Adjusting a jogging routine | Learn French in English

French lesson set in a contemporary Paris everyday setting: After starting a jogging hobby, two adults discuss sore knees and adjust the routine with rest, stretching, and a slower pace..

EN → FR / Level: B1

About This Lesson

Use Adjusting a jogging routine to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

J'ai commencé à faire du jogging, mais j'ai mal aux genoux après chaque course.

zhay koh-mahn-SAY ah FEHR dew JOG-eeng, meh zhay MAHL oh zhuh-NOO ah-PRAY shahk KOORS. I started jogging, but my knees feel sore after each run.
B

Tu augmentes peut-être ton rythme ou ta distance trop vite.

tew ohg-MAHNT puh-TEHTR tohn REETM oo tah dee-STAHNS troh VEET. You may be increasing your pace or distance too quickly.
A

Je voulais progresser rapidement, alors j'ai trop forcé.

zhuh voo-LAY proh-greh-SAY rah-peed-MAHN, ah-LOR zhay troh for-SAY. I wanted to improve fast, so I pushed myself too hard.
B

Cela peut entraîner une blessure si ton corps ne s'est pas adapté.

suh-LAH puh ahn-tray-NAY ewn bleh-SEWR see tohn KOR nuh say pah sah-dahp-TAY. That can lead to injury if your body has not adapted.
A

Est-ce que je devrais alléger ma routine et ajouter des étirements ?

ess kuh zhuh duh-VRAY ah-lay-ZHAY mah roo-TEEN ay ah-zhoo-TAY day zay-teer-MAHN? Should I make the routine lighter and add stretching?
B

Des jours de repos et des courses plus courtes laisseraient à ton corps le temps de récupérer.

day ZHOOR duh ruh-POH ay day KOORS plew KOORT leh-suh-RAY ah tohn KOR luh tahn duh ray-kew-pay-RAY. Rest days and shorter runs would give your body time to recover.
A

Mon objectif devrait peut-être être la régularité, pas la vitesse.

mohn ob-zhehk-TEEF duh-VRAY puh-TEHTR EH-TR lah ray-gew-lah-ree-TAY, pah lah vee-TEHSS. Maybe my goal should be consistency, not speed.
B

C'est plus réaliste pour quelqu'un qui commence à courir.

say plew ray-ah-LEEST poor kel-KUN kee koh-MAHNS ah koo-REER. That is more realistic for a new runner.
A

Un rythme plus tranquille, avec des pauses pour marcher, serait un meilleur plan.

uhn REETM plew trahn-KEEL, ah-VEHK day POHZ poor mar-SHAY, suh-RAY uhn may-YUR PLAHN. An easier pace, with walking breaks, would be a better plan.
B

Un loisir devrait être bon pour ta santé, pas lui faire du mal.

uhn lwah-ZEER duh-VRAY EH-TR bohn poor tah sahn-TAY, pah lwee FEHR dew MAHL. A hobby should support your health, not damage it.

