THE RUN-DOWN: OCTOBER 2026 EDITION
THE WORK. THE WINS. THE WHY.
Your monthly push from inside The Run Plan.
Are You Running Your Easy Days Too Fast?
After nearly 20 years of coaching, one of the most common conversations I have with runners is about slowing down on their easy days.
You head out feeling good, pick up the pace, and finish faster than planned. Nothing wrong with feeling good, but doing this every day can leave you carrying fatigue into the workouts where you actually want to push.
With all the training data available on our wrists, it's easy to get caught up in the numbers and overlook how you actually feel.
My advice? Stick to the old-school talk test. Can you comfortably hold a conversation? If you're cutting your sentences short to catch your breath, back off a little.
Your easy pace will vary depending on the weather, the route, and how you're feeling that day. Let it.
Finish your easy run feeling like you could have done more. That's a great place to be when there's more training ahead.
The Run Plan App Is Here
I'm excited to finally share this with you. The Run Plan app is officially live in the App Store!
After nearly 20 years of coaching runners, from first-time 5K runners to Olympic medalists, I wanted to make my coaching approach available to more people. That's why we built The Run Plan.
Your training should change as you do.
The app takes my coaching experience and puts it to work for you, creating a training plan based on your fitness, goals, and schedule.
Here's how it works:
Personalized training: Start with a plan built around your current fitness and running goals.
Training that adapts: Complete your workouts and check in after each run. Your feedback helps shape what comes next.
Real coaching, powered by technology: The workouts and training principles come directly from my coaching experience. AI helps apply that approach to your individual training, not create your plan from scratch.
A big thank you to the runners who helped us test the app! Your honest feedback led to 236 updates and changes during testing.
I'm proud of where it landed, and I'm using it myself. Yes, coaches need coaching too!
Ready to give it a try? Start with a 7-day trial and see how it fits your training.
The 50th Cap10K
The Statesman Cap10K celebrates its 50th running on April 11, 2027. The Run Plan is the Official Coaching partner for the 50th Cap10K, and I'm excited to be part of it!!
If you've run it before, you know what makes it special. It's a big Austin tradition and the largest 10K race in Texas. This should be a fun and memorable year to be on that starting line. We're putting together training and resources specifically for the race, including a course preview and guidance on how to approach race day, all within The Run Plan coaching app. You can register at Cap10k.com. Cap10K participants who sign up through our partner page receive an extended 14-day trial, along with access to the race content.
I'd love to see some familiar faces out there!
Coaching Insights: Practice Your Fueling, Too
If you're preparing for a marathon, I want you thinking about fueling well before race week.
It's easy to focus on the miles and leave nutrition as an afterthought. But you can put months into training and still make race day much harder by starting underfueled or waiting too long to take something in.
Your long runs are the place to practice. Go in with a fueling plan, start early enough that you're not waiting until you feel drained, and pay attention to what your stomach tolerates. Be selective about what you're using, too. A 2024 study found that some energy gels contained significantly less carbohydrate than advertised. Do your homework on your fuel, and practice with it before race day.
You don't need to get everything right on the first attempt. You do want to reach race week knowing what works for you.
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