Your 12-week cardio calendar

Week one
Day 1 10 min. easy run
Day 2 12 min. of intervals, alternating 1 min. easy run with 1 min. moderate run
Day 3 12 min. easy run

Week two
Day 1 12 min. easy run
Day 2 12 min. of intervals, alternating 1 min. easy run with 1 min. moderate run
Day 3 15 min. easy run

Week three
Day 1 15 min. easy run
Day 2 15 min. of intervals, alternating 1 min. easy run with 1 min. moderate run
Day 3 17 min. easy run

Week four
Day 1 15 min. of hill/stair reps, alternating 1 min. moderate run up with 1 min. easy run down
Day 2 17 min. easy run
Day 3 20 min. easy run

Week five
Day 1 17 min. of hill/stair reps, alternating 1 min. moderate run up with 1 min. easy run down
Day 2 20 min. easy run
Day 3 25 min. of intervals, alternating 5 min. easy run with 5 min. moderate run

Week six
Day 1 25 min. easy run
Day 2 25 min. of intervals, alternating 30 seconds easy run with 30 seconds moderate run
Day 3 Run a 5k race! (3.1 miles)

Week seven
Day 1 24 min. moderate run
Day 2 25 min. of intervals, alternating 1 min. easy run/1 min. moderate run/1 min. fast run
Day 3 35 min. of intervals, alternating 5 min. easy run with 5 min. moderate run

Week eight
Day 1 40 min. of intervals, alternating 1 min. moderate run with 1 min. easy run
Day 2 35 min. of hill/stair reps, alternating 2 min. moderate run up with 2 min. easy run down
Day 3 40 min. of city-block/telephone-pole intervals: alternate running 1 block (or 1 pole to pole) easy with running 2 blocks (or 2 poles) fast

Week nine
Day 1 45 min. moderate run
Day 2 35 min. of hill/stair reps, alternating 2 min. moderate run up with 2 min. easy run down
Day 3 45 min. of long intervals, alternating 10 min. moderate run with 5 min. easy run

Week ten
Day 1 50 min. of city-block/telephone-pole intervals: alternate running 1 block (or pole) easy with 3 blocks (or poles) fast
Day 2 45 min. of hill/stair reps, alternating 5 min. moderate run up with 5 min. easy run down
Day 3 50 min. moderate run

Week eleven
Day 1 40 min. of long intervals, alternating 5 min. easy run/20 min. moderate run/5 min. easy run/10 min. moderate run
Day 2 50 min. of hill/stair reps, alternating 5 min. moderate run up with 5 min. easy run down
Day 3 50 min. of short intervals, alternating 30 seconds easy run with 30 seconds fast run

Week twelve
Day 1 55 min. moderate run
Day 2 25 min. of short intervals, alternating 30 seconds easy run with 30 seconds moderate run
Day 3 Run a 10k race! (6.2 miles)

The Stretch/Strength Moves

Warm-up Do 5 minutes of easy walking to elevate your heart rate prior to doing the stretch and strength moves.

Frequency/reps Do all of the strength moves described at The Stretch/Strength Workout twice a week (on the days you don't run). Perform 1 set of 8-10 reps of each of the 5 stretches to increase your flexibility, warm up your muscles and increase circulation, then do 3 sets of 10-12 reps of each of the 7 strength moves. Make sure to take a day off between strength sessions. If you're just starting out, do 1 or 2 sets of strength moves and gradually add in the third.

Form The stretches utilize a technique called Active Isolated Stretching. You exercise/contract the opposing muscle to help relax the muscle you're stretching, producing a safer and more effective lengthening of the muscle. Begin by contracting the opposing muscle to cause the targeted muscle to stretch, then immediately use a rope or towel to increase the stretch and hold for no more than 2 seconds. With each stretch, try to stabilize all areas of the body you're not stretching.

Cool-down After completing the strength moves, pick 2 or 3 stretches you feel you need most, performing 3-4 reps of each.

Make Mine a Marathon

If our 10k program leaves you feeling stronger and more confident, and you want to go further, we won't be surprised! Here are some tips from Wharton to get you ready to run a marathon (26.2 miles).

Do the time You'll need 6 months of progressive training with 6 weeks of mini-goal cycles, building distance. Progress from our 10k program by adding 5 minutes to one run a week. By week 24, you should be doing one 2-hour run every 2 weeks. Don't do more long runs, or you may not get to the starting line healthy.

Push the stretching Strive to do all 5 stretches before and after you walk/run, and go for the deepest stretch your body will allow. This will help prevent training injuries and increase performance.

Train on soft stuff Surfaces like grass, wood chips or asphalt (rather than cement) minimize wear and tear on joints.

Listen to your body Get lots of rest. Don't be afraid to slow your gait when you get tired. If you feel you're not recovering from your training, back off for a week or two until you're feeling strong again.

Enjoy the process Focus on race day, but don't forget to relish the daily training.

Fuel up Eat even more healthfully and drink even more. Sports drinks are ideal for events lasting 60 minutes or longer, providing carbohydrates, electrolytes and fluid. Aim for 4-6 ounces every 15-20 minutes, throughout the race.