Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about Salt Lake City FIT...

Questions about the program...

Questions about signing up...

Questions about the training...

Other questions...

  1. It is past the registration date, can I still join Salt Lake City FIT?
    Registration is now open for the 2010 season and will close on June 30, 2010. However, we are always willing to work with you, so please feel free to contact us at info@saltlakefit.com.

  2. I'm not a member. Do you allow drop-ins?
    Salt Lake City FIT does not have a drop-in program. Our all-inclusive membership covers our seminars, medical advice, coaching, and training runs/walks. Visiting members from other USA FIT programs are always welcome! Visitors are welcome for our registration/orientation sessions on April 3rd through May 1st to visit, receive information about the group and have their questions answered. However, beginning May 8th we will not allow non-USA Fit drop-ins.

  3. What is Salt Lake City FIT?
    Salt Lake City FIT is an award-winning 26 to 28 week running, walking, and wellness program. This same program, now being held in Denver, San Diego, Seattle, San Jose, Houston, Toronto, and Dallas among others, is winning rave reviews and growing every year. Salt Lake City FIT will begin our 2010 season on Saturday, April 3rd, 2010.

  4. Who should join?
    Salt Lake City FIT is perfect for anyone who has a desire to challenge themselves, wants to exercise and make new friends, wants to increase their body strength and stamina, wants to look and feel better, or simply wants to get involved in a healthy lifestyle sport - running or walking. Whether you have only dreamed of completing a marathon or have done several, this program has something to offer you!

  5. When is the Salt Lake City FIT season?
    The official Salt Lake City FIT season is the six months prior to the St. George Marathon. This usually runs from March/April until October of the year. This is when we hold our seminars and provide training schedules for our members.

  6. Where is the training?
    We meet at Sugarhouse Park - Central Terrace Pavilion / Parking Lot (1300 East and 2100 South), which is just west of Highland High School at 8:00 a.m. for the first two weeks of our program. Training will continue in other locations around the valley later on in the program. Feel free to contact us for directions.

  7. Can walkers participate?
    Walkers are welcome! We created our walking program during the 2006 season. Participating in our program will enable you to complete the St. George Marathon if that is your goal. Please be aware, however, that the St. George Marathon requires all participants to complete the course within six-hours (which requires a 13:43 pace per mile or better pace). Many Salt Lake City FIT walkers may choose to train for another race distance or just participate in the wellness program. There are always other more walker-friendly marathons located around the country. Your coaches can provide more details.

  8. Are you affiliated with a charity?
    Salt Lake City FIT is not associated with a charity and you do not need to raise money to participate in this program. There are several good marathon-training programs where raising money for a charity is part of the program. While these can be effective and rewarding, we realize that it's not for everyone and may be impossible to do year-after-year. Some of our members choose to raise money for a charity, but it certainly isn't a requirement.

  9. What's the catch? When do I have to sit through the sales pitch for a new condo at Deer Valley?
    No catch -- really! Salt Lake City FIT is basically a running club and training program. But maybe that's like saying a Mercedes is just a car . We don't sell Amway or real estate in Deer Valley. Salt Lake City FIT has members of all shapes and sizes (including folks that probably sell Amway or invest in real estate). But what makes us special is that we all come together to run and walk and share our war stories and our victories. Check out our discussion page for a taste of the camaraderie and support. We hope you'll decide to join our club.

  10. How did all this come about?
    Well that's a question that's best answered at one of our social events. The short answer is that several of us had so much fun in prior years with USA FIT we decided to bring the program to Salt Lake City.

  11. What is an ability-based color group?
    Salt Lake City FIT consists of 6 groups: Blue, Green, Yellow, Red, Orange (walkers), Purple (1/2 Marathon) and Cycling. You will be placed in the group that best suits your training pace. For example, if you train at a 9-10 minute per mile pace, you will be a member of the Yellow group. This system works because it allows you to train with those who are at your ability level. If you get too fast for your current group, you can always move up to the next ability level. But this is not required.

  12. What color group will I be in?
    We have a conversational time trial just after our last registration sign-up in April. Your time for the 1 or 2 miles will place you in a color group. You should walk or run at a pace where you feel you could keep going for a little bit beyond those 1 or 2 miles. If you couldn't keep walking or running after completing our initial 1 or 2 mile pace finder then you are going too fast (unless it takes a runner longer than 30 minutes to run 2 miles -- 30 minutes or longer for 2 miles places runners in the Red Group). All walkers are in our Orange Group regardless of pace.

  13. Why should I walk or run my 1 or 2 mile pace finder slower when I can go faster?
    Simply because you are training for a marathon, not a one or two-mile race. It may sound like a funny statement to make, but it is so true. Walking or running too fast will seriously compromise your training season. If you find your correct training pace from the beginning you will complete the marathon in less time, you will experience fewer injuries, and you will have a lot more fun.

  14. What are the weekly seminars?
    Each weekend, roughly a 15 to 30 minute seminar will be presented. Topics will all be health and fitness related, and will be led by knowledgeable professionals. After each seminar, you will break off into your color groups for a brief talk and question-and-answer with your coach.

