Turkey Trot 8K Training

Our 8K Training Program focuses on beginners, but all levels of walkers and runners are welcome. This beginner 5K running and walking program is structured to help you cross the finish line of your first race in just 8 weeks! It can also help existing runners meet new performance goals. Along the way we’ll provide you with motivation to keep you moving, guidance and advice, weekly group training runs or walks, and educational clinics on topics such as proper nutrition, choosing the right gear, and avoiding injury. Plus, you’ll have the camaraderie of others just like you!

The Program meets twice a week during the training period, Tuesday evenings at 6:00 pm, Wednesday evenings at 6:00 pm, and Saturday mornings at 8:00am. The workouts will last about an hour to an hour and a half as we increase mileage throughout the season. This program will be geared towards completing the Charlotte Turkey Trot  on November 21st, 2024. We'll have an Open House at Fleet Feet Myers Park on Saturday, September 28th at 8 am, come meet your coaches, mentors, and learn more about the program!

Important Dates:

• Information Session: Training Program Open House - October 5th at 8 am at Fleet Feet Myers Park
• Season Starts: Tuesday, October 8th at 6:00 pm (Fort Mill) or Wednesday, October9th at 6:00 pm (Charlotte)
• Season Logistics:Tuesdays at 6:00 pm in Fort Mill, Wednesdays at 6:00 pm in Charlotte, and Saturday Mornings at 8 am alternating between the three Fleet Feet Locations.
• Goal Race: The Charlotte Turkey Trot on November 28th, 2024
• Cost: $125

More Program Information:

We find lots of great places to run and walk in our community - on bike paths, areas with sidewalks, All location information will be shared with you each week in our Program Newsletters.The workouts will last about an hour to an hour and a half as we increase mileage throughout the season.  In addition to the workouts there are educational clinics, motivational speakers, on-site physical therapists, nutrition tips from local nutritionists and expert coaching/mentoring to help inspire and motivate you on this training journey.

What to expect at our Workouts:

Each week will have a slightly different focus - breathing, form, nutrition, etc. Below is an example workout and how our weekly topics are discussed during the training:

• Welcome/Announcements
• Weekly Topic (Mini-Form Clinic, Nutrition Sampling, Product Demonstration, etc.)
• Find your pace groups
• Group Dynamic Warmup
• Prescribed route for the day - you'll have turn by turn directions if necessary and mentors leading your group
• Optional Cool down stretching with your group
• Sometimes we'll hold a clinic following the workout, if we don't do it before.

Run/Walk Interval Running:

There are many benefits to using a run/walk method in your training. We encourage beginning runners to start using a Run/Walk interval in our Beginner training programs - it's a great way to get started. But using a Run/Walk interval is not just for beginners - it’s an excellent tool to help you build endurance and help you cross the finish line of your next race. Some of the benefits include:

• Decreased chance of injury. The run-walk method causes less wear and tear on the body, decreasing the chance of injuries. Continuous use of muscle will result in fatigue much quicker. This method will allow a runner to go farther and/or longer before fatigue sets in.
• Quicker recovery. With less wear and tear on the body also come quicker recover after a run.
• Breaks up distances into manageable units. Running is as much mental as it is physical – especially when you get into the distance races. Using the run-walk intervals will help with those long distances. Running 3 miles just seems impossible. But breaking it down by running for a set number of minutes, it’s much more manageable.
• Motivating for new runners. This method allows just about anyone to run any race they want. It doesn’t matter your age, weight, gender, or physical ability. You can be a runner. As you start off slow, you can work your way up to running for a longer amount of time and having fewer walk breaks.