If you have not been exercising, start by walking a mile. When you can do this without a great deal of effort, begin to walk for the amount of time that is your goal of the CPFT. Once you begin to feel comfortable walking this amount for the entire time you should jog and walk for the whole period. Gradually extend the jogging portions until you can jog for the total target time.
Your next goal is to jog for 2 miles. When you develop your conditioning so that you can run 3 miles, you will be able to see how much faster you need to run to achieve your target time.
Improvement in your running performance can be achieved by various methods: increasing the duration (time), intensity (speed) and/or frequency. Therefore, you should work on all these methods. First, when you reach the 2-mile distance, extend your distance run to 3 miles. If necessary, use the run-walk technique until you can complete the distance. Another method is to increase the intensity of the run by running several shorter distances at a faster pace with specific rest intervals in between. If the distance is halved, then the time should be slightly less than half.
For the 20-minute, 2-mile goal, sample workouts are listed:
Two, 1-mile runs in 9 minutes each
or
Four, half-mile runs in 4 minutes each
or
Eight, quarter-mile runs in 1 minute and 45 seconds each.
HINTS FOR THE 2-MILE RUN...
Keep time when you practice. Know how long it takes you to run each 1/4 mile for the 2-mile distance. Then when you take the CPFT, stay with those times. If you still have energy for the last 1/4 to 1/2 mile, then speed up and score the best you ever have!
Run with someone of equal or slightly better ability.
When you get tired, concentrate on your running rhythm and breathing.
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