Touring The Crim Course - Mile 9

Welcome back Crim runner! If you love to run in the sun, mile 9 is made for you!

Mile 9

Mile 9 is really the character builder, for as you turn right onto Miller, you will be likely be greeted by sunshine with the resulting hot pavement. The sun, the heat from the pavement, the vast width of the road, your tired legs, all combine to make this part of the route this writer’s least favorite. Continue to stay to the right for there is a welcomed aid station ahead. After your drink of choice (Gator Aid or water) you will need to move to the left side of the road.

Appropriately placed about the mid-point is a group of young cheerleaders on your left. You will also be greeted by members of the Flint Sunrise Rotary Club, be sure to thank these wonderful volunteers giving their last Saturday of the summer to support you! 

Somewhere along mile 9 on Miller, the Karma Gods may reward you for your diligent effort, support of the 30 and 40 year runners, and greetings to other volunteers by boosting your mental effort or by dismissing those aches you feel in your tired legs.

You will know when you are about to hit the 9-mile mark when you see a large crowd of support to your right. The supporters from Flint Powers High School will be there to cheer you on to Court St as you stride into the final mile!

Thank you for following my posts, now get ready for the final mile tomorrow!

Coach Lee

Touring The Crim Course Mile - 8

Welcome back Crim Runners! Glad to see you have survived the first 7 miles! Today I guide you along mile 8, a beautiful stretch of the course that includes many more wonderful homes, wide views, some shade, and oh, those curves with “gently rolling” hills. I hope you enjoy this mile too!

Mile 8

Yes, mile 7 might have felt short as hopefully you have been able to pick up your pace again as the course is flat to downhill. There are two immediate tangents to pay close attention too immediately following this turn. Along scenic Parkside you will receive encouragement from a high school band and cheer team may get your juices jumping a bit but you still need to pay attention to the curves of the tangents, work the hills (they are all short so run hard and get them over with!) and stride down the hills when given the opportunity. 

There are many twists and turns along the last half of this mile that prevent you from seeing too far ahead. The result is you may think you only have one more bend in the road when in fact another bend and another hill await you. Your pace is likely slower than a few miles ago so your brain teases you by making you think the route is longer and harder.  Remember, a mile is a mile.

As you approach the end of mile 8 there is a large house on the right, you are on a shaded part of the route, and there will likely be a hose spraying water for you to run through. There is another very mild hill to get over and again, your mind begins to play tricks on you. Be mentally tough, don’t slow down, plow through this point and turn the corner onto Miller Rd. only two more miles to race!

However, sneaky mile 8 decides to jump up and steal it all back again!  Enjoy this stretch of road for as you turn right onto Court St, you will be likely be greeted by sunshine with the resulting hot pavement. The sun, the heat from the pavement, the vast width of the road, your tired legs, all combine to make this part of the route this writer’s least favorite. The best part of mile 8 is completing it, for now there are only 2 more miles to race!

Thanks for following me along this long. Come back tomorrow as we prepare for the final push to the finish line!

Coach Lee

PS: Please cruise through the other parts of The Running Architect website while here too!

Thanks :)

Touring The Crim Course - Mile 7

Welcome back, this time to mile 7 of the Crim route. Perhaps it’s my architectural heritage or maybe it’s the welcoming shade covered Hawthorne Dr. but the next two miles are my favorite part of the Crim route.

Mile 7

Just kidding!  Yes from mile 6 to 10 the course drops, but along mile 7 on beautiful Hawthorne and Parkside Avenues you will see your share of rolling hills, mostly shaded route and the many huge stately homes of Flint!  Stay to the left side of the shady Hawthorne Ave.

The views are nice, many neighbors are out to support you, there will be a band playing as you approach the mile mark,  but do not get too distracted. This is a very critical stretch to pay attention to the tangents!  This is especially true once you make the 90 degree left turn onto Parkside Ave. Here the shade is gone as your view opens up to the site of Swartz Creek Golf Course as you run along towards mile 8.

Thanks for following my posts. I invite you to also peek into my other pages of The Running Architect website too!

Enjoy!

Coach Lee

Touring The Crim Course - Mile 5, aka "The Bradley's"

Welcome back to my series of daily posts providing insights to how to run the Crim 10 Mile course. Each day is a new mile. Today is Mile 5, and the first of the famed Bradley Hills! These series of hills are probably second only to the Boston Marathon’s heartbreak hill. Like heartbreak, these series of hill truly test the runners fitness for the race and often are a decisive factor in how each runner performs at Crim.

