So there I was after my first marathon.
I was hurting and I could barely walk. I could walk but I looked 50 years older than my 29 years.
I had fallen in love with running about 8 months earlier when I was on a family vacation. I ran every day near the beaches in Florida. Not Florida in July, but Florida in April.
The warm sun.
The cool breeze.
They combined with the steady rhythm of my feet hitting the ground and the wavelike motion of my breathing. It hypnotized me into a state of euphoria.
I went home from that vacation and immediately signed up for my first ever marathon.
But here I was now 8 months later and I couldn't bear the thought of running. I resigned to the idea that running just wasn't for me, or my body. It was like an abusive lover. It just beat me up too much.
I stopped running and just focused on other exercises.
Then one day a I was walking my little wiener dog at a local park wearing some five fingers. Those are the barefoot toe shoes that were trendy back then.
I looked at my little dog and he seemed to want to run. I decided to do a little sprint.
And it felt phenomenal. I loved running again. Everything was flowing, my form felt effortless. A eureka moment happened.
You see, when I was training for the marathon, I had tried to implement better running technique principles to no avail. My form would just go back to my default setting once I got even a little tired.
I knew what good running form looked like. I have a degree in the science of human movement. I did most of my biomechanics projects on running when I was in college. I read all the books about better running form. I tried to use the principles that I knew.
But I had been unable to put it into practice.
Now something had changed.
When I was not attached to running a certain distance or speed, I ran much better. I started treating running as a skill I was developing, rather than a mode of cardiovascular conditioning I was using to condition my body.
It worked. I enjoyed running again. I took another deep dive into studying the biomechanics of running. I was able to practice the principles of better running.
Since then, I've run several marathons faster than that first one that left me feeling crippled.
I've run a 50k and 100 mile ultra-marathons without feeling beat up.
That's a lie. I felt pretty demolished after the hundred miler. But that's to be expected.
I love running again.
But it hasn't been all rainbows and unicorns. I've made mistakes and learned. I got over-zealous with the little barefoot toe shoes and had to fix my plantar fasciitis again. (I'm prone to it apparently.)
Prevention beats treatment is one of the most valuable lessons I learned, by the way. I haven't had the plantar fasciitis issues in over 8 years now though.
As a trainer, I started using what I knew about corrective exercise and motor learning to help people run better.
And now, with the current state of internet technology, I can offer coaching online.
With the Run Better Now coaching program you get all this.
Here is what your get:
I send you the instruction video and then you video yourself performing a set of movements and running. It's easy with your smart phone or other device.
I evaluate how you move and design a movement optimization program based on your movement patterns. I post your program and you log in to your account to view it. It comes with video demonstrations and instructions.
In addition to the movement optimization program, I design a running technique and strength training program just for you. I design it around your schedule and based on your abilities.
We periodize your program based on your races or events. We design the program and shift the variables so that your performance peaks at the specific time when you want to be your best.
You get unlimited questions answered by email or over the online coaching platform. The online platform allows you to attach videos to messages.
If you have any questions about your technique, just shoot a quick video of yourself with your smart phone or other device. Attach it to a message and send it to me.
We meet up to 4 times a month by skype or telephone for accountability or encouragement. During this session, we can also troubleshoot your program and game plan for any upcoming events.
You get access to my personal calendar to set your coaching sessions up at your convenience. No back and forth messaging about available times necessary.
So many things outside of running can affect your running. I coach you on those things as well. I can teach you how to get better quality sleep, recover better, beat stress, improve your mindset, eat better, and optimize your cognitive performance.
I'm certified as a health coach, trained in teaching meditation, sports hypnosis, and also certified through Ben Greenfield's Superhuman Coach program.
With the Run Better Now coaching program, you CAN run faster and longer with greater ease and without pain.