Training plan: Weeks 3 & 4

For Week 4's workout, start to push yourself more. Try to run a full one and a half miles without walking. For those already running two miles or looking for more of a challenge, try interval training, which involves changing your speed throughout your run. By alternating running fast for a minute and then walking for a few minutes to recover, you will improve both your fitness level and your stamina. You can also try increasing your sprints from one minute to one and a half, and then two if you feel up for it. Continue to walk in between sprints and allow yourself to recover, but try not to increase your recovery time beyond two minutes.

Keep up your strength training this week, but for no more than 45 minutes to an hour each session and avoid using heavy weights. As always, the focus should be on slow movements and correctly isolating your muscles. Also, remember to always engage your abdominal muscles throughout every type of exercise. Even when you're running or cross-training, make sure you tighten your abs by pulling your belly button in towards your spine, which will not only work your tummy but help you keep a good posture.

Finally, don't forget to dress properly - you lose 60-80% of heat from your head when you exercise outside, so if you're cold, wear a hat. However, be aware of overheating and take it off if you get too hot.

The more you run, the more you need to eat well and hydrate yourself to feed your body's increased requirements. Drink more water as you increase your mileage, both before and after exercising.