Tao of Running - Long Distance - Holistic Preparation ™
Learn the "No Pain, All Gain" Approach to Long Distance Running & Bring Your Performance & Health to Another Level
Note: This program is for individuals who want to run a long-distance race [e.g. ½ marathon, marathon, ultra-trail,...]. It is either continuity of the Tao of Running 10 Week Transformation Program™ or meant to experienced runners who have not done the 10 Week program but want to embed the Tao of Running principles in their running practice to improve their joy, freedom, and /or performance while making sure they do it in a healthy way
How Tao of Running - Long distance Holistic Preparation ™ approach differs from traditional long-distance preparation programs?

It is no secret that a lot of long-distance runners battle with injuries, face difficulties in losing weight even if they exercise a lot, undergo over-training syndromes like persistent muscle soreness, chronic fatigue, loss of motivation, insomnia, irritability, regular illnesses, elevated resting heart rate. Also, some serious studies have concluded that competitive athletes have similar risks as sedentary people related to the increased risk of heart disease and death (*).
In a few words, fitness DOES NOT MEAN health. It is 2 different things that can lead to opposite behaviors if not considered with attention and in a holistic way to balance health, well-being, and performance.
This holistic preparation program is designed to help you develop running fitness without sacrificing but enhancing your long-term health and well-being!
This program will be tailored specifically for you! It will take into consideration your personal and professional constraints, your specific fitness and health situation, your nutrition situation in regards to determining the right balance, and meeting your performance goals while enjoying the process, being intuitively connected to your body and making sure you don't deteriorate your health for the sake of short term performance.
Sources: (*) Published in New England Journal of Medicine in 2012), asthma (British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2012; 46(7): 471–476), depression (German Elite Athletes. 2013. J CLIN SPORT PSYC; 7(4):313-326
Meet Stephane
Stephane Thiltgen is a transformational “lifestyle coach” who helps people from all walks of life find their balance through his unique holistic approach interrelating exercise [particularly running], mindfulness/mind training, breathing science, nutrition, sleep science, and other supporting habits: The Tao Lifestyle ™.
He coaches executives and business leaders in high-pressure jobs to deal with stress. By incorporating the principles of Tao Lifestyle ™, individuals reconnect to their whole person and gain better health, fitness, balance, productivity @ work, and wellbeing. Tao Lifestyle™ emphasizes heavily on creating synergies between mind, body and soul which come together to help strike the ideal balance.
How is this holistic program tailored for you?
I believe that everybody can run long distances, enjoy it and reinforce his long-term health and wellbeing with the right approach & guidance. Aren’t we Born To Run?
But, everyone has different starting points & various expectations. Therefore, the approach to make it real requires a degree of customization [e.g. duration of preparation, the frequency of training, intensity of training, focus more on body &/or mind training, or nutrition, etc ] to be aligned with the current fitness level, state of health & the performance objectives.
The approach combines the important elements of a “traditional” long-distance running preparation (e.g. 10km, Spartan race, 1/2 marathon, marathon, trail, ultra-trail) with Tao of Running -10 Week Transformation™ integrated approach for health & well-being.
Accordingly, an initial FREE OF CHANGE discussion is the best way to determine the most appropriate approach together and the pricing will be calculated accordingly.
The holistic training program can be:
- Adapted for people with different levels of experience [beginner, intermediate, advanced].
- A continuity of the 10 Weeks Transformation Program or a start from scratch. In this case, the 10 Weeks Transformation Program is embedded in the program
- Customized for a group of friends who want to run the same race
- A Private One on One coaching program
Expected benefits
The main benefits of this approach are:
- To get you to your peak - relatively to your current fitness level - for the specific event you want to run.
- To bring you closer to the “Best Version Of Yourself” by feeling better:
- Physically [stronger, more energized, no injury]
- Mentally [sharper, more focused, more creative, more intuitive]
- Emotionally [more freedom, reduced stress, increased peace of mind, more balanced, happier] - To enjoy the preparation process & the race day that will likely make you sustain the practice for the long term.
- Likewise, "effortless running", high performance and flow become a “natural” outcome of practicing, integrating & mastering the techniques, and developing holistic healthy habits.

Long Distance Holistic Preparation ™ approach
Long -distance - Holistic Preparation™ has a typical duration of 12 weeks to 24 weeks [this is an indication. It might vary depending on your current situation, your specif health and performance goals, the type of race, and personal needs].
Each follow-up session will typically be every 2 weeks either face to face or remote by video call.

