The Higher Running

Training Guide
HIGHER RUNNING, LLC
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MEANING.

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TOGETHER.

OUR COMPANY
Higher Running is a small business based in Salida, Colorado. It was created by
Coach Sandi Nypaver and Coach Sage Canaday to help empower runners with
coaching advice, training plans, and media/resources for events from the 5km
to 100+ miles. #AnySurfaceAnyDistance as we like to say! As a small team we
really appreciate your support and loyalty!

CONTACT US
Have a question, big or small? Feel free to reach out to Trevor.

Trevor Sooy - Customer Service and Marketing Manager

support@higherrunning.com
HigherRunning.com

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We'd love to hear how your training is going!

#HigherRunning #AnySurfaceAnyDistance
#AthleteEmpowerment

Since 2015

© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TERMS AND TYPES OF WORKOUTS

PART
ONE We use a lot of running-specific terms in our training plans that can
get overwhelming, so we'll break it all down for you here. We will
also breakdown the different types of workouts in our training
plans that allow you to get the most out of your running.

INJURIES/SICKNESS, REST DAYS, CROSS-

PART TRAINING, AND TUNE-UP RACES
TWO
We've all been there. Feeling a niggle in your achilles? Or feeling burnt
out and wanting to change up your training? We give you our advice on
how to strategically incorporate rest days, cross-training, and injuries
with our training plan.

USING THE TRAINING PLAN

PART We want you to be as successful as possible using our training plan, so
THREE
we give you some of our tips that we think will set you on the right path
for your training, race day, and post-race recovery.

PRE-RUN WARM-UP & STRENGTH

PART
FOUR TRAINING GUIDE
Putting in the miles is just one part of becoming a runner. We give you
our favorite warm-up and core strength exercises to be used in tandem
with your training regimen.
PART
FIVE

© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

PART ONE

© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 TERMS AND TYPES
OF WORKOUTS
DAILY MILEAGE:
Most of the time we will give you a range of miles or kilometers to run each day. This is because we
want you to have some flexibility to do what’s best for you and your schedule. The most important
thing you can do is listen to your body. Don’t be afraid to take an extra day off if you need to. All
numbers listed on the training schedule are in miles or kilometers (metric plans) unless otherwise
noted. If you’d rather go by time ask yourself about how long X amount of miles should take you
and then run for that amount of time.

"HEART RATE" (HR) AND GOING BY PERCEIVED EFFORT:

XX% HR = Percentage of maximum heart rate or maximum effort if you don’t have a heart rate
monitor. While we do use heart rate percentages in our plans, you don’t need to rely on a heart
rate monitor or max heart rate percentages. From our experience, we’ve seen that many people
don’t have an accurate idea of what their max heart rate is and so there can be flaws with using a
heart rate monitor. Heart rate monitors can also trip a lot of errors at times. If you do use a heart
rate monitor, use it to help you learn what certain runs (i.e. a tempo run) should feel like and what
beats-per-minute number you record at certain paces if running on a flat road or track. If you
don’t have a heart rate monitor, thousands of runners successfully trained without them for many
years. If you keep reading we’ll give you an idea of what different types of runs should feel like. Go
here for more information on heart rate training: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=B1BR4z5tvUc

WORKOUT PACES:
On some of the training plans, we’ll suggest doing workouts at specific race paces or slightly below
or above race paces. To accurately train at those suggestions, you need a relatively current race
result. Even if you have current race results you need to realize that people are different in how
quickly they gain (or lose) fitness and that paces may need to be adjusted slightly to fit your actual
current level of fitness. Another option is to search for online running calculators that use current
race results or goal results to give suggested paces for different types of workouts. Not all running
calculators are created equal and again, you need to realize you are an individual. For instance, you
may find that the interval paces are right for you, but the tempo pace is either too easy or too hard
based on your own strengths and weaknesses and history in the sport. Furthermore, pace
adjustments are necessary for warm or very cold conditions as well as for higher altitudes. There
are formulas and running calculators to help you make adjustments for these factors as well, but
you'll still need to use your best judgment to make the adjustments are right for you.

PRO TIP - If it’s the day before a workout, eat foods

that make you feel good and get to bed at a time that
ensures you get enough sleep.
© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
 STRIDES:
About 60-100 meters or about 10-20 second speed bursts (not quite all-out sprints though!). These
should be accelerations to near top speed. Walk or jog in between each stride for about 1 minute or
until you feel fully recovered. Sometimes we include strides on a slight downhill (about a negative
1-2% grade) which helps promote a quicker turnover while maintaining an easy effort. The downhill
strides are better done on soft surfaces like grass or dirt. On some plans, we also include hill
strides, which should be done on a slight incline but are otherwise the same as regular strides.
Strides should always be done after a 1-2 mile warm-up (at least) if done before a speed workout, in
the middle of an easier run, or at the end of the run. The strides can count as part of the daily
mileage total. Focus on good, relaxed running form and moving your legs and arms fast. Strides
build-raw speed and help you become more efficient at all sub-maximal running paces (including
ultra race pace!). Tip: Associate speed with fun. Think of kids playing tag or a dog running fast
simple for the joy of it.

