Buzz
When I ran my first marathon, I received my training plan from a coach at a local running store. But when I was ready to take on a new challenge—most likely a half marathon the next year—a runner friend recommended the timeless online resource for training plans: halhigdon.com.
Higdon, a coach and writer, has been providing simple and clear training plans on his website for many years. By paying, you can receive email reminders and use online tools to track your progress. However, if you simply scroll down each plan's page, you can find all the necessary details, including a chart outlining your workouts with the corresponding mileage and purpose for each run.
I’m perfectly fine with printing out a chart and following it; after all, it’s clear that I’m a fan of traditional pencil-and-paper workout logs. However, a few months ago, Hal’s training plans—yes, even the free ones—became available through a convenient app called Run With Hal (free on iOS and Android).
As before, you’ll need a paid account ($6.99/month or $59.99/year) to track detailed statistics and access premium features. But even the free features here are top-notch. Just enter your race date, distance, target time, and preferred running days, and the app will organize your workouts.
Unlike some running apps that simply provide a set time or distance, these workouts come with brief readings explaining the purpose behind the session, plus helpful tips and encouragement on how to make the most of it. For example, when I set the app to train for a marathon, one of the first easy runs included a note suggesting I find a three-mile route and not focus on my pace, as the goal was to stay relaxed and avoid overthinking. Similarly, Saturday’s long run included a pep talk on the importance of pacing. This app truly feels designed to help you achieve the goals that matter most to you, unlike other apps that often lack advice and focus mainly on tracking.
You’re responsible for setting a suitable pace goal for your race, but each workout will recommend a specific pace. The app only shows you a week or two ahead because it adjusts based on your feedback after each run. However, the workouts seem to match the ones on the website, so you can review them to understand what you’re committing to.
If I were to prepare for another marathon, this would likely be the app I’d choose—and that’s a big endorsement from someone who usually avoids apps altogether.
