Lots of running bloggers name-drop Hal Higdon, but it was Jellypepper at A 26.2 Mile Goal who inspired us to actually find out what Mr. Higdon was all about. At HalHigdon.com, the Runner’s World contributing editor and Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide author provides week-by-week (and day-by-day) training guides for all kinds of races, from 5Ks to ultramarathon. As a paid service, you can also sign up for interactive training an get daily e-mails from Hal with advice on how to train for your next race.

Jellypepper has been following Hal’s 18-week novice program to train for the 2006 Chicago Marathon, which happens October 22. She’s combining that program with one from the Running Room, in what’s now cleverly been dubbed The Higdon Room Blender.

Like Dave at Dave Has A Blog and Jeff at Big Fat Chance, FleetFootedFrankie is taking part in Running Room’s in-store clinics. Created to help runners and walkers prep for everything from walking 5Ks to marathons, the clinics include run/walk training, group support, personalized training programs, access to online training logs, and twice-weekly practice days. The clinics are also available online, covering topics like nutrition, biomechanics, hot and cold weather running, injuries, and cross-training.

Roy at Riceman to Ironman has begun tracking his workouts at BeginnerTriathlete.com, a super-valuable resource for anyone starting up a triathlon-training program. The site offers personal coaching, generates training plans, and lets you log your workouts (there’s a fee for upper levels of membership, but BeginnerTriathlete.com also provides free services). You can also access a message board where triathletes can share their recent race experiences with other beginners and experienced racers.

Here’s a little something I wish I’d discovered before running that 5K last fall: The Runner’s World Smart Coach, a free online tool that helps you train for any distance race. Like Runner Girl, we love Smart Coach’s fast-and-easy service - just answer a few quick questions (what distance you’re training for, your schedule length, etc.) and the program will automatically develop a training plan for you. With every last detail taken care of - including cool-down and warm-up strategies - my just-generated Smart Coach plan leaves me with no excuse not to get my time way down for whichever race comes next.