The Story Behind Strength Running

My name is Jason Fitzgerald but please, call me Fitz.  I am fascinated by designing top-notch training programs that will make runners (and me!) fast, healthy, and in the best shape of their lives.

Jason at mile 16 of the '08 NY Marathon

Strength Running is everything I have learned about running in the past 12 years of competitive training.  I’m still learning new things and refining my own running so I hope you come along for the ride.  My focus with Strength Running will be injury prevention, speed development for distance runners, and giving you the best possible advice to design a killer training program.

My Story

I started running cross country as a freshman in high school, barely finished 3 miles, and couldn’t walk for a week.  I stuck with it and ran cross country, indoor and outdoor track for four years.  I ended up being Captain my senior year in cross-country and running fast enough to have it help me get into college.

At Connecticut College I started training seriously – 80-90 miles a week and tough workouts.  The injuries started to happen immediately.  I knew that I needed to train at this level to reach my potential but I only had brief periods of healthy running.  I still managed to run 26:19 for 8k cross-country and finish top ten in New England for the 3,000m Steeplechase.

After graduation, I continued to train and did a few triathlons.  Injuries still happened – achilles tendinitis, lower back pain, quad strains, and plantar fasciitis.  I competed in the 2008 New York Marathon and ran 2:44:38 but then ITBS cut me down for six months.

I devoted those six months to learning how to never let that happen again.  My training is much different now – more complete, less stressful, and I’m having more fun.  I am in awesome shape and have been injury-free for over a year.

Join Me!

In sharing my journey with its ups and downs, I hope to inspire others to develop their own training more comprehensively.  I encourage you to join this community:

  1. Sign up for my newsletter on the right (I only send out awesome stuff and never share it).
  2. Subscribe to my RSS Feed.
  3. Follow me on Twitter.
  4. Comment frequently!
  5. I’m also listed on Blog Catalog.
  6. Email me at support@strengthrunning.com.

If you have a question about Strength Running, an idea for a blog post, criticism, or just want to chat, I’m interested. Email me at support@strengthrunning.com.