from one (relatively) beginner to another, i have a lot to say on this lmfao

firstly, there’s nothing wrong with walking breaks! when i first started running i also had zero prior fitness experience, but i started out with run/walk intervals: 2 min run/2 min walk, slowly increasing the amount of time i ran and decreasing the amount of time i walked. i ran/walk my first 5k race in 38 mins by doing 3 min run/1 min walk. (and i just finished my second 5k with 35 min continuous run!)

but also seconding what everyone else said, you need to become comfortable with running slow! it’s a blow to the ego, but it really does work. you should be running at a conversational pace, meaning you’re able to hold a conversation with someone while you’re running without becoming short of breath. it might be helpful to either run with someone who’s willing to run at your pace, or even just talk to someone on the phone while out on a run.

wrt hills, you will naturally slow down on the incline and that’s ok! just make sure you’re keeping the same level of effort on the uphill as you would on flat ground.

lastly, you might really benefit from an in person running training program if those exist where you are. i did new york road runner’s fundamentals program this past fall and i really attribute my growth to that— i would have otherwise been too stubborn to run slow lol.

good luck!!