This year, we’re taking action. We’re decisively moving forward with our training and executing on proven, fundamental training ideas.
We’re doing this because it’s powerful. If we can avoid gimmicks and focus on the essentials, it will be more practical to improve. Progress will be easier to realize.
And if getting better is easy, then you’ll experience a lot more of it.
That’s why I’ve been relentlessly focused on producing more actionable podcast, email, and video content to help your running. Practical ideas for improvement are the early seeds of massive performance breakthroughs.
Today, I want to show you what happens when runners follow through. I want to demonstrate that leaps forward are possible and they’re not as difficult as you might imagine.
It doesn’t matter if you’re…
- Attempting your first marathon ever
- Struggling to stay healthy from a history of chronic running injuries
- Trying to run a fast 5k, half-marathon, or marathon
- Building mileage and consistency after a period of low motivation
No matter your personal struggle, goal, or aspiration, there are paths forward to accomplishing that goal or overcoming whatever obstacle is in your way.
If you’re ready to take action and believe in yourself this year, I’m ready to help.
First, let’s see the results of taking action. I want you to hear from other runners.
Injured to Boston Qualifier (at 73)
David is one of my favorite Strength Running success stories. Even at 73, he knew that progress was still possible.
After he tore his hamstring off the bone in 2013, David broke a metatarsal during a marathon in 2014. He was having a difficult time staying healthy and performing at the level he wanted.
He knew strength training was critical – and likely what would enable him to keep running – but he didn’t know where to start. That didn’t stop him; David invested in our High Performance Lifting program and took action on lifting weights.
His comeback started at the Columbus Marathon, where he barely missed a Boston Qualifying time. But he said:
Thanks to you, my training went exceptionally well with no injuries! I also felt that weightlifting was really the icing on the cake which helped it all come together.
I finished 2nd in the 69-74 age category at the Columbus Marathon and really felt strong the entire distance.
Not one to miss a goal, David next ran the Illinois Marathon. He emailed me:
Well, I did it again at the Illinois Marathon last Saturday, only this time I came in first! I was 15 minutes faster than second place at 4:15:27. This is also a BQ by 4 minutes and 33 seconds which was a goal of mine.
As I said in my last letter, the lifting program was truly the icing on the cake. I was able to complete twenty weeks of training with zero injuries.
Before using your training and lifting programs, I seemed to be constantly injured. Now I am able to run 5 days a week without any problem. I thank you so much.
If you think you’re too old or too injury-prone to run long distances or run fast, think again.
5 Years of Injuries to 4 (Healthy) PB’s
Kira was so overwhelmed by 5 years of chronic injuries that she nearly gave up the sport entirely. It didn’t start that way, though. She ran her first marathon in 4:09 and was excited about her future.
But she was soon plagued by injuries and sporadic training. Her next marathon was a disappointing 4:24. Her third? An abysmal 5:06, nearly an hour slower than her first.
Kira recognized that no other form of exercise gave her the pleasure of running. She needed to run so she invested in our injury prevention program, making prevention a strategic goal of her training.
Soon, she was running happy and injury-free. She escaped what she called a “dark, depressing injury cycle.” And after years of injuries, Kira conquered her sub-4 marathon goal with an impressive 3:52 (a 17-minute improvement over her first).
She told me:
I learned that injury prevention makes WAY more sense that injury rehab (better to be proactive than reactive).
Injury prevention is not only easy, it is fun and makes running pain free and enjoyable. I feel so great that I can once again call myself a “runner” when at one point I had almost given up all hope.
This program is the best investment a runner can make. I believe that whole-heartedly!
If you think you’ll never get healthy – or run fast again – because you’re too injury-prone, think again.
Out of Shape to a Sub-5 Mile
Josh is a runner who heard what no man wants to hear from his daughter: “Daddy, it looks like you have a baby in your tummy!”
Kids say the darnedest things…
Josh knew he was the heaviest he had ever been. He was a former collegiate runner but had taken 17 years off training, with every comeback attempt marked by injury.
He knew he needed to overhaul his approach to running. So he took action, rededicated himself to the fundamentals, and surrounded himself with supportive runners and a coach.
The results are breathtaking. Soon, Josh was running healthy and pain-free. He rediscovered his competitive drive and has had a flurry of race success:
- He went from barely jogging an 11-minute mile to a sub-19 minute 5K in 7 months.
- He ran a USATF mile road race in 4:59 at age 40.
- He routinely places in his age group or overall masters in every race.
- He joined the Kansas City Smoke Masters team, a highly competitive USATF developmental racing team.
If you’ve ever doubted that you can run fast well into your 40’s, Josh is proof that a holistic approach to training, combined with peer and coaching support, can push you to personal bests that you might never have imagined possible.
Take Action Now
In my quest to provide the most direct, actionable, no fluff, results-oriented guidance possible, I now have something all-new.
We’ve built a collection of resources over the years to help you start focusing on injury resilience properly, improve your rate of progress, stay motivated, and learn proper form in the weight room.
Get started here and I’ll send you a video presentation about how to lift for speed.
But you’ll also get a series of coaching lessons designed to make strength training simple:
- The changes that you should expect both in your body and with your running
- Common pitfalls and training errors that can derail your progress (and spike injury risk)
- Case studies and examples from other runners just like you
- Example exercises, form tips, and a lot more
Our goals are to help you train well, reduce your risk of injury, and get as much as possible out of this incredible sport – no matter how old you are or what your 5k PR might be!
Sign up here and let’s see if we can get you to a healthy, pain-free new Personal Best!
Today, I hope you’ll take action and invest in yourself.
