Recently I asked a running friend of mine, “Quick, gut reaction answer: what is my potential in the marathon in the next three years?” He answered, “2:33, give or take.” Then came the qualifier. He added, “IF you do some real high volume training, you have the potential to run low 2:30′s.” It seems that [...]
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Finding your training sweet spot can be the holy grail of training. You’ll always know when to push yourself, when to back off the effort level, and how to enjoy running more than ever. So what’s a training sweet spot anyways? Simple: it’s when your workouts and volume are at a comfortable level for your [...]
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Dathan Ritzenhein graduated high school with six National Championship titles. He left the University of Colorado with four All-America titles, a national title at cross country, and the school record in the 10,000m in 27:38.50. Since turning pro, Dathan’s competed in the marathon at the 2008 Olympics, the 10k at the 2004 Olympics, set the [...]
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A lot of runners are realizing that mainstream advice is leaving them injured, frustrated, and slow: “I booked a sports physio session. They said to give it a weeks rest and see how it feels. Well….here I am 3 months later.” “I went to a few PTs and massage but none of it was helping [...]
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As you probably know, I am a huge running nerd. I read more running blogs, books, studies, and articles than is reasonable or necessary. While studies on lifting and running form don’t impress my wife, they help me design better training plans for my runners and write better articles here on Strength Running. I wasn’t [...]
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What’s a better cross training exercise for runners, cycling on the road or spinning? Runners are always looking for ways to get in better shape. When I was in college, I got a Trek road bike to stay fit when I was injured and to add some extra non-impact exercise to my summer training. It [...]
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Ultramarathon. The mere mention of the word intimidates many runners. The marathon itself can be a big undertaking, requiring months of training, too many sacrifices to count, and the inevitable highs and lows of arduous training. Surely, ultramarathon training is even more difficult. I’ll be up front and honest right now: I’ve never run an [...]
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“Hills are speed work in disguise.” – Frank Shorter With a good hill, you can train almost perfectly. Hills build leg strength, increase your running economy (efficiency), prevent injuries, reduce impact forces on your legs, increase stride power, and improve the neuromuscular communication pathway. Excited to run more hills yet? If there was one training [...]
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Earlier this week I wrote about the importance of running a high volume training program for most of the year. The benefits are undeniable: Increased running economy and efficiency More endurance through a higher aerobic capacity Injury prevention by adaptation to a higher workload Ability to run faster, for longer A lot of runners agree [...]
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A lot of runners are looking for a silver bullet that’s going to make them faster. They think they just need that “one special ingredient” to their training plan and they’ll feel great, never get injured, and run PR’s every weekend. This is your wake-up call. There is no magic formula to follow to reach [...]
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I'm Jason Fitzgerald, a 2:39 marathoner and running coach. I want to help you get faster.
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