kaizen

What is kaizen?

kaizen is a running training companion designed to adapt a training plan to the running you actually do. Rather than assuming every workout will be completed exactly as scheduled, it continuously updates your training so you can keep progressing toward your goal.

The app is built on your running history and uses that recent data to guide weekly targets. When your running changes—because of missed sessions, lower intensity, or life constraints—kaizen recalculates the path forward based on your current training load and where your fitness appears to be moving.

Key Features

• Training load based system: Uses a training load approach to keep you improving responsibly, based on what your fitness history indicates.
• Daily progress tracking: Analyzes your recent running history each day to understand how your fitness is progressing.
• Weekly targets that build toward your goal: Sets week-by-week targets intended to accumulate toward your race or outcome.
• Dynamic adjustment based on intensity: Updates targets based on the intensity of your running, so the plan can flex to match your schedule and how the week actually went.
• Rerouting when the plan changes: Revises required load over future weeks when workouts are missed or completed differently, aiming to keep you on track.
• Flexible training approach: You can follow any training approach (including none at all) for races or for improving fitness.

How to Use kaizen

1. Start your plan in kaizen and set or choose your running goal (for example, a specific race or improvement target).
2. Run as your schedule allows and record your runs so kaizen can analyze your recent running history.
3. Check weekly targets: Follow the week-by-week guidance, which is updated dynamically based on your running intensity and how your training load is trending.
4. When life interrupts, keep running what you can (shorter, easier, or harder sessions as appropriate), and let kaizen update future weeks to help you stay progressing.

Use Cases

• Busy week, limited time: If you only have time for a shorter session, follow kaizen’s revised load and intensity guidance for that week rather than trying to force the original plan.
• Stress or workload changes: If work or general life stress changes how you feel, run easier and longer while still completing the week’s guidance as updated by your recent training history.
• Missed run(s): If you skip a scheduled run, kaizen revises the required load over future weeks so you don’t have to “make up” the missed work in an unrealistic way.
• Felt good, ran harder than planned: If you ended up running harder than expected, kaizen can reduce the amount required for the remainder of the week to align with your target.
• Using a different training approach: If you want to train using your own approach (or none at all) for a race or improvement period, kaizen can accommodate that while still basing guidance on your running history.

FAQ

• What does kaizen base its guidance on? It uses your running history and analyzes your recent running to understand how your fitness is progressing.

• Does kaizen require that I complete every planned workout exactly as written? No. The app is designed to adapt to what you actually do and updates weekly targets when your running changes.

• How does kaizen respond to missed workouts? The app revises the required training load over future weeks when a run is missed.

• Can I use kaizen if I’m not following a specific training plan? kaizen supports training that fits “any training approach (or none at all)” for races or improving fitness.

• Is kaizen aimed at a specific race distance? The provided page includes examples of marathon and 10km predictions, but it does not define a comprehensive distance list. Users should expect guidance that can apply to race goals and running improvements.

Alternatives

• Generic running training plans (fixed schedules): Traditional plans often don’t change when life affects your running; they may require more manual adjustments when workouts are missed or intensity changes.
• Training log + manual periodization: A training app paired with a coach-led or self-built plan can adjust workouts, but the adaptation is manual rather than automatically updating weekly targets from your running history.
• Other adaptive coaching/training apps (plan-on-the-fly): Similar apps in the “adaptive training” category may also adjust workouts based on your recent activity, but they differ in how they model training load and how frequently they update targets.
• Human coaching: A coach can tailor adjustments based on your schedule and recovery, using both data and conversation; it replaces app-based rerouting with individualized guidance.