PICK-UPS:
Similar to strides, but not as fast and often around 30 seconds. You're simply picking up the pace,
working on good form at a faster speed while staying relaxed. Pick-ups will be faster than 5k pace,
though instead of going by pace, it's better to feel them out and focus on good form.

NO PACES/EFFORTS:
There are a lot of days we don’t give you an effort or pace to run at or tell you to just run easy. At
the beginning of this training plan, you need to learn how to listen to your body and experiment
with what kind of pace or effort you can run at during these days and still feel recovered by your
next workout or long run. Sometimes you might need to take another slow and easy day, while
other days you can run at a more moderate-steady effort. It's often better to err on the side of
caution and stay in the easy range (70% of max HR or below). It is wise not to let one of these days
turn into an uptempo run (>80% of max HR). If you can truly be honest with yourself about how
you’re feeling, you’ll have greater benefits in the long run. If you’re tired or sore from a previous
run, you can’t go too slow on these days. Relax!

EASY RUNS
A comfortable, relaxed pace/effort. This should be a pace where you can easily carry on a
conversation and you aren’t focused on pushing the pace at all. In fact, don’t even bother worrying
about your pace on these days unless you think that it will help you slow down! Avoid rushing
EASY HARD
through the run just to get the miles in. This is your time to smell the flowers and soak in the day!
For those of you that wear a heart rate monitor, this is usually around 60 to 70% of your maximum
HR. For those of you that have raced a road marathon under 4 hours, this is usually at least 1:30-
min/mile (or about 1-min/km) slower than your marathon race pace. Take your easy days truly easy
and you’ll recover faster from long runs and key workouts.
Talk Test: You should easily be able to keep a conversation going.

PRO TIP - If you do happen to have a bad workout, it’s okay! We repeat, it is
okay! Everyone has them and a couple of bad workouts don't mean you’re an
awful runner. Instead of dwelling on a bad workout, ask yourself was it just
one of those days or was something else was going on?
© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
 FARTLEK:
This translates to “speed play.” For the fartlek workouts, we usually have you perform faster surges
based on minutes, immediately followed by a certain number of minutes at your easy/recovery
pace. This cycle repeats itself so after a certain number of repeats you’ve worked up a
considerable amount of time at a quality effort. Many of the fartleks in the training plan will be a
strong aerobic stimulus (which means “with oxygen”), so you should never go much above 90% HR
effort on any given “fast” surge unless otherwise noted. Don’t get too concerned about the exact
EASY HARD pace for Fartleks unless it's noted in the workout details. It’s a good workout to simply tune in to
your body and go by effort. Don’t forget the “speed play” part! Fartleks can be done on either roads
or trails if training for a trail race.
Talk Test: If you can’t speak 3-5 words or are slowing down/losing form then you’re going too fast!
Likewise, you want to make sure you can still jog on the recover/easy minutes and not have to totally stop
after each harder surge.

UPTEMPO/PROGRESSION:
An uptempo is slightly more challenging than a steady-easy run effort, but is not quite a lactate
threshold/tempo effort (see “Tempo” definition below). However, for a progression run (speeding
up as you progress into the run) you may end very close to or at your Tempo pace. For many
people, this will be very close to road marathon race pace if you’ve run one in under 4 hours.
Progressions can start on the easier side (i.e. 75-80% of maximum heart rate/effort) and progress
or speed up until you are going faster than goal marathon pace and closing in on faster than half
EASY HARD
marathon race pace. These are usually longer distance workouts and for progressions, you want
to negatively split the run (finish faster the second half) by slowly increasing your pace
throughout the workout. Overall it is a “comfortably fast effort” with some floating moments of
“effortless effort.”
Talk Test: You should be able to say around 5-7 words at a time. If you can easily say more than that, go
faster. If you can’t say that much, go slower.

