Last year after bouncing from almost race less 2020 I decided to take the time opportunity and tried the Half Marathon plan from the NRC (Nike Running Club) app. I have used the NRC app in the past for individual runs. The app provides the runners with tailored timed runs in which a coach or running voice partner will provide stories, information, tips, ideas, or word of encouragement. In addition to those single runs, they added a more formalized training plan. They added 5k, 10k, and half marathon plan options with different alternatives for workouts. After completing one of those plans, here are my impressions of the Half Marathon plan.

NRC apps impressions in general: Very simple setup, basically pick the program you want to pursue and start. The way it is set up is a weekly set of 5 runs. You determine the shcedule by selecting from those runs/workouts. You could choose to skip a run or two but here are some restrictions or guidance. You must complete the long run and one of the main workouts/speed runs as part of the minimum three weekly runs. The more completed weekly workouts the higher the chances and confidence that you gain to know that will be able to complete and meet your Half Marathon Goals. Although initially the app lets you believe that the two coaches are going to be Chris Bennett and Shalane Flanagan. In reality, Chris is the main coach for most of the runs with the addition on a weekly basis of other coaches and runners that will pop in every week to help you achieve your goals. This keeps the listening experience very fresh week over week.

Once you start using the app for your runs you can select to run without music, use the proposed music from NRC using Spotify or you can select your own library as the voice-over will pop from time to time to help you stay on target during the workouts. This really was a good thing especially for the longer runs as you are not going to have the coaches speaking all the time, letting you think out the tidbits of information, ideas, and questions that they from time to time will provide to get you to think about your goals and approach to training.

The 1st weekly run is an easy mile pace/effort (Recovery run), where they will go over the purpose and workouts of the week. They will give you a quick intro and which coaches are going to join that week’s plan. That initial run count as one of the recovery runs for the week. It is a very short one compared to the other ones. Since I normally run longer distances than that, I ended up running the recoveries runs back to back. Or sometimes running a speedwork session followed by the short recovery run. 

The speed runs were fun to do, they will give you a summary of what is going to happen, explain the benefits or purpose of the run, and take you over each one of the segments, intervals, and stages of the run. Even for similar runs, you will find yourself listening to something new and/or entertaining, keeping the runs very fresh.

You basically start from week 14 down to race week. Most of the recovery and speed runs are timed runs. But the long runs are GPS/distance runs. Treadmill runs are not counted as part of the plan. One of my favorite runs was the race rehearsal run which was a 13.1k run, we treated each kilometer as if it was a mile. Going over the plan of attack and what possibly be happening at this point in time of the event.

Another favorite run was the long run with Eliud Kipchoge. In this run, you can listen and learn about Eliud’s story and running philosophy. Very insightful and inspiring and definitely made the time go by fast. Maybe not as fast as he runs, but at least that long run felt effortless.

The bottom line: For me, the app is great. The different coaches kept the runs fresh and entertaining. Although not all the runs were fun, most of them offered some good entertaining and/or nugget of useful information. I will definitely recommend others to use the app. Most of the runs could be used at any given time, so you do not have to be in a plan to take advantage of the coaching or the runs.

The app also has plenty of other types of runs and running workouts for every type of runner. For those running longer they can use back-to-back runs and keep it going to meet the desired distance or time.