Easy running should feel almost too easy. If you can talk in full sentences, you are in the right place. If you can only get a few words out before you need a breath, you are running faster than the plan needs. The good news is that slowing down costs very little distance, and the numbers below show exactly how little.
What is the talk test?
The talk test is a simple way to judge effort without a watch. The CDC describes moderate-intensity activity as effort where you “can talk, but not sing,” and vigorous-intensity activity as effort where you “cannot say more than a few words without pausing for a breath” (CDC).
For the runs in a beginner plan, aim for the moderate end. Practical version: during a run, say a full sentence out loud, or count to ten. If you can, your pace is fine. If you are gasping by the third word, slow down until you can.
The CDC’s adult guidelines count both moderate and vigorous activity toward the weekly total (CDC), so easy running is not “less” exercise. It is the effort level you can repeat three times a week for nine weeks.
Why can’t I breathe when I run?
Often the run is simply too fast for where you are in the plan. Week 1 runs last only 1 minute, so it is tempting to go quickly. By week 5, day 3, the run is 20 minutes without stopping, and a pace that felt fine for 1 minute will not hold for 20.
Try this on your next session:
- Start each run at a pace you could almost walk at.
- Keep your steps short and quick rather than long.
- If you are gasping by the end of a run interval, run the next one slower, not harder.
- Use every walk break until your breathing is back to normal.
The NHS plan tells beginners to go “at a pace that feels right for you” (NHS). For a beginner, that often means slower than your first instinct.
How slow is slow enough?
Slow enough to talk, whatever the number on the watch. On this site’s pace pages, paces from 13:00 to 16:30 min/mile are labeled easy or gentle jogging, and 17:00 to 18:30 is labeled jog-walk. A pace of 13:00 min/mile is 4.6 mph; 15:00 min/mile is 4.0 mph. Both are normal for a first 9-week plan. If you are not sure what your treadmill speed means as a pace, the pace converter switches between mph, km/h and min/mile.
What does slowing 30-60 seconds per mile cost?
Less than you think. The table shows how far you run during the run portion of three sessions at different paces. Walking time and the 5-minute warm-up and cool-down are not included.
| Session | Run time | 12:00 /mi | 13:00 /mi | 13:30 /mi | 14:00 /mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 4, day 1 | 16 min | 1.33 mi | 1.23 mi | 1.19 mi | 1.14 mi |
| Week 5, day 3 | 20 min | 1.67 mi | 1.54 mi | 1.48 mi | 1.43 mi |
| Week 9, day 3 | 30 min | 2.50 mi | 2.31 mi | 2.22 mi | 2.14 mi |
Going from 13:00 to 13:30 min/mile in the final 30-minute run costs 0.09 miles. Going from 13:00 to 14:00 costs 0.17 miles. In week 4, the same 60-second slowdown costs 0.09 miles of running across the whole session.
The whole session, including walk breaks and the warm-up and cool-down at a brisk walk, changes even less. Week 4, day 1 covers about 2.09 miles at a 13:00 run pace and about 2.00 miles at 14:00.
Distance is not what the plan measures. Each week is written in minutes, and the finish line is 30 minutes of running. A slower pace that lets you finish every session moves you through the plan; a faster pace that makes you stop does not.
Does easy pace change as the weeks go on?
The feeling stays the same; the number may change. Your talk-test pace might get a little quicker over nine weeks without you trying, or it might stay where it is while you simply run longer. Both are fine. If you finish the plan but your 30 minutes does not reach 5K, finished the plan but not 5K explains the next step, and is my running pace too slow covers the numbers in more detail.
What if easy still feels hard?
If a session feels hard even at a slow pace, it is usually a sign to repeat the week rather than push into the next one. Week 4 nearly doubles run time per session, from 9 to 16 minutes, and week 5 ends with a 20-minute run, so these are the common places to need a repeat. The stuck week helper suggests what to do based on the session that felt hard. You can also follow the full 9-week plan at your own speed; the plan works the same at 15:00 min/mile as at 11:00.
If you have a health condition or haven’t exercised in a long time, check with a doctor before starting.