# Running & Training Prompt Pack **Prepared by Running Well | Scrhoz** *12 simple prompts for building training plans, preparing for race day, tracking recovery, and staying motivated through your running journey.* ## How to Use This Pack - Copy a prompt, paste it into any AI assistant (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or similar), and replace each [BRACKETED] part with your own details. - The AI only needs distances, paces and how your runs felt. Leave out names and anything personal you'd rather not share. - Treat every plan as a starting point. AI can get things wrong, and you know your body better than it does. - If the first answer doesn't fit your life, reply with what's different and ask it to adjust. > **Note:** These prompts are for general information and planning. They are not medical advice. If you're new to running, returning after illness or injury, or have a health condition, check with your doctor before starting or increasing your training, and stop and seek advice if something hurts. ## Training Plans ### 1. Build My Starter Plan ``` I'm a [BEGINNER / RETURNING / REGULAR] runner. My goal is [GOAL, E.G. RUN 5K WITHOUT STOPPING]. I can run [NUMBER] days a week and have [TIME] for each session. Build me a simple [NUMBER]-week plan with a gentle build-up and rest days, and explain how each week should feel. ``` *Tip: Choose days you can realistically keep, not the days that look best on paper.* ### 2. Fit Running Around My Week ``` Here is my typical week: [WORK, FAMILY AND OTHER COMMITMENTS]. Suggest [NUMBER] realistic days and times for runs, and a backup option for each in case life gets in the way. ``` *Tip: A backup slot means a busy day changes the run, not the habit.* ### 3. Ease Back In After a Missed Week ``` I was building towards [GOAL] but missed [NUMBER] days or weeks because of [REASON]. My last full week of running was: [DESCRIBE]. Tell me how to ease back in without rushing, and whether I should repeat a week or move on. ``` *Tip: Everyone misses runs during a training block. Starting again gently is part of the plan.* ## Race Day ### 4. Race Week Plan ``` My race is a [DISTANCE] on [DATE]. I've been training for [NUMBER] weeks and my longest run is [DISTANCE]. Give me a day-by-day plan for race week covering easy runs, rest, food and sleep. ``` *Tip: Race week is mostly about arriving fresh, so resist the urge to squeeze in extra training.* ### 5. Pacing Plan ``` I want to run a [DISTANCE] and finish in about [TARGET TIME] (or comfortably, if I don't have a target). My recent comfortable pace is [PACE]. Give me a simple pacing plan covering how to start, how to settle in and how to finish, plus what to do if the early miles feel hard. ``` *Tip: Starting a little slower than you think you need to is usually the smart choice.* ### 6. Race Morning Checklist ``` Make me a race-morning checklist for a [DISTANCE] starting at [TIME]: what to eat and drink, what to pack, when to arrive, and what to do in the last 15 minutes before the start. On race mornings I tend to feel [NERVOUS / CALM / RUSHED]. ``` *Tip: Lay out your kit the night before and read the checklist once more then.* ## Recovery and Staying Healthy ### 7. Weekly Recovery Check ``` Here is how my week of running felt: [DESCRIBE RUNS, SLEEP, ENERGY AND ANY ACHES]. Tell me whether I'm recovering well, which signs to watch for, and whether next week should be the same, easier or slightly more. ``` *Tip: Doing this at the end of each week takes five minutes and builds a useful record.* ### 8. Easy Run or Too Hard? ``` I'm not sure my easy runs are easy enough. I usually run at [PACE] and my breathing and effort feel like [DESCRIBE]. Explain in plain language how an easy run should feel and how I can tell if I'm going too hard. ``` *Tip: If you can't speak a full sentence comfortably, slow down.* ### 9. Sort Out a Niggle ``` I've had [DESCRIBE ACHE OR TIGHTNESS] for [HOW LONG], mostly [WHEN IT HAPPENS]. List the general questions I should ask myself, and the signs that mean I should stop running and see a doctor or physio. ``` *Tip: This isn't a diagnosis. If pain lingers or gets sharper, see a professional.* ## Motivation ### 10. Find My Reason to Run ``` Ask me five short questions, one at a time, about why I want to run and what I enjoy about it. Then write me a short "reason to run" statement I can read on the days I don't feel like going. ``` *Tip: Save the statement in your phone notes where you'll see it.* ### 11. Track Small Wins ``` Help me set up a simple way to track progress that goes beyond pace and distance. My goal is [GOAL]. Suggest five small wins I can look for each week, and a one-line check-in I can fill in after my last run of the week. ``` *Tip: Noticing that a hill felt easier counts as progress.* ### 12. Get Back on Track ``` I haven't run for [HOW LONG] and I'm feeling [DISCOURAGED / GUILTY / BUSY]. Write me a kind, practical message, and suggest a very small first run to restart with, no longer than [TIME]. ``` *Tip: Make the restart small enough that it feels almost too easy.* --- If you'd like more support on your running journey, Running Well has books to go with these prompts: - [Running Well Couch to 5K](https://scrhoz.com/books/running-well-couch-to-5k) - [Running Well Guide to Running for Fitness](https://scrhoz.com/books/running-well-running-for-fitness) - [Legends, Grit and Glory](https://scrhoz.com/books/legends-grit-and-glory) [More from Running Well](https://scrhoz.com/authors/running-well) Free from [Scrhoz](https://scrhoz.com). Want more simple, useful tools like this? [Join the newsletter](https://scrhoz.com/newsletter).