In Flight Running

Good group. Nice people.

I moved to Houston in Nov 2013 and immediately went searching for a running group. I quickly found out Houston has a bunch. I spoke to a few people but wasn’t really finding a coach with the vibe I was looking for. When I looked into In Flight Running, Coach Michael reached out to me personally. We chatted on the phone for well over an hour discussing my goals, his philosophy on running and training, etc etc. I could have picked his brain all afternoon. I knew after speaking to him, that his group was the group for me. The first long run with the team was amazing. The atmosphere was friendly. People were introducing themselves to new people and chatting. I knew I had found the right place.
In Flight Running is a completely comprehensive running program in the Houston area. Coach Michael offers personalized training programs from May until March for any race goal you may have. You don’t have to be a competitive marathon runner to join this group. All ages and skill levels are represented and people are running all different race distances all over the country. Long runs are structured so you are given routes from 3 –20 miles (depending on what people have on their schedules). Each run is fully supported by fluids along with «goody boxes» filled with jelly beans, pretzels, oranges, sunscreen, etc etc. We also have additional organized events throughout the week. Track workouts Monday, hills on Weds, strength on Tues/​Thurs and some social runs mixed in there as well.
I’ve lived all over the world and have been part of many fitness groups, especially running groups. As someone who was a competitive runner in college and wanted something relaxed but with a coach I knew could take me to the next level, In Flight has been the perfect fit. I recommend the group for anyone. From people looking to join a social group or someone looking to qualify for Boston, this group is for you.

Thanks for the response and invite

I echo the glowing sentiments of my fellow runners below. This is my third consecutive season training with In Flight.
I first signed up with IF to redeem my awful Houston marathon experience in 2008 (awful is an understatement). I trained alone, and finished, but it was not pretty. I was going through a difficult time in my life in 2011 and figured a club would boost my morale and performance. Little did I know how much I would come to cherish the In Flight experience and the wonderful friendships that followed!
Michael Merlino is the head coach and show runner. He has a passion for training, and is incredibly devoted to In Flight. He’s a busy guy, but always makes time to attend to his runners in need of advice, encouragement, etc. The man knows his stuff and genuinely cares about us.
One thing that really attracted me to this particular club was the fact that Michael provides personalized schedules for a plethora of marathons. I had no interest in repeating Houston; instead, I decide to tackle destination marathons — Chicago, DC, and San Francisco, and a few halves in between. A considerable percentage of group members run Houston, obviously, but there are always people traveling for the big, high-​profile races. You’ll find yourself in good company no matter what you’re training for! For what it’s worth, since joining In Flight, my marathon time improved by a whopping hour and 12 minutes, and my half marathon time improved by 10 minutes.
Other perks include a variety of skill levels — from beginners all the way to seasoned Boston qualifiers — scenic routes around town, and the fluid support during runs (Robert explains this below). Occasionally Michael even provides euphoria-​inducing, runner-​friendly snacks (bananas, Skittles, POPSICLES … !!!).
Lastly, I cannot say enough about the camaraderie of this group. I have met some AMAZING people and we have been through a lot together, to say the very least! We regularly venture out for dinners, happy hours, dog park outings, you name it. Everyone is super friendly and laid-​back. Not at all pretentious. If you are considering joining a well-​rounded running club, you won’t be disappointed!

So I’m 50+ and decided to take up running to get into shape. I tried the solo thing and felt like a caged hamster running endless circles around Memorial Park and when I did venture out of the park I had to plan where I could stash water bottles. I made it through my first marathon but thought there has to be a better way to train.
Enter In Flight Running. This group rocks the Casbah. Yes, it’s a training group but I feel like I get personalized coaching. With hundreds of group members training for hundreds of different races on different dates and yet each person gets their own training schedule. There is no cookie cutter — one size fits all — training. Every Saturday morning we have members running as few as 3 miles or as many as 18 miles because it all depends on what your race goal is and when your race is.
Did I mention we get full fluid support — water and Gatorade? That’s right folks. We are training to be runners — not camels. Leave the fuel belts/​water bottles/​camel backs at home when you run with this group because every couple of miles a fluid station awaits you.
Tired of running the same old routes week after week? You won’t get bored with this group. Every Saturday, planned routes take us all over the city to points north, south, east and west. Nothing like a change of scenery to keep you on your toes. And occasionally, we even venture out of the city limits for a real refreshing change of scenery.
Want to also add some speed work or hill intervals into your training mix? You can also add either or both to your training package. Want to have a one-​on-​one conversation with the head coach? He’s easily accessible as are all the coaches that work with him.
If you are training for a half or full marathon, if you never run either distance or have a wall full of bling or just are in need of some running buddies to help motivate you through those long runs, then look no further that In Flight Running. Coach Merlino’s favorite saying is that it take a village to get an athlete across the finish line and he has built a great village.

This is my third season training with In Flight! Completed my first marathon, NYC 2011, because of Coach Michael. The only group small enough where the coaches know your name, they hold your keys for you on long runs, and provide water/​Gatorade Stops on preplanned run routes. This makes a huge difference! Even if you start with a 3 mile base, they’ll get you to your race goal.

Yes Unilocalers… I have been away from Unilocaling because I have been hanging out and running with this awesome club, In Flight Running. One word for In Flight Running: AWESOMENESS! yep, this club rocks. Why am I getting this hyped up about a running club you may wonder? Because they have changed my life for the better, and made me a much better runner (and person) along the way.
Ater a few years of recreational running and scouting different running clubs, this is by far the best running group in H-​town. Even if you are not into running but have it on your «list» of things to do, or just getting into running but want some running buddies, or are a good runner and want some training, or just any person who wants training and a great group of people and coaches to run with every weekend… then join In Flight! just do it already, you won’t be dissappointed.
You get so much more out of this club then you ever can imagine, all you have to do is show up and there is a whole community of people there to run with, hang with, socialize with, party with, heck whatever you do, there are people for that there, too. What is better than having fun with new friends and burning calories at the same time? Honestly before In Flight, I was not even a «club» type of person. but after years of thinking that running a marathon was out of my reach, this group has shown me that anyone and everyone can do this.
I registered for my first marathon this year and decided that the only way I could really pull it off was by joining a club and being held accountable. The peeps over at Fleet Feet recommended In Flight, and by that same evening the Coach, Michael Merlino, had personally talked to me and invited me to a run in Kemah that following Saturday. Wow! What a great first time experience… I was really sold and hooked after that. Not because of the run, but more because of the people. I was so nervous that I would be the slowest one out there, but honestly there are runners at EVERY pace and EVERY level. I had instant running companions and made instant new friends for life.
There are many options for training and runners also: you can just register for the long Saturday runs, you can do hill training, or speed training, or all of the above — and you get lots of fun perks such as monthly happy hours (awesome!) and free seminars and member discounts at my favorite running store: Fleet Feet.
Honestly this is a great group of people that I am so honored to have met and running with them is so much fun that even if I don’t feel like running on a Saturday I would still show up just because I don’t want to miss the fun… now that is saying a LOT for a Saturday morning!!!