Getting Started

Great News! As a beginner (or someone coming back to running) you can do just about anything and you will become a better runner. When we are unfit, anything can help. I’ve been there myself and I have paid for a lot of programs and equipment that I never used. If you are looking for the perfect plan… you may just be looking for the perfect excuse to procrastinate.

You are responsible for your choices. Colorado Track Club and anyone who posts on this sight - is NOT responsible for your well-being, your health, or your personal decisions when it comes to exercise. Speak with your doctor to help you make informed decisions about your fitness plans - make sure he / she knows all the activities you are doing. Follow any of our advice at your own risk.

I recommend these books to help you on your journey: Finding Ultra (Roll), Running With the Kenyans (Finn), and Born to Run (McDougall). I have about 125 books on my reading list - these are not the “best” or revolutionary. They contain enough information to help you learn. If you prefer books that highlight women specifically - I would read, On the Wings of Mercury (Moller), Amazing Racers (Bloom), and Olympic Collision (Keiderling).

  • Note: Please do NOT read one of the books on my list and then presume I advocate for everything in the book. I don’t advocate for high volume barefoot running, for example - but, I like Born to Run.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0ABOGyELN0 Watch this video 2 times and take several notes. Folks, discipline is how you manage your time and your life. If you think the video is just about bodybuilding - think again. He discusses his mindset and approach to everything, including weight training. I had a great coach as a kid, and he gave us this simple statement - “Winners win.” Within that statement is a stubborn attitude toward training that keeps pushing forward, endlessly and intelligently - throughout life.

CTCs KISS

Keep it Simple Sunshine. The more complicated you make it in the first five months the less likely you are to stick with it and excel.

If you are already basically fit (can run faster than 7:00 in a mile)… follow the steps below for 90 days and place a bit more emphasis on running. You should be able to start to implement one of our specific 5K / 10K training plans by month 4.

Summary of CTC Training Theory: Successful running is NOT nearly as hard as we have seemed to make it sound. For new folks, I want to build overall athleticism first… before we start specialized running workouts.

Start with these 10 pointers listed below - the pointers will help you explore our website and help you know our approach. If that doesn’t cut it, you are probably just looking to spend money more than you really want to get into a good fitness routine. We do have coaching services for sale in our store if you determine that is what you need.

1) Read about our “Big 5” (at the bottom of our previous page) and try to determine your starting point and realistic expectations: Talent / Body Type; Time; Effort; Physical Limitations / Durability; and Competitive Maturity.

2) Read our article on Safety Basics and get your pre-exercise physical exam completed BEFORE you follow any fitness program. Make sure understand what we write about in the article - nobody needs to die over a fitness goal. Apply the overarching safety principles to any exercise YOU decide YOU are going to do. YOU are responsible for YOU. Commit to taking personal responsibility - for EVERYTHING!

3) No excuses. If you want to be fit… do it. Make the time. Acknowledge that EVERYTHING that stops you is an excuse.

  • “My kids…”. Bull - take your kids to the park, run a few seconds, do some air squats, run a few seconds, do some push-ups, wrestle with your kids, play tag with your kids, do some more air squats, come home, and do 100 flutter kicks. Repeat the process tomorrow.

  • “My job is…”. Bull. Ride a bike or run to work. Run the stairs at work at lunch. Do you really not have time to do 10 push-ups at work? We have a history of brick masons making an Olympic team. Stop with the nonsense and excuses. Manage your money well and get another job that gets you out of a desk.

  • “My home responsibilities…”. Bull - pick up five books and do 25 air squats, do 20 half push-ups, do 100 flutter kicks, run to get your mail. Repeat tomorrow.

  • “I can’t afford a gym.” Bull - you don’t need one. Look at all the free training videos on our website. No excuses.

  • “I have this injury…”. Okay - make a decision based on your well-thought-through options. For me, I would rather be injured and fit, than live in fear of an injury and be unfit. I appreciate my injuries that I feel daily and I reflect that I am alive and able to feel the pain - rejoice! Obviously, if you have a condition that will likely kill you, use common sense.

  • As for the final excuse we demonstrate by our actions and not necessarily our words, “My Facebook / IG status and friends…”. Okay, you win - drool on social media and Netflix for five hours per day and solve the world’s problems from your couch. We’ll be over here bangin’ and clangin’ some weights and running five miles when you are ready to join us - and your friends will still be trying insult others’ political positions on FB when you get back:)

4) Allow time for gradual progression of intensity… but, get to work NOW!