  15. What happens on any given Saturday?
  16. We run or walk with our groups after each seminar early on in the program. Later on in the program when it get hot outside, we change to running or walking and then holding the seminar. This requires different start times however so that everyone is back around the same time. The seminar will start at 8:00 am every Saturday, so our goal is to have everyone arrive a little early so we can start the seminars on time and get your run in so you can have the rest of the day to play. After the seminar we usually meet with our color groups for a few minutes to talk with the coaches, ask questions, make plans for the next week, etc.

    Before the weekend, you will be given the starting time for your color group (available on the website).

  17. Who created our schedule?
    Our schedule comes from the great folks at USA FIT. Since 1989, they have been training people all over the country just like us. Everybody has a different marathon philosophy, but ours has been tested literally tens of thousands of times.

  18. How can I sign up?
    Signups are now open for the 2010 season. Sign up options are on the Join Us page.

  19. What is included for the sign-up fee?
    • Ability-based group work-outs and coaching
    • Training log
    • Weekly seminars
    • Weekly training schedules
    • Salt Lake City FIT T-shirt
    • Social activities and more!

  20. When are the in-person sign-up sessions?
    In person sign ups for the Salt Lake City FIT 2010 season will be Saturday, April 3rd and Saturday, April 10th at 8:00 AM at Sugarhouse Park (approximately 1300 East & 2100 South). They will continue Sat, April 17th, April 24th, and May 1st. Locations will be in various places around the Salt Lake Valley – please check back with us or contact us at info@saltlakefit.com for more details. Remember, you can also sign-up online by visting our Join Us page.

  21. Where are the in-person sign-up sessions?
    Saturday, April 3rd and Saturday, April 10th at 8:00 AM at Sugarhouse Park (approximately 1300 East & 2100 South). They will continue Sat, April 17th, April 24th, and May 1st. Locations will be in various places around the Salt Lake Valley – please check back with us or contact us at info@saltlakefit.com for more details. (Time Trials - Please come dressed for conversational-pace time trials.)

  22. What happens at the sign-up session?
    The sessions include sign-ups, an orientation seminar, and a 1 or 2 mile easy pace run or walk which helps place you in the correct ability-based group. The sign-up session takes approximately 1.5 - 2 hours. Sign ups for the Salt Lake City FIT 2010 season will be:

    • Saturday, April 3rd and Saturday, April 10th at 8:00 AM at Sugarhouse Park (approximately 1300 East & 2100 South).
    • They will continue Sat, April 17th, April 24th, and May 1st. Locations will be in various places around the Salt Lake Valley – please check back with us or contact us at info@saltlakefit.com for more details. (Time Trials - Please come dressed for conversational-pace time trials.)

  23. Can I pay with a credit card?
    We allow payment via credit card if you sign up online.

  24. I can't make it to the first weekend -- should I still sign up?
    Yes, you should still sign up! We'd like you to attend the first week for the reasons outlined in the previous Q&A, but we know not everyone can make it to Week 1. That's why we have another sign-up the following week. The Week 2 seminar will be a quick overview of Week 1, but we also have an army of Assistant Coaches ready to answer any question you have from the previous week (and any seminars that you miss during the season). They have all been through the program and can recite every seminar verbatim. Go ahead, challenge them. They're amazing.

  25. Does entry into Salt Lake City FIT include entry into the St. George Marathon?
    No, your payment to USA FIT only covers the cost of your participation in the training program. We are not affiliated with the St. George Marathon in any way, we just train for it! We will provide information about how to sign up for the St. George Marathon and even help you fill out the registration form.

  26. How much training does this program involve?
    Realizing that most people lead very busy lives, this program is one that can easily fit into your schedule. For the most part, the program calls for running or walking only 4 days a week. Your long run or walk will usually take place on Saturday with your group. The day after your long run/walk is always a rest day. During the week, you run or walk for time only (i.e. 30 minutes), not for distance.

  27. What does 20 on the weekly schedule (during the week) mean? Are we running 20 miles?
    During the week, we run for minutes. So if the schedule says "30" on a Tuesday, you should run or walk 30 minutes. Do this at a comfortable pace, meaning that you can hold a conversation with a fellow Salt Lake City FIT member. On the weekends, we do miles, so the schedule will say 4 miles. The long run on Saturday is done at a very easy pace. Go slow!

  28. Do I have to be there every week?
    No, many members are unable to make every weekend session. The weekend seminars are important, but you can always ask your coach or running buddies about what you missed. However, those long runs/walks are a lot easier when you're doing them with the group! And in our experience, the success of our members is directly proportional to their ability to attend our weekend training runs/walks and seminars. When you do have to miss a week, check our website or give one of the coaches a call or this website for the next week's schedule.

  29. Can we participate in races during training?
    Sure! In fact we encourage you to get familiar with the race environment. Many in our program participate in the Salt Lake Marathon & 5K race, Deseret News Marathon & 10 K, Provo Half Marathon and many other local and regional races. You certainly don't have to be competitive about it, but it's fun to run or walk in a different place, get a race number, and cross the finish line.

  30. What if I travel during my training? Can I attend other USA FIT city programs?
    Absolutely. USA FIT has programs in over 40 cities around the country, and you are welcome to attend any USA FIT meeting anywhere. Please see your coach to get you important information as to where they are meeting and at what time and contact information.

  31. What if I want to find out more?
    Send us an e-mail at info@saltlakefit.com or call the Salt Lake City FIT hotline at 801-347-1897. Feel free to leave a message and we will be sure to get back to you!
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