Each hill is not all that difficult for even the average runner, but the secret to the Bradleys’ is that they do not really allow a runner to recover before the next hill. Hopefully, my brief narrative will help you the runner.

Mile 5 

You are now moving thru a little better area of Flint, not only for the houses but also for the welcomed shade. Most of mile 5 is downhill and meanders thru several streets. Despite the Bradley’s that lay ahead, this is not any time to slow to rest for them!  Keep the faith and keep running hard. To help you keep that faith, there is a gospel choir as you make your right turn onto Sunset before heading to Bradley!  Somehow this group is very appropriately placed J

Up next, the Bradleys’!  You can’t miss them. First, you will undoubtedly overhear other experienced runners talk about the Bradleys’ as you approach them. Second and impossible to miss is the giant blue entry balloon gate. The Crim tracks runners for 1 mile of the Bradley neighborhood. Next, one quick left turn and before you know it you are facing the first of three rolling hills.

The beginning of the Bradley Hills.

The first is actually the toughest, in part because to the uninitiated you mentally break down thinking they all are this bad!  Not really, stay to the left side of the road and use the people cheering you on as motivation, remember the arm and upper body action, keep your head up, and visualize flattening those hills with each foot strike. Pretend your legs and feet are a steam roller rolling down the size of each hill.

As you reach the peak of the first hill you may think, is that it? For it seems like just as soon as you hit the first hill you are headed down and to the actual 5 mile mark.  Congrats you are halfway home!

Thanks again for following my posts. Tomorrow, the balance of the Bradleys’ and what faces the runners afterward!
Coach Lee

Touring The Crim Course Mile 4

Welcome back to the fourth installment of “Touring The Crim Course”. I hope you enjoy.

Mile 4

 If you like long essentially straight routes you will love miles 3 and 4. Mile 4 along Chevrolet Ave may have a gentle bend to it. You need to mentally prepare to run straight line and not become focused on your tired legs. There is a reason they are feeling tired now, beyond the obvious, Chevrolet is also a very gentle but seemingly constant rise to the next turn at Cashew Point.  It also is not perfectly straight either!  About mid way, if you are paying attention and know how to run tangents properly, there is an opportunity to save a few strides here too!

Cashew Point, this is perhaps one of the more recently famous turns in all of road racing?  This is where in the past the tradition was that you were offered free (and likely warm) beer to wash down that Krispy Kreme you had!  But following the 2012 Crim it was announced that the homeowner at this famed corner was going into retirement and 2012 was his last year. The thousands of devoted Crim runners missed this thrill. However, Cashew Point returned in 2014! Be prepared to be greeted by a rowdy crowd, enjoy the crowd for after this point (no pun) the race really begins and you need to rely upon your mental strength too!

This is also the point at which you want to begin to regain your stride and pace for as you turn the sharp left corner you also begin a very welcomed downhill!  It is a very subtle downhill so you might otherwise miss it, but trust me, this is an excellent point to gain some time!

Look forward to mile 5 tomorrow and thank you for following my posts, I hope they will be of help to you on race day.

Coach Lee

The Crim Is Coming, The Crim Is Coming !!

Introduction

The Crim 10 Mile Road Race is perhaps the best 10 Mile race in the entire world! What makes it so great is it’s heritage, the organizers, supporters, volunteers, runners, and all of the people of Flint Michigan!

You can’t truly understand what it means to be from Flint unless you have lived there. I did spend much of my adolescence and early adult life growing up in the area between 1964 and 1977. The Flint Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) awarded me with scholarships that made it possible for me to realize my life long dream of becoming an architect. I likely never would have been able to pay my entire way without their support. The Flint area is also where my running career as a middle school runner from Grand Blanc. More on that later.

Thus, the Crim for me represents a very special homecoming. A homecoming event that began in 1984 and continues through this day. About 10 years ago, I was enjoying my “second” glass of wine one evening and started to write an email to my running buds about how to run the Crim course. It has evolved into an annual publication titled “Touring The Crim Course” . Each year there are unique edits.

This year rather than sharing to a limited number of running friends, I choose to publish sections of this report every day until Crim week. This is the first of such posts as I guide you with some background and along the first mile. Be sure to return each day as I continue to guide you each mile. I hope you will enjoy.

