Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Running 101


People often ask me two questions: What's Running 101 and why should I join.

Running 101 is a running group run by several coaches under the guidance of founder and owner, Hector Gandara. Hector's run several marathons and is also Head Cross Country Coach at Mission High School, and the owner of Endurance Splits.

If you're a beginning or experienced runner, Running 101 is for you. There are individuals who have never run, run the mile in 5:30 or 20+ minutes. It simply does not matter your level or ability.

The program is made up of 7 coaches who oversee anywhere from 5 to, as many as, 20 runners. They run with them, answer their questions and motivate them.

Running 101 usually lasts about 4 months and ends in conjunction with a major run somewhere in the US or state of Texas. For example, recently, the previous session ended and about 20 runners  ran the Houston Chevron Marathon (with a 100% completion rate). The current session's end coincides with the Austin 10/20 on April 03, 2016.

Upon joining, runners are placed in different groups with a different coach depending on their ability level. Although many are hesitant to leave their group/coach, many have moved up during the course of a session or several sessions.

Runners have a running plan/program they follow which is a mix of speed work, recovery runs, tempo runs, long runs and cross training.

The main reason runners join is for the camaraderie and accountability. Running with friends makes it much more enjoyable than running alone. You may have seen us recently on a Monday or Thursday night when our large group takes over the Bicentennial trail or Bill Schuup park.

In addition, there's nobody like somebody else who knows what you're supposed to run to hold you accountable. It's not uncommon for runners to ask each other if they are following their plan. It ends up gnawing at your "homework" (as we like to call it) assignment for the day. Runners usually post their homework on the Running 101 page, and let me tell you, it becomes a daily ritual to post what you did.

In a nutshell, THAT's why you should join .