We Asked ChatGPT For A Couch To Marathon Running Plan. This Is What We Got Back.

We Asked ChatGPT For A Couch To Marathon Running Plan. This Is What We Got Back.

If you haven't been paying attention to the rapidly evolving world of language-based artificial intelligence, then you may not have heard about a new program called ChatGPT. The language transformer AI from a company called OpenAI has been growing in popularity over the past few months. Inspired by Ryan Reynolds' AI mobile phone commercial, we wondered how the program would fare as a running coach.

The results are below.

 

The All-Season Co: "Can you create a weekly plan to prepare a runner to go from couch to running a marathon?"

 

ChatGPT: "Sure, here is a sample weekly plan to help a new runner prepare for a marathon: 

Week 1:

Monday: 30-minute walk-run (5 minutes walking, 1 minute running)
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 30-minute walk-run (5 minutes walking, 1 minute running)
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 30-minute walk-run (5 minutes walking, 1 minute running)
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 45-minute steady run

Week 2:

Monday: 35-minute walk-run (4 minutes walking, 2 minutes running)
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 35-minute walk-run (4 minutes walking, 2 minutes running)
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 35-minute walk-run (4 minutes walking, 2 minutes running)
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 50-minute steady run

Week 3:
Monday: 40-minute walk-run (3 minutes walking, 3 minutes running)
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 40-minute walk-run (3 minutes walking, 3 minutes running)
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 40-minute walk-run (3 minutes walking, 3 minutes running)
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 55-minute steady run

Week 4:
Monday: 45-minute walk-run (2 minutes walking, 4 minutes running)
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 45-minute walk-run (2 minutes walking, 4 minutes running)
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 45-minute walk-run (2 minutes walking, 4 minutes running)
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 60-minute steady run

This is just a sample plan, and you should adjust it to your needs. As you progress and get more comfortable running, you should increase the running time and decrease the walking time. Also, you should add some strength and flexibility training, and make sure to include one long run of at least 10km per week. It's important to remember that consistency is key, and listening to your body is crucial. Also, make sure to consult your doctor before starting any new exercise program."

Going from a 45 minute walk-run to a 60 minute steady run in week 4 seems like a stretch to us, but we want to hear what you think. Let us know in the comments below if you think this couch to 42.2k plan is solid, or if ChatGPT needs a bit more evolution on its running intelligence. 

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