Week 6 opens with a 25-minute run, non-stop - the quicker kind of running introduced on Day 29, now five minutes longer. Conversational in short sentences rather than paragraphs, quick feet, purposeful arms. The Monday run is becoming the week's speed session.
The run-then-jog structure is the program's way of building two things at once. Monday sharpens the pace, the midweek session lengthens the distance, and Saturday keeps the legs ticking over between them. Adding five minutes to the run is a bigger step than adding five to a jog, because faster minutes cost more - run it controlled and treat the final five as the real test.
Jog five minutes to warm up, then lift the pace. Keep the cadence high and the stride compact even as the speed rises - speed from turnover, not from reaching. If the breathing becomes ragged, ease off slightly rather than stopping. Finish with a walk and a few minutes of stretching for the calves and hamstrings.
Twenty-five minutes at the quicker pace - the second gear is getting its own mileage now.
Make it Harder: Run the last 5 minutes at a pace where only single words are possible.
Make it Easier: Alternate 4 minutes of running with 1 minute of jogging for the full 25.
