Earlier this summer, J&A Racing partnered with Runna to offer our race participants trial memberships to the Runna run coaching app. J&A Racing also asked a few staff members to give the app a try and share our thoughts. I gladly accepted and was excited to test it out.

Runna begins by asking a few questions about your training goals and what you hope to accomplish. Since I wasn’t currently training for a specific race, I selected the option for general running and fitness maintenance. The app then asked for my past race times and how many days per week I planned to run, and I chose four.

Runna created a 14-week plan for me that included two days of interval training, one easy run, and one long run each week.

I was excited to get started and immediately realized that Runna was no joke!

On day one, I found myself running half-mile intervals at a 6:55 pace in the July heat. I’ll admit, after that first workout I wondered if I had made a good choice, but I decided to stick with it.

I soon noticed that before every interval workout I felt a little intimidated, but I almost always hit my paces and felt a very proud sense of accomplishment afterward. It didn’t take long for me to realize that this structured plan was far more effective than simply running the same distance and pace every day.

Runna kept me motivated and consistent through the hottest months of summer, and I could feel myself getting stronger each week. I even lost a little weight along the way which was a welcome bonus.

Now I’m a true believer in run coaching. I’m excited to start a new plan with Runna, and I’m running faster than ever before. My next goal is to train for a race in late winter or early spring and I am confident that the training plan will help me to achieve (or get close to) a PR.

If you’re a runner who tends to stick to a similar pace and distance every day, I highly recommend giving Runna a try. The variety keeps training fresh, helps you build strength and speed, and makes running more rewarding. I truly enjoyed using Runna and I’m excited to continue training with it.