Word by Word

J'ai J'ai means I have here and forms the past expression J'ai commencé, meaning I started. It is a form of avoir used with a past participle; the subject is the speaker. A reusable pattern is J'ai + past participle for a completed action.
commencé Commencé means started in J'ai commencé à faire du jogging. It is the past participle of commencer and combines with J'ai to describe a completed beginning. A reusable pattern is commencer à + infinitive, as in commencer à travailler.
à À introduces the activity after commencé in commencer à faire du jogging, meaning to start doing something. This exact pattern is commencer à + infinitive. A new example is commencer à apprendre.
faire Faire means do or engage in here as part of faire du jogging, meaning to go jogging. It is an infinitive after à and is used with an activity in this expression. A reusable pattern is faire du + activity.
du Du is the article used in faire du jogging, referring to the activity of jogging. It is the form used before this masculine activity noun in the expression faire du jogging. A reusable pattern is faire du sport.
jogging Jogging means jogging in faire du jogging. Here it names the physical activity that the speaker has started. It is used after faire du to describe taking part in the activity.
mais Mais means but and links the speaker's new jogging habit with the problem that follows. It introduces a contrast between starting jogging and having sore knees. A reusable pattern is one statement, mais another contrasting statement.
mal Mal means pain or hurt in j'ai mal aux genoux, so the speaker's knees hurt. Its meaning comes from the construction avoir mal à + body part, not from mal alone. A reusable pattern is avoir mal à la tête.
aux Aux means to the in the expression j'ai mal aux genoux, where it introduces the body part that hurts. It is the form used before the plural noun genoux in avoir mal aux + body part. A reusable pattern is avoir mal aux jambes.
genoux Genoux means knees in j'ai mal aux genoux. It is the plural form of genou and identifies the body parts causing discomfort. A reusable pattern is avoir mal aux genoux.
après Après means after and places the knee pain after each run in après chaque course. It introduces the event that precedes the discomfort in time. A reusable pattern is après + noun, as in après le travail.
chaque Chaque means each in après chaque course, emphasizing that the pain follows every individual run. It is used directly before the singular noun course. A reusable pattern is chaque jour.
course Course means run in après chaque course, referring to one running session. In this context it is a noun connected to jogging, not a general race. A reusable pattern is une course plus courte.
Tu Tu means you and addresses one person informally in Tu augmentes peut-être ton rythme. It is the subject of the sentence and refers to the runner. A reusable pattern is Tu + verb when speaking directly to one familiar person.
augmentes Augmentes means are increasing in Tu augmentes peut-être ton rythme ou ta distance. It is a form of augmenter used with tu and describes making the pace or distance greater. A reusable pattern is augmenter son rythme.
peut-être Peut-être means perhaps or maybe and makes the explanation tentative: the speaker suggests a possible cause rather than stating it as certain. It appears with Tu augmentes peut-être. A reusable pattern is Peut-être que + sentence.
ton Ton means your before rythme in ton rythme. It marks that the pace belongs to or is associated with the person addressed. A reusable pattern is ton + masculine singular noun, as in ton objectif.
rythme Rythme means pace in ton rythme, referring to how fast the person runs. It is the object of augmentes and can be increased or reduced in a training routine. A reusable pattern is augmenter ou ralentir son rythme.
ou Ou means or and presents two possible things being increased: ton rythme or ta distance. It connects alternatives in the same sentence. A reusable pattern is A ou B.
ta Ta means your before distance in ta distance. It marks the distance as belonging to or being associated with the person addressed. A reusable pattern is ta + feminine singular noun, as in ta routine.
distance Distance means distance in ta distance, referring to how far the runner goes. It is the second possible training element that may be increasing too quickly. A reusable pattern is augmenter sa distance.
trop Trop means too in trop vite, showing that the increase is happening beyond a suitable speed. It modifies vite and expresses excess. A reusable pattern is trop + adjective or adverb, as in trop rapidement.
vite Vite means quickly in augmenter ... trop vite, describing the speed at which the pace or distance is increasing. Together with trop, it means too quickly. A reusable pattern is faire quelque chose trop vite.
Je Je means I and identifies the speaker as the person who wanted to improve and pushed too hard. It is the subject of Je voulais progresser rapidement. A reusable pattern is Je + verb when stating your own intention or experience.
voulais Voulais means wanted in Je voulais progresser rapidement, describing the speaker's past intention. It is a form of vouloir used with je; the infinitive progresser follows it. A reusable pattern is vouloir + infinitive, as in vouloir apprendre.
progresser Progresser means improve or make progress in Je voulais progresser rapidement. It is an infinitive after voulais and describes the desired development in running ability. A reusable pattern is progresser dans + area, such as progresser dans une langue.
rapidement Rapidement means quickly or rapidly and describes how fast the speaker wanted to improve in progresser rapidement. It is an adverb modifying progresser. A reusable pattern is verb + rapidement when describing the speed of an action.
alors Alors means so here and introduces the consequence of wanting to improve quickly: the speaker pushed too hard. It connects the intention with its result. A reusable pattern is reason, alors consequence.
