Beginners Running Guide Pt.1 + Sebastián sub-2h Bogotá 🏃🏅

Wed Aug 6 · 🇺🇸

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👋🏻 Hey Reader!

Wednesday August 6 · Beginners Guide + MMB 2026 Case Study

Today is two emails in one. First, Part 1 of the beginner's notebook — the guide that needed to exist, with no shortcuts or empty promises. Second, the case I promised in the D-1 letter: Sebastián, first half marathon, sub-2 hours in Bogotá.

Both come from the same principle: smart progression always beats heroic progression.

📓 "How to run from scratch" — Part 1

The mistake I see most often

Someone decides to start running. Goes out Monday, runs 3 km straight "because that's how you start." By Wednesday their shin hurts or they have no motivation to go back. It is not a lack of willpower — the plan was wrong from the first step. Enthusiasm week 1, pain week 2, quitting week 3.

Why run-walk is not "for lazy beginners" · PMID:39141251

Your heart and lungs adapt in weeks. Your bones and tendons take months. That asymmetry is the number one reason for injuries in new runners. The feeling of cardiovascular comfort is a trap: it makes you think you have passed the structural adaptation phase when it has barely begun.

The structure of the first 4 weeks

Weeks 1-2: 1 min running / 2 min walking × 8-10 rounds. 3 sessions per week.
Weeks 3-4: 2 min running / 2 min walking × 6-8 rounds. Same structure.

Pace matters almost nothing at this stage. If you cannot speak in full sentences while running, you are going too fast.

Volume matters more than speed · PMID:32421886

The goal of the first weeks is not to run faster or farther. It is to finish the phase injury-free, with the habit in place and wanting to continue. The rule: no more than 10% additional volume per week.

📖 Full guide — 6 min read · 2 studies with PMID

The blog includes a full typical week day by day, why rest days are non-negotiable, and the silent mistake that injures most people in week 4.

🇺🇸 Read full guide → 🇪🇸 Leer en Español →

🏅 MMB 2026 Case Study — Juan Sebastián

📊 The data context

Global average half marathon: 1:59:48 for men. First-timer: 2:05–2:15. First-timer at 2,600m with a punishing elevation profile: even higher. Juan Sebastián and César both finished below the global average in their debut race.

🏅 RESULT — Bogotá Half Marathon 2026

Sub-2:00

Finish time

Athletes

8,500ft

Altitude

12 wks

Block

✓

Debut

① Non-linear progression — 155 km over 12 weeks

From 9.5 km to 20.5 km with deliberate unload weeks. Not setbacks — that was the plan. Real periodization. (PMID:41922043)

② He trained on the actual race course

His two hardest sessions were on the actual Bogotá Half Marathon route. At 2,600m, the course punishes anyone who does not know its climbs before race day. He knew them. (PMID:40667749)

③ The taper that scares you — peak 20.5 km → last week 2 km (95% less)

The taper does not maintain fitness — it gets you to the line fresh. Juan Sebastián trusted the process. (PMID:40055626)

What this case taught me as a coach

Paying attention to the right details at the right time. When to load, when to unload, when to rest. The plan gave him the structure. He did the work.

César's case comes tomorrow — also sub-2h, with a different preparation profile.

📖 Full case study — real data, week by week · 8 min read

🇺🇸 Read full case study → 🇪🇸 Leer en Español →

Are you preparing for your first half marathon? 🏃

The average first-timer finishes in 2:05–2:15. Juan Sebastián and César both finished below the global average — at altitude, in their debut race. That is not luck. That is a well-built plan. If you have a half marathon on your radar, reply to this email and tell me your goal.

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