Flyers MTP: Worth Every Cent!

Dana M Reports on MTP

I've heard great things about the Flyers' Marathon Training Program (MTP) since it began last year, and it didn't seem like any coincidence that so many people I know who participated in the initial sessions suddenly got a lot faster and started hitting hefty PR's. I had already felt for some time that while I've continued to improve my marathon times on my own over the years, I had just about reached the limit of what I can achieve on my own. After seeing what the Marathon Training Program did for so many other people, when the program rolled around again this summer, signing up was a no-brainer.

The Summer/Fall 2012 MTP session offers twenty coached sessions and individual one-on-one coaching for $299. The coached sessions, led by Head Coach Todd W — and supported by Assistant Coaches Evelyn K, Kari S, Neal P, Rob B, Marianna B, and Joe Y — are divided by group, with pace targets and distance assigned for each group individually.

MTPers Charge Up Hill

The coaches made initial group assignments based on prior knowledge of the participants where applicable, along with information supplied in participant surveys conducted before the MTP began.  It's easy to move from one group to another in order to find the most appropriate fit for overall speed and fitness level.

And Jog Back Down for Next
Hill Repeat

The workouts include 600 to 800 meter intervals, 100 to 200 meter sprints, hill repeats, VO2 max and more. Workouts for the rest of the week set between each runner and his or her coach on an individual basis.

 

It's easy to see that the coaches keep closely in touch with each other so that they work together as a team.  Todd also makes a point to explain the objective of each workout and addresses questions and concerns with the group as a whole during each session.

Coach Todd Providing Pre-Workout Instructions

Workouts are scheduled every Wednesday evening, cancelled only by lightning, and there's a full calendar of coached long runs during the weekend throughout the summer and early fall training season.

While the Marathon Training Program sounded like a bargain from the beginning, it's easily exceeded all my expectations, and much of that is due to the really outstanding coaching advice and support from Coach Evelyn. From the beginning, Evelyn listened carefully to what I had to say about my goals and running history, and made a point of incorporating strength training (a priority for me) into my plan.

Coach Evelyn (right) at MTP Long-Run Advises Katie H

While I made it to the first workout, during which I was truly humbled by sprints of just 100 and 200 meters, my summer travel schedule resulted in missing the next three sessions. Evelyn worked closely with me while I was away to make sure that I had workouts that were appropriate for the available terrain (many hills) and my schedule, and I got through those three weeks without falling behind the rest of my group.

The best part about coming back to the workouts after being away was the opportunity to run with a big group of fellow Flyers who believe in working hard, having fun, and encouraging each other as much as possible. There's a huge difference between running speed workouts with a group and doing it alone, and I'd pick doing it with a group every time.  As the program progressed, I found that both my speed and endurance were increasing, and it was easy to see that most other participants were experiencing similar benefits.

MTPer Rachele A Strikes a Steel-Armed Pose 

Thanks to Evelyn's encouragement and persistence, I also started doing something that I really despise: regular stretching. To my surprise, although the changes are incremental (because it's hard to undo thirty years of running without stretching overnight), my flexibility has noticeably increased. More importantly, however, when I started experiencing increasingly severe pain that eventually impacted my ability to complete long runs, Evelyn talked me out of ignoring it and into scheduling an appointment with a sports medicine specialist.

The outcome of that appointment was that I was diagnosed with a moderately severe injury, so I'm benched from running for a minimum of four weeks and a fall marathon is off the calendar. As soon as I emailed the bad news to Evelyn, she jumped right in with questions and ideas about how I can cross-train to maintain my fitness level and still fit into my pants during the longest running hiatus I've had in at least fifteen years. While I'm a little anxious about what the next few weeks without running will bring, without Evelyn's encouragement and willingness to draw up a battle plan, I'd feel a lot more lost.

While a fall marathon isn't going to happen for me this time around, I still think the Marathon Training Program is worth every cent and then some.


MTPers Head Off on Long Training Run



Taking a Much Needed Water Break

I haven't heard yet whether there's a winter session on the calendar, but I hope there is: with Boston and New Jersey on the calendar for 2013, I'll be the first one to sign up and do it all over again.

-Dana M