The first session consists of an interview and a detailed questionnaire to:
- Understand better your current situation “holistically” related to your lifestyle and how everything interconnects
- Clarify and/or refine your specific health and performance goals
Based on that session, we can:
- Build the customized training manual, the customized structured training plan, and its duration
- Determine together the optional need of 1 on 1 coaching sessions
During the preparation:
- Regular sharing of themes [e.g. nutrition, mind training tips & strategies to complement the training] customized based on the outcome of the initial interview and the needs determined on the way
- Reviews on Progress vs training plan [e.g video call, WhatsApp] every 2 or 3 weeks and potential adaptation of the training plan if required
What you will get for your investment?
The customized program will typically include:
- Group or One on One coaching sessions [frequency, duration, intensity to be determined] – ToR 10-Week Transformation Program can be embedded inside the long distance event preparation
- A Customized Manual [beginner, intermediate, advanced level]
- A customized Preparation Program to guide training sessions & record personal experience (can go from 10-week duration to 24-week duration)
- Video montage(s) for running form analysis with improvement feedback at different stages of the preparation (frequency to be determined – valid only for participants in Kuala Lumpur).
- Regular reviews on progress vs training plan [e.g Skype, WhatsApp, Phone call]
- Access to the Weekly Run [organized different days – in morning/evening time]: 45 minutes to a one-hour fun group run for all old and new participants [locations are in different green areas of Kuala Lumpur e.g. Lake Garden, TTDI park, Titiwangsa park,… - valid only for people living in Kuala Lumpur]

What participants say
"Angkor Wat half marathon was an amazing experience for me! Not only because of the scenic route but also because I was definitely seeing some huge benefits of this program!
I kept my promise to myself and forgot the time to focus on enjoying the run and paying attention to my body-mind connection. I didn't even bring my headphones and didn't miss them either :D. I found my flow very early on (probably the environment helped) and running felt so effortless! I stopped a few times for taking pics too!
This was the first time with my minimally cushioned shoes, and guess what, my feet and legs were not sore at all. I was stunned! I could have just kept going and also as a result, I was utilizing my body fat as a source of energy as I only used one gel (not sure if I needed to actually, but wanted to avoid exhaustion) and had one banana on the way (and didn't generate any lactic acids either).
So I have to say, even though I haven't learned that "much" new during the program, those little things were worth more than I anticipated."
Note: Received after 1/2 marathon of Angkor Wat _December 2015. (Mari had run a few half marathons before to taking part in this Program)

Message #2 - 1 year after the program - First 1/2 marathon in 2016:
"I never thought I would enjoy running a half marathon and when we decided to participate this year in the Phuket half marathon, I was not even sure I would be able to finish it.
Thanks to Stephane's coaching & techniques, training became enjoyable and really brought me some serenity in my daily life.
Step by step, without suffering, hard-working or struggling I managed to improve the length and speed of my runs. The sensations and the pleasure grew along.
I went to the race not having a serious time objective or intention to fight for it. I just wanted to do it and have a good run. Those hundreds of people running in silence at dawn create a very unique atmosphere. Applying the Tao of running techniques, I really enjoyed the moment and the scenery. After 10 km I felt good and relaxed and looking at my watch I started thinking it was too good to be true… I was performing much better than expected… would I burn out before the end? I had some doubts probably because I felt I did not run enough long runs during the preparation. Then slowing down and focusing on my breath and body sensation, I recovered step by step my confidence and finally managed well the second part of the run with the great satisfaction of feeling good, young, and happy.
I can say that the race has been a unique experience full of positive sensations.
Finishing in good shape and in less than 2 hours for this first half-marathon of my life at age 45, I am looking forward to the next one!
Enjoy running !"
Message #3 - After Angkor Wat 1/2 marathon at the end of 2017:
" Tao of Running is amazingly efficient! No suffering, no hard time, no injuries, great pleasure, and health benefits. And we still enjoy a strong improvement in my performance. Two years ago, I could not run more than 10 km and it took almost as long as a half marathon! "

"I took part in Tao of Running 10-week program to prepare for the running part (20 km) of a Spartan race. It gave me a totally different perspective of what running can be. What used to be a pain became a pleasure in a matter of weeks.
My old me would have been stressed out for weeks before the race but it was not the case. I was ready to enjoy the race and it is what I did whatever the obstacles that came in my way!
Additionally, I feel more relaxed and I have a better awareness of my body in my daily life.
Until today, I am amazed by this discovery and I am now considering running even longer distances.
Thank you Stephane for your secret weapon Tao of Running!"

