I signed up for the 12 week program to get geared up for the NYC Marathon. I wasn’t planning on running the marathon, I just wanted to see what the program was like and if it was doable, for when I decide to train for the NYC Marathon.
I still consider myself a beginner runner. I’m not a natural athlete and I’ve had asthma for years. About three years ago, I started to run for the first time in my life. Since then, I’ve run dozens of 5K races, two half marathons – NYC Half Marathon and the Diva Half Marathon and now I’m gearing up for a 10 miler in Disney, called the Tower of Terror Race.
So nearly 8 weeks ago, I started to get emails delivered to my inbox. Every day, I was excited to see what was in store for me. Some days, the email tells me to run 3 miles and other days, it tells me to go further but do speed intervals. It even suggests the mileage for my long runs.
I continued with the program until a week or two ago when the mileage really started to build up. But, I have to say that I’m impressed with the calibre and tone of the emails.
Coach John Honerkamp and his High School rival, Dr. Matt Moran from RunTrix are the brains behind the virtual trainer, which is a New York Road Runner’s product. There are several different packages that you can purchase. I have the basic package. More advanced packages enable you to ask questions of the coach and have continuous dialogue, which could be very helpful, especially when training alone. There is also a community on the more advanced packages, where you can get support and advice from fellow runners.
The other day, I even had the opportunity to upgrade my package to get access to the VIP tent and tickets on the grandstand for my guests at the end of the race. I loved that. I thought it was really cool to have that accessibility. My running partner told me that she ran the NYC Marathon and that having those types of priviledges is a necessity.
Another interesting post came on a rest day, where Coach John talked about the treadmill and the importance of keeping it on a slight incline to feel like you’re actually running on the street. He explained that the wind makes it harder to run and a slight incline can simulate the feeling.
I highly encourage anyone who is running the NYC Half or NYC Marathon to buy this program. I found it truly helpful and will certainly sign up when I’m ready to run the NYC Marathon.
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