You need a plan!

Running is unique in the sense that it doesn’t require a lot to participate in the sport. After covering the basics of a good pair of running shoes and appropriate apparel you don’t need much to get started. The beauty is if you are at home or traveling, you can take running with you. When I first started running, my goals were simple. Leave the door, run until I got tired, and then eat lots of tasty food. This routine only lasted me so long. I had goals of getting better but my times weren’t improving after doing the same thing over and over. Typically when people first start running, it’s easy to improve by simply logging miles. For a lot of new runners, they follow this method until they hit a plateau. That’s when I get the call. Often these athletes express that they want to get faster but they are unsure of what to do next. That’s when I encourage them to allow me to write them a personalized training plan. Regardless of ability, we can all improve. Just like anything else in life, if you don’t have a road map you are going to have a difficult time getting from a to z. My high school cross country coach wrote me my first training plan before the winter of my sophomore year. Up to that point, I had no clue that I could benefit from such a thing. He wrote in speed workouts, long runs, and even days where he forced me to go EASY some days! There was so much to the plan that I couldn’t have dreamed of writing on my own. All of the runs lined up on days that made sense for my schedule. He built in days for me to cross train and even encouraged me to do a few races before the season started. After years of doing the same thing in the off season, I saw instant results with his training. To this day, I still have someone writing me a plan. My coach Jason Holroyd has done an incredible job working with me. We have had plenty of success in our 3 years of working together. I work with Jason because I know realistically I am not going to push myself as hard if I don’t have someone with a non biased perspective writing my workouts. I know that I may be hesitant to skip an off day or do something that may not fall in line with my overall goal if I don’t have the accountability of a plan. Every runner has a goal. Regardless of that goal, a customized training plan gives that athlete the best chance possible to perform at their highest level at their respective races. There are no guarantees or perfect plans. What I can tell you is that 15 years later, I am running my best because of the structured training I have in place year round. Without the help of my coach and the consistent training in front of me, I wouldn’t be nearly as prepared for the races I have on my calendar. Making the commitment to the training will give you the confidence and fitness to chase your goals down.