Just5K Guide
Just5K is an app for complete beginners who want to run their first 5K. It builds a personalized walk-run training plan based on your fitness level, schedule, and heart rate data from Apple Watch. No running experience required — the plan starts with mostly walking and gradually builds up over 6 weeks.
The app consists of three tabs: Today, Plan, and Tips.
Your day at a glance
The Today tab is your main screen for daily use. It shows you exactly what's happening with your training right now — no digging through menus or charts.
At the top, you'll see your Training Status — a simple label that tells you how your training is going. There are five statuses:
On Track — You're following the plan as designed. Keep it up.
Crushing It — You're ahead of schedule and your consistency is paying off.
Rest Up — Your body needs recovery. Take a day off — it'll make your next run stronger.
Getting Back — You missed some workouts, but the plan has adjusted to meet you where you are.
Lace Up — You haven't trained in a while. Your next workout is ready and waiting.
Training Status updates based on your workout completion, heart rate trends, and rest patterns. It's designed to be encouraging, not intimidating — you'll never see a "bad" status, just honest guidance on what to do next.
Tip: "Rest Up" isn't a punishment. It means the app is protecting you from overtraining, which is the number-one cause of injury for beginners.
Below the status, you'll see your upcoming workout with details on the walk-run intervals for that session. When it's time to train, just tap and go.
Your training plan
The Plan tab gives you a bird's-eye view of your full 6-week training plan. You can see which workouts you've completed, what's coming up, and how the difficulty progresses week by week.
Your plan uses the walk-run method — you alternate between walking and running intervals that get progressively longer. In the first couple of weeks, you'll mostly walk with short running bursts. By week 6, you'll be running continuously.
The plan adapts to your life. If you miss a workout, the app doesn't shame you — it recalibrates. If you've been away for a week, it won't throw you back into week 4 when your body is at week 2. It adjusts based on the gap, your heart rate data, and your previous performance.
You choose which days you want to train during onboarding, and the plan builds around your schedule. Three days per week is the sweet spot for beginners — enough to make progress, with plenty of rest in between.
Tip: Don't try to "make up" missed workouts by doubling up. That's the fastest way to get injured. Just pick up where the app tells you to.
The Tips Tab
The Tips tab is your knowledge base — short, practical articles that help you understand how training works and why the plan is designed the way it is.
Articles are organized into three categories:
Get Started — Everything you need to know before your first run.
Know Your Body — How heart rate, intensity zones, and recovery work in plain English.
Training** — How the plan adapts, what the statuses mean, and what to do when life gets in the way.
This isn't a textbook. Every article is written in plain language, takes 3–5 minutes to read, and gives you something actionable. The goal is to help you understand just enough to trust the process — without overwhelming you with science.
Learn as you go
The Tips tab is your knowledge base — short, practical articles that help you understand how training works and why the plan is designed the way it is.
Articles are organized into three categories:
Get Started — Everything you need to know before your first run.
Know Your Body — How heart rate, intensity zones, and recovery work in plain English.
Training — How the plan adapts, what the statuses mean, and what to do when life gets in the way.
This isn't a textbook. Every article is written in plain language, takes 3–5 minutes to read, and gives you something actionable. The goal is to help you understand just enough to trust the process — without overwhelming you with science.
Intensity Zones
During workouts, Just5K tracks your heart rate and sorts your effort into three simple zones:
Easy — You can hold a full conversation. Most of your early training will be here, and that's exactly right. This is where you build your aerobic base.
Moderate — You can talk in short sentences but not sing. This is the sweet spot for building endurance.
Hard — You can only say a few words. If you're here as a beginner, slow down. There's no shame in it.
Your zones are personalized using your age and resting heart rate from Apple Health. As you get fitter, you'll notice the same pace produces a lower heart rate — that's your body getting more efficient.
Tip: The biggest mistake beginners make is running too fast. If you can't speak in short sentences, you're going too hard. Slow down and you'll actually improve faster.
What You Need
Just your iPhone and a pair of comfortable shoes. That's it.
An Apple Watch is recommended — it gives you real-time heart rate tracking, personalized intensity zones, and better training status accuracy. But it's not required. The plan works with or without it.
No gym membership, no special gear, no running experience. Just5K meets you exactly where you are and takes it from there.
