Sure, having a coach is not for everyone. But it IS for a lot more people than you think. Having a coach is {probably} right for you if:

• You enjoy structured training.

• You want to get better (whatever that is to you) and are unsure of how to do it.

• You are motivate to train.

• You need or want the accountability a coach can provide.

• You need or want feedback on sessions.

• You want someone else to think about building the plan so you don’t have to!

Better late than never right? The final four run workouts in my Fast Fridays series can officially be found all in one place. These four workouts all focus on race specificity and are best used in the Build Phase of training as racing gets closer.

Terms for the Workouts

• Muscular Endurance: the ability of the muscles to continually perform an action without tiring.

• Tempo: a “comfortably hard” pace that you should be able to sustain for a long period of time. Works on the upper limit of your aerobic zones.

Over the last four weeks I’ve brought you some quality Base Phase training runs that can help you increase your aerobic endurance and prep the body for heavier run loads later on. Below you’ll find those four workouts to try. From hill training to quality long runs, you’ll be ready to move onto more race specific training.

Terms for the Workouts

Fartlek: “speed play” - the ability to add in faster intervals of running randomly inserted throughout a run.Strides: used to open up the legs by working on cadence (rpm) and speed.Tempo: a “comfortably hard” pace that you should be able to sustain for a long period of time. Works on the upper limit of your aerobic zones.

To begin the run, I left it on your normal treadmill mode to get a feel for it. This just means I had to adjust my pace manually like you would on a normal treadmill. After warming up, I selected the Run Free mode, and wow! The first couple of minutes were awkward as I almost forgot how to run! I had to remember that I was in control of the pace now and it took a second to get the hang of it, as well as where to run on the treadmill, as the treadmill sped up or slowed down based on what I was doing.