LetsRun.com Summer Training Program
Are you ready to get in shape this summer? We hope so. Our summer training/base building plan is back and better than ever. Rather than charge you $150 for it, we are including it as part of our VIP Supporter’s Club membership.
LetsRun.com Co-founder Robert Johnson explains the LetsRun.com Summer Training Program.
Summer Training Program
Sign up today to get the following:
Detailed day-by-day 14-week training program.
We’ll provide you a plan that gradually builds up your mileage and intensity over the course of 12 weeks alternating higher and lower mileage weeks. The last two 2 weeks are lower so you can either refresh or end the program early if you need to start a HS or college season.
Pick your mileage plan
Our plans build to as little as 30 miles per week for beginners, but go up to as high as you need as we have designed them in 10 mile per week increments – 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, etc. We recommend peaking at no more than 10-15 miles per week more than what you did in your last base phase.
For example, the up to 30 mile-per-week plan features 5 days a week of running builds mileage as follows: 10, 14, 15, 18, 20, 23, 22, 25, 25, 28, 26, 30, 24, 24.
The up to 80 mpw plan features 6-7 days a week of running and builds mileage like this: 24, 32 (5 days), 42 (6 days), 52 (7 days), 41 (6 days, optional 7th day makes it 46), 59 (7 days), 46 (6 days, optional 7th day makes it 51), 66 (7 days), 58 (7 days, optional day off), 73 (7 days), 63 (7 days, optional day off), 80 (7 days), 50 (6 days, 57, if you don’t take a day off), 50 (6 days, 57, if you don’t take a day off).
Video instructions from the LetsRun.com coaching staff.
Each week we produce a video that explains the philosophy for that week’s training. We also have video explaining the key types of runs you do in the plan – easy days, high-end runs, crestload runs, etc.
More than just a training plan:
Unlimited email interaction with the LetsRun.com coaches.
Access your plan and track your progress using the Final Surge app.
Get access to our exclusive members-only training forum, where you can ask the coaches questions as well as get inspired and learn from your virtual teammates.
Get all of the regular LetsRun.com VIP Supporter’s Club benefits including access to all our paywalled VIP articles, a bonus weekly podcast, special forum features.
Coaching that pays for itself:
You get a free $30 t-shirt and save 20% on shoes through our partner, Pacers Running.
Rave Reviews from Last Year:
The program was great, I think it was insightful seeing what summer training should look like I’m the eyes of experienced coaches. It was nice to get something new in terms of training philosophy.
Normalising doubles, advice on how to do strides properly, the structure (up and down weeks), discussion over seasonality of training and no need to hammer when you are far away from your peak races.
I really enjoyed the weekly training/advice videos and progression in my High End days, I went from never really doing any tempos before to somehow being able to run some very quick and long buildup runs.
Very fun and enjoyable, taught me a lot on training and put me in very good shape and ready to run fast.
It was exactly what I needed—grow in consistency of mileage without being injured
I’m not sure exactly what it was, but this was the most consistent and structured running that I’ve ever done. The simple nature of the easy days, combined with the technical explanations of the workouts from Robert and John seems to be a great combination for me.
I liked the slow build throughout the summer and the concept of down weeks. It allows for the athlete to sneak into fitness rather than jump in with both feet. He was able to achieve a high level of fitness without him realizing it. In this day and age of instant gratification it is important for younger athletes to embrace the “slow roll” of aerobic fitness.
It was fantastic. Final surge was a great platform to deliver workouts, the videos were informative and helpful, and it was nice to have a structured program that I didn’t have to try to adapt out of a book, along with some feedback and check-ins.
I liked the structure of the program. I’m always harping on the fact that every run counts, whether it’s a shake out run or a harder effort. My son didn’t have to think much about what he was going to do as it was decided for him. All he had to do was run what was prescribed.
Fantastic community and resource to help me stop second-guessing my training and just commit to a plan for a 12 week period. It helped me create a big base of work with little to no stress as the sessions weren’t putting me in the red and I could do them on my own. In the 8 weeks since (hence writing this now), I’ve just done a ‘mini-season’ and know that I’m in great shape. I just ran 16:07 on a hilly 5k course and ran a 16:09 5k solo time trial. Both are 30 seconds quicker than comparable times I’d previously done.
