Which level should I choose when creating my plan – and what happens with my answers?

When you create your plan, Trait asks you two things that form the foundation for everything else: your level and your feelgood pace.

Your level describes what you can do today – not what you want to achieve. It determines how much volume you get and how long your sessions are. Use this breakdown as a guide:

• Just starting out: You can't yet run 5 km in one go.
• Beginner: You could comfortably run 5 km in one go at any time.
• Hobby: You could comfortably run 10 km at any time.
• Intermediate: You could comfortably run a half marathon at any time.
• Advanced: Simply finishing a marathon is no longer a challenge for you.
• Expert: A marathon under 3:30 h or a half marathon under 1:30 h is no longer a challenge for you.

For example, someone who can't yet run 5 km in one go won't get a 60-minute session. That's why it's important to be honest here: choosing a level that's too high leads to sessions that overwhelm you.

Your feelgood pace is the pace at which you'd simply head out for an easy, relaxed run. It's the first reference point for your training paces and is later refined based on your actual runs. Beginners are typically around 7:30 min/km. Trait cross-checks level and feelgood pace – if the two don't match (e.g. “can't run 5 km in one go” with a feelgood pace of 4:00 min/km), you'll get a notice.

Good to know: Trait distinguishes between two components of fitness – general endurance (cardiovascular) and running ability (mainly muscular). If you cycle a lot or do strength training, you can be very fit in terms of endurance and still not be able to run a half marathon. So choose your level based on your running experience.

Made a mistake? You can recreate a plan any time for free – see Can I recreate my plan?