  • Do NOT overwork any one muscle group for the first few months. Spread out your fitness choices and try to stay active and away from the refrigerator / junk food / sugars that keep drawing you back.

    • If you REALLY work hard physically, you will likely find the discipline to stay away from the excess calories as well.

  • Our website has about 100+ videos of exercises you can build your workout plan around - go back to the home page and look for any link that says “videos.”

  • For the first 3 months: Bike a little, walk a lot - maybe with a backpack and books. Jog. Swim. Lift weights. Do bodyweight exercises. Do the Drills from our website videos. Work MANY different muscle groups EASILY.

    • You are preparing ALL of your muscles for the harder work that you will be doing in a few months.

  • Spend 1.5 - 3 hours per day in EASY fitness activities - including walking and about 20 minutes of stretching (dynamic and static). Your body will adapt to the new expectations you place upon it. Try to get your heart rate up to about 140 BPMs if you are under 45 years-old - for at least 45 minutes straight during your daily activities… check with your doctor if unsure about the safety of your training heart rate. Your friends or family can join you for at least half of your work.

  • Do NOT go to the weight room and do 1 set of exercises every 4 minutes and talk to everyone about your “plans.”.

    • Lots of work, low weight, high reps, many exercises, learn about proper lifting form and how to use the equipment. We have weightlifting videos on our website - no excuses. TOTAL BODY WORK - keep the calories burning. LEARN during the first stage of our training programs.

    • You should have a nice, consistent sweat at the gym. Nothing devastating. Nothing too easy, either. Your goal should be to work hard enough today, and be able to come back tomorrow.

    • And yes… you will find 500,000 certified trainers who will tell you what you are doing is the wrong approach.

      • Remember my first paragraph on this page - we could have a beginner do just about anything, and he / she will get fitter and run faster. One of my goals for months 1-5 is to expose the beginner to several activities, so they can learn technique and learn how to make anything and any situation work for fitness. No excuses!

    • Just go burn a lot of calories for the first 150 days and build your entire body through many activities! You will become a better runner if you are a better athlete.

    • As you begin to build more lean muscle you will burn more calories throughout the day - it is a spiraling effect that leads to a gradual change in your body composition.

      • For example, I went from 174 pounds to 139 pounds in 18 months. My running volume was very low for the first 6 months (12-22 miles per week), and then I started building it up as the weight fell off. Biking and weight room activities were the primary exercises of choice during the first 6 months.

        • My cholesterol went from 210 to 155 during that period. Several other “health problems” resolved as well.

      • Within 16 months, I was able to safely hit 50-85 miles per week. I went from an 11:35 1.5 mile run on my military test, to 2 x 2 miles at 11:50, with a 2 minute rest - well over 40 years old. Because I stayed active in the weight room, my strength was solid.

      • These are definitely not world-class times, but I didn’t see a lot of other 40+ year old guys or gals hanging with me in races.

  • I teach new folks to approach the running portion of their day / fitness with a 1 day on… 1 day off… approach for the first month. If you are unfit, you might just go for a 10 minute jog and have to walk every 20 seconds. It’s okay - do what you can. If you are fit enough to run 3 miles - cool. Do it. Then keep going with other exercises to get your 1.5-3 hours of activity in all muscle groups, including walking.

  • Do I get a day off? Not unless walking is too difficult for you…. Lots of EASY activities every day. Variety will allow you to keep going physically.

    • Running is likely going to injure you first if you are unfit. Use all the other activities to make your body stronger BEFORE you try to copy other people’s running schedules. Work on our drills and core work videos. Develop your overall athleticism and develop your mobility and range of motion.

  • After 1 month, switch to 2 running days on… 1 day off… for the next 60 days. The first day is jogging as long of a distance as you are comfortable - 15 minutes, no problem. 1 hour - if it feels easy enough, no problem. The only requirement is that you can come back and exercise the next day. If you are overdoing it… stop, and do other exercises to build total body fitness and mobility.

