Adam Merry

Developing running economy, speed and the aerobic system takes years. With that in mind, I believe that consistency is king. Period. Training beneath our maximum capacity for physical stress will lead to long term adaptations and breakthroughs in fitness. If we take risks in training too often or train above our physical capacity we risk being plagued by injuries. Taking a conservative approach to introducing physical stimuli in the short term will lead to greater long term benefits.

Creating distinct phases during our training will allow us to create structured programs to build, sharpen and recover. Depending on your goals, race schedule or life events we'll fluctuate between (in no particular order) base building, introducing more mileage volume, incorporating more focused speed work, down weeks, off weeks and training specifically to prepare you for the demands of your races or events.

Whether you're young or old, training for a 5k or a 100 miler incorporating regular speed sessions into your training will help improve your running economy over time. Even short bouts of 20-30 second strides on flat or hilly terrain will stimulate neuromuscular adaptations and, over time, make all paces (fast and slow) feel easier!

The way you talk to yourself and embrace adversity during races is often what sets apart those who smash their goals and have breakthroughs from the rest of the pack. Easy runs, workouts and long runs all give us opportunities to practice positive self talk and sticking with harder efforts when you start to doubt you can do it. Cultivating an inner monologue with phrases like "you've got this" or "you are strong" can compound to create a confident and capable sense of self! When we go after big goals, having a strong and conditioned body and mind will create conditions conducive to greatness!

Putting conscious effort into resting, repairing and refueling your mind and body during training is just as important as the physical stimulus of running. During the periods of rest is where the physiological adaptations from running occur so creating time to get enough sleep, fuel your body with nutritious food (this includes PIZZA!), and doing strength and mobility work are a few key things we will focus on and emphasize throughout the process. 

If you want to run fast or far you've got to eat like you mean it! I do not believe there are "good" and "bad" foods! The most important thing is making sure we eat enough and create nutritionally balanced meals and snacks for ourselves. If you want more information or help with more specific and individualized meal planning, I've worked with some great nutritionists I can recommend!