TEMPO:
In scientific terms, this is basically the “Lactate Threshold.” This is about 84-90% of your maximum
heart rate. For those of you that have run a 10km race in under 40 minutes, it is a pace that is
closer to half marathon race pace (on the road). For those of you that have raced a 10km in
between 40-60 min, it is about 10 seconds/mile (6 seconds/km) slower than your 10km race pace.
For intermediate to advanced runners, you can also think of it as a pace you could hold for about 1
hour, but for others, it may be a pace you could hold for about 45 minutes. If training for a trail
race, you can also do some tempo runs on the trails while focusing on going at the right effort or
EASY HARD
heart rate, not worrying about pace. ​It should feel comfortably uncomfortable. If you're going too
fast you'll know because lactate will begin to build up and your body will send you the message that
you can't hold that pace for much longer. If you're going too slow you'll be feeling like you could go
on for longer than an hour.
Talk Test: You should be able to say about 3-5 words in a row during a tempo. If you can still speak in
sentences it's too easy. If you can barely get out a word it's too hard.

PRO TIP - Use our Pace Intensity Spectrum Chart to

see what intensity each workout focuses on (included
with every Training Plan download).
© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
 VO2 MAX:
In scientific terms, this is basically one’s “maximal oxygen uptake” or “aerobic capacity.” Think of it
as race pace/velocity for what you could do all-out for an evenly paced 3km or 5km race on a track.
The intensity zone you’re looking to hit here (mainly in the form of Hill Repeats and Interval
workouts from 800m, 1km, and 1-mile) is mostly between 92%-98% maximum heart rate or
perceived effort. Of course, at its “max” you can hit pretty much full tilt approaching 100%
maximum heart rate (as at the end of a race or at the end of a “VO2 max test”), but for our
training purposes, we’d rather you be slightly under that “all-out” intensity and instead focus on
EASY HARD
maintaining good form. These kinds of workouts, which can even be as slow as 5km-10km race
pace/intensity as well, will give you a boost in your aerobic power. They often also help develop leg
speed and strength due to their higher intensity.
Talk Test: Towards the end of the interval or hill repeat you may still be able to say 1-2 words if necessary,
but 3 words at a time would be very challenging.

HILL REPEATS:
For the hill repeat workouts, most of the time you want to try to find a surface with good footing
that is between a 4-10% uphill grade, although road and track runners should stay closer to ~4-
7% grade. The hill can be steeper, but only if you know that there will be a lot of climbs that are
over 10% grade in the race you’re training for. This can be done on a treadmill very effectively if
you can’t find any good hills nearby. Generally, these workouts are at a tempo to VO2 max effort/
EASY HARD
heart rate depending on where you are in the training cycle. If the heart rate is defined, go at that
effort. For the most part, we won’t have you go past 90% max heart rate/ effort in the first half of
your training plan. Focus on good uphill running form (i.e. Get up on your toes, chest open, engage
your glutes, lean forward into the hill from your ankles, etc.).

Click HERE for more on uphill running form.

LONG RUNS:
The majority of long runs should be done on trails or roads similar to what your race will be on. This
means you should research the course before you start your training plan. The long run efforts are
key workouts and some of them will be (and should be) challenging. When the training plan says
“go by feel” for long runs, we generally want you to stay relaxed at an easy to moderate effort while
being honest about how you’re feeling. There is ample recovery time between faster workouts like
EASY HARD the tempo runs and hill repeats because we want you to focus on some of the more challenging
long run efforts. With that said, going too hard on too many long runs can lead to overtraining or
injury, which is why it is so important to listen to your body. Even during easy to moderate long
runs, practice good pacing. In other words, don’t start out fast only to be forced to slow down in the
later miles. This is also a good time to practice hydrating and eating, using the products you plan to
use on race day. See Race Day & Long Run Fueling below.

PRO TIP - Try to mimic the terrain and grade of the

hills in your Long Runs!
© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
 ELEVATION GAIN/LOSS FORMULA FOR TRAINING:
How to figure out how much elevation gain/loss you should do during some of your long runs:
Here’s the formula: (Race Elevation Gain / Race Distance) x Miles of Long Run = How much vertical
you should aim for during your long run.​

Let’s say you’re doing a 50 mile race with 10,000 feet of elevation gain/loss. You have an 18 mile
long run scheduled. 10,000 / 50 = 200. 200 x 18 = 3,600. That means you should be aiming for
3,600 feet of elevation gain/ loss during your long run. With that said, don’t get too caught up in the
numbers. If you do a little less or a little more that’s okay. On some long runs, you can purposely do
less and simply focus on getting in the miles. Remember to choose race specific terrain.

DO NOT​rely on this formula for races with tons of climbing (i.e. Hard Rock, Sky Races, etc.). Why? It
could be too much and lead to overtraining.

