The question is where don’t we run in Houston and Southwest Texas?
With over 300 running running routes ranging from 3 to 23 miles in the Greater Houston area, we can get you trained and ready for your next race goal.  Below are our Houston home base locations where most of our training runs originate from along with the types of runs and workouts we offer at each location.  For Saturday endurance long runs, we rotate through eight sets of Houston area, inner 610 loop routes so you never get bored. Tuesday AM and PM track workouts are held at the Memorial Park Roy Cullen Timing Track.  Tuesday AM and PM hill workouts rotate through 10 different hill circuits along White Oak Bayou & Buffalo Bayou.  When in season, we alternate Tuesday interval workouts between track and hill workouts to work on speed and strength improvement and minimize injury risk at the same time.

Long Run Homebase #1
The Big Chicken
107 Yale Dr. Houston TX
Close to Walmart Heights
Days: Most Saturday mornings
Start Times: 6:00 AM Prime Season – 6:30 AM Spring Season
Mileage: 3 – 22 miles based on race training schedules

Most of our Saturday long runs originate from Shaq’s Big Chicken restaurant location on Yale Drive in the Houston Heights area next to the Walmart.  This location is just west of downtown Houston and 2 blocks south of I10.  This location works great with plenty of free parking, restroom availability with nearby retailers and access to nearby running trails along White Oak Bayou, Buffalo Bayou Park, Memorial Park and the Historic Houston Heights area.

Long Run Homebase #2
Fleet Feet Running Store
4502 Greenbriar Dr. Houston TX 
Days: Saturdays every other month during the year
Start Times: 6:00 AM Prime Season – 6:30 AM Spring Season
Mileage: 3 – 22 miles based on race schedules

Once every other month, we offer a member, Saturday group long run from the Fleet Feet location at Greenbriar @ Bissonnet close to Rice Village.  Saturday long runs from this location include routes along the Rice University running trail, Hermann Park running trail, Southampton, West University Place, Brays Bayou hike and bike trail and the University of Houston’s Central campus.  Active In Flight members receive a 10% discount at all seven Houston area Fleet Feet stores.  When we run our Saturday long runs from the store, that member discount is doubled to 20%.We HIGHLY recommend our good friends Fleet Feet Houston to all Houston area runners for a professional fit and amazing run shopping experience!

Track/Speed Interval Workouts
Memorial Park Roy Cullen Timing Track
7575 N Picnic Lane Houston TX 77007
Days: Every other Tuesday morning & evening
Start Time: 5:15 AM & 6:15 PM sessions
Workout: 15 min warm-up & running drills – 50 minute workout

Regardless of skill level or current pace per mile, all runners can benefit from safe and effective track workouts.  In Flight’s track workouts are held on Tuesdays at the new running complex next to the Cullen Running Center on the Southwest side of Memorial Park.

All workouts are written by Head Coach Michael Merlino and planned with varied progressions depending on the date of your goal race.  For example, those training for the Chicago Marathon may have an entirely different track workout than those training for the Houston Marathon which comes later in our Prime training season.

A variety of running drills and interval workouts are used to keep workouts challenging and effective. Coach Merlino coaches most workouts and gives feedback to runners on improving their running form.

The focus is to help members become much more efficient runners by improving form and technique, foot cadence, leg turnover, speed, pacing and running economy.  Interval distances range from 200 – 1600 meter (1 mile) repeats with active and standing recovery between sets.  Longer distance intervals are incorporated into workouts later in the training season as runners inch closer to their marathon or half marathon date to sharpen their legs for race day.  When consistently performed, these workouts really help improve any runner’s pacing and their ability to earn new personal bests from the 5K to marathon distance.

Hill Training Interval Workouts
Buffalo Bayou Park & White Oak Bayou Trails
10 Different Hill Training Locations
Days: Every Other Tuesday morning & evening
Start Time: 5:15 AM and 6:15 PM sessions 
Workout: 10 min warm-up & 50 minute workout

Our hill training interval workouts are at held at various, hilly segments along Buffalo Bayou and White Oak Bayou inside the 610 loop and just west of Downtown Houston.  Locations vary and utilize inner loop bridges, overpasses and hilly bayou trail segments.  These workouts help prepare runners for the hilly terrain they may experience on the race course and also improve power and strength in the legs.  During the season, we cycle through 10, varied hill training circuits.  Each circuit consists of 600 meter to 1.1 mile repeats along rolling hills and gradual uphill and downhill slopes.  We run these “free wheeling” and fun interval workouts at predicted 5K to 10K pace with standing recovery in between each set of intervals.  Hills are “speedwork in disguise”, help build strength and power in the legs and allow runners to improve their pacing. We are big believers in hill training to improve your running regardless of your skill level.