Running 1-Hour Daily

A Minimalist Running Practice

Christophe Berg
2 min readAug 2, 2024

A Simple Deal:

Running up to 1-hour Daily. Enjoying the Practice. Prioritizing Recovery and the Regularity over Time. One Rule: don’t skip more than 2 days in a row.

2-Line Minimalist Running Plan:

  • Weekdays: 45mn to 1-hour Morning Run + 1-hour Afternoon Recovery Walk
  • Weekend: Sat + Sun, 2-day back to back 1h+ of trail running, fartlek/vertical or a local race
Morning Run in Cherry Creek State Park — Denver, Colorado

Minimal How-to:

  • Make a Habit: Prep your gear the night before. Hydrate (water, black coffee), Liberate (toilet break) and Go Run in fast state first thing in the morning. Be prepared for your trail runs: running vest, hydration, right gear and shoes. One rest day won’t break your habit.
  • Keep it Simple: Run by Time (not distance). About 1-hour daily is the deal. Stick to daily practice. Walk a bit as a warm-up. Adjust the duration, the intensity of your run to the weather conditions and your sensations. Prioritize recovery. Hydrate and eat well post-run.
  • Ignore Others, Ignore Data: Don’t compare yourself to other runners. Don’t worry about your pace, your heart rate… Just run, then walk a bit to cool down and enjoy your morning. Simply write down the time you did run today. Be grateful for your health to be able to run.
  • Keep it Fun: Hit the trails. Do some local races to challenge yourself and test your fitness. Design and Prep for mini adventures, explore the trails and your limits.
Beaver Brook Trail — from Windy Saddle to the Genesee Park

What I like about this minimalist running practice:

  • Starting each day with some Quality Time Alone, the Silence and Solitude
  • Starting each day with a dose of Positive Energy and a Quiet Moment in Nature
  • One Simple Deal with myself to act upon: Stay Consistent over Time.
  • Focusing solely on the Daily Practice and the Active Recovery
  • The Humility and Mental Clarity that comes from regular physical activity
  • The Quiet Energy and Self-Confidence that are building up from regular physical activity
  • A Smooth Mental Shift into a healthier lifestyle, sleep routine and diet pattern
  • The Power of Repetition: A Simple Habit becomes Second Nature and evolves into a Dynamic Lifestyle.
  • A Simple Meditation Practice, Mindful Running based on my Sensations at that moment
  • Self-Coaching Practice: Focus on Self-Awareness. Know my limitations. Accept reality. Learn by practice and from my failures. Strengthen my mental toughness and resilience.

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Christophe Berg
Christophe Berg

Written by Christophe Berg

Morning person, capturing quiet moments on my early run | Nomadic Trail Runner, based in Colorado | Project Consultant & Coach | 🗣🇫🇷🇺🇸🇪🇸

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