June 20, 2011

Holistic Running Programs

FlintLand ventures into coaching

When I started barefoot running, two years ago, I never thought it would take me where I am now. I am healthier than ever, running long distances regularly and aiming at the ultimate challenge in running, ultramarathons. As a matter of fact, I’ll be running my first ultra this July 17 at The Limberlost Challenge.

What got me there? A burning passion for running, of course, but also countless hours of research as well as trial and error. The result of all this is a personal running technique, a renewed vision of nutrition, some fond memories of places and people and a fierce desire of more to come.

It seems that the natural next step for me is trying to share some of what I’ve learned. I have been a running mentor for the past 2 seasons for Étudiants dans la Course, a year-long running program similar to Students Run L.A., which teaches challenged kids they can reach sky-high goals by getting off their couches and starting to run, all the way up to a marathon. I have also organized a Barefoot Running Clinic, here in Montreal, where I showed people how they can improve their running by taking off their shoes and letting their bodies show them how it’s properly done.

In the wake of this, some runners have asked me to build them personalized running programs. I thought it might be a good idea to share these programs with you, because they are tailored for different kinds of people, some of which might resemble you or the goals you are seeking. I hope they help.

I will publish the programs individually in a new section of this site called Running Resources And Programs. If you have specific questions about them or about your training in general, feel free to ask. If I cannot answer them myself, I will try to find the information with you.

I would greatly appreciate your feedback.

Happy, healthy running,

Flint





Disclaimer. I am not a trained professional, a doctor or a guru. The following programs are personal suggestions tailored to runners I have seen and humbly evaluated. The routines they contain are conservative and aimed at preventing injuries and gradually improve running form and performance. They also include various barefoot sessions. Barefoot running should not be attempted without proper knowledge of the technique and a gradual transition.

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