Up and Running : Your 8-Week Plan to Go from 0-5k and Beyond and Discover the Life-changing Power of Running

If you think that running is just for slim, fit, and sporty types, think again!

Up and Running offers a tried and tested plan to bring the transformative power of running to everyone, from manically busy mums to stressed and tired office workers. Julia Jones and Shauna Reid have successfully coached thousands of beginner runners across the world and they have discovered that sore knees and weary lungs are not the main obstacles to achieving your goals. Lack of confidence and unrealistic expectations are the real culprits, and these issues are fully addressed by the authors, who realize that running is a mental exercise as much as a physical one. A warm-up week is followed by a realistic, achievable eight-week training program that you can tailor to your own needs (including incorporating treadmill training into your workouts) to ensure that you make it across the finish line of your first 5k. The program continues with a “going further” section designed to help you prepare for the 10k distance. Running is more than putting one foot in front of the other—it’s a mindfulness practice and an exercise in courage.

Julia Jones is a writer and running coach with over 15 years experience. She has completed 34 marathons, numerous triathlons, and four half Ironmans. She has a monthly column in Correre, Italy’s most popular running magazine and also writes for Running Times and Runners’ World. Julia is based in Modena, Italy.

Shauna Reid is a runner and health and fitness blogger. She is the author of the memoir The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl (Transworld, 2008), and has written for People magazine, Elle, Grazia, Cosmopolitan, and Marie Claire. Shauna is based in Inverness, UK.