January 22, 2025 • 27 mins
Imagine finding the perfect training plan that not only fits your life but also fuels your motivation to cross the finish line with joy. Through this episode of Dogs Per Mile, I share my personal running journey and the lessons learned from my first half marathon, guided by nothing more than a vague plan. You'll gain insights into the art of selecting a training plan that aligns with your unique goals and life circumstances, whether you're targeting a 5k, 10k, or a half marathon. We'll reflect on the balance between DIY running and structured guidance, making sure your journey is both successful and enjoyable.
With a plethora of training resources available, where do you start? This episode explores a range of options, from well-known free plans by icons like Hal Higdon and Jeff Galloway to innovative app-based solutions like Nike Run Club and Garmin. We'll weigh the pros and cons of each, focusing on consistency and personalization over flashy features. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned runner, these insights will help you streamline your training process, emphasizing convenient tools and the value of flexibility.
Joining a supportive running community can be a game-changer. In this episode, I highlight the importance of engaging with fellow runners online, sharing motivation, and celebrating victories, big and small.
Takeaways
- You have all the tools that you need to enter your runner era.
- There's no wrong choice when selecting a training plan.
- You can always switch if it's not feeling right for you.
- Free plans can be a great starting point for beginners.
- Apps can provide personalized training plans that sync with devices.
- Coaching offers accountability and personalized support.
- Make sure your coach aligns with your values and goals.
- Rest days are crucial for recovery and injury prevention.
- Incorporate joy runs to keep your training enjoyable.
- Understanding the components of a training plan is essential for success.
Chapters
00:00 Welcome to the Finale: Finding Your Perfect Training Plan
01:57 Exploring Free Training Options
07:32 The Rise of App-Based Training Plans
10:03 Personalized Coaching: The Ultimate Support
15:42 Interactive Picking your Training Plan
18:48 What Makes Up A Training Plan
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
making sure that they show a genuine enthusiasm for
beginner runners.
You need that cheerleader thatis going to be in your corner,
that is going to be excited thefirst time you run 10 minutes
straight or the first time youhit double digits.
Hey, runners, you're listeningto Dogs Per Mile, where we're
making running work for yourlife, not the other way around.
I'm Bridget, with over 13 yearsof running experience and
(00:23):
approximately 4,892 dogs seen onmy run.
I'm now here to help you findyour own path to running
happiness.
Ready to run on your own terms.
Let's get going.
Hey, runners, welcome back tothe Dogs Per Mile podcast.
(00:44):
I am your host, bridget, andwelcome to the end of the
Entering your Runner Era series.
I'm so excited for the last bitof this and in this part of
this series we are going to goover finding your perfect
training plan, how you are goingto train for that race that we
picked out in the previoussection, and how we're going to
(01:04):
get over that race that wepicked out in the previous
section, and how are we going toget over that distance that we
picked out in the first section.
So we have already decided howfar you're going to run, whether
or not, you're doing the 5k,the 10k or the half marathon,
and we already know which exactrace you are going to be running
.
We know if you are travelingafar or we know if you're doing
a local race in your communityand we now are going to help you
(01:26):
find out how you are going totrain for this, and we got some
free options.
I have some paid options, someapps, coaching, ideas, so we're
just going to kind of run, goover what is available to you,
what things you should belooking out for, what things
things a plan will include, andjust give you all the
information so you can make thebest informed decision.
(01:47):
That's going to keep you goingand keep you motivated, and I'm
so excited to share this withyou.
Let's not wait anymore, let'sget going.
When I trained for my first halfmarathon, I really didn't know
what I was doing.
I printed off a training planfrom Nike and just kind of
(02:11):
basically followed every run andit was very vague and I just
ran everything at the fastestspeed I could and that's all I
knew how to do.
It's all I was told to do and,yes, I got over the finish line.
And times have grown andchanged and there are now apps
and plans and coaching and allof these wildly amazing things
(02:35):
available to you, but it alsowasn't set up for success for me
in trying to train for the halfmarathon and be in grad school
at the same time, and so I wantto make sure you are set up for
success in your distance goaland your life goal.
We want to make sure that youare ready to adjust your plan as
(02:57):
needed, but that way youmaintain your excitement and
that vision of that finish lineand you cross that finish line.
You are ready to sign up forthe next race and the next
adventure.
Let's go into kind ofunderstanding the different
kinds of training types.
There's kind of options for theDIY runner, the runner who
wants to choose their ownadventure, feels confident in
(03:19):
their ability to kind of makedecisions, but also there's ones
for runners who need a littlebit more guidance, want more
support, want more motivation,and before we get lost in the
sea of all of them, we want tomake sure that we pick the
perfect match for you.
So we are going to go over kindof some free plan options that
are very simple, very basic.
(03:41):
We're going to go over appsthat we can download that maybe
partner with an Apple Watch, aGarmin, things like that.
And then coaching optionsOne-to-one hybrid group coaching
.
Let's start with free, let'sstart with easy, let's start
with fast.
To find the easiest one arefree printable plans, and if you
(04:02):
go on Google, you go onPinterest, you can find dozens
of printable eight week, 12 week, beginner, 5k, 10k, half
marathon training plans.
Most of these will work.
They're all great startinggrounds.
They're accessible, they'resimple, they're budget friendly.
The challenges they're nottailored to you.
(04:26):
So you're picking this a littlebit blind without knowing much.
You're also not knowing thesource, so really make sure that
you're kind of diving intolooking for a valid or a
reputable source.
So some of the ones that I liketo look that are great,
well-known in the running world,are things like Hal Higdon.
(04:46):
He has a bunch of really greatrunning plans.
He's well-known in the runningcommunity.
So if you're looking for onewhere you're going to feel
confident in that it is a backedup training plan, that's just
print and go.
Hal's great Runner's WorldMagazine tons of great ones
there.
