Training Plan Introduction

Hello, Ravenous Runners!

I started this running club because I've gotten so much gratification from running and I wanted to give back in some way. One way to give back is to share the knowledge gained from engaging in and studying running for the past decade. I'm naturally drawn to helping and teaching people, and I love to run, so combining these three things by having a running club and blog just feels "right".

Since implementing club speed workouts, I've gotten several training questions from club members. I always try to answer the questions but feel like the brief answers aren't always sufficient. There is just so much information and nuance to run training - I've been studying it all for 20 years and there is always something new to learn! And now I want to share more of it with you ;-). Our teammate Patrick Laverty has also been bitten by the training bug and is reading many of the books that I've read. Together we are going to use this blog to summarize key points from a particularly influential book, Daniels' Running Formula, by exercise physiologist and running coach to world class runners, Jack Daniels, Ph.D., to provide a concise training resource for you.

Starting the week of 7/16 our club workouts will follow a 12-week training plan inspired by the work of Daniels. The goal will be to complete the training in time for a culminating race in the fall. For the ladies, the race will be The Ronald McDonald House of Providence Women’s Classic on 10/8 and for the men, it will be The Providence Friar 5K on 9/30 (or another race of your choice).

A caveat before proceeding: training for running is an art and a science. Daniels has done all the science, and the art is how you implement that knowledge into your own running. This blog will guide you, but there is no magic solution to running well. So, follow along, partake in the trial and error that is the joy (and aggravation!) of running, and enjoy the process. As aging adults (none of us can avoid it!), we should be thankful for every opportunity we have to continue running, no matter if we're chasing personal bests or just having fun.

I hope you enjoy and learn something from the blog!

Happy Running!

Kim, Runner-in-Chief