Wait 6+ months before adding speed work

What to Do

Spend your first 3-6 months running only easy miles. After 6 months of consistent running, introduce strides (20-30 second accelerations) at the end of easy runs. Add structured intervals only after 6-12 months.

Why It Works

Building an aerobic base and musculoskeletal tolerance takes months. Speed work (tempo runs, intervals) places significantly higher stress on tendons, bones, and muscles. Without an adequate base, speed work causes injury rather than improvement. The progression should be: strides first, then fartlek (unstructured speed play), then tempo runs, then structured intervals.

Tips

• Strides are short, controlled accelerations (not sprints) that teach your legs faster turnover safely
• Fartlek means "speed play" in Swedish — pick up the pace to a landmark, then recover
• Most beginner 5K improvements come from simply running more easy miles, not running faster
• If you're still improving at easy pace, there's no reason to add hard workouts yet