The Coach (or Coach-ess???)

Over the past three weeks, Michael has been diligently training since he started running again. When he decided to get back into the sport (and to pursue it seriously this time!), we knew he had to get some help. He didn't have to look far at all! My sister Noelle was more than happy to help him get back into running, train steadily and safely, and eventually, reach his goal of being a long-distance runner.

You see, my sister is actually an expert on the subject matter. She's more populalry known in the running scene as Kikay Runner, and rightfully so! She's a naturally talented athlete, having also been into the whole triathlon scene since 2010, and at the same time, she's someone who can sweat it out in all these physical activities and still look great. She's also got a big heart and never hesitates to offer her time and efforts to help people--hence, the commitment to coach Michael personally no matter the time and effort she'd have to put into it.

I'm not just saying this because she's my sister and I love her. It's the absolute truth, and if you want to see for yourself, visit KikayRunner.com.

Noelle designed Michael's training program based on his athletic background to make sure that he challenged himself enough, but kept within safety boundaries so as not to injure himself. He and I already have experience running several 5k races and actually did our first 10k run last year. He's also into weight training at the gym.

So, if you're curious as to exactly what my husband has been doing to improve his running game, here's Michael's 4-Week Running Program in a nutshell:

• Training Day 1: Diagnostic 30-minute run to measure how far he could run comfortably in 30 minutes to determine stamina
• Training Day 2: Sprint intervals (10 minutes of intervals consisting of 2 minutes sprint and 2 minutes walk) to improve speed
• Training Day 3: 8-kilometer long run to build aerobic capacity and increase tolerance for mileage
• Training Day 4: Diagnostic 10-kilometer run to determine baseline for 10-kilometer time
• Training Day 5: Sprint intervals (10 minutes of intervals consisting of 2 minutes sprint and 2 minutes walk) to improve speed
• Training Day 6: Diagnostic 30-minute run to determine improvement in speed over 30 minutes
• Training Day 7: 11-kilometer long run to build aerobic capacity and increase tolerance for mileage
• Training Day 8 & 9: Comfortable 5-kilometer jog to maintain running fitness while tapering for goal race
• Race Day: 12-kilometer race

I've personally seen how much Michael has improved though he is only on his second week. Makes me all the more excited to get back into running myself, all the more because I, too, will have my own personal running coach in Kikay Runner!