Somewhere around 2014, I truly started running, also at that time using an app that incorporated paces in the training schedules. When Trenara was just starting out, I read an article about them in a local newspaper, and I thought, "Nice, but I already have an app."

In the meantime, I played around with the free version, and it looked promising. When my other app stopped working on January 1st, 2020, I had to find something else, and I ended up back at Trenara. To support my fellow locals, I quickly upgraded to the Peak Pro version, and I haven't regretted it for a second. This is truly the next best thing to having a personal coach. What these guys from Tongeren have created is incredible. I pay for Peak Pro with great pleasure.

The training schedules are challenging but remain realistic. Sometimes I curse Trenara, yet I don't get injured, which was different with other schedules in the past. Even the preparation for One More Loop with a 60 km schedule went smoothly. If you push too hard, Christophe reins you in. The slogan 'run smarter, aim higher' fits perfectly here.

The Pro version has several features that really make a difference. For example, you can specify the training conditions in advance for each session: what are the altitude differences, what surface are you training on, and at what altitude are you training. These are very important parameters that other apps completely overlook. Trenara adjusts your training accordingly.

You can also set interim goals. Are you training for a marathon but want to smash a quick 10km somewhere in between? No problem. You can also swap training days depending on your personal weekly schedule at the time. Yes, perhaps a minor downside here: suppose you plan 5 sessions in a week, then you indicate which day you want the most important one, which day the 2nd, and so on. As a novice, you don't know what type of training each is. For example, I like doing LSD on Sundays, but I don't know which number to assign to it.

Another nice feature is the race prognosis for other distances. Handy if, for example, you want to run a half marathon and want to check if the prognosis is credible. You already know your 10km time, so you can verify if it matches up. Or it immediately inspires you for the next goal.

Another fantastic feature: Trenara automatically adjusts your training based on the sessions you've completed in the previous days. Went too hard? Trenara makes your next session a bit shorter or slower. Ran too little? Trenara makes the next one a bit tougher. This way, the workload remains consistent, and you're not tempted to make up for a missed session. You can also delete a session. And the handy thing is that Trenara checks in advance if you can still achieve your goal. If Trenara indicates that your goal is no longer attainable, it's immediately an extra motivation to put on those running shoes, even if you had no desire to do so at all.

In short: Trenara is a complete package. It helps you go further, go harder, and yet stay injury-free.

It's just a shame that Polar doesn't cooperate like Garmin for transferring schedules. In Polar, you still have to manually schedule your sessions. I already know which brand my next sports watch will be. I might change watch brands, but never apps. Trenara for life!