forcé Forcé means pushed too hard or overexerted myself in j'ai trop forcé. It is the past participle of forcer and, with j'ai trop, describes excessive effort. A reusable pattern is trop forcer when someone exceeds a sensible level of effort.
Cela Cela means that or this situation in Cela peut entraîner une blessure, referring to pushing too hard and the earlier training problem. It introduces the situation that may have a consequence. A reusable pattern is Cela peut + infinitive.
peut Peut means can or may in Cela peut entraîner une blessure, expressing possibility. It is a form of pouvoir used with cela, followed by the infinitive entraîner. A reusable pattern is Cela peut + infinitive for describing a possible result.
entraîner Entraîner means lead to or cause in entraîner une blessure. It is an infinitive after peut and takes une blessure as the consequence. A reusable pattern is entraîner + consequence, as in entraîner un problème.
une Une means a or one before blessure in une blessure. It introduces one unspecified injury. A reusable pattern is une + feminine singular noun.
blessure Blessure means injury in entraîner une blessure, referring to physical harm that excessive training may cause. It is the consequence introduced by entraîner. A reusable pattern is éviter une blessure.
si Si means if and introduces the condition si ton corps ne s'est pas adapté. It connects the possible injury with the condition that the body has not adapted. A reusable pattern is si + condition, followed by a possible result.
corps Corps means body in ton corps, referring to the runner's physical body. It is the subject of ne s'est pas adapté. A reusable pattern is écouter son corps when discussing physical effort.
ne Ne contributes to the negation in ne s'est pas adapté, meaning has not adapted. It works together with pas around the verb phrase rather than expressing the complete negative by itself. A reusable pattern is ne ... pas + verb.
s'est S'est is the reflexive auxiliary form used in s'est adapté, meaning has adapted itself or has adapted. Together with ne and pas, ne s'est pas adapté says that the body has not adapted. It combines the reflexive element with a form of être in this past construction.
pas Pas completes the negation in ne s'est pas adapté, so the body has not adapted. It is used with ne around the verb phrase. A reusable pattern is ne ... pas, as in ne pas courir.
adapté Adapté means adapted in ne s'est pas adapté, referring to the body's adjustment to the new routine. It is the past participle of s'adapter and combines with s'est. A reusable pattern is s'adapter à + noun, as in s'adapter à une routine.
Est-ce Est-ce begins the yes-or-no question Est-ce que je devrais alléger ma routine. It marks the sentence as a question without changing the following subject-verb order. A reusable pattern is Est-ce que + sentence.
que Que completes the question marker Est-ce que in Est-ce que je devrais alléger ma routine. In this expression it introduces the question clause rather than meaning that on its own. A reusable pattern is Est-ce que + subject + verb.
devrais Devrais means should in Est-ce que je devrais alléger ma routine, asking whether this would be advisable. It is a form of devoir used with je and is followed by the infinitives alléger and ajouter. A reusable pattern is devoir + infinitive for advice or obligation.
alléger Alléger means make lighter or reduce the intensity of in alléger ma routine. It is an infinitive after devrais and takes ma routine as its object. A reusable pattern is alléger + routine, schedule, or workload.
ma Ma means my before routine in ma routine. It marks the routine as belonging to the speaker. A reusable pattern is ma + feminine singular noun.
routine Routine means routine in alléger ma routine, referring to the speaker's regular jogging plan. It is the object whose intensity the speaker considers reducing. A reusable pattern is adapter sa routine.
et Et means and and connects the two proposed actions alléger ma routine and ajouter des étirements. It joins coordinated infinitive phrases. A reusable pattern is infinitive et infinitive.
ajouter Ajouter means add in ajouter des étirements. It is the second infinitive after devrais and describes including stretching in the routine. A reusable pattern is ajouter + object, as in ajouter une pause.
des Des introduces the plural noun étirements in des étirements, meaning some stretching exercises. It is used because the speaker is referring to exercises in the plural without specifying which ones. A reusable pattern is des + plural noun.
étirements Étirements means stretching exercises in ajouter des étirements. It refers to stretching activities that could be added to the jogging routine. It is the object of ajouter.
jours Jours means days in des jours de repos, referring to days set aside for rest. It is the plural form of jour. A reusable pattern is des jours de + activity or purpose.
de De links jours with repos in jours de repos, specifying what kind of days they are: days for rest. It connects a noun with a following noun in this expression. A reusable pattern is jours de repos.
repos Repos means rest in jours de repos, referring to periods without the demanding running activity. It completes the expression for rest days. A reusable pattern is prendre du repos.
courses Courses means runs in des courses plus courtes, referring to running sessions. It is the plural form of course and is modified by plus courtes. A reusable pattern is faire des courses plus courtes.
plus Plus contributes to the comparative meaning in plus courtes, making the runs shorter than before. It works with the adjective courtes rather than meaning more by itself here. A reusable pattern is plus + adjective.
courtes Courtes means shorter in des courses plus courtes, describing runs with less duration or distance than the previous routine. It is the feminine plural form of court, agreeing with courses. A reusable pattern is des séances plus courtes.