And Jeff Galloway also is greatif you are looking in the
(05:06):
run-walk as well method.
So those are three great onesthat I would recommend that you
look into for the print and goPrint it out, put it in your
fridge.
Check off Monday.
I did three miles Tuesday.
Cross-train Wednesday rest youjust follow along.
Like we said, the onlylimitations is it's not tailored
to you and there's no built-infeedback, so you're not knowing.
(05:31):
Am I going too fast, am I goingtoo slow?
When you get out the door, youjust have to either use a watch,
use your phone to figure outyour distance.
It's not pairing with yourdevice automatically.
So it involves a little bitmore upfront work on the actual
time that you run and you dohave to adapt it to your life.
(05:54):
So if you need to swap out runs, you may need to write on your
calendar to change things around.
Not to say that's bad, it'sjust a little bit different, a
little bit simple.
But some common myths about freeplans, because I think a lot of
people down on the free plans,the Pinterest plans, just like
they look down on Pinteresttattoos, which I think is silly.
They think you get what you payfor.
(06:15):
So you download a free planonline and you get what you pay
for.
A lot of people say thatthey're too generic to work, but
the basic principles are builtinto all those plans and the
basic principles work for mostrunners, so that's that's silly
to say.
And then you need fancyfeatures to succeed in running.
(06:37):
Really simple and consistencyis what matters to succeed.
Being consistent and showing upfor your runs is what matters
versus a fancy knowing yourlactic threshold heart rate,
this sort of thing.
And then they're not updatedwith current science.
Well, not necessarily.
(06:57):
Some of the bigger ones, like Isaid, jeff Galloway and Hal
Higdon are probably definitelyupdated more often than some of
the ones we see on a blog, sothey're not what people think
they are.
So if that is what is in yourbudget and what is going to get
you over the finish line,because you are the type of
(07:18):
person that loves to just checkoff the runs, you want it
printed on your fridge, you wantto put in your calendar and
check it off.
Print off the run from JeffGalloway, from Hal Higdon, put
it on your fridge and get outthe door.
That is perfect for you.
We're going to next go intoapp-based plans, which these are
my favorites.
I'm a tech person.
(07:39):
I love me some apps.
I love me anything that makesit that connects with my
calendar that connects with mywatch.
That makes it easy.
Breezy, beautiful cover girl,that is how I like to live my
life.
So these are things like NikeRun Club, garmin New App, runner
, peloton even has this as anoption, has this as an option.
(08:09):
These are apps where you canplug in your goal time.
You can plug in how far you runnow, your pace, a lot of
information about you, and itwill build you some of them,
build you a very personalized,customized plan and then it will
even some of them will sync toyour watch, give you a calendar
of runs that you do.
It'll give you customized typesof runs on certain days.
Some days it'll tell you to runat this pace.
It'll give you speed runs.
It'll adjust the runs based onhow hard you ran.
(08:32):
It'll analyze your heart rate.
It'll go into a lot of reallyin-depth.
They'll give you audio cues orbuzz at you when you've gone too
fast and give you heart rateassessments.
So it's a really amazing thingto have, which can be free for
some apps or paid for small fees.
(08:53):
I think Garmin is free if youhave a Garmin watch.
Nike RunClip, I believe, isfree.
I think Runner is under $15 amonth to get a personalized plan
, and these are just really easythings.
If you just want to havesomething show up on your watch
and you click it and go, it'sabsolutely, really, really,
(09:13):
really wonderful.
It is less personal than acoach, so you don't have someone
to ask all of those nittygritty questions to.
They do have a lot of videos,which I think are cool, that
talk about nutrition and fuelingand picking out shoes and
warming up and stretching andall those sort of other
questions.
So if you're new to running andyou know nothing, some of them
will have that sort of likevideo features.
(09:35):
But you don't have a person toask these questions to and you
don't have a group or anaccountability.
So it's not as personal, butyou do have the ability to just
let it automatically show up onyour watch and you're ready to
go.
Plus, they're easy to use andthey're easy to adjust as you
need.
So they're a wonderful option.
(09:56):
There's tons of them out thereand I really I think they're the
perfect option for most newrunners getting out there.
And then, lastly, I'm going togo over personalized coaching.
There's one-to-one coaching andthere's hybrid or group
coaching.
This can be online, this can bein person.
It really just kind of dependson what's available to you.
(10:17):
This is a lot more personalized.
This can be everything fromsomeone you meet in person, and
they may do track workouts witha group.
They may provide a personalizedtraining plans.
I have done one-to-one virtualcoaching where they provided me
a training plan and checked inwith me and we adjusted it
accordingly.
There are ones where they willprogram them into apps like
(10:39):
Final Surge or Training Peaks,which are two online apps, and
it'll be similar to the oneswhere they will program them
into apps like Final Surge orTraining Peaks, which are two
online apps, and it'll besimilar to the apps where they
will show up at your Garmin andyour Apple Watch and you can
just plug and play and you knowwhat workout you're doing that
day, and so you have somebody toask all your questions to.
You have somebody who isholding you accountable.
You have somebody who's thereinspiring you, motivating you,
(11:00):
cheering you on.
You have somebody who's thereinspiring you, motivating you,
cheering you on, and you havesomeone there who is analyzing
all of the data and keeping youmoving to your goal.
The investment, because apersonalized coach can go
anywhere from 50 to 300 plusdollars a month.
(11:25):
So it really can be a priceyinvestment and it is completely
up to you.
Is that worth it to you for afirst time running coach?
But some beginners really wantthat level of support.
They want that level ofaccountability and for some
people, if they put money andinvest into it, they will be
more likely to complete itbecause they put their money
where their mouth is.
Another option is some peoplewill do group run clubs, where I
(11:48):
know we have some here whereyou can join the run club and
they provide coaching as well,so there's team.
That way you get a communityfeel.
You're not just running withone person, you can meet other
runners, talk with them,commiserate, connect.
