Running Resources to Get You Faster, Healthy, and Stronger

Take a look around and you’ll notice that I don’t accept advertising on Strength Running. If you’re anything like me then you probably hate those ugly banner ads for “Get a flat belly with this one weird old tip!”

Instead, Strength Running is 100% reader-supported. This is my full-time job and purchasing something below helps keep food on my family dinner table. Thank you for your support and help in spreading the SR message!

The Strength Running Boot Camp

Designed specifically for runners who need a little nudge to run more consistently, this 4-week course shows you how to make consistent running a habit that sticks.

The SR Boot Camp helps you make running something you “just do” instead of something “always plan to do” but skip.

With detailed injury prevention lessons to keep you healthy, daily motivation and accountability, and smarter training guidance, it answers all your tough questions:

• What strength exercises should I do (and when)?
• How do I get out of bed in the morning and JUST RUN?
• How do I correct my running form?

The Rebel Running Guide

I’m the co-author of the Rebel Running Guide with Steve Kamb of Nerd Fitness. The RRG is an introductory running program for beginner – intermediate runners who want a step by step guide to running a fast 5k race.

This comprehensive program is much more than just a training plan: it comes with a diet guide, running form videos, complete training programs, and core/dynamic-warm-up video demonstrations. We created the Rebel Running Guide to take the guesswork out of training so you know exactly how to train for a 5k race.

If you ever ask yourself, “I’m just not sure what I should be doing,” this training guide is for you. Check out the guide here.

Are you a Marathoner?

I teamed up with Boston Marathon qualifier Matt Frazier to create an enormous member-only website dedicated to one goal: helping you qualify for the Boston Marathon. The result is Run Your BQ – an exclusive coaching program and community for marathoners looking to reach their lofty goals.

Inside the website, there’s a members-only forum where you can interact with other marathoners, 20+ video demonstrations, and over 45 lessons on how to improve your marathon time. We also have regular coaching webinars where we answer our member’s questions.

We don’t open Run Your BQ very often because we’re focused on helping our runners in the forum and through our live video chat sessions we hold every few weeks. But join our priority list here and we’ll let you know when we open the doors to new members.

Personal Coaching and Training Plans

Strength Running is known for its custom training plans – it’s the most popular service here and for good reason: a training plan built around your schedule, fitness level, goals, injury profile, and running background can deliver powerful results. Just look how it transformed the lives of these two runners:

“I would definitely recommend the PR Race Plan. My plan was designed for me and well-aligned with what I asked for. And the result is a marathon PR of over 16 minutes! The race was a huge confidence builder for me.” – Mark

“I ran my half marathon today and got a PR of 1:45, placed first in my age group, had the fastest time in that age group for all the years the race has been run, and most impressively to me was that my last two miles were the fastest! I’m a very happy girl. Thank you for your plan. On to the next one!” – Martha K

For more details, check out the PR Race Plan here.

Some runners want more 1-on-1 support so I offer a full coaching program for a limited number of athletes. Why do I limit the number of runners that I personally coach? Because with unlimited communication, I need to make sure I’m responsive to your needs, design training that’s right for you, plus give you my full attention.

I don’t accept every runner into this program, so please email me if you’re interested.

Running Guides and More

Marathon Roadmap: The Vegetarian Guide to Conquering Your First Marathon is your detailed guide to succeeding at the marathon if you’re a vegetarian. While I’m a proud carnivore, I know other runners go the vegetarian route so I want to point you to the most complete marathon training and vegetarian plan that exists.

With over 120 pages and several audio interviews with elite and prominent plant-powered runners, it will help you run fast and feel energized on a plant-based diet. Read more about Marathon Roadmap here or my interview with Matt here.

The Rebel Fitness Guide was created by my co-author of the Rebel Running Guide (he loves Rebels!). This program is a complete resource for beginner fitness and strength training. With videos demonstrating every exercise (that will cover over six months) and two separate food and diet books, this is a massive resource.

I recommend this for runners who get injured frequently – the diet and strength routines will help you recover faster and build the injury resistance you need to continue training to reach your goals. Learn more about the Rebel Fitness Guide here.

I simply love RoadID and if you’re not wearing one, you’re not being safe. I recommend this because I use it myself and have had plenty of stressful experiences myself: dog bites, bike crashes, and near-collisions with cars.

A lot can happen when you’re running the trails or out on a long run, so prepare and equip yourself with this easy (and might I say, quite fashionable) ID.

Running Shoes

I have no particular preference to brand when it comes to running shoes. I love ASICS, Adidas, and Nike but have also worn Saucony and Brooks. With that said, I tend to wear certain models over and over again that work for me. These may not work for you, but they’re my favorites.

The ASICS Speedstars have been my “go to” trainer for years. I preferred the first and second editions but they’re still in my line-up and I use them for short recovery runs to long runs. At under 9 ounces, it’s a fantastic introductory minimalist shoe for anybody looking to wear “less” of a trainer without going overboard. There’s no high density foam, the heel-toe drop isn’t enormous (nor is it too minimalist for those of you new to minimalism).

I also like to rotate a more minimalist shoe with the Speedstar. For this purpose I usually experiment with a new model but I always gravitate toward some staples. Right now that’s the Adidas Adizero Mana. I think they tend to run a bit narrow so if you have wide feet these shoes may not be a great fit for you.

The entire Adizero line is great and includes many lightweight trainers and racers. The sole tends to be more stiff than other shoes so keep that in mind if you do a lot of road running. Personally, I love them on smooth dirt trails.

Other great options are the Saucony Kinvara and ASICS Hyper Speed (for faster workouts or races).

For more reviews, see the shoe reviews page (minimalist, neutral, racers, and more).

Running Websites

Runblogger is the site for all you shoe lovers out there. If you are borderline obsessed with shoes, minimalism, biomechanics, running form, and reading shoe reviews – Runblogger has answers. Check it out for a wealth of information.

Science of Running provides the scientific background on training strategies, workouts, and running form. If you’re a nerd and want to know more about VO2 Max or another specific running topic, this is for you. It’s written by Steve Magness, a 4:01 miler and exercise physiologist, who dispels conventional wisdom and will definitely enhance your performance.

iRunFar is your resource for ultramarathons and trail running. Bryon Powell is its Runner-in-Chief and provides live event coverage and gear reviews that will help you prepare for your first (or 10th!) ultramarathon. Check out the thriving community on iRunFar that helps make this such a comprehensive ultra and trail website. He is also the author of Relentless Forward Progress: A Guide to Running Ultramarathons.

Want more? Get exclusive access to the Runner’s Gear Bag - a collection of two free ebooks (How to Stay Fit on Vacation & The Strength Running PR Guide) and more – just for signing up.

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