I’m a classic Type A personality. What does that mean? It means that while I love the idea of being spontaneous, the reality is that I function best when I have structure and routine. I feel grounded when there’s a plan in place, and there’s nothing more satisfying than checking off each step as I go. Because of that, nearly every physical goal I’ve taken on over the years has come with a carefully mapped out training plan. Did I follow every plan perfectly? Of course not. But having a blueprint gave me direction, accountability, and a way to track my progress along the way.
Make Your Training Plan Enjoyable
I always preach when it comes to movement, make sure it’s enjoyable! Will it be uncomfortable at times? Absolutely. Are there certain aspects of your sport you may not like as much as others? Of course. But there are so many types of movement, cardio, and resistance training that you shouldn’t be stuck doing movements you dread.
Now, assuming the end goal is something that is of interest, incorporating enjoyable movement shouldn’t be too hard. If you’re still struggling, maybe you just need to listen to a banger playlist.
Know Your Scheduling Needs
One thing I’ve learned is this: you have to know what works best for your schedule. A top-tier personal trainer could design an incredible program that checks every scientific box and practically guarantees results. If it doesn’t fit your lifestyle, your energy, or your weekly rhythm, it’s useless. The best plan isn’t the fanciest or the most intense; it’s the one you can realistically and consistently stick to.
Honor Flexibility In The Training Plan
For example, this week my training plan called for a run on Tuesday. It sounds simple enough on paper. Except Tuesday morning arrived cold, rainy, and uninviting. I told myself I’d run after work, but deep down I knew that was unlikely.
Sure enough, 5 p.m. rolled around and going for a run was the last thing I wanted to do. Spoiler alert: I didn’t run. But that didn’t derail my entire week. Instead, I shifted things around. Tuesday’s run became Wednesday’s run, and Wednesday’s workout slid to Thursday. The goal stayed the same, the path just adapted. My motto for years has been “progress not perfection.” It’s about creating a plan that supports your life, and giving yourself enough flexibility to keep moving forward, even when the week doesn’t go exactly as expected.
Sample Training Plan
I am not exactly sure what I want my 2026 running goal to be yet. My current goal is to increase my running mileage for harder and longer runs in the future. So right now I am focusing primarily on:
Strength training to increase power and speed and prevent injury
Running to increase weekly mileage and improve endurance.
Since I’m balancing both strength training and running, I’ve structured my routine around three strength workouts and three run days each week. With only three days of heavy strength training, I focus on full-body sessions that target all the major muscle groups so I can maintain overall strength without neglecting anything.
For running, I follow a simple but effective routine. One long run to build endurance, one easy run to support recovery and maintain consistency, and one shorter but more challenging run. Usually the added challenge comes from hills, intervals or tempo work. This combination keeps me well-rounded, progressing, and able to show up strong in both areas.
For example, my weeks generally looks like this:
Monday – full body strength
Tuesday – short but hard run
Wednesday – full body strength
Thursday – rest
Friday – full body strength
Saturday – long run
Sunday – easy run
I make a point to stagger my strength and run days so I’m not overworking the same muscles back to back or burning myself out mentally. And I’m not going to lie—my run days are very intentionally placed throughout the week to help tire out my dog. He’s happy when he gets this amount of activity and I’m happy when he’s tired. So it’s a win win for both of us.
Have you started thinking about your 2026 goals? Summit has great trainers that can make a training plan that meets your specific needs! Now is a great time to reach out and get started!