Asthmatic Non-Runner With a Need to Run: 1.5 Miles in 13 Minutes

Truth be told I am NOT a runner. I can walk a 14 minute mile – all day – but run? Not me. I have had asthma since I was a child – severe through all my childhood – not so much now.

But as a kid I wasn't able to do a lot of excessive running or playing – a game of tag would have me on my nebulizer. As an adult my asthma is much more calm. I use a fast-acting inhaler once in a while – but not that often.

I have no real breath control experience and when I run I just get so out of breath.

I am interested in a job that would require me to run 1.5 miles in 13 minutes or less. I am 25 years old, 5'3", approximately 135–140 lbs and not incredibly athletic, but I do exercise and workout. I have strength – but I think I am lacking the endurance.

What would be a good way for me to get to this point? In your opinion can I get to this point?

– Jenifer, West Palm Beach, FL

Answer by Dom:
Hi Jenifer — yes, I think you can get there, and here's why: 8:40 per mile is not a fast pace. It sounds intimidating when you're standing at the start line as a non-runner, but for someone with a few months of training behind them, it's a comfortable, moderate effort. The obstacle isn't the target. It's building the aerobic base you've never been given the chance to build — and your asthma, when managed properly, doesn't have to stop that happening.

I'm going to break this down into three parts:

1. Build the base — how to go from non-runner to comfortable 20-minute runner using run/walk
2. Running with asthma — the specific things you need to do differently to your aerobic lungs
3. Hitting 8:40/mile — the pacing maths and how to test your progress without demoralising yourself

Build the Base: Run/Walk Your Way to 20 Minutes Non-Stop

The run/walk approach is exactly the right method for you — not because it's a concession, but because it's how the aerobic system actually gets built. You alternate short running efforts with walking recovery. The running keeps the training stimulus high enough to improve your fitness. The walking keeps you from hitting a wall — or in your case, triggering your asthma through sustained high-intensity effort before your body is ready.

Here is a concrete 12-week progression. Run three times a week, with at least one rest day between sessions:

• Weeks 1–2: 2 minutes running, 2 minutes walking — repeat 6 times (24 minutes total)
• Weeks 3–4: 3 minutes running, 2 minutes walking — repeat 5 times
• Weeks 5–6: 5 minutes running, 2 minutes walking — repeat 4 times
• Weeks 7–8: 8 minutes running, 2 minutes walking — repeat 3 times
• Weeks 9–10: 12 minutes running, 1 minute walking — repeat 2 times
• Weeks 11–12: 20–25 minutes running non-stop

If a week feels too hard, repeat it. There's no shame in spending four weeks on one step — the only thing that matters is that you're running more than the week before. During every running interval, keep the pace easy — you should be able to speak a short sentence without gasping. That's the rule. If you can't do that, slow down. Have a look at how my most successful Beginner Running Programs are built up for more detail on this build-up method.

Running With Asthma: What Changes for You Specifically

This is where your situation differs from a generic beginner question, Jenifer, and I want to give it proper attention. Your asthma is calm as an adult — that's encouraging — but exercise is still a known trigger for many people with your history, so a few things need to be in place before you head out.

First: if your doctor has prescribed a rescue inhaler (albuterol, salbutamol, or similar), take it 15–20 minutes before your run — not right as you're about to go. That window lets the bronchodilator do its job before your airways are under demand. If you're not sure whether you should be pre-medicating for exercise, ask your GP or a respiratory nurse before you start this training. It's a five-minute conversation and it matters.

Second: do a proper warm-up. For most runners, five minutes of easy walking before a run is a courtesy. For you, it's non-negotiable. Cold or dry air hitting unprepared airways is a trigger — a gradual warm-up reduces that risk. Start every session with 5–8 minutes of brisk walking before you run a single step.

Third — and this is the one people overlook — work on how you breathe while you run. Breathe through your nose when running at easy pace. Your nose filters, warms, and humidifies air before it reaches your lungs, which is far gentler on reactive airways than gasping cold air through your mouth. Aim for a rhythmic pattern: breathe in for three steps, out for three steps. It gives you something to concentrate on, steadies your effort, and stops the shallow chest breathing that tends to make breathlessness feel worse than it is.

Finally: know the difference between two kinds of breathlessness. "I'm working hard" breathlessness — feeling winded, slightly uncomfortable, recovering quickly when you walk — is normal training. It will improve week by week. "My airways are constricting" breathlessness — wheezing, chest tightness, a feeling you cannot get air in regardless of pace — means stop immediately, use your inhaler, and don't push through it. The first is training. The second is a medical signal.

Hitting 8:40/Mile: The Pacing Maths and Your Test-Day Strategy

Let's put a number on the target. 1.5 miles in 13 minutes works out to 8:40 per mile — or, if you're running on a 400m track, 2 minutes 10 seconds per lap across six laps. Keep that number in mind. It is the pace you're training towards.

Here's the important thing to understand about your current walking pace: 14 minutes per mile is wonderful for covering ground, but it won't get you to the finish line in 13 minutes for 1.5 miles. You need to run this — not walk-run it. The 1.5-mile test is a running test, and while the run/walk approach is how you build your fitness to get there, on test day you'll want to run all six laps.

The encouraging news: 8:40/mile is a comfortable pace for a trained beginner. Most people who've been running consistently for three to four months find their easy pace sits somewhere between 9:00 and 11:00 per mile. The test target sits right at the upper end of that range. You're not being asked to sprint. You're being asked to run steadily — and steadiness is exactly what the run/walk build-up trains.

Once you can run 20 minutes non-stop (somewhere around week 11 or 12), add one monthly time trial: go to a track, run the full 1.5 miles, and time yourself. Do this no more than once a month. Training converts slowly — testing weekly gives you noise, not signal, and it demoralises you when the number doesn't shift as fast as you'd like. Monthly checks show you the real trend.

On test day, resist the urge to sprint the first lap. It's the single most common mistake — going out in 1:45 and falling apart in lap four. Aim for even splits. Run lap one in 2:10. Run lap two in 2:10. If you feel good in lap five, pick it up. Even pacing almost always produces a faster total time than going hard and fading.

You've got the right question, Jenifer, and the right starting point — active, strong, with manageable asthma and a clear target. Follow a sensible build-up, keep your lungs looked after, and that 13-minute mark is well within reach.
Kind regards,
Dom

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