laisseraient Laisseraient means would leave or would give in laisseraient à ton corps le temps de récupérer. It is a form of laisser used with the plural subject des jours de repos et des courses plus courtes. The construction laisser à quelqu'un le temps de + infinitive means to give someone time to do something.
le Le introduces temps in le temps de récupérer, referring to the time that the body needs. It is part of the expression laisser à ton corps le temps de récupérer. A reusable pattern is avoir le temps de + infinitive.
temps Temps means time in le temps de récupérer. Here it is the time made available for the body to recover. A reusable pattern is donner or laisser le temps de + infinitive.
récupérer Récupérer means recover in le temps de récupérer, referring to the body's recovery after effort. It is an infinitive introduced by de after temps. A reusable pattern is avoir besoin de temps pour récupérer.
Mon Mon means my before objectif in Mon objectif. It marks the goal as belonging to the speaker. A reusable pattern is mon + masculine singular noun.
objectif Objectif means goal in Mon objectif devrait peut-être être la régularité. It refers to the result the speaker wants to prioritize in the jogging routine. A reusable pattern is avoir pour objectif de + infinitive.
devrait Devrait means should in Mon objectif devrait peut-être être la régularité, expressing what the goal ought to be. It is a form of devoir used with the singular subject objectif. A reusable pattern is quelque chose devrait être + description.
être Être means be in devrait être la régularité, linking the goal with what it should consist of. It is an infinitive after devrait. A reusable pattern is devoir être + noun or adjective.
la La introduces régularité in la régularité, referring to consistency as a specific quality or goal. It is used before this feminine singular noun. A reusable pattern is la + feminine singular noun.
régularité Régularité means consistency in la régularité, describing regular practice rather than pursuing higher speed. It is presented as the speaker's new goal. A reusable pattern is privilégier la régularité.
vitesse Vitesse means speed in pas la vitesse, identifying speed as the goal the speaker does not want to prioritize. It is contrasted with la régularité by pas. A reusable pattern is réduire or augmenter la vitesse.
C'est C'est means that is or it is in C'est plus réaliste, referring to the proposed goal of consistency. It introduces the evaluation that follows. A reusable pattern is C'est + adjective.
réaliste Réaliste means realistic in C'est plus réaliste, judging the consistency-focused goal as more practical for a beginner. It is modified by plus to form a comparison. A reusable pattern is C'est réaliste pour + person or situation.
pour Pour means for in plus réaliste pour quelqu'un qui commence à courir. It identifies the person for whom the plan is realistic. A reusable pattern is être + adjective + pour + person.
quelqu'un Quelqu'un means someone in pour quelqu'un qui commence à courir. It refers generally to one person without naming them. A reusable pattern is quelqu'un qui + verb for describing a person.
qui Qui means who or that in quelqu'un qui commence à courir. It introduces the relative clause describing the person. A reusable pattern is noun + qui + verb.
commence Commence means is starting in qui commence à courir, describing someone at the beginning of running. It is a form of commencer used in the relative clause with qui. A reusable pattern is commencer à + infinitive.
courir Courir means run in commence à courir. It is an infinitive after à and identifies the activity the person is beginning. A reusable pattern is commencer à courir.
Un Un means a or one before rythme in Un rythme plus tranquille. It introduces one possible pace as the subject of the proposed plan. A reusable pattern is un + masculine singular noun.
tranquille Tranquille means easy or relaxed in un rythme plus tranquille, describing a less demanding running pace. It modifies rythme and is further compared with plus. A reusable pattern is un rythme tranquille.
avec Avec means with in avec des pauses pour marcher. It introduces an additional feature of the running plan: walking breaks. A reusable pattern is avec + noun.
pauses Pauses means breaks in des pauses pour marcher, referring to periods when the runner stops running or walks. It is the plural form of pause. A reusable pattern is prendre des pauses.
marcher Marcher means walk in des pauses pour marcher, explaining the purpose of the breaks. It is an infinitive introduced by pour. A reusable pattern is faire une pause pour + infinitive.
serait Serait means would be in serait un meilleur plan, presenting the proposed pace as a possible better plan. It is a form of être used with the singular subject rythme. A reusable pattern is Ce serait + adjective or noun.
meilleur Meilleur means better in un meilleur plan, comparing this plan with the earlier, more demanding routine. It modifies the masculine singular noun plan. A reusable pattern is un meilleur + masculine singular noun.
plan Plan means plan in un meilleur plan, referring to the adjusted jogging routine. It is the complement of serait. A reusable pattern is préparer or suivre un plan.
loisir Loisir means hobby or leisure activity in Un loisir devrait être bon pour ta santé. It refers generally to jogging as an enjoyable activity. A reusable pattern is pratiquer un loisir.
bon Bon means good in être bon pour ta santé, describing a hobby that benefits health. The complete meaning comes from bon pour, meaning good or beneficial for someone or something. A reusable pattern is être bon pour la santé.
santé Santé means health in bon pour ta santé. It is the thing that the hobby should benefit. A reusable pattern is prendre soin de sa santé.
lui Lui means to it in pas lui faire du mal, referring back to the hobby as something that should not be harmed or made harmful. It is the indirect object of faire du mal in this construction. A reusable pattern is faire du mal à quelqu'un or à quelque chose.

