After running the Rotterdam marathon with a training plan that I had received from someone else, I was ready for something new. I wanted to set myself new goals. Maybe a fast half marathon or maybe a PR in the 5K.So I searched the internet for apps or websites that you could use for free, (being Dutch you know.Until my eye fell on the Trenara app. I immediately noticed a number of things that made me very happy with a running plan. One of those things is the fact that the paces you should run are given and not pace zones or heart rate zones. This allowed me to train in a much more targeted way than I was used to.

What I liked about the app was that I couldn’t set my 5K goal at a time I wanted. This piqued my interest. “Why can’t that be? What nonsense.” But gradually I realized that it was quite logical my goal was not possible. Actually, before using Trenara I was just doing something and I wasn’t making too much progress.

What I also like about the app is the fact that you get feedback after your sessions. Even when I was once again overconfident… It’s also nice to see that the training sessions are adjusted after you have done too much (or too little).

The first year I used the free version. I used a Polar watch, and they don’t allow Trenara to export the workouts to the devices.

Over time I found out that you could train even more precisely with a Garmin watch. The intervals were better displayed. I couldn’t set the range of 10 seconds on a Polar, so I made the choice to switch to a Garmin wearable.

From then on it became worth taking out a paid subscription: the training sessions were automatically synced to my watch and I could switch days if my original schedule didn’t work out.

The fun I had while running grew and thus I continued to make progress. In the meantime I have improved my PR on the half marathon, 10k and 5k. I was able to enjoy beautiful trail runs, being well prepared by Trenara’s training sessions. The fact that after my first goal I noticed progress, that I didn’t lose the fun of running, but that it only got buigger, has ensured that Trenara is a keeper for me.