MORE ON KEY WORKOUTS:

Use the key or “quality” workouts (listed in bold on the training plans) to practice good pacing.
You never want to have a big positive split during a workout (i.e. running progressively slower at
the end of the workout). For example, if you’re doing a 2 x 2 mile tempo run, most of the time your
goal should be to even split the workout or have a slight negative split. If you ran the first 2 miles
in 15 minutes, then running the second 2 miles in 14:50 while not surpassing the tempo effort
would be a good goal. Of course, you don’t want to start off so easy that you’re not challenging
yourself either. On the other hand, try to make sure you're staying in the desired effort/pace/HR
range. Going too hard each run can negatively impact your aerobic system and progress. It takes
time to learn how to pace workouts correctly so it’s okay if you mess up a few times. Your
workouts give you feedback, so use that feedback to improve. Enjoy the learning process!

MORE ON MILEAGE AND VOLUME OF WORKOUTS:

When given a choice between how many reps to do during a workout, if your weekly mileage is on
the lower side of the scale pick the lower number and if you’re on the higher end of the scale then
pick the higher number. However, if your weekly mileage is on the higher end of the scale and
you’re feeling tired, pick the lower number of reps. Likewise, if your mileage is on the lower side
and you're feeling really good during a short rep workout, you can sometimes pick the higher
number of reps. Don’t be afraid of the workouts. We’re never having you go 100% since that’s
likely to cause more harm than good in training and you can still get all the benefits you need from
a workout without going as hard as possible. It can be helpful to go into a workout thinking that
you’ll be going “comfortably fast”. Enjoy the feeling of having your legs move fast and seeing what
your body is capable of. Shoot for consistency and completing the full workout at the targeted
pace/effort, rather than going as fast as possible.

PRO TIP - At certain steep grades or on a particularly

tough hill, it may actually be faster and more
efficient for you to “powerhike.”
© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
 VERTICAL (ELEVATION GAIN):
If doing a mountainous race and you live near the mountains you can change some of the tempos to
an “all uphill” tempo run, but be sure to make it a little shorter than the originally scheduled tempo
(i.e. go more by the estimated time of how long it would take you if you were doing the tempo on a
flat surface). If you live in the flatlands and you’re training for a mountain race, then the treadmill is
your friend! ​

Be very cautious of building up your weekly vertical gain at the same time that you’re building up
your mileage. Adding in too much weekly vertical and high mileage has left a lot of runners fatigued
before their races. We’re not saying to not add in vertical, we just want you to be extra careful.
Sometimes we find it beneficial for runners to back off a little on vertical when there are a few
challenging runs in a week, but do a little more vertical when there are less challenging runs.

Even if doing a hilly trail race, that doesn’t mean you have to run hills every day. You want to give
your legs time to recover from the hills so they can get stronger. As we mentioned above, it is
important your long runs are similar to the style of trails you’ll be racing on, and if you can, you
should try to get in a couple of runs during the week that will also be on similar terrain.

PRO TIP - The most common mistake people make when

they start an uphill is to start climbing too aggressively.
Ease into the climb,find your groove, then go faster if
you can.
© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
PART TWO

© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 MINOR INJURIES &
SICKNESS

WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET SICK/INJURED DURING TRAINING:

We wish we could provide a “one size fits all” answer, but that would be doing you a disservice. One
person might be out from the flu for a few days and then be able to jump right back into training,
while someone else might need to only do short and easy runs for several more days. Listen to your
body! Ask yourself “what’s truly best for me right now?” If you put your ego aside and you’re truly
honest with yourself, you probably know the answer to that question. With that said, here are
some example situations to think about:

1) You miss a week of training due to sickness and/or minor injury. The current week in the training
plan has you doing an interval workout and you know you always excel at that type of workout.
However, the week you missed had a long tempo run and you know you need to work on pacing
your tempos better. In that situation go ahead and switch the workouts. In fact, you could even
switch weeks if you think the entire week you missed was more important for you than the current
week.

2) You’ve been forced to take a week off from running due to a minor injury (please consult a
doctor or medical professional), but now you’re ready to start running again. You’re afraid to
aggravate the injury and know you need to be cautious. In that case, go ahead and shorten up your
runs as much as you need to until you’re confident you can do the entire mileage. If you’re worried
about losing fitness then you could hop on a bike for 20 minutes after your run.

If you’re missing runs due to injury make sure you’re cross-training with non-impact exercises. If
the training plan called for a tempo run you can still get in a tempo effort aqua jogging or on a bike.
However, don’t cross-train so much that you’re wearing yourself out and preventing the injury
from healing quickly. Injuries and recovery time vary significantly depending on the severity and
location as well as your individual genetics. You could even incorporate cross-training as you start
running again to make sure you don’t run too many miles too soon.

PRO TIP - Coach Sandi consistently reminds her

athletes, "there's always something good to focus on."

© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 ADDING IN A RACE
BEFORE YOUR GOAL
RACE
WHAT TO DO IF YOU WANT TO ADD IN A RACE DURING
YOUR TRAINING PLAN:
It depends on the race distance, when the "tune-up" race is in regards to the goal race, and
someone's current fitness level. After any tune-up race, you have to be patient and willing to listen
to your body. Here is some advice for common situations:

1) RACING A 5K BEFORE A 10k

If you're halfway through the training plan already, you may be able to recover from the 5k in 3-7
days. Since the 5k isn't your goal race, we recommend doing a short taper of 3-5 days. You can use
the week of the plan you're on if you shorten up the mileage and only do one speed workout 2-3
days before the 5k race. Make sure that speed workout is on the easier side. You can also use the
taper week on the last week of the plan, but you may want to increase the mileage. After the race,
advanced runners can resume normal mileage but should wait 3 days before doing another speed
workout, which should also be kept on the easier side. Others will need to continue with easy runs
for a few more days. Normal training can be resumed the following week.

2) RACING A HALF MARATHON BEFORE A MARATHON

Let's say you already have some experience with these distances so you know a half marathon will
leave you tired for a few days, but you won't feel wrecked from it. When possible, we suggest doing
the half marathon about 4-7 weeks out from the marathon. That way you can recover and have a
few more weeks of good training before your taper for the marathon.

Since the half marathon isn't your goal race, you'll want a short taper of a week to a few days. You
can still use the suggested run on the training plan, but you'll want to significantly reduce the
mileage and the length of the speed workouts. If there happens to be two speed workouts during
the week, take one speed workout out and do the other speed workout 2-3 days before the race. If
you're racing the half marathon or using it as a challenging training run like a long tempo workout
or a high quality long run, it's important you take it easy for about a week.

For a few days or for the entire week after the half, you may need to completely stray from the
training plan. Most runs should be very easy and the majority of people will need to reduce their
mileage significantly. For some, the only speed during the week will be a few strides. Others will be
able to do a short speed workout, making sure the effort is on the easier side. You want to set
yourself up to be able to follow the training plan again about 1 week to 10 days after the half
marathon. If you go too hard right after the race you'll drag out the recovery and have subpar runs,
so it's better to play it smart and make sure you're fully recovered before picking back up on the
training plan.

PRO TIP - Coach Sandi consistently reminds her

athletes, "there's always something good to focus on."

© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 3) RACING A 50K BEFORE A 50 MILER OR 100K
We'll preface this by stating that your body will be recovering from a 50k long after your muscles
are no longer sore. Some research on marathons indicates that biomarkers of muscle damage and
muscle repair can last up to 4 weeks post-race. We typically recommend that the 50k is at least 6-8
weeks out from your goal race. That way you can properly recover from the 50k, get in a few more
weeks of good training, and then taper for your goal race.

With that said, you'll want to taper for one week to 2 weeks depending on your personal wants and
needs. If you choose the two-week taper, in the first week of the taper you can still stick with
whatever week you're on in the training plan and there should only be a slight reduction in mileage
and intensity. During the week leading up to the race, you can test out the taper week on week 16 of
the training plan. If you wish, you may slightly increase the mileage of the taper since the 50k is not
your goal race.

Following the race, most people will need to take a couple of days to a full week off from running.
While this is highly individual, something that applies to everyone is that you should not be running
in pain or on very sore muscles. Make sure you can move well and pain-free, then test out a run.
Running with a limp, tense from pain, or with bad form because your muscles are exhausted never
leads to anything good. However, cycling, rollerblading, swimming, etc. are great ways to let your
muscles heal while still working on your aerobic system. Take recovery seriously now and you'll be
able to resume normal training sooner. Looking at two weeks post 50k, just about everyone will still
need to take the majority of runs easy. Experienced athletes may get close to resuming normal
mileage, but should not resume normal intensity. They can do a light fartlek or shorten up one of the
speed workouts on the plan and do that, ensuring the effort is on the easier side. Others will still
need to keep most runs short and easy, although doing strides 2-3x (spread out) this week will be a
great to get in a little speed without actually doing a speed workout. Three weeks post 50k,
everyone should be able to resume where they're supposed to be on the training plan but should be
cautious and ready to make adjustments based on they're feeling. (It's better to cut out some miles
here than to risk being tired for your goal race.) In other words, if the 50k fell at the end of week 9
of the training plan, you can start week 12.

PRO TIP - Focus on what's in you control and make the

best with the rest.

© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 REST DAYS,
CROSS-TRAINING,&
RACE DAY PLANNING
REST DAYS:
Take your rest days seriously! Rest days should be all about recovery so you can fully benefit from
your training. Rest days can be also used to do some extra foam rolling, stretching, and
mobility work. These can also be easy cross-training days with non-impact, aerobic exercises like
riding a bike or swimming.
CROSS TRAINING
We do not include any cross-training in the plans. However, we realize that some people find cross-
training incredibly helpful and it can help to prevent injuries. You can replace 1-2 runs not in bold (no
key workouts or long runs) with cross-training. Easy days (the days after key workouts) are often good
days to cross-train, just remember to keep the effort easy. For those of you who are not injury prone
and are looking to compete at a high level, please think carefully about what is best for reaching your
goals before choosing to include cross-training days.
If you need ideas for cross-training, check out our FREE Cycling Cross Training Plan.