" I am 72 years old and I am a long-time runner. I have run more than 20 full marathons and many more half-marathons.
Age is not a reason to stop improving and I decided to sign up for the 10-week program with an open mind to see what I could get from it.
I can definitely see a lot of benefits from this program. I was beginning to feel dejected in my recent long-distance runs. I was more enduring them and my time and speed were stagnating for a while.
The mind and body training techniques learned during this program are making me more alert, mindful, and enthusiastic in all aspects. I have also increased my running efficiency. As a result of that, I am improving again my speed. I have trimmed 30 min in my last ½ marathon compared to the recent ones. And, I still foresee some opportunities to continue improving my time and enjoying more my runs.
Thank you for your coaching, Stephane !”

" Thanks to Stephane, I was able to achieve something unbelievable before I joined the program: I finished a half marathon after two months of preparation in 2h 40’, keeping the same pace along the entire run. The mark could be not remarkable, but I enjoyed so much every kilometer I run that day, without suffering any pain the day after!
I achieved my goal and I am convinced I will get better marks in the future. Meanwhile, running has become an enjoyable and a pleasant routine in my life! “

“I have completed 4 marathons and yet this program helped me learn to love running so much more!
For the first time I can do long runs without the need for music, and just totally enjoy the rhythm of my heart, the scenery, the cadence of my run. Mindfulness helps not just in running but in other areas of my life as well.
Thanks Tao of Running ! Thank you for your coaching, Stephane !”

“ Thank you Stephane for your coaching & continuous support!
I discovered the Tao of running in 2015. As a regular runner, I was not expecting major changes… but after the 10 weeks transformation program and a few half-marathons, I realize that it changed completely my vision and perception of running from the way to move, the way to use my mind, the way to breath and even the way to eat!
I completed my first half-marathon in June 2016 after a preparation based on long runs in the happy zone (1h52). One year later, I ran the SCKL with a more specific program, and I improved my performance by 7min.
And on Dec 4th,2017, with my running partner for 2 years (Loic ), we were running the Angkor Wat Half Marathon. Based on a 12 weeks program prepared by Stephane – more performance-oriented but still based on Tao principles – I beat my previous record by 10min (1h35).
This run in the middle of the temples was amazing… The day after, we felt so great that we were already thinking about our next objective with Loic… KL FM in April 2018! What a fantastic experience, everyone can find his own pleasure and satisfaction with the Tao of running… beginners likewise more experienced runners.
And the last thing, since I am practicing mindfulness regularly inside and outside my running practice, I manage better my stress of my day-to-day life and I feel better in my body and my mind! Well done Steph ! “

“Thanks Stephane for the support, inspiration, and coaching…
From panting at 400 meters to running my 1st 6km, then 10km, 15km, and finally a Half Marathon, it has been an amazing journey…
I could not have dreamt of this in just 4 months…
The best part is how I do not experience any pain after all the runs thanks to the preparation, training regime, and techniques imparted…. I went around Melaka the whole day after my 15km and did the same in Ipoh after my 21km… Essentially means I ran for myself and spent the rest of the day with family… This means all parties are happy!
Finally, you were not just a Running Coach. I always refer to you as a Lifestyle Coach to my friends. From nutrition to running and mental conditioning, you really supported me through this journey with the right amount of tips. Thanks a lot!“
Note: Rohit lost 19 kgs in about 8 months by combining running, mindfulness, and nutrition new habits

"I have run my first ½ marathon starting from no sport activity at all with only 4 months of preparation in 2 h 31 min! Looking forward to the next one… in 2h15
Here is the story with a bit more details…
At the end of January 2016, I have decided to commit to the Phuket half-marathon to join a group of friends. The event was happening a bit more than 4 months later in early June 2016.
As I have never done any sport before, I was quite afraid of the challenge ahead of me. Stephane reassured me that he was confident that with the right approach, discipline, and coaching I could make it.
He encouraged me to register for the 10-Week Transformation Program starting at that time first. What I did and it really developed my mind, body, breathing foundations and built my initial confidence that it was doable. At the end of the 10 weeks, I was able to run several times a week 7 to 9 km without suffering. I even liked it and was looking forward to my runs.
In the remaining weeks, Stephane gave me the additional coaching and support to increase the distance in a healthy and enjoyable way. Thank you Stephane for your program and your coaching! What a great feeling of accomplishment! "

“Stephane did an amazing job of training me for my first marathon!
As an amateur runner, I had little knowledge of what it takes to train for an endurance event. Stephane’s step-by-step guidance and especially the holistic mind-body approach really appealed to me and it enabled me to feel confident and prepared for running the distance.
Stephane also enabled me to learn a lot about the fundamentals that underpin athletic activity and allowed me to self-discover the joys of running long distances.
I recommend Stephane enthusiastically for those looking for unique and personalized coaching for mindful running!“





