fear — what usually ends things is the story you tell yourself, not the week itself.
Read
And then?
When you want a date, a plan that fits your actual life and adjusts when the week goes sideways, that’s what ekygai is for. No rush — these pages work perfectly well without it.
See what ekygai does