So that's another greatcommunity aspect which also will
(12:09):
help you keep running if youbuild connection and community
with other runners.
And definitely, before youinvest anything in a running
coach, make sure you ask themsome questions, because if you
are a new runner, we want tomake sure that they're the right
coach for you.
There are lots and lots ofrunning coaches out there,
myself included.
I might not be the right coachfor you even, and so you want to
(12:29):
make sure you ask them how dothey handle first-time racers.
What are their approach when aclient misses a training run?
So you want to make sure that.
Does that match you.
If you miss a training run, doyou need someone who has tough
love or do you need someonewho's more forgiving?
How often and through whatmethods do we communicate?
Do you need someone who prefersemail?
(12:49):
Do you want to be texting yourcoach regularly?
Do you want to be constantlycommunicating?
Do you want only throughweekdays?
How often Can you shareexamples of other beginners that
you've coached?
I think that's really importantof tell me about others
beginners who have succeeded.
And then, what is yourphilosophy of balancing training
(13:09):
with life, making sure thataligns with you and what your
values are, because coaches havedifferent values that may
misalign or align with you.
So making sure that they fitwith your life.
And then, things you want tomake sure you look for in a
beginner friendly coach ismaking sure that they are
building sustainable habits overgetting quick results, because
(13:30):
they can put you on a very likequick getting results plan but
they're going to burn you outand you're not going to want to
sign up for the next racebecause you're just going to be
so done with running aftertraining that you're going to be
assumed that every othertraining cycle is like that and
there's no fun and no joy or noenjoyment in it, and I don't
believe that to be true abouttraining cycles at all.
(13:52):
Make sure that the coach hasspecific experience with
first-time racers.
If they don't have experienceand they only work with people
who have been running for yearsor only work with Boston
qualifiers, that might not bethe best coach for you.
They may not remember what itwas like to get that first
(14:12):
five-mile run in and be likethat's not that exciting.
I did five miles yesterday.
Why are you so excited?
So make sure that they haveexperience working with first
time racers.
Making sure that they offerclear communication channels and
response time.
Making sure they let you knowwhen can you expect a response
from me, because you want tomake sure that if you have a
question, you're not waitingdays and days and days to know
(14:36):
can I adjust this run?
What do I do?
My kid is sick.
I can't do my long run thisweekend, what do I do?
And you don't want to have towait until Monday to know the
answer if that doesn't work foryou.
So make sure you know when areyou going to hear a response
from them, and make sure thatthey can provide modifications
for different fitness levels.
If you're just not there, you'reneeding the run-walk system.
(14:59):
You're needing that sort oftools in your tool belt.
Make sure they can provide thatfor you.
Be honest with yourself and behonest with them so that way
they can help you.
And then making sure that theyshow a genuine enthusiasm for
beginner runners Some runningcoaches don't, some do, and make
sure that they have that,because that's what you need.
You need that cheerleader thatis going to be in your corner,
(15:20):
that is going to be excited thefirst time you run 10 minutes
straight or the first time youhit double digits.
You want that person that is asexcited as you are, if not more
excited, for you, and so makesure that if you're investing in
a running coach, they check allyour boxes, no questions asked,
because if you're spending thatmuch money, it has to be the
(15:41):
right fit.
Okay, I know that I just threwa lot of options at you between
printables and apps andone-to-one group coaching, so
let's just break this down in areally practical way so that way
you can choose your perfecttraining match.
So I'm going to walk youthrough some questions that I
(16:02):
want you to ask yourself, and Ido want you to be honest with
yourself.
There's no wrong choice.
So here's some things that Iwant you to consider and to
think about.
So first, we're going toconsider your budget.
Think about your budget comfortzone.
Are you looking to keep thingscompletely free, or do you have
(16:23):
room for a small monthly appsubscription, or are you ready
to invest in personalizedcoaching?
Next, think about the structureyou need in your running life.
Are you a checklist person wholikes following exact
instructions, or do you needsomething that's a little bit
flexible, that can be adaptedwhen life just happens?
(16:45):
And accountability.
So we're new to running here,remember.
So let's be really, really,really honest.
Are you self-motivated andyou're great to stick into a
plan, or do you do better withthe little app reminders on when
to run?
And do you thrive whensomeone's checking in with you
regularly, someone's pinging youto say how'd your run go, how's
(17:09):
this going?
And then technology some of usare great with it, some of us
are not.
There is no judgment here.
Do you already own a runningwatch?
Do you you own an Apple watch?
Do you own a Garmin?
Do you own any sort oftechnologically fitness type
watch?
Are you more a pen and paperperson?
(17:31):
Are you more of a calendarperson?
And then, how do you like totrack your activities?
Are you like my dad and has hisprinted calendar downstairs
where he tracks all of hisworkouts?
Or are you a smart watch person?
And then, finally, let's talkabout how much support that you
are looking for.
Do you have a lot of questionsabout technique fueling?
(17:54):
Are you scouring Facebookgroups and TikTok and asking
every question under the sun?
Are you confident in the basics?
But you need a little bit moreframework, a little bit more
guidance, and would you benefitfrom regular feedback on your
paces, your plan, your goals andyour objectives?
So remember, there's no wronganswer here and you can always
(18:19):
start with one option.
And if it's not feeling and youcan always start with one
option, and if it's not feelingright, you can always switch.
And some runners even they, mixand match.
There are some runners who willuse an app and then go to a
group run to get their questionsanswered, or may use a running
coach and have them have theirplan printed and just use them
for that sort of stuff.
(18:39):
There's a lot of really goodoptions to mix and match that
fits what works for you it's allabout you and not what works
for anyone else Now that we'vepicked between one of those.
So look at the options, look atthe budget, explore some of the
(19:00):
apps out there.
Now that you've picked which one, let's kind of talk about what
these plans are going to include.