The thing I liked the most was… hmmm well there’s three things. One thing I really liked were the weekly instruction videos. Explaining the purpose of the runs, how to do them properly, your own experiences and the physiology of training. It was all great information. The second thing I liked a lot was this idea of running by feel. It’s not a new idea to me, but I feel like the way you guys explained it expanded the way I think about it. It’s almost like a freeing feeling, where training is not set in stone by the workout itself. I see the runs more as a guide, I can run more or run less or with more effort or less effort, depending on how I feel. And the third thing I really liked was this feeling of training like the best. I feel like I’m being coached by the best of the best and that gives me confidence in myself.
I signed up for the original LetsRun training program when it was offered in the summer of 2001 to prepare for my freshman year of college. Little did I know it would be the first step towards years of coaching that ultimately shaped my running career. Coming out of high school I was 4:20/9:30 guy. Within three years I finished 4th at US Nationals in the 1500m (3:42, equivalent to a sub-4 minute mile), won the Ivy League Championships and the NCAA Northeast Regional, and earned All-American honors at NCAA’s in XC. Kellogg’s training gave me the confidence on the starting line that I was better prepared than all of my competitors. He can do the same for you.
Training Philosophy:
The summer is primarily about building your base. Most runners will benefit from progressing in their training and running 10 to 15 more miles per week than the year before. The key to our approach is building up in an intelligent fashion, alternating higher and lower weeks.
We don’t want you plodding around all summer long. Not only is it boring, it’s sub-optimal. We never forget your speed, having you do two light workouts per week, designed to build fitness by becoming progressively more taxing. We touch on a number of different paces all summer long, starting with strides before progressing to a variety of running speeds that are proven to optimize fitness.
Whether you are an experienced racer or a novice to the sport, we can help you this summer. While all our plans focus on building your base for the fall, our intermediate and advanced plans have you do some faster running, up to mile race pace. Our beginner’s training module builds up from about 10 miles to 30 miles per week.
Meet The Coaches:
John Kellogg
“JK” is the inspiration for LetsRun.com. When the Internet became mainstream, JK developed a cult following for being one of the loudest and most unapologetic voices in favor of ditching the low mileage/high intensity training that ruined American distance running in the 1990s and replacing it with the higher mileage/aerobically based training from the 1970s. Despite being able to only run 57.5 for a 400, John Kellogg managed to coach himself to a 9:26 2-mile in HS and a 2:32 marathon as an 18-year old. John logged over 70,000 miles during 28 years of running, with a highest week of 156 miles.
Robert Johnson
“Rojo” is one of the founders of LetsRun.com. He went from being the 4th man on his high school team to running 2:23 in the marathon, despite not running collegiately at Princeton. He once helped pace Catherine Ndereba to the women’s marathon WR. During his tenure as the men’s distance coach at Cornell, the Big Red won 13 Ivy League team titles in 10 years as he coached 75 All-Ivy performers (28 relay). He was named one of the “The 50 Most Influential People in Running” by Runner’s World in 2015.
Weldon Johnson
“Wejo” is one of the founders of LetsRun.com. He went from being the 2nd man on his high school team to 4th in the country as a professional runner making the USA Pan American team at 10,000m and the US Half Marathon Championship team. A 9:35 3200m runner in high school, he managed to run 28:06 for 10,000 as a pro (that’s 3×9:00 3200m, plus another lap). In the marathon, his accomplishments include pacing Paula Radcliffe to her first world record in the marathon and winning the Marine Corps Marathon. He’ll focus on the mental side of running and teach you why you should never have a bad workout.
Sample Training Week:
Get Signed Up:
Click here to join the program $99/year. Free LetsRun.com shirt included.
Questions? Email us at coaching@letsrun.com and we’ll answer your questions as soon as possible. Prefer the phone? Reach us at 1-844-LetsRun (1-844-538-7786).