Open for business

It occurred to me that some folks who read this blog aren't connected to me on dailymile or Facebook or Twitter, so it's possible the news isn't out everywhere that I've started my own business. Peregrine Fitness will provide custom training plans and coaching for folks looking to run their first 5K or their 50th ultra or anything in between.

There are a lot of sources for running plans. Some excellent books give templates for all kinds of goals. Websites even give you this information for free. But these plans have issues. First, they tend to be generic. One of my friends on dailymile noted today, "Hal [Higdon] didn't specify what kind of run this was so I just went with how I felt." My plans won't leave you in the dark. You'll know exactly what distance to run, what pace to keep and how to run (tempo, fast finish, fartlek, etc.).

Second, books and websites can't talk back to you. They can't ask you what race you're training for, what kind of mileage base you're starting from, or even when you have time to run. If the plan says to run 15 miles on Saturday and 10 and Sunday but you're going out of town for a wedding, the book can't help you adjust. I can.

And third, other plans often leave out the very important element of strength training. It would be great to just go run, but for many people, muscle imbalances or range of motion limitations need to be rectified before the repetitive stress of running makes problems much worse. Since I am a certified personal trainer as well as a certified running coach (there aren't a whole lot of folks who are both), I can tell you specifically what exercises you need to be doing to stabilize and strengthen your musculature for running.

Now, for the really goal-minded, driven folks out there, I also offer coaching services. Beyond drawing up a training schedule, I'll review your workouts and update the plan as needed. You'll have access to me anytime you have a question regarding your training, race strategy, you name it. If you have big long-term goals, this is a good option for you.

So, check out the website, like Peregrine Fitness on Facebook, follow @PeregrineFit on Twitter, and tell your friends (I give referral bonuses). I don't care if you're fast or slow, experienced or not; if you want to run farther or faster or both, I can help.