RACE DAY PLANNING

Take the time to plan out a pacing and nutrition strategy. Don’t sabotage all of your hard work by
failing to make a race day plan. If you get caught up in the excitement of the starting line of a marathon
and run the first few miles too hard, you may never be able to recover, hit the wall early (and hard),
and fail to run the race to your potential. Set realistic goals based off of your training and then make a
plan accordingly. Along the same lines, we’ve seen many intelligent people suddenly forget how well
their normal long-run nutrition strategy worked on race day and suddenly try to take in way more
calories than their stomach can handle or they start popping salt tabs like candy. The best training
plan in the world won’t help you if you’re throwing up on the side of a trail. Also, plan what you want to
eat for dinner before the race as well as breakfast the day of the race. Often an early dinner and then
breakfast at least 2.5-3 hours before the race start can work well. Lastly, if you’re into carbo-loading, a
good way to top off your carb stores is by eating a snack of healthy carbohydrates after a run, not by
overeating on a ton of pasta the week of the race. The key is not to do anything extreme or something
that is not normal for your body. Again, take the time to plan ahead and test things out well before the
race!

RACE DAY & LONG RUN FUELING:

Fueling can be highly individual, but here are some general guidelines based on current research. For a
race of 1-2.5 hours, try consuming around 30-60g of carbs/hour. For races over 2.5 hours, you can
consume around 60-90g of carbs/hour. Some runners may even be able to go as high as 120g/hour.
However, even 60-90g/hour requires practice during most long runs to ensure your gut can handle that
during a race. It’s important to stay flexible and adjust your intake if your stomach starts to feel off. For
fluids, aim for 12-24oz/hr, maybe more during hot conditions. Your body can not absorb more than
~34oz/hour. For sodium, on average most people will need between ~300-600mg of sodium/hour,
though some will need less and others closer to 1000+mg/hour.

PRO TIP - The next time you’re uncertain about what’s best for your body, try
asking yourself this: “Being 100% honest with myself, what do I need to do today
to run fast and strong when it counts?” or if you have nagging pain: “Being 100%
honest with myself, will I do more harm than good if I run today?”.
© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
 RACE DAY PLANNING
WORKSHEET

PRE-RACE DINNER
The time of my dinner will be:_________________________________

I plan to eat:__________________________________________

PRE-RACE BREAKFAST
The time of breakfast will be:______________________________

I plan to eat:__________________________________________

RACE FUELING
Practice your exact race day fueling plan (see Race Day & Long Run Fueling above) on the majority of long runs, especially as you get
closer to race day to minimize gut issues and understand what works best for you. It is extremely important to know how much you need
to take in to run your best and stay healthy while considering race conditions and staying flexible.
The gels/foods I plan to eat are ______ g of carbs per serving and contain _____mg of sodium per serving. My drink mix
contains ______ g of carb per serving and ______ mg of sodium per serving. I plan to take ______ g of carbs per hour OR every
______ miles. I plan to drink ______ oz of fluids per hour, making sure I take in ______mg of sodium/electrolytes per hour as I
drink.

Other electrolytes and nutritional info: _____________________________________________________________________

If filling in the blanks doesn’t already make your plan clear, simplify it now. For instance, “I’m going to take a gel every _____
minutes and drink ______every hour.”

If you’re using aid stations at races, look up what products the race will be using so you can practice with them.

Write three thoughts or mindset strategies you can use during the race:
(Example: 1)Visualize yourself running strong 2)Focus on relaxed breathing 3) I am strong, fast, and smooth.

1)______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2)______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3)______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

PART THREE

© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

USING THE TRAINING PLAN

HOW TO TRULY GET THE MOST FROM YOUR HIGHER

RUNNING TRAINING PLAN:

1) Get enough sleep. We cannot stress enough how important this is. Sleep is the time your body
recovers so you can actually get stronger and faster from all of your hard work. Yes, it’s still
possible to see some improvements while not getting enough sleep, but we can guarantee you
that you will not be getting the full benefits. Scientific research has shown over and over again
that proper sleep is vital to reaching athletic potential, so don’t sell yourself short. As an added
bonus you’ll be in a better mood throughout the day and be able to think better, which means
you can get tasks done faster. Who wouldn’t want that?

