I used to be a skinny fast runner. Now I am a strong fast runner.
The Broad Street Run is the biggest 10-mile race in the country. The race starts in North Philadelphia and runs straight south down route 611 until you hit the Delaware River.
There are 40,000 participants which make pre-race Porto potty situation a nightmare, but overall I love this race.
I think it’s magic.
Mostly because it is entirely flat or slightly downhill with no turns. You can go out too fast and still hang with sheer grit.
I ran my first Broad Street 9 years ago and I smoked it.
I was 24 years old and weighed my all-time lowest as an athlete. I was 153 lbs which lighter than I was in high school. I am 6 feet tall so 153 lbs is pretty skinny.
During my stink at 153, I all of my PRs on the road. 5k, 4 mile, 5 mile, and 10 mile, all within a 2-month span.
During my apex skinniness, I did not lift. I was a runner – so I ran.
But then I got hurt.
I got better and started running again.
And then I got hurt…again.
This pattern continued for years.
I was fixated on being the best runner possible. But I was missing a key piece of fitness.
I wasn’t strong. Like at all.
Eventually, I expanded my fitness into the strength world. I figured being a runner who spends more time lifting is better than a hurt runner who spends time on the elliptical.
I dove into bodybuilding splits, HIIT training, powerlifting, Olympic lifting, and CrossFit. I learned how to move my body and engage my muscle.
Now at 33, I am still lean, but I weigh 170. I’m 17 lbs heavier more than my fast 24-year-old self.
I no longer consider myself a runner. I train and look like an athlete. But I still had the mindset of a runner. I never thought a heavier frame would be able to run as fast as a skinny runner.
But training started going really well.
I was able to string together several months and years of consistent injury free running.
Then this past weekend at the 40th annual Broad Street Run I proved myself wrong.
Now – 9 years later – I have a brand new personal record. By only 5 seconds, but it counts!
And it wasn’t just me. Runners I coach like Maria, Jackie, Kathy, and Julie all have new 10-mile PRs and are better athletes than when they started.
Strength is important to becoming a better athlete. And the above examples are proof.
But it’s hard to know where to start.
So here are two workouts you can do.
Workout One:
Goblet Squats – 4 x 8
Kettle Bell swings– 3 x 10
Curtsey Lunge – 3 x 8
Hollow Holds – 3 x 30 secs
Side Planks w leg lift – 3 x 10 each leg
Workout Two:
Lateral Step Ups – 5 x 8
Ring Rows / Pull Ups – 3 x 6-10
Single Leg RDL – 3 x 8
Planks pull through – 3 x 30 seconds
Paloff Press – 3 x 10 each side
Strength coaching will make you faster. It’s just a matter of learning what to do. Click here to learn more about Reinforced Running Custom coaching and learn if we can help you hit your goals.