Grammar Points

avoir mal à + partie du corps

J'ai mal aux genoux.

zhay MAHL oh zhuh-NOO.

My knees hurt.

French uses avoir with mal to express pain; the body part follows à.

s'adapter — passé composé

Le corps s'est adapté.

luh KOR say sah-dahp-TAY.

The body adapted.

This reflexive verb forms the past tense with être: s'est adapté.

French Vocabulary

augmenter verb
ohg-mahn-TAY to increase augmentes

Tu augmentes peut-être ton rythme.

avoir mal phrase
ah-VWAHR MAHL to hurt; to be in pain j'ai mal

J'ai mal aux genoux.

course noun
KOORS run

après chaque course

distance noun
dee-STAHNS distance

ta distance

entraîner verb
ahn-tray-NAY to lead to; to cause

Cela peut entraîner une blessure.

forcer verb
for-SAY to push oneself; to strain forcé

j'ai trop forcé

genou noun
zhuh-NOO knee genoux

J'ai mal aux genoux.

peut-être adv
puh-TEHTR perhaps; maybe

Tu augmentes peut-être ton rythme.

progresser verb
proh-greh-SAY to improve; to make progress

Je voulais progresser rapidement.

rapidement adv
rah-peed-MAHN quickly; rapidly

progresser rapidement

rythme noun
REETM pace; rhythm

ton rythme

vite adv
VEET quickly; fast

trop vite

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

run

Show Answercourse

distance

Show Answerdistance

to improve; to make progress

Show Answerprogresser

pace; rhythm

Show Answerrythme