Have you ever wanted to be coached by one of BYU’s expert runners? Well, now’s your chance.
BYU’s women’s cross-country coach Diljeet Taylor has teamed up with Nike to provide training plans to help runners prepare for the company’s After Dark Tour women’s race series, Nike announced Wednesday.
“Getting athletes to the starting line knowing that their coach believes in them is the best race day preparation,” Taylor said in a Nike press release. “I am so excited to be part of this journey where I have the opportunity to motivate and train an entire community of runners that maybe wouldn’t have sought out a goal like this, and I get to be someone who helps them set and chase that goal and cross the finish line. To me, that’s very humbling and fulfilling.”
Taylor, who is a member of Nike’s Athlete Think Tank, created two training plans “to build runners’ endurance and confidence.” Runners can choose from a six-week 10K plan or a 12-week half marathon plan on the Nike Run Club app.
Both plans feature recovery runs, speed runs and long distance runs and also incorporate rest days into the schedule. Runners should expect up to five runs per week over the course of both plans.
The six-week plan “is for anyone who runs” but will work “best if you are comfortable doing at least three runs per week,” according to the plan overview, while the 12-week plan is designed for runners wanting “to challenge themselves to reach new distances.”
Nike recommends runners participating in the 12-week plan “have developed a consistent running routine before joining the program.”
What is Nike’s After Dark Tour?
The After Dark Tour is a nighttime women’s running series that Nike hopes will foster “a sense of community, self-expression and belief that will leave athletes feeling seen, supported and motivated to take on their next challenge.”
“We’re creating a space where women runners feel welcome and empowered,” Seema Simmons, VP of Nike’s global women’s running and training, said in the press release. “The After Dark Tour is about more than crossing a finish line — it’s about joining a community that supports and uplifts you, no matter where you are in your running journey. We’re inviting all women to come as they are and discover the strength within themselves and the power of our collective energy.”
The tour will start in April and will feature either a 10K or half marathon in the following six cities:
- A half marathon in Sydney on April 12
- A 10K in Shangai on April 27
- A 10K in Seoul, South Korea, on May 10
- A 10K in Mumbai, India, on May 10
- A half marathon in Los Angeles on June 7
- A half marathon in Mexico City on June 21