2) Eat healthily, stay hydrated, and plan a recovery snack or meal with carbohydrates and
protein after runs. ​If you want to run well now and years from now, fueling correctly is a must.
Eat nutrient-dense foods until fully satisfied.

3) We’re going to drill this into your head: Listen to your body! If you know you need another
easy run but there’s a key workout planned, don’t force yourself to do it just because it’s on the
schedule. Instead of getting faster and stronger, you'll be further breaking down your body. A
simple way to know how well you’re recovering from key runs is to check your resting heart rate
before you even get out of bed every morning. Get an idea of your resting heart rate before you
start the plan. The day after a long run or challenging run, your resting heart rate may be higher
than normal. You’ll know you’re recovered when you wake up and your resting heart rate is back
to normal. If this isn't something you want to try, you can probably feel if you're recovered or
not when you're being 100% honest with yourself about how you're feeling.

PRO TIP - Every single run, take a few minutes to check in with
your body. Are you running a little too fast on your recovery run
and delaying your body getting stronger from your last workout?
Can you really count that run up a mountain as your recovery run?
© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
 HOW TO MAKE THE TRAINING WORK FOR YOUR PERSONAL
SCHEDULE?
People have certain days they like to do long runs or take rest days, your kid’s practice schedules
constantly change, things come up, etc. We get it. Change the training plan to work for you and
your life. You want to take 1-3 easy-moderate days between key workouts (runs in bold),
preferably 2-3 days unless the training plan shows otherwise. Most people see larger benefits
when taking 2-3 easy-moderate days between key runs.

If you have more time on certain days, you could cut out 1-2 miles from a run on a day you're busy
and add it to another run on a day you have more time. Feel free to change things to work for you,
just make sure you are truly doing what is best for you as well as your body. Most long runs and
longer workouts are scheduled around weekends, however, if you work more on weekends, you can
always shift them around so that they fall on your days off from work.

Additionally, you should always be rotating through workouts. That means if you change a long run
to a Wednesday, you don't want to change things around in a way that would put another long run
in a few days. Those kinds of changes can increase your injury risk or be unproductive to your
running goals. While you shouldn't skip miles or runs a lot, every now and then it's a much better
option than stressing yourself out trying to squeeze everything in during a busy week.

Most importantly, enjoy your training and the entire journey!

That’s what will make running part of your life for years to come.
Your power is always now, not weeks or months down the road.
Only focusing on a race outcome will likely lead to mental
burnout. Make sure you choose to act and think in a way that
supports you and the life you want. Even though there will
probably be a couple of runs that don’t feel great, you should
truly enjoy most of your runs. We wholeheartedly believe that
having fun with running makes people better runners!

PRO TIP - Running should bring you joy. It is that

simple!
© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
 POST RACE ADVICE

SHOULD YOU RUN?

Again, we have to say that there is no one size fits all answer to this, especially since it will largely
depend on experience level and the race distance. However, we can give you some advice to help
you determine what is right for you.

If there's any pain or a lot of soreness, don't run. These things can cause you to form unwanted
movement patterns and lead to injuries. If you're sore from running then give your damaged and
exhausted running muscles a well-deserved break. Yes, a little active recovery can help, but an easy
walk, bike ride, etc., are all much better options than a run. You can move while giving your legs
some much needed rest.

If you no longer feel sore 3-4 days after your race, that does NOT mean you are fully recovered.
Recovery happens long after the soreness goes away, so please don't try to resume training as
normal. It very rarely ends well. (Yes, we know you!)

If there's no soreness and very little fatigue, running easily should be okay. Just make sure you're
truly taking it easy so you can recover from the race. This is especially true if you're using a shorter
race, let's say a 5k or 10k, in preparation for a half marathon. To get the full benefits of the 5k or
10k, taking a few days easy is of utmost importance.

If you’re feeling good and not sore, in the first few days after the race we'd still recommend
considering why you’re running and if it’s going help you more than giving yourself a mental and
physical break. With that said, we're big believers in active recovery and making sure people are
moving well, with good mobility and movement patterns, before running again. A lot of people
who’ve gotten injured after races got the injury from picking up bad form habits during or right
after a race and/or from not recovering enough. One thing we've noticed with some athletes is that
their cadence running easy is slower after races, which is something to look out for. Walking,
rollerblading, swimming, paddle boarding, or any low-impact activity like that can be great. It will
help with recovery while still giving your body a break from running, a higher-impact activity. When
the soreness goes away after a race, we also recommend working on mobility, activation exercises,
and form drills to ensure you resume training on the right foot.

PRO TIP - Running should bring you joy. It is that

simple!
© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
PART FOUR

© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 THE HIGHER RUNNING
PRE-RUN WARM-UP

USE THE LINK BELOW TO VIEW THE PRE-RUN WARM-UP:

HTTPS://VIMEO.COM/VO2MAXPRODUCTIONS/HIGHERRUNNINGWARMUP

WHY DO A PRE-RUN WARM-UP?

