Three hours is the standard finishing time goal for the elite Patch Sprint racer.  Over 600 racers have hit the course over the past

Taptick admitted that “I didn’t train that much” in 2005.  As a result, he missed four hours by six seconds!

decade; only 48 of them have bettered the 3:00 mark. (See list).

     For other racers and trekkers, there are other goals.  The primary goal is to finish-- 95% of all starters have done just that.  For some, that’s not enough.  “I don’t want to just finish,” claims veteran racer and trekker Mike Taptick, “I wanna finish feeling good!”

     And to do that, to feel good, you must train.  “There’s no telling exactly how you’re going to respond on race day,” says perennial Top-5 finisher Jason Metakis, “but I do know that if I’ve done the proper training, I’m gonna feel all right throughout the course, plus I’ve got a good shot at reaching my time goal.”

     In 2009, the Patch Sprint web site posted a training schedule for finishing in three hours and 30 minutes.  Women’s Masters racer Pam Gonzalez “followed it to the letter, week by week.”  As a result, the Long Island native improved upon her previous best time by over an hour, and won the masters division.

     This year, we present a training schedule for a goal of a four hour finishing time.  “It’s been an elusive mark for me,” laments Peter Joelson, who has come close to four hours several times, without going under.  The same can be said for Chris Bell, Dana Beck and Andrew Spaulding, all long-time racers who have been unable to break the barrier. If they, and you, follow the schedule below, your chances of bettering four hours at the 2010 Patch Sprint will increase dramatically.

     Our experts remind racers to plan each week in advance to alternate between easy days and hard days. “The key here,” they say, “is to try and follow the schedule as closely as possible.  Obviously you don’t want to miss any workouts but if you do, don’t sweat it:  There are plenty of off days worked into the program.”  Just as important:  “Even if you’re feeling strong and overly ambitious, do not exceed the recommended workout schedule by going longer or faster.  That will only have a negative effect on subsequent workouts and your overall training program.”