I know it kind of looks like aweird foreign language.
I know I've said in some ofthese episodes tempo,
progressive.
The only one that makes senseis easy and that just sounds
like I am hanging out on thecouch and unfortunately that's
(19:20):
not what it is.
But we're going to kind of goover what you're going to see in
most training runs what is thepuzzle pieces that make up a
training plan and what are thepriorities, what are the base
and the most importance and so.
So basically, let's go over thetypes of runs and kind of
explain them.
So the first and most importantare easy runs, and easy is
(19:42):
always in quotation marks.
That just means aconversational pace.
It means if you wanted to havea gossip session, you wanted to
chat up, you wanted to singalong with your friend, you can
do that during the run and thatmeans you're running at a pace
much slower than your race pace,your goal pace.
That builds up your long runs,it builds up your endurance, it
(20:02):
builds up your confidence, itbuilds up your time on your feet
.
Those are the most importantruns of any training plan ever.
It is your building block.
It's number one.
The other type of runs are speedruns and there's different
types of speed runs.
So you have speed runs that aremade up of sprints quick, short
, 30 second, one minute, quartermile, things like that.
(20:24):
Then you also have more temporuns.
So maybe you're running fastfor 10 minutes, 20 minutes, a
three mile tempo run whereyou're running for three miles
at a quicker pace.
So those are to build up yourability to run at an
uncomfortable pace for longer,basically to kind of work at
running hard for longer periodsof time.
(20:47):
Those are another part of atraining plan and so those speed
runs will be a smaller portionof the training plan.
Most of your runs in a trainingplan are easy, are more relaxed
runs.
Speed is a smaller portion and80% is going to be long or easy
(21:07):
or relaxed runs.
And then rest is a huge portionIf you ever see a training plan
that has no rest or very littlerest.
That is a big red flag, becausethat's where your muscles are
able to recover, that's whereyou're able to mentally refresh.
Rest that is a big red flag,because that's where your
muscles are able to recover,that's where you're able to
mentally refresh yourself.
That's a way to preventinjuries and overwork and
(21:27):
burnout.
Rest is very crucial, veryimportant to any training plan.
Please make sure you're atleast having one rest day in a
training plan.
And then cross training this isreally important things like
cycling, pilates, strengthtraining, group fitness classes.
It really kind of helps tobuild your strength, helps to
(21:50):
work your muscles in a differentway and it helps to kind of
reset your brain a little bit.
It doesn't make you feel likeyou're always running.
Cross training is a really goodthing.
I know for me when I've gottenthe fastest and have done the
best was when I was cyclingwhile training for half
marathons, when I was biking towork and running.
That's when I got the fastest,because when I was biking I was
(22:12):
not biking fast, it wasleisurely, easy, easy.
It was like beyond my easy pace.
Cross training is a really greatthing to add into your training
plans if possible, and some ofthe training plans will add in
there, and if you see that inthere, definitely you want to
try to take advantage of that.
And one thing that I like toadd into it and it's not really
adding an additional element toit it's taking one of my runs
(22:36):
and turning it into a joy run.
It's turning it into a fun run,it's turning it into a dogs per
mile type run and it's whereI'm doing something fun and that
, for me, is usually my Mondaymorning group run first with my
city gym group run where I lookfor dogs and it's just where I
get to run for fun and enjoymentand not one part of me looks at
(22:58):
pace and that allows me toreset everything.
And so making sure that youhave some runs that are about
maybe it is strictly about doingthe run and getting a sweet
treat.
It is about doing the run andseeing the beautiful
neighborhoods, or it's doing arun on a new path or doing a
trail run near the mountains.
Doing some run at least once aweek, ideally, where you can
(23:24):
have joy built into it.
That will help keep you goingduring your training plans and
that's kind of what builds.
What are the building blocks ofa training plan is all of those
elements.
It's the easy long runs, it'sthe speed work, it's the rest
days, it's cross training andit's joy.
That is what is going to makeup any training plan.
(23:55):
Wow, guys, I'm so excited.
I can't believe we finishedthis runner era series.
I am so excited, I can'tbelieve it.
I hope you are inspired, I hopeyou're motivated, I hope you're
signed up.
So let's just kind of take alittle recap of everything that
we've covered together.
First, we picked your racedistance.
(24:16):
We looked at how many hours aweek you can dedicate to
training.
We pictured what you wanted tofeel like over the finish line.
We then found your ideal racebased on your vision, what you
wanted out of it.
And now we've found yourperfect training plan based on
what's going to make you thebest version of you.
(24:39):
Now you have all the tools thatyou need to enter your runner
era in 2025.
You know all the options thatwork for you and you know how to
make all the decisions thatwill support you in your running
journey.
And remember, you're not alonein this journey, because, hi,
(25:00):
I'm here to support you in thisjourney, and the Dogs Per Mile
community is also here.
Please share your progress withme on Instagram at
DogsPerMilePod, dm me, tag mewhatever you want.
This isn't just the end of aseries.
This is not just a one and done.
It's the beginning of you as arunner a series.
(25:21):
This is not just a one and done.
It's the beginning of you as arunner.
So, whether or not you'restarting with a free plan you
found on Pinterest, you'rediving into the Garmin app or
you've decided to work with acoach, you're making a choice
that's right for you and youalone, and that's what this
whole journey has been about youand making something special
for you, the way you run and theway that you train and for you
(25:43):
to cross that finish line.
I can't wait to hear about yourfirst training run.
So please share with me onInstagram and join our Runner
Error community on Facebook.
Just look for Dogs Per MileRunner Era.
We will be there sharing tips,tricks, excitement, joy, glitter
(26:05):
, everything.
Tag me, get excited.
I am so excited to hear aboutit and I look forward to hearing
more and keep listening formore tips, more exciting.
I can't wait to support youmore in this journey and I will
see you in the next one anduntil then, keep running, keep
(26:28):
counting those dogs and havejust the best time.
Bye, thanks for sharing anothermile with me today.
Before you cool down, here arethree quick ways to stay
connected with our runningcommunity.
First hit subscribe.
Wherever you're listening tothis right now, it's the best
(26:50):
way to make sure you never missan episode.
Second, if today's show helpedyou or inspired you, please
leave a review.
Your words help other runnersfind their way to our community.
Lastly, want more runningadventures?
Follow at Dogs Per Mile pod onInstagram, where I share daily
motivation, behind the scenesmoments and plenty of pictures
of my two running coaches, yogiand Maple.
(27:11):
Be sure to tag me in your runphotos and use hashtag dogs per
mile to share your own dogspotting stats.
I love celebrating yourvictories, big and small, and
thank you for being a part ofthis journey.
Until our next run together,remember, every step forward is
progress and every dog you seeis bonus motivation.
Keep running, keep smiling andkeep counting those dogs.
making sure that they show a genuine enthusiasm for
beginner runners.
You need that cheerleader thatis going to be in your corner,
that is going to be excited thefirst time you run 10 minutes
straight or the first time youhit double digits.
Hey, runners, you're listeningto Dogs Per Mile, where we're
making running work for yourlife, not the other way around.
I'm Bridget, with over 13 yearsof running experience and
(00:23):
approximately 4,892 dogs seen onmy run.
I'm now here to help you findyour own path to running
happiness.
Ready to run on your own terms.
Let's get going.
Hey, runners, welcome back tothe Dogs Per Mile podcast.
(00:44):
I am your host, bridget, andwelcome to the end of the
Entering your Runner Era series.
I'm so excited for the last bitof this and in this part of
this series we are going to goover finding your perfect
training plan, how you are goingto train for that race that we
picked out in the previoussection, and how we're going to
(01:04):
get over that race that wepicked out in the previous
section, and how are we going toget over that distance that we
picked out in the first section.
So we have already decided howfar you're going to run, whether
or not, you're doing the 5k,the 10k or the half marathon,
and we already know which exactrace you are going to be running
.
We know if you are travelingafar or we know if you're doing
a local race in your communityand we now are going to help you
(01:26):
find out how you are going totrain for this, and we got some
free options.
I have some paid options, someapps, coaching, ideas, so we're
just going to kind of run, goover what is available to you,
what things you should belooking out for, what things
things a plan will include, andjust give you all the
information so you can make thebest informed decision.
(01:47):
That's going to keep you goingand keep you motivated, and I'm
so excited to share this withyou.
Let's not wait anymore, let'sget going.
When I trained for my first halfmarathon, I really didn't know
what I was doing.
I printed off a training planfrom Nike and just kind of
(02:11):
basically followed every run andit was very vague and I just
ran everything at the fastestspeed I could and that's all I
knew how to do.
It's all I was told to do and,yes, I got over the finish line.
And times have grown andchanged and there are now apps
and plans and coaching and allof these wildly amazing things
(02:35):
available to you, but it alsowasn't set up for success for me
in trying to train for the halfmarathon and be in grad school
at the same time, and so I wantto make sure you are set up for
success in your distance goaland your life goal.
We want to make sure that youare ready to adjust your plan as
(02:57):
needed, but that way youmaintain your excitement and
that vision of that finish lineand you cross that finish line.
You are ready to sign up forthe next race and the next
adventure.
Let's go into kind ofunderstanding the different
kinds of training types.
There's kind of options for theDIY runner, the runner who
wants to choose their ownadventure, feels confident in
(03:19):
their ability to kind of makedecisions, but also there's ones
for runners who need a littlebit more guidance, want more
support, want more motivation,and before we get lost in the
sea of all of them, we want tomake sure that we pick the
perfect match for you.
So we are going to go over kindof some free plan options that
are very simple, very basic.
(03:41):
We're going to go over appsthat we can download that maybe
partner with an Apple Watch, aGarmin, things like that.
And then coaching optionsOne-to-one hybrid group coaching
.
Let's start with free, let'sstart with easy, let's start
with fast.
To find the easiest one arefree printable plans, and if you
(04:02):
go on Google, you go onPinterest, you can find dozens
of printable eight week, 12 week, beginner, 5k, 10k, half
marathon training plans.
Most of these will work.
They're all great startinggrounds.
They're accessible, they'resimple, they're budget friendly.
The challenges they're nottailored to you.
(04:26):
So you're picking this a littlebit blind without knowing much.
You're also not knowing thesource, so really make sure that
you're kind of diving intolooking for a valid or a
reputable source.
So some of the ones that I liketo look that are great,
well-known in the running world,are things like Hal Higdon.
(04:46):
He has a bunch of really greatrunning plans.
He's well-known in the runningcommunity.
So if you're looking for onewhere you're going to feel
confident in that it is a backedup training plan, that's just
print and go.
Hal's great Runner's WorldMagazine tons of great ones
there.
And Jeff Galloway also is greatif you are looking in the
(05:06):
run-walk as well method.
So those are three great onesthat I would recommend that you
look into for the print and goPrint it out, put it in your
fridge.
Check off Monday.
I did three miles Tuesday.
Cross-train Wednesday rest youjust follow along.
Like we said, the onlylimitations is it's not tailored
to you and there's no built-infeedback, so you're not knowing.
(05:31):
Am I going too fast, am I goingtoo slow?
When you get out the door, youjust have to either use a watch,
use your phone to figure outyour distance.
It's not pairing with yourdevice automatically.
So it involves a little bitmore upfront work on the actual
time that you run and you dohave to adapt it to your life.
(05:54):
So if you need to swap out runs, you may need to write on your
calendar to change things around.
Not to say that's bad, it'sjust a little bit different, a
little bit simple.
But some common myths about freeplans, because I think a lot of
people down on the free plans,the Pinterest plans, just like
they look down on Pinteresttattoos, which I think is silly.
They think you get what you payfor.
(06:15):
So you download a free planonline and you get what you pay
for.
A lot of people say thatthey're too generic to work, but
the basic principles are builtinto all those plans and the
basic principles work for mostrunners, so that's that's silly
to say.
And then you need fancyfeatures to succeed in running.
(06:37):
Really simple and consistencyis what matters to succeed.
Being consistent and showing upfor your runs is what matters
versus a fancy knowing yourlactic threshold heart rate,
this sort of thing.
And then they're not updatedwith current science.
Well, not necessarily.
(06:57):
Some of the bigger ones, like Isaid, jeff Galloway and Hal
Higdon are probably definitelyupdated more often than some of
the ones we see on a blog, sothey're not what people think
they are.
So if that is what is in yourbudget and what is going to get
you over the finish line,because you are the type of
(07:18):
person that loves to just checkoff the runs, you want it
printed on your fridge, you wantto put in your calendar and
check it off.
Print off the run from JeffGalloway, from Hal Higdon, put
it on your fridge and get outthe door.
That is perfect for you.
We're going to next go intoapp-based plans, which these are
my favorites.
I'm a tech person.
(07:39):
I love me some apps.
I love me anything that makesit that connects with my
calendar that connects with mywatch.
That makes it easy.
Breezy, beautiful cover girl,that is how I like to live my
life.
So these are things like NikeRun Club, garmin New App, runner
, peloton even has this as anoption, has this as an option.
(08:09):
These are apps where you canplug in your goal time.
You can plug in how far you runnow, your pace, a lot of
information about you, and itwill build you some of them,
build you a very personalized,customized plan and then it will
even some of them will sync toyour watch, give you a calendar
of runs that you do.
It'll give you customized typesof runs on certain days.
Some days it'll tell you to runat this pace.
It'll give you speed runs.
It'll adjust the runs based onhow hard you ran.
(08:32):
It'll analyze your heart rate.
It'll go into a lot of reallyin-depth.
They'll give you audio cues orbuzz at you when you've gone too
fast and give you heart rateassessments.
So it's a really amazing thingto have, which can be free for
some apps or paid for small fees.
(08:53):
I think Garmin is free if youhave a Garmin watch.
Nike RunClip, I believe, isfree.
I think Runner is under $15 amonth to get a personalized plan
, and these are just really easythings.
If you just want to havesomething show up on your watch
and you click it and go, it'sabsolutely, really, really,
(09:13):
really wonderful.
It is less personal than acoach, so you don't have someone
to ask all of those nittygritty questions to.
They do have a lot of videos,which I think are cool, that
talk about nutrition and fuelingand picking out shoes and
warming up and stretching andall those sort of other
questions.
So if you're new to running andyou know nothing, some of them
will have that sort of likevideo features.
(09:35):
But you don't have a person toask these questions to and you
don't have a group or anaccountability.
So it's not as personal, butyou do have the ability to just
let it automatically show up onyour watch and you're ready to
go.
Plus, they're easy to use andthey're easy to adjust as you
need.
So they're a wonderful option.
(09:56):
There's tons of them out thereand I really I think they're the
perfect option for most newrunners getting out there.
And then, lastly, I'm going togo over personalized coaching.
There's one-to-one coaching andthere's hybrid or group
coaching.
This can be online, this can bein person.
It really just kind of dependson what's available to you.
(10:17):
This is a lot more personalized.
This can be everything fromsomeone you meet in person, and
they may do track workouts witha group.
They may provide a personalizedtraining plans.
I have done one-to-one virtualcoaching where they provided me
a training plan and checked inwith me and we adjusted it
accordingly.
There are ones where they willprogram them into apps like
(10:39):
Final Surge or Training Peaks,which are two online apps, and
it'll be similar to the oneswhere they will program them
into apps like Final Surge orTraining Peaks, which are two
online apps, and it'll besimilar to the apps where they
will show up at your Garmin andyour Apple Watch and you can
just plug and play and you knowwhat workout you're doing that
day, and so you have somebody toask all your questions to.
You have somebody who isholding you accountable.
You have somebody who's thereinspiring you, motivating you,
(11:00):
cheering you on.
You have somebody who's thereinspiring you, motivating you,
cheering you on, and you havesomeone there who is analyzing
all of the data and keeping youmoving to your goal.
The investment, because apersonalized coach can go
anywhere from 50 to 300 plusdollars a month.
(11:25):
So it really can be a priceyinvestment and it is completely
up to you.
Is that worth it to you for afirst time running coach?
But some beginners really wantthat level of support.
They want that level ofaccountability and for some
people, if they put money andinvest into it, they will be
more likely to complete itbecause they put their money
where their mouth is.
Another option is some peoplewill do group run clubs, where I
(11:48):
know we have some here whereyou can join the run club and
they provide coaching as well,so there's team.
That way you get a communityfeel.
You're not just running withone person, you can meet other
runners, talk with them,commiserate, connect.
So that's another greatcommunity aspect which also will
(12:09):
help you keep running if youbuild connection and community
with other runners.
And definitely, before youinvest anything in a running
coach, make sure you ask themsome questions, because if you
are a new runner, we want tomake sure that they're the right
coach for you.
There are lots and lots ofrunning coaches out there,
myself included.
I might not be the right coachfor you even, and so you want to
(12:29):
make sure you ask them how dothey handle first-time racers.
What are their approach when aclient misses a training run?
So you want to make sure that.
Does that match you.
If you miss a training run, doyou need someone who has tough
love or do you need someonewho's more forgiving?
How often and through whatmethods do we communicate?
Do you need someone who prefersemail?
(12:49):
Do you want to be texting yourcoach regularly?
Do you want to be constantlycommunicating?
Do you want only throughweekdays?
How often Can you shareexamples of other beginners that
you've coached?