Members of the 501 Running Club line up along the Bricks of Saginaw Street for pre-race photo. Note that everyone is smiling at this point in the morning!

Pre - Race

Normally the pre-race events start for me about a week in advance. I follow the event’s website, enjoy a mild taper, and travel to and from Flint Friday to attend the expo. Race morning begins while most normal people remain in their dream state. I awake hours before the race, enjoy my coffee, toasted bagel with PB and jam, get dressed in my race gear, pack my food and race goods into a bag and head out to meet other runners from our Running Fit 501 group to caravan from Novi to Flint. We arrive in downtown Flint before sunrise and just as the race grounds begin to awake.

If we are lucky, the weather is clear, cool, and dry. However, this is Crim weekend and the weather is rarely ideal for running a 10-mile world class race. Traditionally the weather is hot, sunny, and very humid. Nonetheless, many world and American records have been set for the 10-mile distance on this now prestigious course.

This is perhaps the best place in the racing world to people watch for there are all types of individuals all with one thing on their mind, either finishing the race or to watch their family member or friend finish a race. While this part is fun, it’s also time to get serious. Runners need to continue to hydrate and that of course leads to the inevitable trip to the port-a-john. Get to one soon for it may not be the last time to need to use one! Somewhere about this time you will also be hearing several reports from the PA announcer. They will welcome you to the Crim and remind you who the sponsors are. In the midst of this you will also be aware of the first official start of the Crim 10 Miler. The wheelers will be the first to start a full 30 minutes of your start. This is always an inspiring moment to witness. I highly recommend you find your way to the starting line to experience this event and get your blood flowing a bit before you start your warm-up. 

Next up are the true elite runners, those who will be running their 30th Crim or more! New this year new to Crim will be the first ever class of 40 year runners!  19 inspiring runners have participated in every Crim race since the first back in 1977. This group of special elite runners will be honored with a 15 minute head start ahead of the thousands of other runners. I am very honored and proud to join this group for the first time too! It seems like just yesterday that I was counting down the final few years until I could join this group. Now I can claim being a member of the 30 year club and looking forward to running my 33rd Crim. Think of it, how many other clubs have a 30 year waiting list? 

Perhaps one of the most important things a runner can do prior to a race such as Crim is to warm-up those cold muscles. There are plenty of opportunities to jog along the city streets that parallel Saginaw St. Mix some slow running with a few quicker strides, stretch a bit, get loose, get your heart rate up, and then find your place in your starting corral at the last possible moment (3-5 mins ahead of the start).

A cast of thousands cross the starting line for a journey through Flint on the 4th Saturday of each August.

The Start

After weeks if not months of training there you stand in a crowd of people on the bricks of Saginaw St. between the Citizens Bank Building and the Flint U-M Student Union.  Several years ago they started the race in waves. This means the elites and faster runners (approximately 7 mins per mile pace or better) are the only ones who now actually start at the official start time. Other runners will be held back a minute or two for each corral or group of corrals. There is very little time and distance between each wave. It will not take long for the entire mass of 10,000 or so runners to blend as one long parade line running through Flint.

The weather is probably sunny with a bit of an over cast, deceptively humid, and warm. Not to bad for the 4th Saturday in a Michigan August. The air is still as the PA announcer finally realizes there is nothing more to say, nobody left to recognize, and turns the mike over to Riley McClincha to sing the nation anthem. There may be a hot air balloon over the near horizon, perhaps a television helicopter, and certainly at least one drone hovering above you!

Finally the Mayor of Flint will ask the runners and walkers to get ready, pause, then announce the runners and walkers to START. The gun! or more accurately the horn sounds! You begin to move from a being anxiously still for the past 10 - 20 minutes or so to a mild shuffle that quickly turns into a walk, a jog, and a slight run. Before you know it you are stepping over the chip mat, you click your watch, the crowded field begins to disperse, and you are a Crim participant!

Being a participant is nice, but you want to succeed! Success in the Crim is a very individual measurement. Whether it is to simply finish without walking, win a medal, set a PR, or even a national record makes no difference, it’s all about knowing that you achieved your best today! To help you achieve your best the following is a brief outline of what to expect, perhaps suggest a strategy to attain it, and hopefully help you celebrate your Crim success!

The start of the 2017 Crim. As a member of the Crim’s 30 Year Club, we receive a 15 minute head start on the field of thousands! A truly unique experience!

