If you’re into sports, you may already know who Eric Hinman is. If you don’t, he’s a top industry leader — a CrossFit and endurance athlete — as well as an angel investor, entrepreneur, and content creator.
His life philosophy is strong as a rock: Chase your perfect day and always be on the move. If you follow Eric, you’ll see him running through the Rocky Mountains, walking on his hands, or jumping into ice baths.
To help you perform better as a runner, Eric has shared his strategies to make the best time possible.
But beware, this killer program isn’t for beginners or those just getting up off the couch to run their first mile. You should already be into running.
So now let’s get straight into the star athlete’s tips, which will skyrocket you to the next level.
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Strategy #1. Chase Your Perfect Day
Investing in your personal fitness is a winner’s approach. A marathon is a big goal that requires long preparation and small tasks that challenge you daily. With each run, quicken your pace and crank out more wattage while staying at the same heart rate. All these small (actually, huge!) wins help you feel damn good about yourself.
I Felt More Fulfilled Accomplishing These Fitness Goals Than I Did Chasing Money Or Chasing Career Success Or Chasing Everything Else That Public Perception Says You Should Be Chasing.
— ERIC HINMAN
Strategy #2. Focus on a Specific Goal for an Extended Period of Time
If you’re serious about your fitness goals, the first thing you should do is prioritize. Plan out your regimen and learn to say no to less-important things. And if you make the right choice, anything is possible.
Prioritizing My Training Eventually Got Me To A Level Of Competition Where I Was Qualifying For Kona Multiple Years In A Row. But That Didn’t Happen Overnight. Rather, It Was Breaking It Down Into What I Could Do Today To Reach My Goal. It Also Taught Me To Seek Obstacles And Seek Discomfort Because That Is Where Growth Comes From.
— ERIC HINMAN
Being a 5x Ironman, Eric has built a killer training program that’s sure to boost your fitness success.
As a self-described “everyday athlete,” Eric does some type of exercise daily. Here’s the pro’s program:
- Monday: 40-min easy run, avg heart rate 130-140bpm.
- Tuesday: 3x800m at mile pace with 3-min recoveries; then 10-min easy jog; then 6x200m with recoveries of 30, 25, 20, 15, and 10 seconds.
- Wednesday: 45-min easy run, avg heart rate 130-140bpm.
- Thursday: 1-mile easy warmup; 1200-m time trial, 5-min easy jog; then 5x400m at goal mile pace. Jog easy for 2 min between sets.
- Friday: rest.
- Saturday: 2×2,000m at 5K pace with 3-min recovery; then 10-min easy jog; then 8x200m at mile race pace. Rest 1 min between sets.
- Sunday: 60-min easy run, heart rate around 130bpm.
#1 Tip: Decrease your pace in the intervals each week by ~2%.
#2 Tip: Repeat this for four weeks, then do a mile time trial and see what your time is!
Follow this program, and you’ll accomplish results you’ve never dreamt of.
Strategy #4. Don’t Forget to Recover
To perform like a pro and make the most of your training, plan a recovery routine as well.
Here are Eric’s favorite ways to recover — daily!
- 0-min infrared sauna session
- 30 min alternating between a hot tub (104 degrees) + cold tub (52 degrees) — 5 minutes in each
- Walk! Move! Take walking meetings and avoid long sitting sessions at all costs!
People Often See Me Working Out ‘All Day,’ But Don’t See That I Spend Just As Much Time Recovering!
— ERIC HINMAN
Strategy #5. Put Eating on Autopilot
When you plan your diet, choose an exact time and place, and know what you’ll eat beforehand. In other words, take the decision-making out of eating! Your brain and body will get used to the routine, and you won’t spend energy figuring out the details meal after meal. Because when you do prepare for a marathon, you’ll have to spend your time pretty efficiently.
Eric Hinman’s diet mainly consists of vegetables (spinach), lots of eggs, nuts, seeds, and fish (for protein). He also limits consumption of red meat (it zaps energy) and stays away from sugar and alcohol due to their inflammatory effect.
His daily meal plan usually looks like this:
Breakfast
- Smoothie bowl (2 handfuls of spinach, 2 Brazil nuts, half an avocado, half a banana, 1 1/2 cup Elmhurst cashew milk, Golden Root turmeric powder, ginger powder, Sun Warrior Plant-based Protein powder, and six to eight cubes of ice).
Lunch (12pm)
- 2-3 scrambled eggs, kale, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, bacon bits, raisins, apple slivers, pecans, white balsamic dressing, 1/2 cup white rice
- 20 ounces of water
- 8 ounces of coffee with a little steamed oat milk
Dinner (7pm)
- Chicken or salmon, Brussels sprouts, and sweet potatoes
- 2–4 giant glasses of water
Pre-bed Snack (10pm)
- Two scoops of Vital Proteins Blueberry Moon Milk Collagen Latte
- A shot of Rightful PM formula
- One dropper of Beam 1000mg Mint CBD Oil
- 1 teaspoon of raw honey
- 3 magnesium pills
Well, now you have the plan. So, go and get your results, champ! Eric and The Coach believe in you!
