Exercise and Fitness

It emphasizes a slow buildup and no skipping ahead in the program. Both are key principles for minimizing injury risk for people just starting running. The hardest part of the program for somebody like you that has past experience in running might be avoiding the urge to run more, ahead of schedule.

One of my friends used this plan to start running. It worked great for him and now he's a regular runner. Whenever my family or friends ask me about getting into shape I advise something very much like this program (nothing specific, just the basic idea).

As for that 1/4 mile effort for your crossfit session, don't worry about being winded for that. It's probably meant to be run at a very hard effort. Even the best trained runners are winded after a hard 1/4 mile run. Look at the olympic 400m for example. The difference is that when you're in shape you'll catch your breath much sooner after you finish the run.