Train Inside the Heretic Trail System

Powered by the free-to-you “TeamBuildr Training” App

on IOS or on Android

I didn’t grow up as a mountain runner, ultrarunner, or even a runner. I picked all of this up in my 30s, after I already had a career, a family, and the full weight and complications of an adult life. Like many late starters, I learned the lessons the hard way: rolled ankles, IT band flare-ups, overuse injuries, and the slow realization that “just run more” isn’t a real strategy.

Those early years made one thing very clear:

There is no separation between endurance training, strength, conditioning, and the rest of our lives.

Every run is influenced by your strength. Every strength training session is influenced by the quality of your movement. Every workout is shaped by sleep, stress, fuel, terrain, age, and lived reality.

This interconnectedness is the foundation of Heretic Trail: a truly integrated, holistic approach to trail and ultra training where metabolic fitness, mechanical resilience, and psychological readiness all develop together over the a meaningful time horizon. Our work is built on two layers:

  • Foundational Abilities

    • Low aerobic (LA)

    • Dynamic Balance (DB)

    • Force Margin (FM)

  • Progressive Abilities

    • Muscular Endurance (ME)

    • Aerobic Capacity (AC)

    • High Aerobic (HA)

All of this is connected. All of this is devoted to being a more durable and capable athlete and adventurer for life at every age.

To make this system real in day-to-day training, you need a platform that treats the athlete as a whole. A list of of disconnected workouts— even if it’s on a calendar— won’t get us where we’re going.

Why We Use TeamBuildr

At Heretic Trail, every athlete trains inside a unified system built for clarity, consistency, and long-term mastery. To support that, we use the free-to-you TeamBuildr app. TeamBuildr is a professional-grade training platform trusted by collegiate programs, military units, and world-class athletes.

This isn’t a generic fitness app. It’s the operational backbone of your training, where strength, conditioning, endurance, and all the mountain / ultra / trail specific work come together in one place.

1. Strength & Conditioning Done Right

Most endurance platforms treat strength and conditioning as an afterthought. TeamBuildr is refreshingly different. Their exercise library, coaching tools, and progressions are best-in-class and perfect for how we build mountain durability and long-range athletic resilience.

2. Perfect for Hybrid Trail / Ultra Training

Your training isn’t just running. It’s also about the equally important areas of movement quality, force production, uphill mechanics, downhill durability, and intelligent energy management.
TeamBuildr lets us combine:

  • Structured strength blocks

  • Movement and mobility work

  • Aerobic development

  • Tempo and interval prescriptions

  • Long-run logistics & terrain specificity

  • Recovery protocols

. . . all inside one clean, athlete-centered calendar.

3. Your Training Lives in One Place

Workouts, instructions, video demos, daily readiness check-ins, performance tracking, and messaging all live inside the app. No spreadsheets. No PDFs. No confusion. Just clear, durable structure.

4. Free for Every Athlete

You never pay for the app. Whether you’re coached 1:1, following a custom plan, or buying one of my structured training plans, the TeamBuildr app is always included.

How to Get the App

The TeamBuildr athlete app is free for all Heretic Trail athletes.

Download the app here:

  • iPhone / iOS: click here or search “TeamBuildr Training” in the App Store

  • Android: click here or search “TeamBuildr Training” in Google Play

Once you sign up for coaching or purchase a plan, you’ll receive an invite link that unlocks your training calendar.

What You’ll See in the App

1. For Comprehensive 1:1 Coaching

If you’re a full-service coaching client, your app becomes your daily command center.

For starters, you can expect:

  • A fully customized calendar built around your races, schedule, and life constraints

  • Hybrid programming: strength + durability + endurance in one flow

  • Daily notes, instructions, and training rationale

  • Warm-ups, drills, movement guidance, and terrain cues

  • Readiness and recovery check-ins

  • Real-time messaging for questions and adjustments

  • Long-term tracking of progress, strength, and consistency

1:1 coaching offers the greatest depth and breadth access to Teambuildr as well as the most compehensive Heretic Trail experience.

2. For Custom Training Plans

If you’re training with a one-time custom plan:

  • Your entire plan is delivered inside the app

  • Strength sessions include video demos and clear progressions

  • Endurance sessions include exact pacing, effort, terrain, or time prescriptions

  • You can message inside the app for the level of support included in your plan

  • You follow the plan at your own pace, but with the same structural clarity as a coached athlete

Your custom training plan is yours, permanently, no matter what timeframe you’re working on.

3. For Structured Training Plans (For Purchase Soon)

These plug-and-play plans are purpose-built, and include event-specific plans and more. They will be available directly inside the app.

When you purchase one:

  • You get immediate access to the full training plan

  • The plan is placed on your app calendar with clear day-by-day guidance

  • Strength sessions include full movement demos

  • Endurance sessions include appropriate effort anchors and terrain awareness

  • You train independently, using the same tools our coached athletes use

No PDFs. No downloads. Just clean execution.

The Heretic Trail Difference

Using TeamBuildr isn’t about the technology. It’s about creating the right conditions for consistent, meaningful work. Clear structure. Appropriate training. Long-term durability.

The app supports the practice you are building.