    The second day of your 2 days on - go to a field or park. Run faster for 20-90 seconds, stop and do some drills or core work from our website videos for 45-120 seconds. Work on your technique. Again, you should be working all muscle groups to help prevent injury and to SLOWLY strengthen the body. 20-90 second faster runs… 45-120 seconds core work or drills.

    Try to do this for 45-60 minutes total time. If that is tolerable, bump it up to 75 or 90 minutes. Lots of activity - keep your heart rate around 140 beats per minute for most folks under 45 (not 100% accurate, but a ballpark estimate). If your HR spikes up on your faster runs for a few seconds, no problem. Please notice we have not eliminated the requirement of 1.5 - 3 hours of total fitness work each day. What I have described here is just your running portion of your day.

  • Day 3 is off from running, but keep up your 1.5 - 3 hours of other activities, including stretching.

5) Nutrition: Read Racing Weight (Fitzgerald). You do not need any other information - if you do, it is likely you looking for an excuse.

If your health allows, I prefer intermittent fasting for folks carrying too much weight. Eat your last food or non-water drink by 7:30PM. Don’t eat again until 8am.

  • Drink 1/2 - 1 gallon of water per day - evenly spread out.

  • Once you get used to it, add another hour to your fasting. Eventually get it up to 15-16 hours, 5 days per week. Lock your eating into an 8-hour window. If you MUST have a snack, eat some grapes, an apple, or some carrots during your day.

  • If you are used to drinking a soda, beer, or wine daily - fine. Time to earn it. 15 minutes of solid fitness work before you allow yourself that drink.

  • There are hundreds of apps and approaches for weight management. I prefer Fast Habit Intermittent Fasting App, and Noom. Bottom line - get results… starting in the next 12 hours. Get the book I listed above as well.

  • Once your weight and body fat are where they need to be (under 16% for men and 26% for women), you can then start eating more for performance - not fasting.

6) You are now on Month 3: Don’t increase your running miles very much until you get your weight under control.

  • Can you ride a bike / do a spin class? Add a 45-minute aggressive bike session, 3-5 days per week.

  • Build one of your bike days up to 75-150 minutes. If you get yourself up to a 150 minute, moderate bike workout each week you will drop weight quickly… assuming you are not cheating like crazy on your eating. There is no way your body can hold onto all that fat if you are following what I have outlined so far. It is NOT complicated for 99.5% of the people. And… it is amazing how many people think they are the 1 in 200 exception. Probably not. No excuses!

  • Many people I work with have dropped 20-23 pounds in the first 49 days (7 weeks). It actually is NOT that difficult if you are willing to work.

7) By Month 5 you should be ready to get your running up to 25 total miles per week (unless you are more than 25% body fat for men and 35% for women) consistently. Heavier folks keep on the total body activities and calorie burn until you get much of the excess fat off.

  • For everyone else: 2 weeks on for running around 25 miles per week… 1 week down to about 10 total miles (that is called unloading - it helps to prevent injury and keep you mentally sharp). Repeat. Continue with all of your drills, core work, weightlifting, stretching, and biking for 1.5-3 hours per day. You are now at the point where you can likely work on one of our specific running training plans.

  • Keep your mileage progressing slowly. Weekly increases in mileage may look like this (remember 2 weeks of higher mileage… 1 week of much lower mileage): 23, 23, 10, 25, 25, 10, 27, 25, 10, 29, 25, 10, 31, 25, 10, 33, 25, 10… If you work on all areas of fitness and strength you will eventually be a better runner and athlete.

    • When you are ready, we can really crank up your running-specific workouts and really crank up your mileage.

    • If you are consistently hitting 30-36 miles per week after 12 months, you are in a great position to run fast. Notice, it took us a long time, and a whole lot of 1.5 - 3 hour fitness days to get there.

  • There is a good chance that if you run too many slow miles, too early in your training, you will get stuck in the jogger’s shuffle. We teach all the extra work to build athleticism - making you a runner. The biking, weights, core, drills, stretching, and other work is going to help you as a runner.

8) Study the technique videos on our website and figure out how to make the work applicable to you. Find other fitness sources online and stay active. Keep your doctor updated on your fitness work and questions.

9) Refer back to #3.

10) We don’t really need 10 pointers. I told you it was pretty simple to get started, especially if you are unfit. Please consider making a donation or buying a t-shirt. Either / both options help to keep our professional runners focused on running at the Olympic level.

Thank you and good running!