Hello coaches and athletes! Welcome to 2021! We will gently begin training today, and take two weeks to get you up to a good level, then, help the athletes doing cross country and athletes doing 800m to 5000m outdoors.

We are in the pandemic winter, so note that we will keep the runs modest, and the easy days easy. Tough workouts can challenge the immune system. My suggestions are to do core work ( good beginning, push ups, sit ups, pull ups, light weights).

Hydrate. Walk each day. Take some time to read. Journal. Tell someone that you love them. Stay smart. Wear a mask, wash hands.

1939 marathon shoe, made by Adi Dassler, photo by adidas Communications

2021 RunBlogRun, week # 1, beginning the year’s training, Day 1…

Monday: light run, 30 minutes easy pace, stretch, 2 x 150 m stride-outs, light cooldown.

Tuesday: warm up (1 mile easy, stretech), Hill day #1 , 35 minutes run, includes 4 hills, 200m, go up hard, jog down, light cooldown.

Wednesday: light run, 30 minutes easy pace, stretch, 2 x 150 m stride-outs, light cooldown.

Thursday: warm up (1 mile easy, stretech), Hill day #2 , 35 minutes run, on trails, includes two long hills (3-5 minutes), cooldown.

Friday: light run, 30 minutes easy pace, stretch, 2 x 150 m stride-outs, light cooldown.

Saturday: warm up (1 mile easy, stretech), Hill day #3, hill Fartlek, 30 minutes, 3 times 5 minutes, 5 k pace, 5 minutes easy, cooldown.

Sunday: Long run, 50-55 minutes, at conversational pace.