Establish Fitness Level | Running | Coastal Challenge

Below are some guidelines to help you establish your fitness level for EnduranceOnline Training programs. Remember that these are general guidelines designed to help you determine the most efficient starting place for your training. You do not currently have to be proficient at every discipline to use these schedules.

If you fall in between skill levels, look at the sample schedules for both levels in question. Match yourself to a level in which the first week of training most closely fits, or is slightly less than what you are currently doing. It's also important to consider your time commitment to training for your race and your goals for the race. For example: if the first week of the beginner schedule seems very easy, then consider purchasing the next level. However, if the intermediate schedule seems a little too much of a time commitment and your goals are to have fun and finish the event, then choose the easier level.

Current training schedule

Beginner – You run 4-5 days per week. Your runs, hikes, and/or hike/runs last between :30 minutes and 2.5 hours—sometimes more. Some weeks are consistent, and some are not but you can generally go out on a weekend and hike and/or run 2-3 hours if you choose. You have been an endurance athlete and/or runner for at least a year. You may or may not have experience with multi-day run racing. You may or may not have run a marathon. Your main goals are to be able to complete the event and have fun. You realize that in order to complete you will have to hike/run a fair amount of your training in order to safely put in the appropriate training time for the event.

Intermediate – You run 4-6 days per week. Your runs last between :30 minutes and 3.5 hours—sometimes more. Some weeks are consistent, and some are not but you can generally go out on a weekend and hike/run 3-4 hours if you choose. You have been an endurance athlete and/or runner for over a year. You may or may not have experience with multi-day run racing but you have run a marathon and may or may not have done any ultra running events. Your main goals are to be able to complete the event, have fun, and take your training to the next level. You realize that in order to safely complete you will have to hike/run some of your training and the race.

Advanced – You train 5-7 days per week consistently. Your sessions vary in length but generally last between :30 minutes and 4.5 hours—sometimes more, sometimes less but you can generally go out on a weekend and run or hike/run 4-5 hours if you choose. Your training is consistent though you do miss workouts now and then. You have been a runner for over a couple years and have competed in one or several marathons and one or several ultra running events. You may or may not have experience with multi-day races but would like to take your training and racing to the next level. Your main goals are to be able to complete the event and challenge yourself.

Race history

Beginner – You may or may not have done a multi-day race. You have run a marathon or have run a distance close to the marathon in training.

Intermediate – You may or may not have done a multi-day race. You have run a marathon or more.

Advanced – You may or may not have done a multi-day race. You have run a few marathons and have participated in one or more ultra running events.

Note: There is no pre-requisite to having raced in a multi-day event before embarking on these training schedules.