In 2002, my track coach issued a powerful challenge that forever changed how I approached racing, training, and improvement.
The challenge? To get out of your comfort zone.
In fact, during most races you could find him in the outer lanes, clipboard in hand, waving his arms like a madman. Screaming at the top of his lungs, you could hear him from across the field house:
You gotta get out of your comfort zone!!
That year, I ran personal bests in every event from 800m to 2-miles. It was the most productive year of racing I had ever experienced – and my teammates saw similar improvements.
We trained hard, of course. But this mental shift and the encouragement to give more and do more allowed us to reframe what was possible.
And when a small breakthrough happens, it paves the way for even more breakthroughs.
Like I enjoy telling my runners:
PR’s lead to more PR’s!
Soon, you’re an entirely new runner. How would it make you feel if:
- Mileage that used to be difficult becomes routine…
- Your 5k pace becomes your 10k pace…
- What once was a fantasy – like qualifying for Boston – seems just beyond the horizon…
These “jumps” in fitness and performance are not only possible – they’re likely with the right approach, resources, and support system.
This year, my top goal is to give you the exact approach, the right resources, and the support necessary to take your running to the next level.
Imagine what it would feel like to run new personal bests in four different race distances?
Or finally achieve your goal weight (without sacrificing your running)?
Or maybe it’s about time to take control of your nutrition so you can recover faster and feel more energized on your training runs?
2015 is the year you will get out of your comfort zone, achieve your goals, and perform better than you ever thought possible.
Are you ready? Are you excited? Are you jumping up and down like I am?
The 2015 Vision
The next four months will be the most exciting in Strength Running’s history. Not only have I hired a Content Editor to help bring you even more helpful running advice, but the projects we’re working on right now are the most ambitious I’ve ever undertaken.
I’ll soon be announcing these projects (and bonus resources to those who are on my email list). But before we get too jazzed up about what’s coming, let’s reflect on 2014.
As you know, I like to give each year a “theme” – and we accomplished a lot together in the last 12 months.
2014 was the Year of Injury Free Running. With the release of Injury Prevention for Runners, nearly 1,000 runners invested in their training and reaped the rewards. I’ve long called consistency the “secret sauce” of successful running and the best way to stay consistent is to stay healthy.
Runners like Franzi were able to finally run their first marathon, when injuries used to always sideline her training.
Aron told me:
“I’ve suffered from recurring ITBS for years, often having to sit out weeks or months of training (and miss or suffer through races!) because of it. Now I can run completely pain-free! I’ve never healed this quickly before and now I have a long-term plan that will get rid of this nuisance injury forever.”
And Lucy, who’s 58 and has battled Achilles tendinopathy for a YEAR said:
“I was ready to give up running. I started the Injury Prevention program and then I ran a Shamrock 4 miler for fun and ran a 9min pace, with no pain in my Achilles! Thank you, thank you!”
You can see even more powerful results here (this is exactly why I love my job!).
The funny thing is that these runners are not elite or “special” in any way. They simply took a proven system and applied it to their running.
That system, the foundation of my coaching philosophy, has been fine-tuned for the better half of a decade. It’s helped tens of thousands of runners run personal bests, stay more consistent, and prevent injuries.
When a system is rigorously tested, focuses on the fundamentals and stands the test of time, I’m confident it can help EVERY runner. Including you.
And I’m thrilled to expand on that coaching philosophy to help you this year.
Push Beyond the Ordinary
One of my favorite running quotes is:
“Long distance running is 90% mental and the other half is physical.” – Rich Davis
How true is that?
Have you ever experienced a big personal best – or a new training milestone – simply because you believed you could achieve it?
The power of the mind can’t be ignored. Hundreds of studies have shown that the brain is capable of pushing the body beyond preconceived performance barriers.
Top scientists believed humans weren’t capable of running a sub-four minute mile. Until Roger Bannister ran 3:59 in 1954 – and that record only lasted for 46 days!
Since I’m super thin, many people never thought I’d be good at obstacle races (how can you pull yourself over a wall?!) – until I beat nearly 17,000 other runners at a Warrior Dash obstacle race.
These “jumps” in performance aren’t limited to elites or more competitive runners. Just look at Mark, who believed it was “beyond impossible” to run a faster marathon… until he took 30 minutes off his PR with a no-bonk race!
What was once considered beyond impossible soon becomes routine.
How would that level of improvement make you feel? Are you ready to experience it for yourself?
If so, it’s time to get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. BELIEVE that you are capable of achieving your goals:
- Maintain a healthy weight to help you run faster
- Improve your nutrition to help you train harder
- Beat your 10k time from last year
- Lose those last few holiday pounds
To illustrate the power of belief, look at Billy Mills – the 1964 Olympic Gold Medalist in the 10,000m.
But before the race he was virtually unknown and overlooked by every track critic.
He said before the race:
“God has given me the ability. The rest is up to me. Believe. Believe. Believe.”
And 400m from the finish, he was miraculously in 3rd place. Soon he out-sprinted everyone around him – and ran a new personal best by nearly a minute.
Is it possible for average runners like us to improve that much by getting out of our comfort zone? Can we set ourselves up to experience these same jumps in performance?
I say yes! It’s entirely possible with the right system and process (and I have something new coming up soon that you’re going to love so stick around).
Join me this month?
This month, I invite you to join me as we explore ways to get out of our comfort zones and accomplish our 2015 goals.
I’m going to challenge you to think about things differently, to re-examine our long-held beliefs, and to expect more of yourself.
With the right support network, I know we can be more successful runners this year. Stronger than ever, healthier, and in the best shape of our lives.
If that sounds good to you, sign up for my email list here or in the blue box below.
I’ll be releasing brand-new coaching material to my email list that won’t be on the blog this month, so you’ll want to join.
Until then, get excited for this year. It’s going to be our best yet.
