Long runs: Our long run/walk days are Saturdays. The long run days serve as both a valuable training tool and as a benchmark for your progress. During long runs, you will will learn how to fuel, you will develop as sense for sustainable paces, and you will get to spend time with friends!

Slow Down on your longer days: We recommend slowing down as much as 90 seconds per mile in order to feel comfortable and to be able to talk with your training partners,. Speed on these days doesn’t matter. Covering the prescribed distance is the main goal.

Walking: Whether you are just trying to finish the half marathon or racing for the podium, it is perfectly acceptable to walk! You can try different strategies during your training like walking at predetermined intervals (run 5 mins and walk 1 min for example). For supported runs or races, you can plan your walk breaks around the aid stations. Walking will allow you to drink more easily and also to take any nutrition that you are planning to use.

Cross-training: Sundays are our Cross Training (XT) days.  Cross training is any other form of aerobic exercise besides running. XT allows you to employ different muscles the day after your long run. Cross training exercises include swimming, cycling, and even easy walking. Remember to mix it up. Try different exercises and even combine 1-2. For example, try swimming and then riding an exercise bike at your local club. We recommend about 60 minutes of total cross training on Sundays. The core idea of cross training is to find workouts that help you recover from your Saturday long runs.

Weekday training: Weekday miles should be done at a comfortable pace.  Try not to get caught up in your Garmin or Apple Watches – listen to your body and avoid overtraining. We run three days during the week (Tues, Wed, Thu).

“Pace”: Wednesdays are our PACE days. “Pace” is the pace per mile that you hope to run in your goal half marathon. We used our time trial to help you find your ideal goal race pace. If your goal is to break 2 hours for a half marathon, then you should run your PACE days at about 9:10 miles. Check out this pace calculator if you are not sure.

Challenge and Recovery:   It is during the 1-3 days between hard workouts that muscles recover, regenerate, and get stronger. We need to follow all challenging days with recovery days. If you’re not well rested, it is nearly impossible to run hard.  Sometimes fatigue can sneak up on you. Be deliberate and listen to those bio-signals. The secret to success with our program is consistency.