Mile 1

Despite the shoulder to shoulder start, you will want to be sure to line up on the right side of the street. Within the first two hundred feet or so there is a traffic island barrier in the road. you will remain on Saginaw St. for the first quarter mile and then the course will take a 90 degree turn to the right. If you take the left side of the traffic island you will be adding unwanted distance to your very first mile. It may not sound like much but the Crim course gently winds in many places and you need to run all of the tangents as efficiently as possible to help ensure your best finish time.

Think of the first turn in the route as a giant hair-pin turn for before you know it you will make another 90 degree right turn and head once again over the beautiful Flint River as you run south along Harrison St. That 9 story tall office building on your right brings back many memories for this writer as I was the project architect for the State Office Building in 1980-81 and oversaw much of the construction activity as well.

Harrison St. parallels Saginaw St. and will offer the opportunity for spectators to line the street and cheer you along the start of your Crim adventure for 2019. The newer route no longer crosses over Saginaw St. where the crowds previously gathered, but like earlier years, you need to be very careful along this part of the route and not to get too excited, avoid any adrenaline rush, and keep running nice and relaxed. It’s very OK, in fact it is even very smart to run slower than your intended pace at this point in the race. Begin to work your way to the left side of Harrison as your next turn is onto Kearsley St.

Kearsley St. also brings back many fond memories for this writer for where the route turns left once stood the old Palace movie theater. I saw many movies here as a kid, the last one being “Woodstock” way too many years ago. Kearsley was also the name of a Flint area school that was the nemesis of my high school track and cross country teams, again too many years ago. Like years fly by, so will you along this portion of the route. It is straight with a very gentle slope that you will likely not perceive but one that will affect your pace. Keep relaxed, the cheering crowds are likely to extend along Kearsley St., the border of Flint U-M’s campus as you begin to approach the 1 mile mark.

Take this mile easy and relaxed.  Remember 10 miles is still a long way and you likely did not have much of an opportunity to warm your muscles, including your heart!  Focus on being relaxed, don’t work too hard by passing too many too soon. The crowd will soon begin to spread out. Keep your head up and look ahead at the mass of runners, look for how the mass will turn, you will want to move to the side of the street where the next turn will move you. Smart racers focus on running the shortest distance possible!  Be aware of the next tangent ahead!

Before you know it you are out on the wide open Chavez Dr. you approach the one mile mark.  Odds are that you will run your first mile faster than you would like too, do not fret too much, this is a race and the beginning of mile 2 will quickly reel you back to reality.

Thanks for following me this first mile, be sure to check back tomorrow for Mile 2 !

Coach Lee

Do You Need A License To Run?

A license to run?

Do you need a license to run?  Of course not, at least I cannot imagine a condition where one would need a license to run. But, one does need a license to proclaim themselves as an architect! A conversation with Wendy, a graduate architect in my office today made me realize the direct link between becoming a better runner and becoming a licensed architect!

Wendy recently learned she has reached the point in her path to becoming an architect where she is eligible to begin the professional exam process.  Having worked with Wendy much of this past year I have no doubts she will succeed in her exam process. Nonetheless, I suggested to her that she seek out some study partners as it would help to secure her success and help keep her on schedule to complete all five separate exams.

Architectural student preparing to take NCARB exam.

You need to understand what it takes to become an architect. I could probably fill my entire thumb drive if I were to reveal all of the requirements. Simply stated it’s a long and difficult but also a very rewarding process. Like completing a marathon, becoming a licensed architect is a grueling process that requires time, dedication, perseverance, setbacks, and thrills. They each represent a great personal achievement. 

Becoming an architect requires a professional degree from an accredited school of architecture. At a minimum this is a five year process and more likely a six year process.  Following the degree the potential architect must obtain employment working under the tutelage of another licensed architect. This is typically referred to as the internship. Similar to the medical profession, architects must obtain and document required minimum professional experience in all aspects of professional practice. Internship usually requires three to five years to complete the requirements in the prescribed areas of professional practice.

Once the internship is completed the real fun begins, for this is where the potential architect must go through a rigorous series of six separate (and expensive) licensing exams. These exams cover the topics of structure, design, technology, professional practice, and more.  It’s not unusual for many candidates to take as long as a year or more to successfully pass all of the exams. Once passed only then can they claim themselves to be an architect! 

So what does this have to do with becoming a better runner?

