Isn’t it amazing what you can accomplish when you make a few simple tweaks to your running?
In just a few months, it’s possible to resolve chronic injuries, get even stronger, and run a slew of personal bests. With the right training approach, most runners can undergo a dramatic transformation.
But it will take work and a willingness to try new things.
Not ready to do anything different? Well, you may just keep getting what you’ve always gotten…
I know you’re ready to try a new approach, though. You’re here to upgrade your running, after all! And with a little work, you may not even recognize yourself in a few months.
That’s exactly what happened to Franzi, the newest addition to Strength Running’s ever-growing team of inspiring success stories!
You see, she’s experienced a lot in just the last few months. She’s run her first marathon. She ran personal bests in both the 5k and the half marathon. And most importantly: she’s running healthy and pain free.
Here’s how she did it.
“I was training for a marathon and not getting anywhere”
Franzi is a runner who used to struggle, not only with her race times but also getting hurt. Her training might seem similar to yours – a few 3-6 mile runs every week just to stay in shape. But soon, she got the itch to run a marathon…
So she started to run more to prepare for her first go at the 26.2 mile distance. You can imagine what happened next:
“I used an off the shelf marathon plan without a coach, which is when I started to get in trouble with lower back problems and later ITBS. I struggled for about 12 months like that, not really making much progress in adding mileage or getting faster, or running a marathon for that matter.”
An entire year later and Franzi hadn’t made any progress with either her mileage or her speed – and she hadn’t even accomplished her goal of running a marathon either! There’s nothing more frustrating than being in a rut like this, floundering with running the same distances and times for months.
But she refused to settle. She didn’t think that PR’s and healthy running were something that “other runners” experienced. Instead of spending weeks doing research and trying a bunch of new things, she took action and decided to use proven Strength Running principles to get healthy and finally run her first marathon.
She told me:
“I found SR after an 8-week ITBS battle and used the ITB Routine as part of my rehab. Within 7 weeks I was pain free and running again. This prompted me to get a personalized training plan from Jason. I ran my first marathon earlier this year with no injuries and I was able to pick up training right up again.
About a year after finding SR, I’m without significant injury and I have never run more miles or faster than I do now. I feel extremely empowered, focused and very happy.
What I love about Franzi’s story so far is that she realized the value of practical, real-world advice when it was smacking her upside the head. Instead of doing what I see so many other runners do (“I’m going to try a few random things and figure this out”), she took action.
She used the ITB Rehab Routine as part of her rehab because it’s been tested and proven to work with tens of thousands of runners. Win!
She realized that if a single routine can be that effective, what about an entire training program? So she invested in a custom-built PR Race Plan instead of an “off the shelf” plan that left her injured and nowhere near her goal the last time.
Franzi took the next logical step and was able to stay healthy and run her first marathon – a success story in and of itself!
Training Smart Ain’t Easy
Injury prevention requires a lot more than a fancy strength routine. It requires a well-rounded training approach that focuses on recovery, progression, and the many “extras” that help runners stay healthy (there are so many more facets to injury prevention than strength!).
Even though Franzi had successfully run her first marathon and prevented injuries for longer than she ever had before, it wasn’t easy. She realized she needed positive reinforcement and a reminder of the many principles that contribute to pain free running.
When the Injury Prevention for Runners program was released, she told me that she had to get it:
“When Jason offered the Injury Prevention Program I just had to get it, since it’s a solid framework with all the necessary things to know about running longer distances all in one package. Beside the focused injury treatment plans, it’s one reference book to go back to if you need a change in strategy, are injured or just need constant reinforcement (like me) to remind you what’s good for you.”
Franzi struggled with increasing her mileage and investing the time to train “smart” (not hard) since she works in an office and travels a lot. But the program gave her the discipline not to cut any corners.
With the reinforcement of the Injury Prevention program, she continued to train smart and focused on her goals. She now understands how to recover faster, build her mileage, and get faster – safely, without the injuries.
Where is Franzi’s Running Now?
Franzi’s success isn’t just running her first marathon while staying healthy. No, she’s seen much more progress than that! I asked her what positive results she saw from Injury Prevention for Runners:
“I got faster! My 5k PB improved from 28:39 to 24:07 and my half marathon time from 2:12 to 1:52. I have learned to listen to my body and cut back at times. I have never had this much endurance before and best of all I am pain free.
I’ve learned the importance of sticking to the plan, accepting and understanding the principles of injury free running, and how to recover quicker.”
These results are simply phenomenal. No coach can guarantee results like this (if they do, they’re lying), but I can’t say this is atypical. You can read scores of race plan results in addition to the many in-depth success stories I feature on the blog.
And for injury prevention, Injury Prevention for Runners provides the best well-rounded approach to staying healthy:
“This is an effective and intelligently designed resource for runners who are trying to overcome their own limitations. Previously I had run seven marathons without ever getting through the schedule fully – there was always some interruption due to injury. I think that the straightforward and efficient strength routines have contributed strongly to me getting through more of my planned training than ever before.” – Collette
“I have been an extremely discouraged (sidelined) runner for years who basically gave up trying to overcome my IT Band problem until about six weeks ago. I came upon the program and out of desperation tried it and discovered it works.” – Rooney
“I’m a Physical therapist and much of the information that is put out there for runners and what it takes to rehab and then prevent injuries is incorrect. I appreciate your perspective and knowledge base and I plan to run until I’m 100, and I believe your programs and wisdom are helping me.” – MaryKay
Ultimately, every runner is responsible for their own progress. Franzi owned her training and committed to the program. The rest is history. She’s now faster than ever, stronger, and happy with her running because she took steps to train smart.
Here’s what she told me about the injury prevention program:
“The Program provides a Framework, each component works hand in hand, so the most helpful is the variety of training components and detailed descriptions that are easy to understand and also fun to read.
I would recommend the program to anyone that has trouble with ITBS, recurring injuries or wants to increase mileage and speed safely. It’s almost like a lifestyle philosophy, it’s full of heart and in a funny, nerdy way (sorry Jason).
It’s an absolute pleasure to read. Kudos and thanks to Jason for doing the research and packing all of his knowledge into a well-structured, all-around guide.”
Well, I’ve always said that I’m a training nerd, so I can’t fault her for calling me out!
Thanks to Franzi for sharing her inspiring success with us. Helping runners completely transform their running and hearing stories like this are why I love my job.
You can learn more about Injury Prevention for Runners here.
