Base Building (May-Aug). The calendar year begins in January, but our BC Endurance program year begins in May. That’s when we begin building a mileage base for the marathon training that begins in mid-August. Base marathon training consists of your personal weekly mileage, starting May 1 and continuing into August. It doesn’t matter how you accrue your mileage, whether during our three weekly workouts or between our workouts.

We’re interested in the quality of those workouts (e.g., usually enjoyable; never burdensome). You’ll keep an innovative digital diary so you can track every workout you do, including your average weekly mileage. The program will offer mileage goals appropriate to your ability, whether runner, jogger, or walker. Achieving them, going beyond them, or falling short is completely up to you. Mileage totals serve as benchmarks of your current dedication to endurance sport and your personal health and fitness. This time you’ll do better, right?

Marathon Training (Aug-Dec). Whatever your base entering the marathon training in August, the workout schedule is aimed at building upon it. Instead of mileage, however, we challenge you to do all the workouts fully, which establishes another base.

The marathon base consists of time on the road. Everyone in the training aims to accomplish the same workout duration schedule. Where summer workouts build a base of mostly stamina, marathon program workouts are designed to build a full complement of race abilities, including stamina, power, tempo, speed, and endurance. Endurance workouts grow from two hours to three, and then four hours. These workouts are long enough to build your endurance, the ability to sustain uncomfortable race exertion during a marathon.

Sharpening (Jan-Apr). Next, beginning in early January, we do something novel with our newfound marathon ability. We make the workouts shorter to give us more energy while we prepare for shorter races. The Hapalua Half Marathon in mid-April is our longest race, but there are five races in those 14 weeks. Each race will provide a unique experience: mega-race vs. club race, flat vs. hilly grades, urban vs. sub-urban courses.

Recovery (second half of April). All that racing can lead to injury, illness, or exhaustion. For recovery purposes, the program calendar includes two weeks of only easy workouts during the second half of April: three per week until May 1 when base building begins again.

Members meet in person for workouts three times a week. Brian Clarke facilitates a 30-minuute Zoom audio community affairs program (5:00 to 5:30 p.m. on the weeknights). The workout begins at 5:40 p.m. with 10 minutes of walking in one group, followed by 10 minutes of stretching, followed by the main workout activity until 7:30 p.m.

3 O‘ahu Locations

We conduct Monday and Wednesday evening workouts at three O’ahu locations: Central, Windward, and Honolulu.