A pre-run warm-up can increase your range of movement, allowing for better movement as you run.
Activation exercises will help get your muscles firing, which will support good running form.
Additionally, it will increase blood flow to your muscles, preparing them for the run. All these things can
also reduce your risk of injury. Make sure you're moving well, then start running.

DON'T WANT TO WATCH A VIDEO EVERY TIME? PRINT OUT THE NEXT PAGE!

© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

THE HIGHER RUNNING
PRE-RUN WARM-UP

TO START:
If anything is tight take 1-2 minutes to...
Foam roll
Use a massage gun
Do active release with a lacrosse ball or tennis ball

MOBILITY:
Side-lying thoracic rotations (3-5 reps)
90/90 hip stretch (3-5 reps)
3-way hip flexor dynamic stretch (8-10 reps)
Optional: Banded ankle distraction (10-20 reps)
Optional: Heel-to-toe rockers (5 reps)

ACTIVATION:
Standing clams with band (8-12 reps)
Diagonal kickbacks with band (8-12 reps)
Single-leg deadlift with band (8-12 reps)
Optional: Clams (8-12 reps)
Optional: Side-lying leg lifts (8-12 reps)

© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 STRENGTH TRAINING
GUIDE

BEFORE WE GET STARTED:

The Higher Running Core Strength Routine is designed specifically for runners. It targets areas
runners need to keep strong to support good running form and help prevent injuries. Use this plan
regularly and you’ll become a more efficient runner and you may even notice your body feels
stronger in the latter stages of a race.

WHEN SHOULD YOU DO THE CORE STRENGTH ROUTINE?

Strength training the day before a key workout may negatively impact the quality of the workout.
However, easier core work may be okay if your body is used to it. With that in mind, if your core
workouts feel very challenging, try to do it the same day as your key runs (i.e. speed workouts) to
keep your hard days hard and your easy days easy. Otherwise, you can do them as you see fit as
long as you feel recovered and ready to run the next day. (If this was a heavy-lifting or plyometric
program, our answer would be very different.) As you begin doing the core strength exercises, do
enough that you’re feeling the exercises working the targeted areas, but avoid doing so much that
your muscles will be sore the next few days. Strength training should always benefit your running,
never take away from it. Aim to do the core strength routine 2-3 times per week, spread out
between easy days.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:
Focus on engaging the muscles you want to be working on. If you’re simply “going through the
motions” you’re wasting your time. Build the program into your routine so it becomes an
enjoyable habit. Listen to music or a podcast, have your favorite TV show on, get someone
else to do it with you, use the time to mentally check in with your body, etc.
Good form is key to promoting good movement patterns! If you’re not sure about your form,
film yourself or have someone watch you doing the exercises.
If you seem to only get injured on one side and/or you find that you struggle with the
exercises more on one side, you may have just found another piece to the injury (prevention)
puzzle! When needed, it's okay to do more reps or sets on one side to become more balanced.
If you're short on time, 5 minutes is always better than nothing!

EQUIPMENT NEEDED
-Resistance Bands
-Dumbbells or kettlebells

© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 THE HIGHER
RUNNING CORE
STRENGTH ROUTINE

USE THE LINK BELOW TO VIEW THE CORE STRENGTH WORKOUT:

HTTPS://VIMEO.COM/VO2MAXPRODUCTIONS/HIGHERRUNNINGCOREWORKOUT

DON'T WANT TO WATCH A VIDEO EVERY TIME? PRINT OUT THE NEXT PAGE!

© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 THE HIGHER
RUNNING CORE
STRENGTH ROUTINE
Pick anywhere from 3 to 6 exercises and then do 2-3 sets, rotating through each of the chosen
exercises. Most of these exercises should be done for 8-15 reps. If this feels too easy, a stronger
resistance band should be added or you need to increase the weight of your dumbbells or
kettlebells. You can focus on the exercises that you feel will benefit you the most or that you
have the most room to improve on. Harder is not always better. The focus should ALWAYS be on
engaging the right muscles and good form. Enjoy moving your body and getting stronger!

Do a quick warm-up using the pre-run warm-up routine. You can cool down with a hip flexor
stretch or any other stretches that focus on areas you tend to be tight in.

THE EXERCISES:
Kickstand Romanian Deadlift
Step-Ups
Lunge
Split Squat
Glute Bridge
Glute Med Side Bridge
Side-Lying Leg Raise
Clams
Rollouts
Ab & Hip Flexor Pulls
Kickstand Squats

© HIGHER RUNNING, LLC 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.