Why I Tried Riley Pettijohn’s Training Plan
So I was scrolling the other day and saw Riley Pettijohn absolutely flying on the track. Dude’s fast as lightning! I’ve been stuck at the same speed for months, so I thought screw it – let’s copy his plan exactly and see what happens.
Getting My Butt Out The Door
First thing Monday morning, I dragged myself out at 6am. Riley’s plan starts with dynamic stretches – leg swings, high knees, all that stuff. I usually skip warmups, but this time I did every single rep. Felt weird spending 15 minutes just getting ready to run.
Then came the main workout: 6×400 meter sprints. Let me tell you, after rep number three my lungs were burning. I checked Riley’s notes – he takes 90 seconds rest between each. So I set my phone timer and collapsed on the grass between sprints. Sweat was dripping into my eyes by the last one.
Midweek Misery
Wednesday was “easy recovery run” according to the plan. Ran slow like it said but my legs felt like concrete. Thursday crushed me – hill repeats. Found the steepest hill in my neighborhood and charged up it 8 times. Halfway through I was seeing stars and cursing Riley’s name.
The Weekend Grind
Saturday called for a long run at “conversation pace.” Jogged 10 miles while talking to myself like a maniac to check if I could still speak. Passed some dude walking his dog who gave me strange looks.
Here’s what a typical week looked like:
- Monday: Sprint intervals till death
- Tuesday: Gym session – heavy squats included
- Wednesday: Slow death shuffle
- Thursday: Hill torture
- Friday: Actual rest day (thank god)
- Saturday: Long boring runs
- Sunday: More stretching
The Real Test
After four brutal weeks, I lined up for a local 5K race. Gun went off and I pushed like never before. When I crossed the finish line, I nearly puked but checked my time – shaved 28 seconds off my personal best! Couldn’t believe it.
What I Learned
Turns out there’s no magic trick – just hard work every damn day. Sticking to someone else’s plan forced me to do workouts I’d normally skip. My body adapted better than expected too. The hill sessions and squats made my legs way stronger, and all that slow running built crazy endurance.
Am I as fast as Riley Pettijohn now? Hell no. But I finally broke through that plateau. Gonna run this plan for another month and see how much faster I can get!