Well, I am a firm believer that running in groups or running with a partner that challenges you makes you a better runner.  When running alone it’s easy for a runner to back down from a pace, loose mental focus, generally become distracted, or simply cut a scheduled workout short. 

Running with groups or friends will improve your running.

Running with a partner, especially one that challenges you, at minimum gets you out the door to complete a workout!  There is also that natural tendency to compete with one another meaning you will not be the one to stop running because you’re running faster or farther than normal.  Then, as most runners already know, runners love to talk running, and non-runners are not interested in what runners have to say. Runners will listen to other runners.  So during a long run, it’s not unusual for runners to carry on a continual conversation.  Such conversations also work to bolster the runner’s oxygen intake thereby improving their ability to run farther and faster.

So what does running with a partner have to do with becoming an architect?

Well, the exam portion of the licensing process is long, tedious, and if done alone, very boring. It’s also extremely tempting to not push oneself too. But if the future architect can connect with a co-worker or an old college classmate, the process of not only completing the exams becomes easier, the likelihood of passing each exam the first time increases too! 

Completing a major accomplishment on one’s own is always something to be proud of completing. There is also the recognition that doing so completely on one’s own is extremely rare and more difficult. So take advantage of options available to you to complete your next race goal or personal achievement and seek supportive help.

Thanks for taking the time to read my post today, wish Wendy luck with her exams, and remember I am here to help you become a better runner and if necessary also a better architect!

Run Happy!

Coach Lee

Which Type of Runner Are You?

Where do you fit in this bell curve as a runner?

I have observed that during this final week of the year there are four types of runners. You may have been more than one or perhaps even all off these four types during the 52nd week of any year. I will let you know which type I am at the end of this post.

First, there is the newbie runner. This type of runner probably does not think of themselves as a runner yet. In fact they are probably very intimidated by getting out the door and taking their very first step. What they do possess is the highest degree of good intention of any type of runner! They may have already signed up to run a 5K or longer race a few months from now, or they simply would consider it a success to run around the block a few times a week. Regardless, this type of person is a runner. Their greatest surprise ahead will not be attaining their running goal but rather experiencing the depth of support from the running community and even new life long friends.

Second, there is the seasoned veteran runner. This runner is probably running this week with the simple goal of “rounding up” to the next centennial notch in their running log to end the year. This runner has probably averaged 20 to 40 miles a week throughout the year. They can enter most any race at the drop of their running hat and compete reasonably well. They also have most of their race calendar for the upcoming year pretty well completed and they think they know how to train for their race(s) too. What defines them this week is the weather conditions. They tend to take a day off if weather conditions of terrible, as in very terrible!

Third, there is another version of the seasoned veteran. This runner is in the midst of training for a mid-winter or spring marathon. Nearly all of the 30,000 runners who will be competing in the 2019 Boston Marathon this April are well into their training for Boston. Seasoned veteran runners tend to ignore whatever Mother Nature throws at them this time of year and will be out in nearly all winter conditions as they are intensely focused on their winter or spring destination race. These runners are easily distinguished from all other runners in spring as they tend to be the thinnest and fittest too!

A cleared winter path, welcomed by all runners.

Fourth, there is the runner who once was a dedicated runner. Perhaps they ran a marathon a few years back but for whatever reason drifted away from the sport. These runners seek to relive their great achievements of the past but tend to forget the struggles and sacrifices one must experience in order to achieve their goal. Some of these runners will “burn out” after a few training runs. Most will quickly experience flashbacks to the more difficult training runs of their past but, they understand this is short lived and look forward to getting past this relatively short bump in their training.

Me, I have been all of these types at some point. I was the first type many decades ago and for many years was the second type too. There have also been certain years when I was the third type, training to compete in the Boston Marathon and other spring events such as The Martian Half Marathon, Tobacco Road Half Marathon, and many other spring races. This year, I am more aligned with the fourth type. I spent most of the first half of the year dealing with a non-running knee injury and fought my way back to finish my goal races. I also can relate to the frustration returning runners have with the process of regaining your race conditioning. It’s not an easy path but it is an extremely important one to follow.

All runners aim to the future, improvement, success, celebration, and all will experience something they had never would have guessed to happen too. Hopefully, a pleasant surprise. I congratulate each of you and wish you a healthy and successful running year ahead.

Thanks for taking time to read my post and I welcome your comments.

Run Happy :)

Coach Lee

Now What?

One of my favorite local running paths

The End Is Near!

