Free ODDyssey Half Marathon training team starts Feb. 21

Are you running in either the Broad Street Run in May or the ODDyssey Half Marathon in June, or maybe if you are a diehard runner, both? While the warmer months seem still so far away, you know you need to start training now if you want strong times across those finish lines. Join the ODDyssey Half Marathon training team for free and push yourself to run faster and further than you ever thought you could. The team will start out training for the Broad Street Run (10 miles) and then push themselves another three miles further to make it through the ODDyssey Half Marathon a few weeks later.

"I originally started the training program for the Broad Street Run. I was in a hiking club at the time, but I was feeling out of shape and wanted to get healthier, so I proposed to other members of the club that we all train to run the Broad Street Run to shake off the winter rust.," said Carl Ewald, executive director of the ODDyssey Half Marathon.

He found that by harnessing peer pressure for fitness he saw better results. "Without peer pressure I wasn't running," he explained.

"The training program for the Broad Street Run was so much fun that we started to look for a half marathon to run afterwards, but couldn't find one so that is why we created our own. The training program is now in its 9th year and the ODDyssey Half Marathon in its 6th."

The training program will consist of Saturday runs as well as suggestions for 3-4 workouts during the week that you can do on your own or you can use the Facebook group to coordinate a group among yourselves.

"We will also be partnering with other local running groups to train together and to help support their runs as well," Ewald added.

The team will meet every Saturday at 10 a.m. for a long run. Locations of the Saturday runs (Center City and local parks) will change each week. A weekly email will be sent out providing everybody the details.

On the first Saturday, February 21 everyone will start with a 3 mile time trial, and then each week after they will build on that. "Depending on the level of their abilities, each person will have a different training program," he said.

"Miletopia is providing the online training program for free. Everyone's plan is a little different depending on your fitness level and goals. Throughout your training, you can keep updating your data into Miletopia and your training plan will automatically adjust to keep you on track but not overwhelmed."

The benefit of this weekly workout plan is that it doesn't tell you on Tuesday that you have to do this specific workout. That way if you have to work late or have other obligations, you won't fall behind by missing a particular day, making training easier to fit into your busy schedule.

"The workouts will include a tempo run where you go at a certain recommended pace for usually 45 minutes and some sort of interval training run where you run faster than you are normally comfortable with and then have short period of recovery," said Ewald.

"The great thing about these workouts is that they can be done on a track or on the city streets. In the city, some like run to a light really fast and then jog the next stretch. There are different ways to structure it."

The routine also usually includes cross training and once a month a 3 mile time trial so you can track your progress.

According to Ewald, new this year they are also opening the training program to those not registered for either run. "It is a good way to meet other runners and help support the sport of running. It also makes it more fun," he said.

Fun is as big a part of the training program as all the hard work. Last year once every 3 weeks they all went to brunch after a Saturday run and they had group parties after the Broad Street Run and the ODDyssey Half Marathon and similar plans are in the works for this year.

For more details and to register for the training program, visit here.