Group Training Programs – 4 Ways Runners and Walkers Can Benefit
Joining a group training program for preparing you to run or walk a marathon, half marathon, or other-distance race requires more than paying your registration fee — if you want to get the most out of the program, that is. Here are four ways to do just that.
Attend the pre-season seminar for the group training program.
If you have never been a member of this particular group training program, then attending the pre-season seminar will let you talk to veteran members, will let you hear presentations from the organizer and head coaches, and will let you learn the philosophy and approach of the program in a way that you will not necessarily get by reading the program’s website.
If you are a returning member of your group program, then attending the pre-season seminar will let you catch up with returning and long-lost members, will refresh your understanding of the group’s approach, and will give you an opportunity to meet, inform, and possibly inspire prospective members — all of which may inspire you to register again and to pursue new running or walking goals!
Register early for the upcoming training season.
Registering early eases your program organizer’s job of getting a headcount for planning. Registering early removes the “psychic drain” of having to remember to register later. Of course, you could put a reminder on your calendar, but you also could miss that reminder. And registering early may make the difference in whether you have enough members for the group to form, especially when you are involved with less popular programs and in smaller cities.
Review all the hand-outs from your group training program for the upcoming season.
Your program’s organizer very likely does not stuff your registration goodie bag with lots of hand-outs. Instead, to avoid wasting paper and to avoid overloading you with information, he or she very likely will limit your hand-outs to ones that relate to your membership discounts and to things that you absolutely need to know as a new or returning member. So look at every start-of-season hand-out. Otherwise, you may miss important advice — such as where to park your car to avoid getting parking tickets — and valuable group-membership discounts.
Register to receive your group training program’s email messages.
Your program’s email messages can tell you about an upcoming workout’s change in distance from what was published weeks or months earlier. These messages can tell you about last-minutes changes in or corrections to routes. They can share inspiring stories from fellow members, as well as advice from coaches and the organizer. And they can remind you about the dates of upcoming races.
What do YOU do to get the most…? Please leave a comment here. Thanks!