The end of your running year may be near if not already over.  However, whether you realize it or not, it’s also the beginning of a new year too!  November and December are excellent months to recover from a grueling year of running and also plan your race schedule for the coming year. But, these months are often when runners are extremely susceptible to fitness regression.

For me the combination of the change in weather, less daylight, holiday commitments, seasonal chores, and even a warm fire in my fireplace each evening result in an attitude change where I believe I don’t really need to run today. After all, thanks to my training I am fit, one more day of rest may actually be good? I tell myself I will go tomorrow, then of course don’t run. Then of course, tomorrow arrives and the scenario repeats. By the end of the week my running log is nearly barren. Slowly but surely my morning weigh-in reminds me that I have been putting off my training.

Then suddenly before I know it the new year may only be a few days away and when I do manage to hit the road for a run my pace is not what it used to be just a few weeks ago. I feel like a new novice runner. Sure, I may have a renewed determination to return to my personal peak performance level but I also realize it will not be easy. I cuss at myself for not maintaining my fitness level and fantasize about the time just a few weeks prior, when running was a much easier venture.

So, what is the solution?  How to prevent this scenario? How can you not only assure your fitness level but also enter into the new year ready to compete? 

Well, the answer is rooted in accountability. Having a person such as an experienced running coach can greatly improve your chances of emerging from these two months ready to run in the new year!

The Running Architect is offering an end of year training program to get you ready for 2019. 

The program consists of weekly plans designed for your specific goals. It begins with gaining an understanding of your running year, evaluation of your training and racing, and what you are aiming to achieve in 2019. 

Next, each week a schedule a unique will be prepared for you, a one week “look ahead”. The schedule will outline training and times for the week ahead.  Then during the week you will be contacted on a regular basis to help assure your success for each week. This process is repeated on a weekly basis to the end of the session.

• The program is e-based and includes unlimited email and/or text communications.  

• The weekly sessions begin November 5, 2018 and extend to January 1, 2019.  

• The fee for this program is only $35* for a limited number of spots available!

• Maximize your investment and sign-up now!

Thank you for visiting my blog and Run Happy!

* The fee for any existing members of a RRCA club is $25

The Running Architect

So You Signed Up to Run a Full or Half Marathon!

So you have signed up for a full (26.2) or half (13.1) marathon. Most likely your big race is in the fall months, you are already four to maybe eight weeks into your training plan, you may have "mostly" kept to some sort of training plan, and so far so good.  Right? 

You also very likely fall into one of two categories, either you are an experienced runner who knows what you are doing because you have done this so many times before, or you are a runner who has never trained to run either a full or half marathon. 

If you fit the first category you most likely have plateaued in your race results. Perhaps you are consistently on the outer bubble of marathon times it takes to qualify for Boston. Perhaps you consistently finish among the leaders in your age group but your PR's just keep getting farther away and fewer between? But you are a seasoned veteran of many marathons and other races so you know how to correct this right?

For those who fit the second category, a newer runner, are you sure you know how to take on the challenges of the training that remains ahead?  Perhaps you are training with a runner that fits the first category above? You figure if your experienced running buddy knows what they are doing so all you need to do is follow along, right?

My guess is the the vast majority of all runners can easily fit into one or the other category of runners noted above.  But when race day comes, you stand there alone at the start (with hundreds or thousands along your side), the thought will inevitably enter your brain, did I really train well enough to do this?  Could I have run another long run?  or any number of other second thoughts about your training. Fortunately, you will not have too much time to dwell on your thoughts because the gun will go off and you will be running a marathon (or half)! 

Well one way to secure your thoughts, gain confidence, race smartly, or break through your racing plateau is to work with an experienced running coach.  There are as many reasons and ways to work with a coach as there are runners. Most runners and coaches believe it's best to work with a coach from the very beginning of a runner's training plan. While there are benefits to such an arrangement it doesn't preclude retaining a coach after you have already started training for your big race!

The runner can benefit even from periodic meetings and sessions with a coach.  Although the sooner a coach can be involved with a runner during their training the better.  So, back to the start, if you have signed up to run a full or half marathon for the fall of this year now is the time to connect with The Running Architect and find out how you can break through that plateau of race finish times, optimize your training effort between now at the sounding of the start gun, and race your best! 

Take a peek at our Services link and review options that are available to you the runner regardless of what stage of training you are at now. 

Remember, Run Happy

Coach Lee  aka  The Running Architect