Porafre
Pick the course before you pick the pace
Find a familiar path where you can turn around easily and stay clear of heavy traffic. A route with a clear halfway landmark makes it easier to judge whether you have enough time to finish. In Riga, use the city’s running guide to compare park paths and waterfront routes. Walk the course once if you are unsure about crossings, lighting or the surface.
Week one: learn what easy feels like
Start with a few minutes of walking. Then try a short jog, followed by enough walking to get your breathing comfortable again. As an example, repeat 30 seconds of easy jogging with 90 seconds of walking a few times. Finish with a walk. Keep the effort low enough to speak in sentences, and give yourself an easy day before repeating the session.
Weeks two and three: change one part
If the first sessions feel manageable, choose one change for the next week. You could add one repeat or give each jog a little more time. Keep the route and effort similar so that you can tell what the change felt like. On a short day, do the warm-up walk and a few repeats. If the ground is slippery, take a walk on a safer surface or move indoors.
Week four: use the notes you kept
After each outing, record the route, approximate time and how the last repeat felt. At the end of the month, look for a pattern. If you regularly finish rushed, shorten the route or pick a quieter time. If the sessions fit your week, keep the same schedule for another month and progress at a pace that feels sustainable.
Keep a second option ready
Write down one route close to home and one route near work. On a day when travel, darkness or weather makes the first option awkward, switch to the second. The session only needs enough room to walk, jog briefly and turn back comfortably.
An example with a 25-minute window
Use five minutes to walk to a quiet stretch of path. Spend up to 12 minutes alternating short jogs with walking, then take the remaining time to walk back. Finish the jogging earlier if your route takes longer than expected. If a week slips by, start again with the last session you completed comfortably and give yourself time to rebuild the routine.
