Spring 13.1 FAQS!

-Do you have any pace groups?

No. BUT, our groups always attract 100+ runners and 'organic' pace groups just naturally form during the course of the season. Something to keep in mind is that your pace will naturally increase over the course of the season. So, you may start out running 10:00/mile and towards the latter stages of training, a more comfortable pace for you might be 9:30/mile.

-What are we doing for the first workout on Saturday, 2/26?

We are doing an EASY 2 MILE RUN (unless you are a 'Race' level runner). You can walk at certain points if you need to, but ideally we'd LOVE for you to cover the entire distance.

-YIKES! 2 Miles sounds like a LOT of running!

We don't expect you to set any landspeed records. Run the 2 miles as slow as you need to. You can take walk breaks if you like. Everyone from our previous program has completed two miles with no problems!

-How do I know which level to train at? The schedule indicates Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Race level. I'm not sure which level makes sense for me.

Great question. If you have never done any kind of substantive running OR you have been away from running for a LONG time OR you are coming back from an injury it's likely you would be a good candidate for the 'Beginner' level training.

If you are relatively active and run periodically and have perhaps completed a 5K or 10K here or there, 'Intermediate' may make the most sense for you.

If you already run 3-5 times/week and have been for some time, 'Advanced' may be a solid training level for you. 'Race' level is for folks who are ALREADY in the kind of shape to run 13.1 miles and are purely interested in becoming FASTER.

Let me emphasize that there are no hard/fast rules and feel free to toggle between the various training levels. Maybe you can only handle 'Beginner' level training the first month, but need something a bit more challenging later on. NO PROBLEM! Try tackling the 'Intermediate' or 'Advanced' level training.

Your body will let you know when you are ready for something more demanding or if you need to dial things back.

-Where do we meet for runs?

We meet at the Marina Green monkey bars (adjacent to the intersection of Marina/Webster) for the majority of our workouts (Tuesdays @ 6:30 PM/6:30AM, every Thursday @ 6:30PM, and Saturdays @ 9:30AM periodically).

Tuesday night 'satellite' runs are hosted downtown at 6:30PM launching from outside PSOAS Massage+Bodywork at 333 3rd Street btwn Folsom/Harrison.

We do change locations most Saturdays for variety. ANY CHANGE OF LOCATION IS COMMUNICATED VIA THE WEEKLY TEAM EMAIL NEWSLETTER!

-How do I get my $25 Fleet Feet Gift Certificate?
What about the technical training shirts?

Brett Lamb (owner of Fleet Feet Sports San Francisco)handles this. You can get your gift certificate at the store-2076 Chestnut Street. Technical shirts are in process and will be provide by me in the next few weeks.

-Do I need to sign up for the Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon, and/or the American River Parkway Half Marathon?

If you plan on participating in these events the answer is YES! You have signed up for TRAINING. The actual half marathons are SEPARATE/DISTINCT events. The Santa Barbara Wine Country Half is technically sold out, but the race director has kindly saved some sports for us. Details around signing up will be provided via the email newsletter.

Here's the registration link for the American River Parkway Half Marathon-

American River Parkway Half Marathon Online Registration.

-What should I do between now and program launch?

You could head into Fleet Feet and get fitted for a new pair of shoes (make sure to use that $25 Fleet Feet gift certificate), get a digital watch, a few pairs of good running socks, reflective gear (for our MANY runs taking place at night), a headlight (again, for night running), and/or some running shorts/shirts! Make sure to show up ready to run on Saturday, 2/26!

-What should I do to be safe running in the dark?

Great question. Running in the dark can actually be quite exhilarating, BUT given that your visibility is compromised AND the visibility of other runners, cyclists, pedestrians, and DRIVERS is compromised it is CRITICAL that you be hyper-vigilant, tuned in, and aware of your surroundings while you are out.

Pay attention to what's in front of you, what's behind you, and be proactive. Additionally, it would be VERY wise to invest in a reflective shirt, vest or jacket as well as a safety light and or headlight to help illuminate the path in front of you.

LASTLY, I would STRONGLY discourage you from wearing an Ipod or other MP3 player during runs taking place in the dark! I know this may be tough for some of you, but think about it. Your vision is already compromised. By listening to music, you are compromising your hearing as well. It's up to you ultimately, but generally it's probably not the best idea.

-What if it's raining!? Will we still run?

YES. We may encounter inclement weather on race day and I can pretty much promise you the race will NOT be canceled! So, it's actually a good thing to train during inclement weather as you will be prepared should you encounter it on race day and your friends will think you are REALLY tough! :)

Obviously, if there are 'monsoon' like conditions where this a torrential downpour and 50MPH winds, we will likely err on the side of caution and cancel a run. But, this almost never happens.

-Additional Questions/Concerns?

EMAIL COACH MATT-MARATHONMATT@MARATHONMATT.COM!