Most weeks should run ~80% conversational pace + 20% hard (tempo, intervals, race-pace). Going too hard on easy days is the most common mistake, it stresses recovery without building aerobic base. Easy means easy: if you can't talk in full sentences, slow down.
Hannah's TP plan baked this in already, easy runs are tagged "conversational effort" and quality days are explicit (`@cv`, `@ss`, `@5k`). Trust the labels.
Twice a week, ~25-40 minutes each. Most runners benefit from:
TP includes "Pilates" days for Hannah, keep doing those. They're under-rated for runners.
Not medical advice. These are general endurance-running principles. For specific calorie/macro targets, work with a registered dietitian (especially RDs with sports background, search "CSSD" or "RD running"). For any digestion or energy issues, talk to a doctor.
Carbs are the fuel. Distance runners need 5-7g/kg of body weight per day on training days, more during heavy weeks. Time the bigger carb meals around hard sessions and long runs.
Pre-run (1-3 hours before): something carb-heavy and easy to digest, toast + banana, oatmeal, bagel + jam. Avoid high-fat or high-fiber close to the run. Coffee if it works for you.
During (runs over ~75 min): 30-60g carbs per hour from gels, chews, sports drink, or real food. The "no gels" approach works for shorter runs but leaves time on the table for halfs/marathons.
Post-run (within ~45 min): mix of carbs + protein. Chocolate milk is famously effective. Real meal within 1-2 hours.
Hydration: drink to thirst on easy runs. On long/hot runs, ~16-24 oz/hour with electrolytes (Alabama summer humidity = serious sodium loss).
Not medical advice. Talk to her doctor about getting bloodwork. This is a "things to ask about" note, not a diagnosis or prescription.
Female endurance athletes burn through iron faster than the general population (foot-strike hemolysis, sweat losses, menstrual cycle, low body weight). When ferritin drops, performance drops, fatigue, slower recovery, pace creep. It's surprisingly common and surprisingly under-tested.
Reasonable to ask her doctor for a full iron panel (ferritin, TIBC, transferrin saturation, hemoglobin) once a year, especially if she ever feels unusually flat. Many female runners discover their secret-weapon improvement was just fixing low ferritin.
Huntsville/Owens Cross Roads summers stack temperature and humidity. Once dewpoint clears 65°F, paces slow significantly even at the same effort, that's not weakness, that's physiology.
Strategies: