Getting Started
January is a time of new resolutions, new beginnings. What are your fitness goals for this race? For 2017? Many of us shy away from specific New Year resolutions, but having some specific goals can be very helpful to keep you motivated, particularly in these winter months. Are you looking to complete your first half? Shed a few pounds before spring? Break your record from last year? Use this race as a stepping stone to your first full marathon?
Training Plans
With the Covered Bridges race now 4 months away it is time to start thinking about preparing for the race. For those of you without a long history of distance running, a clear plan for your spring training is crucial. If you have run similar races, a clear plan can really take you to the next level of performance. It will help keep you on track and ensure you are confident and prepared come race day. We have included a few different websites that have a variety of free plans you can follow. The Higdon site in particular includes options for different lengths of preparation time, as well as different beginner to expert plans.
- Hal Higdon – an amazing online resource, with a variety of free 12-week plans for beginner to expert runners, as well as general advice about your training. Includes reference to rest and strength days as well, which we will cover more in other email updates.
- Cool Running – a few different difficulties of free 12-week plans, each one moving through phases for endurance, strength, speed, and tapering.
- Jeff Galloway – Plans for people planning on a combination walk-run for the race.
- Runner’s World Training Plans – $25 per plan
Planning Some Milestones Along The Way
Also, have you signed up for some other (shorter) races for this spring before the Covered Bridges? This is a great way to help keep you motivated and check your fitness. A few perennial favorites in the Upper Valley are:
Winter Wild series of uphill runs
Shamrock Shuffle 5K – March 18th, 2017
Road to the Pogue 10K May 13, 2017 (sells out)
Western New Hampshire Trail Running Series
Community Resources
We encourage you to join your local running club, or team up with a friend doing this or another big race this spring. Even if you usually prefer to train alone, having some other runners to compare notes with or occasionally run with can be a big motivator. If you live in the Upper Valley, check out the Upper Valley Running Club and join up for just $5 per year – worth it just for the newsletters, race calendar, and emails even if you never do attend their great training, social, or race events.
Co-sponsors in some of the material is provided by:
Emile Smith and Scott Stone – They provide personal training and have strong backgrounds with runners of all ages.
Robin Asbury – Running Coach with GO 3 pro – She is an excellent resource and works with many athletes on developing person specific training plans, education and understanding for running , triathlon needs. Website Email
Brought to you by: BE Fit Physical Therapy
David Barlow & Eric Ellingson