I think that's really importantof tell me about others
beginners who have succeeded.
And then, what is yourphilosophy of balancing training
(13:09):
with life, making sure thataligns with you and what your
values are, because coaches havedifferent values that may
misalign or align with you.
So making sure that they fitwith your life.
And then, things you want tomake sure you look for in a
beginner friendly coach ismaking sure that they are
building sustainable habits overgetting quick results, because
(13:30):
they can put you on a very likequick getting results plan but
they're going to burn you outand you're not going to want to
sign up for the next racebecause you're just going to be
so done with running aftertraining that you're going to be
assumed that every othertraining cycle is like that and
there's no fun and no joy or noenjoyment in it, and I don't
believe that to be true abouttraining cycles at all.
(13:52):
Make sure that the coach hasspecific experience with
first-time racers.
If they don't have experienceand they only work with people
who have been running for yearsor only work with Boston
qualifiers, that might not bethe best coach for you.
They may not remember what itwas like to get that first
(14:12):
five-mile run in and be likethat's not that exciting.
I did five miles yesterday.
Why are you so excited?
So make sure that they haveexperience working with first
time racers.
Making sure that they offerclear communication channels and
response time.
Making sure they let you knowwhen can you expect a response
from me, because you want tomake sure that if you have a
question, you're not waitingdays and days and days to know
(14:36):
can I adjust this run?
What do I do?
My kid is sick.
I can't do my long run thisweekend, what do I do?
And you don't want to have towait until Monday to know the
answer if that doesn't work foryou.
So make sure you know when areyou going to hear a response
from them, and make sure thatthey can provide modifications
for different fitness levels.
If you're just not there, you'reneeding the run-walk system.
(14:59):
You're needing that sort oftools in your tool belt.
Make sure they can provide thatfor you.
Be honest with yourself and behonest with them so that way
they can help you.
And then making sure that theyshow a genuine enthusiasm for
beginner runners Some runningcoaches don't, some do, and make
sure that they have that,because that's what you need.
You need that cheerleader thatis going to be in your corner,
(15:20):
that is going to be excited thefirst time you run 10 minutes
straight or the first time youhit double digits.
You want that person that is asexcited as you are, if not more
excited, for you, and so makesure that if you're investing in
a running coach, they check allyour boxes, no questions asked,
because if you're spending thatmuch money, it has to be the
(15:41):
right fit.
Okay, I know that I just threwa lot of options at you between
printables and apps andone-to-one group coaching, so
let's just break this down in areally practical way so that way
you can choose your perfecttraining match.
So I'm going to walk youthrough some questions that I
(16:02):
want you to ask yourself, and Ido want you to be honest with
yourself.
There's no wrong choice.
So here's some things that Iwant you to consider and to
think about.
So first, we're going toconsider your budget.
Think about your budget comfortzone.
Are you looking to keep thingscompletely free, or do you have
(16:23):
room for a small monthly appsubscription, or are you ready
to invest in personalizedcoaching?
Next, think about the structureyou need in your running life.
Are you a checklist person wholikes following exact
instructions, or do you needsomething that's a little bit
flexible, that can be adaptedwhen life just happens?
(16:45):
And accountability.
So we're new to running here,remember.
So let's be really, really,really honest.
Are you self-motivated andyou're great to stick into a
plan, or do you do better withthe little app reminders on when
to run?
And do you thrive whensomeone's checking in with you
regularly, someone's pinging youto say how'd your run go, how's
(17:09):
this going?
And then technology some of usare great with it, some of us
are not.
There is no judgment here.
Do you already own a runningwatch?
Do you you own an Apple watch?
Do you own a Garmin?
Do you own any sort oftechnologically fitness type
watch?
Are you more a pen and paperperson?
(17:31):
Are you more of a calendarperson?
And then, how do you like totrack your activities?
Are you like my dad and has hisprinted calendar downstairs
where he tracks all of hisworkouts?
Or are you a smart watch person?
And then, finally, let's talkabout how much support that you
are looking for.
Do you have a lot of questionsabout technique fueling?
(17:54):
Are you scouring Facebookgroups and TikTok and asking
every question under the sun?
Are you confident in the basics?
But you need a little bit moreframework, a little bit more
guidance, and would you benefitfrom regular feedback on your
paces, your plan, your goals andyour objectives?
So remember, there's no wronganswer here and you can always
(18:19):
start with one option.
And if it's not feeling and youcan always start with one
option, and if it's not feelingright, you can always switch.
And some runners even they, mixand match.
There are some runners who willuse an app and then go to a
group run to get their questionsanswered, or may use a running
coach and have them have theirplan printed and just use them
for that sort of stuff.
(18:39):
There's a lot of really goodoptions to mix and match that
fits what works for you it's allabout you and not what works
for anyone else Now that we'vepicked between one of those.
So look at the options, look atthe budget, explore some of the
(19:00):
apps out there.
Now that you've picked which one, let's kind of talk about what
these plans are going to include.
I know it kind of looks like aweird foreign language.
I know I've said in some ofthese episodes tempo,
progressive.
The only one that makes senseis easy and that just sounds
like I am hanging out on thecouch and unfortunately that's
(19:20):
not what it is.
But we're going to kind of goover what you're going to see in
most training runs what is thepuzzle pieces that make up a
training plan and what are thepriorities, what are the base
and the most importance and so.
So basically, let's go over thetypes of runs and kind of
explain them.
So the first and most importantare easy runs, and easy is
(19:42):
always in quotation marks.
That just means aconversational pace.
It means if you wanted to havea gossip session, you wanted to
chat up, you wanted to singalong with your friend, you can
do that during the run and thatmeans you're running at a pace
much slower than your race pace,your goal pace.
That builds up your long runs,it builds up your endurance, it
(20:02):
builds up your confidence, itbuilds up your time on your feet
.
Those are the most importantruns of any training plan ever.
It is your building block.
It's number one.
The other type of runs are speedruns and there's different
types of speed runs.
So you have speed runs that aremade up of sprints quick, short
, 30 second, one minute, quartermile, things like that.
(20:24):
Then you also have more temporuns.
So maybe you're running fastfor 10 minutes, 20 minutes, a
three mile tempo run whereyou're running for three miles
at a quicker pace.
So those are to build up yourability to run at an
uncomfortable pace for longer,basically to kind of work at
running hard for longer periodsof time.
(20:47):
Those are another part of atraining plan and so those speed
runs will be a smaller portionof the training plan.
Most of your runs in a trainingplan are easy, are more relaxed
runs.
Speed is a smaller portion and80% is going to be long or easy
(21:07):
or relaxed runs.
And then rest is a huge portionIf you ever see a training plan
that has no rest or very littlerest.
That is a big red flag, becausethat's where your muscles are
able to recover, that's whereyou're able to mentally refresh.
Rest that is a big red flag,because that's where your
muscles are able to recover,that's where you're able to
mentally refresh yourself.
That's a way to preventinjuries and overwork and
(21:27):
burnout.
Rest is very crucial, veryimportant to any training plan.
Please make sure you're atleast having one rest day in a
training plan.
And then cross training this isreally important things like
cycling, pilates, strengthtraining, group fitness classes.
It really kind of helps tobuild your strength, helps to
(21:50):
work your muscles in a differentway and it helps to kind of
reset your brain a little bit.
It doesn't make you feel likeyou're always running.
Cross training is a really goodthing.
I know for me when I've gottenthe fastest and have done the
best was when I was cyclingwhile training for half
marathons, when I was biking towork and running.
That's when I got the fastest,because when I was biking I was
(22:12):
not biking fast, it wasleisurely, easy, easy.
It was like beyond my easy pace.
Cross training is a really greatthing to add into your training
plans if possible, and some ofthe training plans will add in
there, and if you see that inthere, definitely you want to
try to take advantage of that.
And one thing that I like toadd into it and it's not really
adding an additional element toit it's taking one of my runs
(22:36):
and turning it into a joy run.
It's turning it into a fun run,it's turning it into a dogs per
mile type run and it's whereI'm doing something fun and that
, for me, is usually my Mondaymorning group run first with my
city gym group run where I lookfor dogs and it's just where I
get to run for fun and enjoymentand not one part of me looks at
(22:58):
pace and that allows me toreset everything.
And so making sure that youhave some runs that are about
maybe it is strictly about doingthe run and getting a sweet
treat.
It is about doing the run andseeing the beautiful
neighborhoods, or it's doing arun on a new path or doing a
trail run near the mountains.
Doing some run at least once aweek, ideally, where you can
(23:24):
have joy built into it.
That will help keep you goingduring your training plans and
that's kind of what builds.
What are the building blocks ofa training plan is all of those
elements.
It's the easy long runs, it'sthe speed work, it's the rest
days, it's cross training andit's joy.
That is what is going to makeup any training plan.
(23:55):
Wow, guys, I'm so excited.
I can't believe we finishedthis runner era series.
I am so excited, I can'tbelieve it.
I hope you are inspired, I hopeyou're motivated, I hope you're
signed up.
So let's just kind of take alittle recap of everything that
we've covered together.
First, we picked your racedistance.
(24:16):
We looked at how many hours aweek you can dedicate to
training.
We pictured what you wanted tofeel like over the finish line.
We then found your ideal racebased on your vision, what you
wanted out of it.
And now we've found yourperfect training plan based on
what's going to make you thebest version of you.
(24:39):
Now you have all the tools thatyou need to enter your runner
era in 2025.
You know all the options thatwork for you and you know how to
make all the decisions thatwill support you in your running
journey.
And remember, you're not alonein this journey, because, hi,
(25:00):
I'm here to support you in thisjourney, and the Dogs Per Mile
community is also here.
Please share your progress withme on Instagram at
DogsPerMilePod, dm me, tag mewhatever you want.
This isn't just the end of aseries.
This is not just a one and done.
It's the beginning of you as arunner a series.
(25:21):
This is not just a one and done.
It's the beginning of you as arunner.
So, whether or not you'restarting with a free plan you
found on Pinterest, you'rediving into the Garmin app or
you've decided to work with acoach, you're making a choice
that's right for you and youalone, and that's what this
whole journey has been about youand making something special
for you, the way you run and theway that you train and for you
(25:43):
to cross that finish line.
I can't wait to hear about yourfirst training run.
So please share with me onInstagram and join our Runner
Error community on Facebook.
Just look for Dogs Per MileRunner Era.
We will be there sharing tips,tricks, excitement, joy, glitter
(26:05):
, everything.
Tag me, get excited.
I am so excited to hear aboutit and I look forward to hearing
more and keep listening formore tips, more exciting.
I can't wait to support youmore in this journey and I will
see you in the next one anduntil then, keep running, keep
(26:28):
counting those dogs and havejust the best time.
Bye, thanks for sharing anothermile with me today.
Before you cool down, here arethree quick ways to stay
connected with our runningcommunity.
First hit subscribe.
Wherever you're listening tothis right now, it's the best
(26:50):
way to make sure you never missan episode.
Second, if today's show helpedyou or inspired you, please
leave a review.
Your words help other runnersfind their way to our community.
Lastly, want more runningadventures?
Follow at Dogs Per Mile pod onInstagram, where I share daily
motivation, behind the scenesmoments and plenty of pictures
of my two running coaches, yogiand Maple.
(27:11):
Be sure to tag me in your runphotos and use hashtag dogs per
mile to share your own dogspotting stats.
I love celebrating yourvictories, big and small, and
thank you for being a part ofthis journey.
Until our next run together,remember, every step forward is
progress and every dog you seeis bonus motivation.
Keep running, keep smiling andkeep counting those dogs.
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